Three Team Blockbuster Trade Rumor

[j bean]

This trade is addition by subtraction. It gives more responsibility and opportunity to the core being developed and removes three guys who would all be given diminished roles in the near future. That wouldn't bode well for team chemistry. Gay and Jones may fit right in or if not they do have value that is movable.

[Matt52]

First off, I call bullsh!t. I cannot find a source anywhere else on the net talking about this. It would rank as one of the largest trades in the NBA ever as well so it is not exactly something that is going to be hush-hush if it was on the verge of completion.

However, lets say this trade was possible. If it was the Raps would be nuts to not go for it - nuts I say. Here is Gay's stats for his career:
http://espn.go.com/nba/player/stats/_/id/3005/rudy-gay

Injuries happen and this was the first year in 5 that he played less than 78 (78, 81,79,80,54). He averages more rebounds per game than Bargnani (6.2), more blocks (1.1), more steals (1.4), more assists (2.8), less shots (16.1), higher FG% (47.1), higher 3P% (.396), and marginally more TO (.2) in a SF vs. C position. Oh yeah, and he only turns 25 in August.

As for the other guys: Jones and Posey.
Much like Barbosa and Calderon, they are not going to be around when DD, ED are hitting their prime. However, Posey has a championship ring, is a hard nosed tough as nails player, would certainly provide a boost to the average age of the team (semi joking), and with only one year remaining on his deal it allows Kleiza time to heal properly i.e. no need to rush back. Jones is an awesome defender which is something the team does not have (as an aside, Jones and Gay would have been the two best perimeter defenders on the Raps this past season) and is also a veteran with playoff experience in DEN. Again, another tough, physical player to go along with James Johnson.

This trade would take the Raptors 180 degrees from any stereotype currently held about the team and Colangelo's style.

Obviously C would still need to be addressed but here is the lineup:

PG: Bayless
SG: DD, Jones
SF: Gay, JJ, Posey, Kleiza
PF: Davis, Amir
C: Alabi

Add in the number 5 pick (Knight? Kanter?) and the payroll remains the same for next year at around $47M but that includes the rookie salary of around $3M. We do not know what the CBA will bring but any hardcap will be met with possible rollbacks in salary and the remaining cap space ($11M right now) could be used to secure the services of a backup PG and a starting C. Add Reggie on the cheap (hopefully) and a guy like Daequan Cook and they can spend the remaining money on another C.

[Dr Hannibal Lecter]

Why?

Very simple..his contract is ridiculous...Kobe Bryant money..
Not gonna happend...

[Tortacular]

Why on earth would Memphis want Bargnani?

He can't play the 3. He can't defend at all. He's a horrible fit for the culture of that team and city.

Pipe. Fucking. Dream.

[joey_hesketh]

Pipe. Fucking. Dream.

Buzz. F*cking. Kill.

You're no fun.

[Pele]

This guy'd probably like to see Gay in a Raps uniform
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WK7lIjFsGvg

[LBF]

I had to read his quote twice to realize what he was saying. I though, "Rudy Gay died and I never heard anything about it?"

there's kind of a meaning within the meaning of what i was saying.

#subliminal messaging

[SCass]

That team is HORRIBLE defensively. Horrible. And Bargnani's defense and rebounding was still really bad when he played PF. I don't know how your memory works, but I don't recall Bargnani suddenly not being a liability on defense when he played with Jermaine O'Neal.

And the evidence seems to be to the contrary...
http://www.82games.com/0809/08TOR14.HTM#bypos

Other than still including Bargnani on the team, you don't really have evidence to say that this team would be soooo bad on defense. Knight and DeRozan both have the potential to be very good defenders, Williams is long and big for his position (ala James Johnson), and Chandler is obviously quite good on defense. Plus, by replacing Calderon with a solid defender, Bargnani wouldn't be so exposed on the pick and roll, especially with Chandler behind him. Bargnani is actually a decent man-defender, and so by guarding the ball instead of being put in the 'help' defense role, I think you would see a totally different Bargnani.

[Matt52]

Why?

Very simple..his contract is ridiculous...Kobe Bryant money..
Not gonna happend...

I agree the trade won't happen but Kobe makes $25M, $28M, and $30.5M over the next three years in his twilight years; Gay makes $15, $16.5, $18, $19.5 over the next four in his prime.

Don't forget, I don't think this will happen either. HOWEVER,

Would you rather pay Barganani, Calderon, Barbosa (who led a 22 win team this year):

$26M in 2011-2012
$20.5M in 2012-2013

Posey, Jones, Gay:

$24.5 in 2011-2012
$19.5 in 2012-2013

Just something to think about.

I'd rather pay Gay and put the extra money in to a proper C.

[ceez]

Boner deflated. So this is what it feels like when doves cry.

[Tim W.]

Other than still including Bargnani on the team, you don't really have evidence to say that this team would be soooo bad on defense. Knight and DeRozan both have the potential to be very good defenders, Williams is long and big for his position (ala James Johnson), and Chandler is obviously quite good on defense. Plus, by replacing Calderon with a solid defender, Bargnani wouldn't be so exposed on the pick and roll, especially with Chandler behind him. Bargnani is actually a decent man-defender, and so by guarding the ball instead of being put in the 'help' defense role, I think you would see a totally different Bargnani.

Bargnani is a really bad defender. Derrick Williams probably will not be a good defender, and it doesn't matter whether he has size, or not, if he can't stay with his man, which he will struggle doing. Plus, he;ll be a rookie. DeRozan is a below average defender right now. He's got the chance to be a good one, but we'll be lucky if he's even decent next year. And the chances are the Raptors won't be able to get a decent center as a free agent. Chandler is NOT leaving Dallas to go to a 22 win team. And no other decent center is going to do it, either. That's not a good defensive team. Sorry.

And no, Bargnani is not a decent man-to-man defender. His man-to-man defense is vastly overrated due to a few good games he played. Now, his fans think that he plays like that all the time when that's simply not true. Look at his opponent PER: 21.3. It's incredibly bad. He's constantly allows his man to produce above average.

And those who think we'll see a "totally different Bargnani" are living in a dream world. These are the same people that said Bargnani just needed minutes to reach his potential, and then he just needed to start, and then he needed more shots, and then he needed to play PF. It's been five years. It's not going to happen.

Oh, and whether or not he plays center or PF, he still has to help on defense. Bargnani was never "put" into a help defense role. That's what happens when you play on a basketball team. Ed Davis and Amir Johnson are both above average help defenders, and were given the most defensive responsibility, but it didn't help Bargnani at all. Bargnani even played on the wing in the zone, and it didn't help him.

NOTHING WILL HELP HIM! He's a very poor defender, no matter whether he plays beside Dikembe Mutombo in his prime or Rafael Araujo.

[zulfi]

after the jose trade screw up and the matt barnes screw up, im a bit relunctant to believe anything until everything is finalized...

BUT if it was to happen, that would be an awesome trade!

[phez]

why would the grizz take bargs, LOL, dumbest rumor ever

[Brain Colangelo]

george is the best value in the deal - would gladly trade#5 for him.

[Mack North]

why would the grizz take bargs, LOL, dumbest rumor ever

I'm not sure where they'd play him either, hardly coming off the bench for 10 mil? Unless they think Gasol might be gone and put him at the C while they try to develop Thabeet? I don't see it making too much sense for them...

[Tim W.]

I agree the trade won't happen but Kobe makes $25M, $28M, and $30.5M over the next three years in his twilight years; Gay makes $15, $16.5, $18, $19.5 over the next four in his prime.

Don't forget, I don't think this will happen either. HOWEVER,

Would you rather pay Barganani, Calderon, Barbosa (who led a 22 win team this year):

$26M in 2011-2012
$20.5M in 2012-2013

Posey, Jones, Gay:

$24.5 in 2011-2012
$19.5 in 2012-2013

Just something to think about.

I'd rather pay Gay and put the extra money in to a proper C.

Excellent post.

[Tim W.]

george is the best value in the deal - would gladly trade#5 for him.

I'm not a fan of giving up the draft pick, but for George I would. He's going to be better than anyone the Raptors would draft there.

[Cheese416]

the only downside Toronto will have in this trade is Gay's lack of jersey sales

[Tim W.]

I'm not sure where they'd play him either, hardly coming off the bench for 10 mil? Unless they think Gasol might be gone and put him at the C while they try to develop Thabeet? I don't see it making too much sense for them...

I see why they would do it. He'd be insurance in case Gasol left, but if he came back, Bargnani, Gasol and Randolph would make a potentially dangerous front line rotation. Wallace gambled and won when he traded for Zach Randolph, so he might think he could do the same with Bargnani. Remember when Randolph went to Memphis everyone, including me, thought it was an incredibly stupid move that would end up backfiring. Now Randolph is an All Star and Memphis just went to the second round.

Would I personally do it? No, but I wouldn't have traded for Randolph i the first place, or traded Kevin Love for OJ Mayo, or drafted Thabeet, or done a lot of things they've done. Hell, I'd never have drafted Bargnani in the first place, so obviously not everyone thinks alike.

[Tim W.]

the only downside Toronto will have in this trade is Gay's lack of jersey sales

Are you kidding? There's a huge demographic they could be targeting to sell lots of jerseys. Besides, proceeds from jersey sales, I believe, are shared by all the teams.