The Off-Season Ahead - Part I

I like this scenario, but i can't help but trot out the logic that virtually no player brought up watching the NBA in the US and sharing in the derision of Canada as the land of igloos, dog sled and an inherently evil system of weights and measures would be happy to play here.

Not that we would ever know the truth, but I think this logic makes, Dunleavy and Camby serious long shots. A back up PG like duhon or a young draft pick probably isn't going to grumble, but a vet? In camby, one that's already done a stint? Just not going to happen in my opinion.

If it could happen, I love it. Dunleavy is like Garbo+ and Camby would be great rasho insurance.

One big factor that needs to be considered though is timing. If I'm BC, I hold onto ford until the trade deadline, when you can get a gasol for kwame brown. As painful as that sounds (who starts?), that's the kind of deal Toronto needs. Ford right now, is going to be hard to deal and he's the kind of player that could change eveything for the right kind of team.

Anyways, nice read, just my 2 cents.

I don't think we have to do so many changes. Priority nr.1 is to trade TJ: addition by subtraction and bring over Ukic.
We have to start Bargnani at C at least until trade deadline and see what we have. The same with Garbo: we have to see what he has left in the tank. Rasho provides nice rebounding from the bench and we could use Hump too. The brass expressed their intentions to draft big: potential replacement for Rasho and Hump in case of a trade.
We desperately need a wing as a second offensive option and defensive presence. This is where BC should leave his mark. We have to consolidate all our wing assets in one clutch wing player: I have no idea what and how can we acquire one. Not to mention Delfino, in time, can become this type of player.

Excellent write up!
I don't see Phoenix giving up Bell, who as you have mentioned, is somewhat of a Kobe stopper.

Like the moves above. Three main area where we need to upgrade:
1. A slasher who can create his own shot
2. A defensive presence on the boars
3. A defensive SG/SF

Don't think Camby really offers much "edge" (why did we trade him for Oaks?) though the above line-up just about covers it. I think BriCol can be a little more creative with trades/drafts to create some cap space, though we'll have to wait and see.

Wilcox is intriguing and would think that he's one of the pillars in the Sonic rebuilding process.

Not sure what D'Antoni is looking forward to work with in NY, though wouldn't a package of Lee and Crawford for Ford and the 17th seem to work? Mike D and Marbs never meshed back in the day, and can see them doing everything in their power to get him out of there. Could also free up for a Parker-Bell type of move.

My first wish list trades for 09.

Great write up Howland. The proposals you made certainly addressed some of our key needs.

However I think Mike Dunleavy was sort of a big fish in a very small pond. Would he be able to put up those same numbers on the Raptors?

They key issues facing the raptors are toughness, rebounding, defence and a second scoring option.

Over in Utah there is a pretty good point guard who will be requiring max money. He can sign an extention this offseason however it won't kick in until after the following season. With Deron Williams and Boozer both making max money not to mention big bucks tied up to Okor I wouldn't be suprised if the Jazz gave away AK 47 especially with the emergence of Kyle Korver and Ronnie Brewer.

Bringing in AK47 would provide the raptors with a second option to Bosh and he brings toughness, rebounding, shot blocking and defence.

However his contract is absolutely horrible. He's owed about 47 million in 3 years. Would the Raps be willing to take on that contract for 2 years (third year you could easily move such a massive expiring contracts)?

I think he would be a really nice fit.

Is there room for Roko, Jose and Duhon? Management will have to determine how good Roko actually is. If he can have as good as rookie season as Calderon had I don't think we need to bring Duhon in....although I think he would be a nice fit.

Moving AP, Joey Graham, Garbo and our first round choice would make the deal work.

Also it is no secret that Miami and NY need point guards. Both city's newspapers have stated that Toronto will likely not keep both PG's and they could make a move to grab 1 of the 2.

If the Heat and up with Beasly the need for Udonis Haslem goes down and the Raps can make a move for him.

So TJ ford for Udonis Haslem and a second round pick.

That would give the heat a group of

TJ/Wade/Marion/Beasley/Center

With those two moves and some key resignings and extentions the raps could have

Calderon/Roko/(Duhon?)
Carlos Delfino/Jamario Moon
Ak47/Jason Kopono
Chris Bosh/Andrea Bargnani
Rasho/Udonis Haslem

I know we would be severly undersized playing Udonis at the center spot but we've played with Bargs there and Udonis brings a lot more toughness and rebounding....not to mention he's done it for the Heat and undersized guys like Millsap and Maxiell have done great.

Only problem remains the shooting guard position. Is Delfino a capable starter? Can moon back up the 2 guard spot? Or perhaps if Delfino goes to the bench you make AK defend the 2 spot and Moon the 3 spot.

Camby - no deal. Rasho is a good center, he just needs the playing time. The only reason he didn't get it was to develop Bargs...so why deal for another center that will logjam things further? Rasho starts until Bargs develops. Or at least if you're going to bring another centre, then trade Rasho.

Bell - equivalent to Parker. Both hit the 3's, both can play hard D. The difference is Bell's intensity, but we'll have that back (albeit in a more laid-back fashion) with Garbs. Parker had an off year...but don't give up on him yet. I think he'll return to form. So keep Parker, no Bell.

3-spot is still too weak. Sign-and-trade of TJ for Maggette would work wonders here, and finally give the "second-star" to Bosh and driving-rebounding presence at the 3 spot.

I like the Duhon signing, bringing Ukic over. Ditch Delfino, leave Parker, Kap, Moon as starters/subs for the 2-3 spots.

The draft spot is too much of a wildcard too depend on. Trade it or use it for a project pick.

Dunleavy could be a good trade too...how is his D???

One other thought...what about Rasho-Ford for Marion??? Would the numbers work?

perfect. Hope (a) BC reads this , and (b) is able to pull it off. Camby for Ford is key. Bell would be a great addition: the only other possibility is a sign and trade with Delfino going the other way -- love AP and he would be great to keep around even if his defence has slipped a little.

JayLZee - I wouldn't want Marion. He is vastly overrated because the Phoenix system was perfect for him. He wants max money and that simply just doesn't make any sense.

If you have watched the Detroit-Magic series the thing that stands out is just how many quality big men the Pistons can throw at Howard. Just because you have Camby doesn't mean you can't have Rasho. The more bigs the better and we need defensive help in a BAD way. We are far from log-jammed in the front court.

Bell is a much better defender than Parker and brings a hard-nosed attitude. I am sick of seeing AP play well one night and then be non-existent the next. That's not a reflection of a bad year, that is simply the player he is.

Maggette is a solid player, agreed but he needs the ball in his hands a lot. He is also injury prone. You would also have to convince him to sign here.

Anyway those are just some clarifying thoughts. One other guy I wanted to try and fit in here was Quinton Ross.

HOWLAND

Good point about multiple big men...I just hate to see so much salary tied up at the center spot. Ideally, you would have some wily (and cheaper) vets as backups, rather than two-highly paid centers competing for time with what is seen (by some) as a key developing player (Bargs).

Marion's numbers were still good with Miami...but his shot percentages certainly dropped - most likely b/c of the absence of Nash feeding him easy alley-oops, etc. But coupling him with a good PG again (Calderon)...I think it could work. Plus he is a rebounding monster and great defender for his position.

The max money is definitely a problem, but do you really think he'll get that with the flood of quality FA's??? If he doesn't, he could bring the same sourness to whatever team takes him

I like the Camby deal, but don't like the Raja Bell - Parker deal. I like Raja, but he's not that big of an upgrade over Parker, and he doesn't address our lack of a slasher. CDR would fill that need, yes, but it's unlikely that he'll get bigtime minutes as a rookie. I am aware Moon did this past season...but it rarely happens.

I'd do the Camby deal if there, draft CDR (he reminds me of Richard Hamilton), and depending on the availability of Bill Walker, I'd try to trade back into the draft in either the late first or early second round. This assumes Walker stays in the draft and is available at that spot. I steer clear of Dunleavy, as he can't defend his position.

I'd still try to get either JR Smith out of Denver or Travis Outlaw out of Portland. I agree that Portland will be looking to land something big, but if that falls through, they'll need to move somebody.

I see how a starting lineup of Calderon, Bell, Moon, Bosh, Camby makes us better defensively... but it seems we're adding two new guys to the lineup who are even worse at creating their own shot. You can even argue Calderon over ford is a downgrade in the create your own shot category. And as we saw on the last play in game 2, Bosh isn't particularly great at this either.

So who's gonna drive and score? Still looks like a team of jump shooters to me. This is the NBA, you can't rely on ball movement alone.

Bosh missed an open look at end of game two. While I agree he's not the best at creating his own shot you used a bad example.

I'm afraid I have to disagree with most of this.

I doubt either of the proposed trades would work for the other teams - Ford's value is too low now for Denver to make that deal, and while Parker might be a good fit for the Suns there's no way they're giving up Raja to get him (plus you're including picks we don't have - we have no second rounder in 2008, 2009, or 2011).

I also don't think I'd want Dunleavy (though right now Ford for Dunleavy would be a good deal on paper, given Ford's low value), and I definitely do not want to see Duhon in Raptor red. I agree that a good low-minute, defence-oriented backup PG would be a good thing to have between Jose and Roko, but not Duhon, he's D-league fodder.

This article gives a few decent trade options that will improve team defence, just don't see how you get a secondary scorer who can create his own shot which is necessary (especially if Bosh ever goes down hurt again). I think you wrote off the Clippers as a possible trading partner too soon. With only 2 teams really having significant money to spend beyond the mid-level this year, if Maggette opts out of his contract and the Clippers decide he isn't in their future plans (the emergance of Al Thornton has made this possible), then the only way Maggette will be able to get the money he wants is by a sign-and-trade deal. As the Clippers need a PG, trading one of the Raps PG's (preferrably TJ) and Anthony Parker for Maggette would improve rebounding and provide a secondary option for scoring. This would also leave the Raptors with their mid-level, which they could use to pursue a player like Diop, who could help rebounding and team defense, and also provide depth at C. This could allow Rasho's contract to be moved at the trade deadline (or possibly during the summer). Another option would be to use the mid-level on a combo guard like Duhon (as you suggested), which would be provide an effective backup PG. In this scenario, Rasho would remain on the team and the Raptors could move him at the trade deadline if Barg's is actually able to play centre next year. If Bargs doesn't emerge as a possible centre, you keep Rasho on the team and then either let his contract expire next offseason and have cap space, or re-sign him for alot less money than he makes now.

- first of all i agree with bringing roko ukic over, he should be ready to make a decent contribtion
- as far as the draft goes i think they should take best player available regardless of position, two players i like are donte green and russell westbrook
- as far as trades go i highly doubt that indiana would trade dunleavy for ford...fords trade value is way too low and dunleavy is coming off a breakout season where he averaged 19ppg 5reb and 3ast
- the camby trade might work, but you have to look at this from denvers prespective, i think that they can get somthing a little better for camby than ford and graham. Even if they do want to cut the payroll they still wanna remain competitive. With that said that trade is still more realistic the ford for dunleavy and i wouldn't be surprised if it happened
- the parker for bell trade is terrible for the raps, while bell is a good dfender hes not THAT good...turkoglu and lewis would have played just as well against him as they did against parker...parkers a decent defender but hes a much better ofensive player than bell ...a better shooter and better at putting the ball on the floor...all bell does is shoot threes and mid range J's.. and thats the last thing we need on this team
- Its obvious that either ford or calderon has to be traded and contrary to what most ppl think, calderon should be the one to be traded for the following reasons
-lets start with the most obvious reason, calderons trade value is much higher than fords, probably higher than it should be.When it comes down to it BC wants to improve the team and trading calderon is more likley to bring that 20pt scorer on the wing that we need. possibly ron artest , cory maegette, richard jeffrson and maybe even josh howard (athough thats unlikley)
-i dont think calderon is as good as ppl make him out to be and i dont ford is as bad as ppl make him out to be..while calderon is a better shooter, has more size and gets less turnovers than ford...ford is better at creating his own shots for himself and others and is a much better one on one defender, and as far as turnovers go alot of great guards in the nba get alot of turnovers, kidd wade nash magic ..the fact is when hes healthy hes a better overall player...ppl forget that at the begining of the year when bosh was still struggling with his injury tj was easily the best player on the team ...he was the main reason we were able to push boston into overtime which is impressive when considering that at the time boston was klling everyone by 20
-the fact is that fords season was hindered by injuries, had he been healthy for the whole season his value would be much higher...weather or not you agree with my opinion i think is safe to say that not one of the point guards is WAY better than the other...and given the fact that calderons trade value is significatly higher than fords, the raps would be better off trading calderon for a high level player on the wing

Corey Maggette is overrated, in my opinion. His numbers are inflated by the fact that he's the best player on an awful team. He's not opting out unless he can get more than he's getting right now ($8 million I believe). To me, he's not worth more than the mid-level exception. Add in the fact that he's a ball hog and a reluctant defender (I'm being kind), and even if available I'd consider spending my money elsewhere.

He'd make us a little better in the short term, but in the long term, I don't think he helps us contend for a championship.

We need a guy who has alot of what Maggette has to offer that is...

a) at an age where he'll be in his prime when we're ready to truly contend
b) compliments the components that we already have and
c) doesn't destroy our cap space so that we can't get the other pieces that we need

You can make an argument that Maggette satisfies B, but he doesn't come close on A and C. He'd be great for a team that's ready to win now (San Antonio would be perfect for him), but I don't think he fits with the Raptors.

"i dont think calderon is as good as ppl make him out to be and i dont ford is as bad as ppl make him out to be"

Well said. I agree that ford will not fetch Camby even with our draft pick thrown in. I love Calderon but he and Rasho are the only pieces that can land us somebody relevent. I say if some team is willing to trade their 20ppg SF(Magette, Marion, Dunleavy) for Calderon, do it in a heart beat because Ford is still a decent PG if Sam or Bosh can keep his ego in check.

The other way is trade Ford for a project atheletic Slasher like Traver Ariza or Travis Outlaw plus parts or picks, since his trade value is not as high as Calderon.

By the way, I don't think Camby will push this team to the next level. We have Rasho playing out of his mind for about 20 games and still manage to lose most of them, so it is unrealistic to think with Camby we can suddenly challange Detroit or Boston.

Jason Kapono for Reggie Evans straight up.

What do you think?

First off, great article.
That said, I'm having a hard time buying the fact that BC is going to make any big moves prior to the start of the season. Take out the garbage and the expired contracts and it seems like the lineup will be set once they sign Calderon and Moon to new contracts. It seems to me that if they bring Ukic in, they might be better off using his height and speed at the 2 spot for now to fill the hole. You can't keep trying to make Kap cover those speedy 2s... the poor guy is getting smoked off the dribble and then is too winded to make that silky tre consistently.

Howland, you're absolutely right about one thing. BC obviously setup his plan for 2009 to be the season of MAJOR change. Once all of these contracts come off the books, the raps are going to be looking at some major additions.

Regardless, IMO this next season will most likely see the following lineup at the start of the season:

Calderon/Ford
Parker/Ukic/Draft
Moon/Kapono/Graham
Bosh/Garbo/Baston
Rasho/Bargs

Using Baston as the swingman, for the 4/5 and sticking the 17th pick at the 2 spot just for now. Obviously BC will pick up some FA bench players like he did this past year to make things seem new.

Unfortunately, this leaves us with the same mediocre lineup as last season for the time being with the hopes that big moves are made at the deadline using either Ford or Calderon to get a LEGIT starting SF. Knowing that BC brought in Ford, I would assume that he will try to find a way to keep him and move the more valuable Calderon. God knows you could get a legit SF for JC.

Don't get me wrong. I love JC! LOVE HIM! But the issue remains, if you trade Ford you're not going to get the value back that you need to make this team a contender. If you get the legit SF and put him in a lineup with Ford and Bosh you're going to kick some a$$... regardless of how much we are all going to miss the JC. So as the trade deadline gets closer, the real players in the JC sweepstakes will start to emerge (and you can bet the Lakers and Gasol will be pushing hard for him). This will open up the possibilities for BC rather than limiting him to the Miami/Ind/Seattle etc. that exists right now. It's all about timing. Maximum value.

So who knows, by the deadline maybe the core lineup looks as crazy as:

Ford/Ukic
Pietrus/Parker
R.Jefferson/Nocioni
Bosh/Garbo
Rasho/Bargs

Who knows.
But maybe, just maybe BC surprises us all with some magic.
Cheers all.

McClarky

Oops forgot one last thing!

If Ford does get moved, keep an eye on G.Wallace as the guy coming back.

Cheers

Ah! My favourite time of the basketball season - trade season. I don't think Camby brings toughness, per se, but rebounds and defence by the ton! I take him in a heartbeat, but don't think that Denver would let him go, especially not for TJ. If they market Camby, they can pull in some pretty sweet players or picks. How would he have helped Phoenix this year?
The best idea would be to hang on to Ford until his value is the highest and teams the most in need. The problem is that he'd be another Carter situation of trying to play himself out of town. I think BC has his hands tied with him. He can be a piece of a big trade, but we'll need to add something more in terms of additional talent.

for those who think that Calderon can't handle the starter full time, do take a look at his assist totals. he's the real deal. As for Ukic, if we bring him here it is with the promise of minutes. Young guys need minutes to grow into veterans. Bargnani and Ukic both need to be in the rotations to develop.

i like this scenario u put up but i would also like to put this trade scenario up to ponder over...... how about trading nocioni for tj ford

first of all this trade had already been talked about in articles on hoopsworld.com

it provides.....

the tougness the raptors lacked

the international flavor we love

and a solid if unspectacular glue guy of a small forward we desperatley crave

another trade/sign scenario would be to sign mickael pietrus .. again this would upgrade our athleticism/ perimeter defense/ weakside shot blocking/ INTERNATIONAL FLAVOUR (FRENCH) !!!!!!!!! (think of the marketing possibilities)

and when it comes to the draft and if we do keep our pick i say our primamry option would be to move up and draft NICOLAS BATUM and our secondary option could be CDR

nicolas batum provides us with a rudy gay like potential-star at small forward who could easily be groomed into a third scorer the raptors need (maybe even oneday first) it would also be an easy transition for him because he would have his fellow french man (pietrus) to keep him comfortable and he also has a connection with roko ukic

Moving Ford for Noccioni would be a good move however I can't see it happening unless the Bulls find someone to take Kirk off their hands. He's making about 10 million a season and there is no way the Bulls will add another 8 million on to their pg position. 18 million is way too much to pay the pg's when neither is an allstar or franchise talent.

A lot of people are suggesting we trade Jose and keep TJ since Jose's trade value is much higher. That is true but a bad idea in my opinion. So you trade Jose and sign a backup like Duhon. So your pg's are Duhon and TJ. There is a reason Tj's value is so low. What happens when TJ gets injured....you want Duhon to be your starting PG? TJ has not shown he is over that injury, he has not shown he is a starting caliber PG since that injury. Jose has shown all of that.

If you trade JOse and you get that 20 point wing then you are set and the wing and powerforward positions. Your PG position is still up in the air because you have no idea if Ford will stay healthy and how well he will play.

I'd much rather have the PG and PF positions set with Jose and Bosh since wing players are easier to aquire.

There is a reason TJ's value is low. Its because thats where it should be. You cannot have him as your only starting option as PG.

Howland,

You da man.... If I weren't mistaken, that's about as good a GM's take on the issues as can be and they should all work if all parties agree to it... When I was thinking about this situation my first thought also was Camby back to TO given the Nugget's situation... That would be tantalizing to say the least and if BC is able to pry Raja out of Pheonix's hand... that would be REALLY good... All of a sudden we've got a damn good defensive team and yet still keep our offensive might in tact.... I truly hope this is where BC goes with this....

just thinking about it gives me goose bumps...

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/080514

Not related to the RAPS but Simmons is the best out there.

It comes down to this for me: Do we want to be pretty good for a few years or do we want to gear up for a championship run from 2009-2012.

Ford could be an all-star one day, obviously a long shot at this point.

But it ain't gonna happen here over the next couple of years....the TJ/Bosh tandem is dead.

Calderon backed up by Ukic is how we are looking for the next 5 years in my opinion. Like someone mentioned, Ukic at 6'5 gives some versatility there as well. Saw him play and was pleasantly surprised.

Right now, Calderon is a championship calibre player, Ford is not.....no matter how much Mitchell loves TJ, this fact won't change.

If anything can be salvaged from AP, Rasho, get er done, these players are good but time to buckle down here, say goodbye to sentimental players. AP was way too timid this year, good guy I guess.

Good article. Like the moves.

Players I'd accept on the team somehow (within reason): J. Crawford, D. Lee, R. Jefferson, (Igoudala for Bosh anyone?), Dalembert, J. Nelson, Turkoglu, J. O'Neal interesting.

Now that NY have the Big D as a coach, I think they will be looking for a point guard..TJ and Joey and the 17th pick for david lee and Jamaal Crawford....

Another obstacle in trading tj is the lack of insurance on his contract. When he signed his extension with the Raptors, his spinal problem was considered a "pre-existing condition" and isn't covered by insurance in case he's injured or has to retire due to a spinal injury. To clarify TJ would still get his money, but insurance wouldn't reimburse the team he players for)

(I'm not 100% sure, anyone out there that can comfirm? I remember seeing it on doug smith's blog awhile back)

A similar contract is Quentin Richardson's contract, which isn't insured for back injuries.

If we're waiting for TJ to be at his peak value, then we're waiting for the 2011 trade deadline when he'll be an expiring contract.

In my mind, TJ's low trade value could possibly rise bit by bit the longer we hold on to him. The reasoning being that as the amount left on his contract decreases he becomes less of a perceived risk, and more of a "worth a flyer" kind of player.

Other possibilities if we wait
a) he plays > 75 games next year, increasing value further
b) get's injured the same way and we go from low trade value to lower then low trade value.

Howland - wow. Love the vision for the team. If only it could happen. To those who seem to have faith in the current roster - take a look at the playoffs. The Raps have virtually no depth to speak of compared to any of the contending teams. Unfortunately, I really feel that BC and Gheradini have a different vision for this team - hoping though that Howland's ideas for the team come as close to reality as possible.

jose calderon is a good player, but i dont understand why u guys are putting him up on a pedestal like hes some kinda point god...just like tj he has his flaws too...the most obviouse being his defense..there are very few pg's in the leage who can't blow by jose...remember this pass series with orlando, dooling and jameer nelson was killin him...nelson scored on tj too, but tj clearly did a better job of stayin in front of him....and far as calderon havin better chemisrty with bosh ...thats juss nonsense...bosh plays just as well with both of them...i'll admit tj's injurys are a concern ...but what u have to remmeber is that his only significant injury came as a result of that hard foul from horford.. which isn't a very common injury...his other injury only kept him out a few games
wtf.. you wouldn't rather get a 20ppg scorer for jose..do u really think hes that valuable?...chris duhon is alot better than ur giving him credit for..hes an excellent defender and a good shooter

Kwame: It depends on what type of 20 point scorer you have. For example I'd rather have Jose Calderon than Corey Magette. I'd take Richard Jefferson over Jose. People seem to forget that when TJ went out and Jose was playing 30-25 minutes a game he was averaging around 17 and 9 and thats why he was getting consideration for the allstar team.

Am I not giving Duhon enough credit? Is that why he has acknowledged that he likely won't be back with the bulls and the bulls likely don't want him back? Is that why he's only making 2 million a year and isn't in line for a major pay increase?

I agree he's good and thats why I said he's make a great backup but he's nowhere near a starting PG on even an average team.

Jose does have better chemistry with Bosh.

Anyone who watched the games in the regular season saw how much better the chemistry was when TJ was out compared to the rest of the season when he got back in. There is a reason people are screaming for him to be moved.

Can you really risk not moving after what happened at the end of last season. League wide there is mention that the raptors will not keep both players and I agree completely.

No Jose is not Chris Paul or Deron Williams however he is a guy who was recieving consideration for the allstar team when he was playing starter minutes....and he's certainly the best PG in raptor's history (which isn't saying much)....not TJ.

kwame I do however agree that TJ is a much better on the ball defender and Jose does have a lot of trouble in that area.

However in the Magic series I remember screaming at TJ because his rotation defence was terrible....I still remember Nelson hitting those 3's

Great read Howland, let the speculation begin. Tough to say what this team will look like next year and i think a lot of it will have to do with the moves other teams are lookign to make. Just not a lot of trade options around but hopefully bc can pull something off.

Not very surprising but good for Jamario:

http://www.thestar.com/Sports/article/425623

All this talk of trades got me thinking about the "TJ issue"...

Would TJ be as bad if the Raps had a "Point-Forward" type who could initiate a play / run pick-and-roll with Bosh?

If you look at a team like the Magic, Jameer Nelson is not the primary playmaker. Whenever there is a play that isn't just "dump it in to Howard", Hedo is usually the one who has the ball in his hands, and Jameer is a 2nd/3rd option.

This all assumes that your SG/SF can actually drive past someone and make the right pass.

I don't think that Parker/Moon/Kapono/Delfino have really been that type of player, but I think we need 1 playmaker and 1 3-pt shooter at all times from the SG and SF positions.

So - while I don't think that we are going to be getting Hedo/LeBron/Caron Butler/McGrady anytime soon, maybe someone who might be available like a Boris Diaw or Josh Howard would help to mitigate the "TJ Factor" by having the ball in their hands.

Alright, here's my trade that starts off the off season.

To Toronto:
Jamal Crawford
Jared Jeffries (hear me out)
Phoenix' 1st rd pick in 08

To Phoenix:
Ford
Parker
David Lee
Toronto's 1st Rd Pick in 09

To New York:
Raja Bell
Barbosa
J. Graham
Grant Hill

Toronto comes out a little light on this one, but we get the slashing scorer that we need - who kills us when we play him - and we get some more athletic lenght (abeit over priced length) to back up Bosh.

Phoenix gets the backup point guard who fits their system nicely. The expiring contract they had in G. Hill in Parker. And some of the rebounding and athleticism they miss with Marion gone in Lee.

New York gets the point guard that D'Antoni wants, the defense and good citizen that they need in Bell and a couple of expiring contracts that they didn't have previously - should they decide that fiscal responsibility is the new black.

Then all we would need to do would be to sign a guy like Duhon or Boikins to back up Jose and we'd be set for another solid season.

Could this trade be done? I know that D'Antoni is openly seeking to acquire Bell and Barbosa from Phoenix, but I don't know if Kerr would let them go. Also for New York, they get 3 million in cap relief (which is $6 million with lux. tax).

Anywho, just thought I'd add my two cents

actually every one members how well jose played when tj got injured ...thats the main reason why he's getting all this recognition right now..and its well deserved...i dont wanna sound like i'm overly favouring ford b/c theres things about him that irritate me too...but what bothers is that with whole tj vs jose thing it doesn't seem like an equal playin field...in fact what ppl do seem to forget are the times whent tj plays well..ppl seem to forget how tj carried us during that western con. road trip in dec. 06 when bosh, garbajose, and calderon were all injured..ppl seem to forget that tj was easily the best player on the team at the beginning of the season when bosh was recovering from his knee injury..this is something even the raptors analyists pointed out..and when bosh came back to form he still kept playin well..remember how good he played in atlanta the night he got injured, he was the main reason we won that game...but ppl seem to forget that to...and in addition to this ppl always seem to forget the games where jose plays poorly...with tht said they're both good players and everyone has the right to there own opinion...i just wish ppl would be more objective
wtf...you wouldn't trade jose for cory maggette?..this guy avgeraged 22ppg 6rpg 3ast..he also got to the line an avg 9.7 times a game year, and u kno how bad the raps are at getting to the line..hes decent shooter and defender to..i think ur just way to concrened about injuries..the last 2 seasons he played 70 and 75 games..thats not bad
..and as far as chris duhon is concerned ..i was refering to him comin in as a backup to ford..i dont think it would be the end of the world if tj got injured for a few games and he had to start for a while..i could care less how much money he makes..i kno hes a productive player...think of him as a derek fisher type player, hes very good at keeping gaurds in front of him and outta the paint, and hes an excellent perimeter shooter when left open

Kwame - Maybe some people forget those things, but most I think just weigh them against the way TJ played off the bench and got his starting job back without earning it.

jose is the player that can get everyone playing at their best. TJ, i remember took all the shots in the 4th quarter one game, which was really irritating to watch. *remeber (forgot which team thought, lol)basically, jose has the skills we desire in a point guard to get this 3pt shooting team to excell and he has mastered the pick and roll w/ bosh. TJ is a good player i admit at times, and everyone should expect a decent player coming back, most likely in the sg-sf area. would you rather have a VERY injury prone player in tj and risk it all on him to be our future pg, or trade calderon for a 20 point scorer sg-sf, which the nba can find many of. i truly believe the pgs are most important player on a team b/c they have to make the plays and get their teamates involved. we have calderon future all-star, and he is way more valuable then a 20 pt scorer.

so trade tj for a decent player and calderon will lead this team w/ bosh.

Hey Spanish speakers: please verify whether Calderon is saying what HoopsHype claims he is about definitely needing to start next year:

http://www.elmundodeportivo.es/web/gen/20080514/noticia_53462921998.html

HoopsHype rumours: page, near top:
http://hoopshype.com/rumors.htm

Kwame I don't recall saying anything about Maggette's injury history....as far as I know he's been pretty much healthy throughout his career. Could you please let me know where you saw that....perhaps I was talking about Ford?

That is the concern for me....if he suffers another stinger do we rely on a backup like Duhon to carry us for a month?

And like the axl said you have to consider the good and the bad with each player. TJ's inability to be a team player and come off the bench and saying he should be a starter during the raps playoff push shows he puts himself before the team.

Take a look at Jose's minutes as a starter. TJ was out from Dec 10 until Feb.

To make life easier since NBA.com shows stats on a month to mont basis check out what Jose did when he was the main guy in Jan.

15 points 10 assists 3.3 rebounds. Those numbers are nearly or just as impressive as Maggette's. However when you factor in a PG is much harder to find than a wing player and the fact that Jose did this on a winning team and not a bottom feeder it leads me to think that I'd rather have Jose than Maggette.

However I do agree that most 20 point players are a notch or two above Jose. Lets change that to the high teens.

Its no secret that the Raps are likely going to move one or their two pgs.

Jose's pros: Shooting, passing, team defence, attitude

Jose's weaknesses: Individual defence and lower trade value.

I don't think you trade Jose because he has higher trade value. You get rid of TJ because he's a me first player, is a weak team defender and misses too much time.

The way I see it the raps have two guys who are pretty much untradable:

Bosh and Jose

Those are two positions we are set at and I don't think we would be able to upgrade.

We have a lot of attractive trade pieces (draft pick, 18 million dollars in expiring contracts, good role players) so making moves should not be difficult and it certainly should not come at the expense of one of the only 2 sure things you have on this roster.

Lots of great out of the box thinking when it comes to trades both on in the article and posts so far.

Howland, I like the concept of trading either up or down in the draft. I would only trade up to get that Batum player from France. He seems to meet the criteria of a prototype SF.

If I kept the pick, it would come down to CDR with dark horses being Marrese Speights (if he can play some centre) and Robin Lopez (if he's not totally inept on offense)

Casey, that 3 way Tor/NY/Phoenix deal looks balanced, and there are plenty of pieces on all sides that could be substituted in and out.

As for possible trades:

TJ to Miami for Marcus Banks, and Daquan Cook (if they don't get D.Rose)

TJ to NY for Jared Jeffries and Wilson Chandler.

TJ to Sacramento for Kenny Thomas/Shareef Abdur Rahim + Francisco Garcia + swap first round picks (17 for 12)

TJ to Seattle for Earl Watson + Damien Wilkins

Each deal has a bad contract and wing player, most still on their rookie deal. In the absolute worst case (SAC deal) we have the chance to trade up into the low lottery, giving us a great shot at talented wing players like donte greene, westbrook and nicholas batum.

Kwame I totally agree with you the Raps fans just see Jose as a savior that can't do no wrong...he got killed by the Orlando guards..he has no defence..what he does have at this point is value and BC should sign and trade Jose to the Clippers for Magette...I can't believe so of the bias opions on this post when it comes to TJ and Jose...They are both good point guards but you have to believe that TJ injury is not a normal injury where you tear a ligament or break a bone, he has a nerve injury that is very scary and I for one believe that was the reason why his game was a little off coming back from the Al Harford injury...with more playing time he will regain his confidence and and move ahead of JC because he has more talent anyone can learn how to shoot it takes time in the Gym...My dream trade is Jose, AP and Joey + the 17th pick to Indiana for Jermaine O'Neal and Jamaal Tinsley..and that's a trade that would work...So this would be my starting 5
TJ/TINSLEY
KAPONO/DELPHINO
MOON/GARBO/CDR
BOSH/HUMPHRIES/BASTEON
ONEAL/BARGNANI/NESTO

OKAY here is the updated roster

CALDERON, UKIC
O'NEAL, BOSH, PARKER
KAPONO, MAGGETTE, NESTEROVIC
DELFINO, DOUGLAS-ROBERTS, MOON,
Garbajosa

If Colo wanted Jermaine O'neil and Jamaal Tinsley he could get them.

Hopefully he doesn't want them.

Neither guy has been able to carry Indiana in years. Neither guy has been able to stay healthy. Neither guy has been able to stay out of trouble (Jermaine to a lesser degree). Just as importantly Jermaine O'neil is due 45 million over the next two years....a bit much for a guy who hasn't been an allstar for a few years.

Jamaal Tinsley is due 22 million over 3 years. He's going to be making around the same amount Ford does and Jose will soon. Is Tinsely going to be as effective as TJ was last year or Jose was this year? I doubt it....and that problem comes in addition to the ones I mentioned before.

Perhaps swinging a deal with the Sonics who are need of a starting PG to somehow bring back Earl Watson and Chris Wilcox. That would provide us with athletisism, defence, rebounding and size and we would still have a lot of financial flexability.

And that flexability could be used to bring in a slasher or wing player that we need.

Howland, good analysis but I have to disagree with your proposed trades. The Raptors biggest weaknesses are a secondary scorer for Bosh and perimeter defense. BC has acknowledged that in the year end interviews following the playoffs. He suggested those are the areas of concern that he intends to address in the summer. So, I think the big move he makes this summer is at the SF/SG position not the centre position - although if he can upgrade the centre position all the better.

Also, while your analysis is realistic I really do expect that BC will pull off a pretty substantial trade for a big name SF - ie. Maggette, Richard Jefferson, Marion, Dunleavy, etc.

For all those speculating that Calderon is going to be traded, you need to carefully listen to what Colangelo has said in the various interviews prior to the end of the year. He made it clear that the team will re-sign Calderon and implied that Calderon will be back next year. It is very clear that TJ will be the one traded - given his injury issues and how his individual play affected the team's chemistry. BC is not going to expose a player who became a problem in the locker room and who is 1 injury away from calling it career.

Also, while TJ's value has diminished I think people are underestimating what BC may get for TJ in a trade.

wtf..cory maggette does have a history of injury problems, i just assumed that that was the reason why u wouldn't trade him for calderon...i probably shouldnt have assumed that...those stats are impressive..but unlike the magette stats its only over a 1 month stretch..i dont remeber him playin that well over the last few months of the season...and the fact that u consider jose to be untradable is a clear indication that u think way to highly of him...there are only a small number of players in this league that most GMs would consider to be untradable and belive me, jose calderon is not one of them
i think u guys are blowin this whole injury thing outta proportion...ford only had one mayjor injury this year and that came from the hard foul from horford...and that isn't what u would consider a common injury..i dont think theres a huge chance of something like that ever happenin again...he had 2 other stinger injuries before that..one against dallas which kept him out for a week and one against NJ last yr in the playoffs which kept him out 1 game
and as far as what axl said...hey thats ur opinion...but dont u think its unfair to judge a players performance when hes comin back after sitting out 2 months b/c of injury?..he didn't demand to return to the starting line up sam michelle made that decision on his own..ands theres nothing wrong with wanting to start...even though JC didn't say it during the season i'm pretty sure he felt the same way

Kwame: Poor choice of words on my part.

I should have said Bosh and Jose are the only two guys I wouldn't be offering in a trade.

However I would still be listening to offers for them.

Although I would categorize Bosh as pretty much untradable.

In Jose's defence his production did drop off however that had a lot more to do with TJ coming back and all the drama imo.

I'm sure both Jose and TJ wanted to start. However TJ did in fact demand to start however he tried to do it in a sly way which didn't work. By saying I think I'm a starter in this league and I don't see myself coming off the bench and hogging the ball when he was coming off the bench were little jabs at the coaching staff to move him into the starting lineup.