The Raptors and the 2014 Draft

[mcHAPPY]

Can you trade Lowry? isn't he a FA?

It is a gray area but I think the following could happen:

Raps can talk to him (and actually do it) about signing an extension up until July 1st.

If sign and trade possibility were to be a reality, Raps could grant Lakers permission to discuss under premise of an extend and trade (I think, could be wrong here, I"m sure DanH would know).

At the very least the Raps could act as middle men between Lakers and Lowry.

But regardless it would all have to be completed after July moratorium which is not unusual for deals done at or around the draft.

[imanshumpert]

Jerry West and Danny Ainge are in agreement: the 2014 draft is less than outstanding.



Full article from Forbes - http://www.forbes.com/sites/markheis...-draft-revolt/

It is a great draft imo, but I don't see how it's any better than 2008 or 2009. Both of those drafts had multiple all-stars, superstars and all-NBAers.

[imanshumpert]

Well, if we like who they draft, it's not. Or if we reach out with the possibility beforehand and get some agreement from Lowry. It would be difficult, but not impossible. Now, if we wanted to then package that pick to move up, it would be pretty much impossible, as you end up with too many moving parts that can't be official until 2 weeks after the draft.

It is a gray area but I think the following could happen:

Raps can talk to him (and actually do it) about signing an extension up until July 1st.

If sign and trade possibility were to be a reality, Raps could grant Lakers permission to discuss under premise of an extend and trade (I think, could be wrong here, I"m sure DanH would know).

At the very least the Raps could act as middle men between Lakers and Lowry.

But regardless it would all have to be completed after July moratorium which is not unusual for deals done at or around the draft.

But let's be real here. Couldn't the Lakers just sign Lowry outright and wait until the following offseason to get other players? Is it really worth mortgaging the 7th pick just to clear Nash off the books?

[The Great One]

Jerry West and Danny Ainge are in agreement: the 2014 draft is less than outstanding.



Full article from Forbes - http://www.forbes.com/sites/markheis...-draft-revolt/

Ok, Danny Ainge. I dare you to trade your 6th overall pick for veteran players.

This IMO is the best draft class since 03. I also think this class is deeper than the 03 draft. I think you can get a good player/rotational player in the 2nd round.

[CalgaryRapsFan]

Jerry West and Danny Ainge are in agreement: the 2014 draft is less than outstanding.



Full article from Forbes - http://www.forbes.com/sites/markheis...-draft-revolt/

I actually tend to agree. It's top heavy, then very deep with role players / specialists. I could see players in the 8-25 range going in all sorts of different orders, dependent on team need. 'BPA' is so subjective when you're comparing a 3pt specialist, a defender, a raw athletic specimen, rebounding big, etc...

[CalgaryRapsFan]

But let's be real here. Couldn't the Lakers just sign Lowry outright and wait until the following offseason to get other players? Is it really worth mortgaging the 7th pick just to clear Nash off the books?

It would be if another star player could be signed with the cap space that Nash's $9M+ contract is eating up. The Raps could include say the #37 and #59 picks as well. In this deep draft, the #37 pick is really just a late 1st round pick without the guaranteed money attached to it.

[DanH]

But let's be real here. Couldn't the Lakers just sign Lowry outright and wait until the following offseason to get other players? Is it really worth mortgaging the 7th pick just to clear Nash off the books?

They could indeed wait. Of course, that is always true of bad contracts, regardless of length. And teams often mortgage picks for quicker cap space. I agree that were I them I would not be trading that 7th pick, but if their priorities are to win over the next couple years (possibly the final couple years for Kobe), that cap space might be more valuable than that pick. Between Nash's 9.7M and the pick's cap hold, they clear about 11.2M in room - enough to easily fit Lowry and still maintain the rest of their cap space to hunt for big names. I think they'd be better off trying to pry Love away with their 7th, but that might not be enough of an asset for them to win that race anyway, and leveraging the Lakers brand in free agency might be the best course of action they have, if short term success is the goal.

[Chr1s1anL]

Too much talk about breaking up the second best backcourt in the league on this forum.


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[mcHAPPY]

Too much talk about breaking up the second best backcourt in the league on this forum.


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If the raps were a Legit contender or if Lowry and DeRozan were still on rookie deals, I'd give your post a like.

[JordanMariam14]

Oh man the lineup of

Smart
Ross
Someone else
Vonleh
JV

Would be so beautiful .. but it would be so hard to see the current guys go

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[Jamshid]

I'd be looking at making a small deal with LA or Boston (maybe not even involving #20) to move up and get Randle or Vonleh if we had #8 on our hands.

I will give you a deal that many LA or Boston will go for

Big Val for #6 or #7 !!! Other than that, Raptors have NOTHING that will interest either of these franchises. Once again, to all the people who are thinking about trades with Lakers, down load TuneIn radio and listen to ESPN 710 and get a DOSE of REALITY.

[mcHAPPY]

They could indeed wait. Of course, that is always true of bad contracts, regardless of length. And teams often mortgage picks for quicker cap space. I agree that were I them I would not be trading that 7th pick, but if their priorities are to win over the next couple years (possibly the final couple years for Kobe), that cap space might be more valuable than that pick. Between Nash's 9.7M and the pick's cap hold, they clear about 11.2M in room - enough to easily fit Lowry and still maintain the rest of their cap space to hunt for big names. I think they'd be better off trying to pry Love away with their 7th, but that might not be enough of an asset for them to win that race anyway, and leveraging the Lakers brand in free agency might be the best course of action they have, if short term success is the goal.

Marc stein tweet:

RT @WindhorstESPN: Teams that want to sign LeBron won't impress him w/draft picks. You better be ready to win now: espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id…

Who would take #7, return an impact player, and pay Nash's last year?

[Demographic Shift]

“Everyone is talking about a great draft class this year,” Golden State consultant Jerry West told ESPN Radio. “I think it’s just the opposite. I think it’s a poor one, myself.”

“It’s not even close to one of the best draft classes in the last 10 years,” Celtic GM Danny Ainge told the Boston Globe.

This is whats called blowing smoke up your ass. GSW who West represents has no draft picks to worry about thank you very much. Ainge is pissed because he is stuck in the 6 hole. And the obfuscation begins.

[Demographic Shift]

Oh man the lineup of

Smart
Ross
Someone else
Vonleh
JV

Would be so beautiful .. but it would be so hard to see the current guys go

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Might be beautiful but is likely to go 28 and 54. After watching playoff ball with a game 7 some may not be so willing to break it apart and take a fairly large risk that this lineup Vonleh/Smart and Someone Else comes together in 2016-17 for a playoff run.

[Mapko]

Well, in their defense. Irving was and is still the best player from that draft.

Anthony Bennett doesn't look great so far but no one from that draft has been terribly impressive yet. It's MCW and a bunch of meh players.

Their biggest fuck up was passing on JV to take Tristan Thompson, and TT and JV aren't that far off in terms of production right now.

True, but: Who is easier to replace? Amir, 2Pat (or even TH) can all give you more or less what TT gives you (ie TT is easily replaceable). JVal is not.