BC: "We will be in a unique position with $12 million in cap space before the draft"

[Nilanka]

Calderon
Derozan
Josh Smith
Bargnani
Val

We still don't have that one player capable of creating his own shot though. If we have serious playoff aspirations next year, we need a player (preferably a wing), who we can give the ball to in short-clock, iso situations, and say, "win us the game". I don't think Smith is that guy.

[Apollo]

No way the Raptors land Josh Smith without at least one or maybe both of Bargnani and DeRozan heading to Atlanta.

[Mediumcore]

@ Jon. If we could just draft Beal it would solve some of the 3 point shooting issues. We need some luck on the
30th for that to happen though. Not a huge fan of Bayless starting at SG as he's quite small to guard that position. It makes sense as far as the shooting needs go though.

@ Nilanka. The only issue I have with Gay is the contract. If you pick up that monster contract and you're not getting a top 10 - 15 player or a guy that is a proven leader then is it worth it? We can make it to the playoffs without a closer, but going after Gay means you're going after a championship because it doesn't give you much flexibility to do anything else. I don't think the 2012-2013 Raptors are ready to go after a championship yet. Still, if we sign Gay it would be the closest thing to replacing Carter since VC left. The wing position has been sorely lacking since.

@ Apollo. There you go making sense again. I'm hoping Atlanta realizes how bad they screwd up by giving Joe Johnson a max contract. Since then they gave Horford a big contract as well and it has to be sinking in that they are never going to seriously contend with the current roster and that moving Smith for cap space releif is their best option until they figure out what to do with Joe Johnson's contract. Although I wouldn't mind moving either one of DeRozan or Bargnani and assets for Smith it would be a bit much to try and replace both.

[Nilanka]

@ Nilanka. The only issue I have with Gay is the contract. If you pick up that monster contract and you're not getting a top 10 - 15 player or a guy that is a proven leader then is it worth it? We can make it to the playoffs without a closer, but going after Gay means you're going after a championship because it doesn't give you much flexibility to do anything else. I don't think the 2012-2013 Raptors are ready to go after a championship yet. Still, if we sign Gay it would be the closest thing to replacing Carter since VC left. The wing position has been sorely lacking since.

Going after Gay only makes sense if you believe that he hasn't yet reached his potential, and that he should be able to play at a high level for another 5 years (at least).

[Jon_Wade]

@ Jon. If we could just draft Beal it would solve some of the 3 point shooting issues. We need some luck on the
30th for that to happen though. Not a huge fan of Bayless starting at SG as he's quite small to guard that position. It makes sense as far as the shooting needs go though.

How do you propose we,
1.Win the lottery and get into the top 3
2.Keep Bargnani, Jonas, Demar and the pick while picking up Josh Smith?

[thead]

Going after Gay only makes sense if you believe that he hasn't yet reached his potential, and that he should be able to play at a high level for another 5 years (at least).

even at his current level he is not a max contract guy. 16 mill is tooooooooooooo much and hinders our flexibility

[mcHAPPY]

Going after Gay only makes sense if you believe that he hasn't yet reached his potential, and that he should be able to play at a high level for another 5 years (at least).

Imagine if Casey worked similar magic on Gay that he did on Bargnani (I know, I know, it was only 13 games.....).

Gay has all the tools to be a lock down defender. Imagine Casey harnessing that 'potential'. The crazy thing (to me at least) is Gay only turns 26 in August).

[Nilanka]

even at his current level he is not a max contract guy. 16 mill is tooooooooooooo much and hinders our flexibility

I think it was Matt who mentioned that he only has 3 years left on his contract. It's not as suffocating as it seems, especially considering we'd be acquiring one of the best SFs in the league, who has potential to get better. If we're banking on Bargnani getting better next season, why are we assuming Gay has plateaued?

Imagine if Casey worked similar magic on Gay that he did on Bargnani (I know, I know, it was only 13 games.....).

Gay has all the tools to be a lock down defender. Imagine Casey harnessing that 'potential'. The crazy thing (to me at least) is Gay only turns 26 in August).

Yup, assuming Gay buys in (and he should considering the rest of the roster has done so, or risk being an outcast), the Casey-effect should make Gay an even better 2-way player. His contract isn't ideal, but I personally don't think it's a hindrance either. Gay's the type of player we're hoping to acquire in the draft. Whether we draft MKG, or PJ3, we'd be fortunate if either reaches Gay's level of production.

[mcHAPPY]

Doesn't this article remind you of a certain Raptor?

David Williams: Fair or not, Rudy Gay is the Grizzlies' Fall Guy

A week later, you can't have a conversation with another Memphian without hearing it.

You don't have to be talking about the Grizzlies, even. You could be talking about religion or ...

First Memphian: Hey, how about this weather we're having?

Second Memphian: I'll like it better, once the Grizzlies get rid of Rudy Gay.

Memphians hate Rudy Gay. I know, hate's a strong word; that's why I chose it. They believe he's to blame for the Grizzlies losing in the first round of the playoffs. They believe the team is doomed to be good-but-not-good-enough as long as he's the so-called "franchise" player.

Apologies to the 12 of you who don't actually hate Gay, and the three of you still undecided. The city has made up its collective mind: Gay makes too much money; he jacks up too many shots; he's not tough enough; he's not clutch enough; he doesn't play hard enough; he doesn't do enough except for when he's trying to do too much; he pouts too much; he shows no emotion; and, on top of all that, he's the antithesis of the Grizzlies' grit-and-grind, rough-and-tumble approach to the game.

I hear it everywhere, from friends and co-workers, from the boss, perfect strangers, talk radio, and my pest-control guy. Mostly, they focus on the money, that five-year, $84 million contract Gay signed in 2010. People talk about Gay's contract as if the money's coming out of their pockets, not Mike Heisley's.

Gay's overpaid, they say. Yeah, most NBA players are. The Clippers' DeAndre Jordan (6-11, 265, 4.1 rebounds a game vs. the Grizzlies in the playoffs) makes $10 million.

But Gay makes so much money, they say, that the small-market Grizzlies can't afford the secondary pieces (backup point guard, 3-point ace) they desperately need.

But the Grizzlies' salary-structure issues have more to do with how -- out of necessity -- they've been built. They couldn't land a franchise-changing draft pick, a la Kevin Durant. They couldn't attract a franchise-changing free agent, a la LeBron James. So they build around a core of several very good players (Gay, Zach Randolph, Marc Gasol, Mike Conley) rather than one or two sublime ones.

As for Gay being "the guy," well, he and Randolph are paid roughly the same, on average, over the courses of their contracts.

The difference is, Randolph is beloved in Memphis. Because he is Memphis, down to his rough edges and troubled past. He's not a pretty player and this is not a pretty town.

So Randolph can take his time coming back from injury -- honestly, didn't you think he could have come back sooner from his Jan. 1 ligament tear?

And Randolph can be, essentially, a bad teammate after the Game 7 loss, saying, in the wake of 3-for-12 shooting, "Get it to me when I'm open."

But like I said, Randolph is beloved. I understand why. We actually like the fact that he doesn't jump very high. We find it endearing that probably a league-high portion of his offensive rebounds come off his own misses. Ah, the big lug. Gotta love him, right?

Randolph is raw and earthy -- if you set his game to music, it would be something from the Stax catalogue, "Born Under a Bad Sign," say. Gay is more Motown, smooth and polished.

I think that's what it comes down to, really. Rudy Gay is too smooth and polished for this town. He doesn't fit. We don't see ourselves in him. Here, smooth and polished generally translates as not trying quite hard enough.

We don't cut the guy much slack, don't give him much leeway. We dwell on the misses at the buzzer, not the makes. When he drives to the basket, takes punishment and scores, we ask why he doesn't do it all the time. We don't acknowledge the strides he's made as an all-around player. As for the strides he still needs to make -- and, yeah, absolutely, there's room for improvement -- we just don't see it happening. Oh, sure, we saw Randolph evolve and improve as a player. But Gay? Nah, the naysayers believe this is all he is; this is all he'll ever be.

Memphis minister: Can I get an amen?

Congregation: Soon as the Grizzlies trade Rudy Gay.

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news...griz-fall-guy/

Substitute Gay with Bargnani and you'd swear this article was straight from the Toronto Sun!

[CalgaryRapsFan]

Imagine if Casey worked similar magic on Gay that he did on Bargnani (I know, I know, it was only 13 games.....).

Gay has all the tools to be a lock down defender. Imagine Casey harnessing that 'potential'. The crazy thing (to me at least) is Gay only turns 26 in August).

Toronto needs to 'buy' a mid-late 1st round pick and then offer it, their top-3 protected 2013 1st round pick, DeRozan and both Johnsons to Memphis for Gay.

DeRozan effectively replaces Gay straight-up. Amir could become their backup PF if D.Arthur becomes too expensive to re-sign. JJ also gives them depth at PF/SF/SG (since DeRozan can play SF/SG). DeRozan/JJ could be the offense/defense rotation at SF, similar to Mayo/Allen at SG for Memphis. They would also get 2 x 1st round picks to add some young talent to their core. Memphis would also save roughly $5M+ each of the next few seasons.

Toronto adds a stud two-way player at SF and clears up the logjam at PF (Amir) & SF (JJ). They could then target a SG with their lottery pick (and/or free agency/trade as well).

LINEUP
C: Valanciunas, Gray? (or another vet C)
PF: Bargnani, Davis
SF: Gay, Kleiza
SG: ???, Forbes*
PG: Calderon, ???, Uzoh?

* ideally the Raps would add 2 SGs and a backup PG, pushing Forbes into the role of 3rd string SG

[Bendit]

Imagine if Casey worked similar magic on Gay that he did on Bargnani (I know, I know, it was only 13 games.....).

Gay has all the tools to be a lock down defender. Imagine Casey harnessing that 'potential'. The crazy thing (to me at least) is Gay only turns 26 in August).

I like Gay ...and this has been said before...isnt going after Batum really hard be a better strategy to acquire a good wing. This would be cheaper in dollars as well as assets (none or somewhat minimal in a s&t).

[mcHAPPY]

I like Gay ...and this has been said before...isnt going after Batum really hard be a better strategy to acquire a good wing. This would be cheaper in dollars as well as assets (none or somewhat minimal in a s&t).

Gay costs more but he is definitely an established player.

I really think a team is going to have to offer Batum greater than $12M to make the Blazers blink - and even then they may match.

Personally, I'd go after Gay prior to July 1st and if unsuccessful take a run at Batum.

[Mediumcore]

How do you propose we,
1.Win the lottery and get into the top 3
2.Keep Bargnani, Jonas, Demar and the pick while picking up Josh Smith?

It would take luck to get into the top 3 or moving of current assets to acquire a top 3 pick from one of the teams that has it.

If we get a top 3 and pick up Beal then DeMar becomes expendible. Probably would require a 3rd team becasue ATL already has Joe Johnson at the SG, but cap space, Demar and maybe Ed or Amir would be enough to pry Smith away from Atlanta.

[Mediumcore]

It would take luck to get into the top 3 or moving of current assets to acquire a top 3 pick from one of the teams that has it.

If we get a top 3 and pick up Beal then DeMar becomes expendible. Probably would require a 3rd team becasue ATL already has Joe Johnson at the SG, but cap space, Demar and maybe Ed or Amir would be enough to pry Smith away from Atlanta.

[Jon_Wade]

It would take luck to get into the top 3 or moving of current assets to acquire a top 3 pick from one of the teams that has it.

If we get a top 3 and pick up Beal then DeMar becomes expendible. Probably would require a 3rd team becasue ATL already has Joe Johnson at the SG, but cap space, Demar and maybe Ed or Amir would be enough to pry Smith away from Atlanta.

I personally think that Derozan and Ed or Amir is still not enough, maybe if you throw in 2013 first round pick too although that would be worth having a line-up of:

Calderon
Beal
Smith
Bargnani
Valanciunus