TRADE: Turkoglu For Barbosa and Jones (Update On Pg. 29)

[Apollo]

Diaw is different than Lamar no doubt but there are similarities. Both can handle the ball well. Diaw can guard the 5, 4, and 3 and his versatility makes him very valuable. I'll say it again, he's the new starting SF. He's the guy they need there if Bargnani is to continue to play the 5. Why? Because he makes up some of Bargnani's defensive and rebounding deficiencies. I have no idea how anyone can be opposed to this. Now, essentially, they've landed Diaw, two 1st rounders and a little TPE for Chris Bosh. That's pretty damn good considering many people in here were so sick of the Bosh FA saga that they didn't care if the Raptors got anything.

[vinnie_paz]

Diaw is different than Lamar no doubt but there are similarities. Both can handle the ball well. Diaw can guard the 5, 4, and 3 and his versatility makes him very valuable. I'll say it again, he's the new starting SF. He's the guy they need there if Bargnani is to continue to play the 5. Why? Because he makes up some of Bargnani's defensive and rebounding deficiencies. I have no idea how anyone can be opposed to this. Now, essentially, they've landed Diaw, two 1st rounders and a little TPE for Chris Bosh. That's pretty damn good considering many people in here were so sick of the Bosh FA saga that they didn't care if the Raptors got anything.

Diaw played the 4 for most of the season n got badly out rebounded by the 3 in Charlitte a man u mite of heard of... G. Wallace

Diaw iz not gritty. The Bobcats had to risk a 1st round pick to get someone who IZ gritty... Tyrus Thomas.

[Apollo]

I never called him gritty. I said he's can handle the ball like a guard, defend three positions and rebound. That's based on his entire career. He is an upgrade at SF and will improve the team beyond where it currently it. His contract now is short and manageable. It was a good move.

[vinnie_paz]

Diaw only has one year left on his contract, which only contributes to further long-term financial flexibility. Obviously using part of the TPE diminishes some flexibility now, but it would've expired in a year and I doubt we would be able to use all of it (16 mill) to acquire just one player.
So using part of the TPE in this scenario is not a bad thing, even if Diaw is not the greatest of players. At least he's serviceable and can play the SF position, which is where there is some lack of depth.

Diaw 2 years 18 million left

[vinnie_paz]

I never called him gritty. I said he's can handle the ball like a guard, defend three positions and rebound. That's based on his entire career. He is an upgrade at SF and will improve the team beyond where it currently it. His contract now is short and manageable. It was a good move.

I don't think you watched any Charlotte Bobcats games last season. When a team is willing to salary dump someone that tells you something...This is the same team that just spent 40 million on Tyrus Thomas.

Also he can't guard 5's ok? Just cuz Mike "Who cares about defense" D'Antoni played him there for a few games doesn't mean shit...

[vinnie_paz]

He can't even guard the 4 or the 3... If he could Larry Brown would just keep since he was already signed through 2012. This is not the Diaw who Nash made look like an all-star... He's a slower less talented Hedo.

[AllenL2R]

Kleiza starting ahead of Diaw? Really? Barbosa is the new 6th man and with him here either Jack or Calderon is as good as gone.

Yes, Kleiza should start and Diaw come off the pine. Kleiza, unlike Diaw, is a great scorer, and we need a scorer in the starting lineup now that Bosh has left.

[kcharito]

Barbosa is sth like "combo" guard i think....he has a good 3pt percentage.
The team needs more players, and i hope some american ones lol (even if i am european, this is not euroleague).
It will be an interesting, but difficult season too, cause the roster will be brand new.

[Kennay]

did Larry Bird recently suffer brain damage?

No but he did recently get Paul George and Lance Stephenson.

[Raptor Cowboy]

umm...

I don't think you watched any Charlotte Bobcats games last season. When a team is willing to salary dump someone that tells you something...

What exactly do you think a trade exception gets you? It gets you a player that teams are willing to salary dump.

[Maleko]

what exactly do you think a trade exception gets you? It gets you a player that teams are willing to salary dump.

exactly

[Lark Benson]

Phenomenal deal. Regardless of how they fit this year, next year both Diaw and Barbosa will be expiring deals and for that alone I'm thrilled at this trade. I'm guessing the next domino to fall will be a Calderon trade using more of the remaining TPE and probably the Heat's pick to grab another shorter contract.

As for where Barbosa fits, I see him playing PG off the bench with a running lineup alongside DeRozan, Weems, Johnson and Bargnani (with maybe a smaller lineup of Kleiza at the 4 and Johnson at the 5 instead?). Good luck stopping that in the open court. It would also allow Barbosa to share some of the ball handling duties with DeRozan and Weems in the second unit, therefor speeding their development (though resulting in some ugliness in the short term). Makes for a phenomenal change of pace unit.

Diaw's a solid fit because he's a guy you can run an offense through, a great passer who looks to makes plays and is extremely unselfish (usually to a fault, actually) - he would essentially replace Hedo's point forward skills in the half court and would mesh well with Jack because Diaw doesn't pound the ball for 3/4 of the shot clock, he works from the high post instead.

Overall, this is looking very positive.

[reebokforthree]

Suns receive Turkoglu, Raptors get Barbosa and Diaw.

http://nbaprimetime.com/toronto-rapt...and-diaw/2732/

[hateslosing]

I can't believe anyone is against this. We get a player who is a former MIP and can play defense and we don't even have to send anything back. Like Apollo said we turned Chris Bosh into 2 first rounders and Borris Diaw and that's pretty damn good. All you nice people who think there is a better deal out there, take a minute and try to think what that deal may be. Collison + Okafor for nothing? That's a dream, not a reality. This is a great deal for us, we get a player who is a great compliment to Bargs because he can rebound, play help D from the three, and is a great passer.

Also, has no one considered that BC is taking a player he knows will play hard and be a good locker room guy. Both Diaw and Barbosa are guys BC has worked with before and he knows them. He knows how they practice, what they are like in the locker room, whether or not they will miss a game than go to a club, etc... There is something to be said for going with what you know and I think that is what you are seeing from BC with these deals.

The only issue anyone should have with this is that we don't add any youth to our team. In terms of actual player value, this is a great move by BC.

[geebee]

I understand that everyone's ready to wave good-bye to Turk, but I'm not particularly excited by Barbosa and Diaw. Given Toronto's weaknesses, signing former Suns players doesn't exactly build confidence in our defence.

I'm still waiting for more pieces to move around.

We're still lacking a true starting SF. Heck, for that matter we're still lacking a true starting C and PG. BC keeps overpaying for bench players, believing he's got a "diamond in the rough" who's going to surprise people on the court. Unfortunately, the only person who ends up being surprised is BC, and we end up with a large collection of well-paid backups.