The Off-Season Ahead - Part II

Makes sense Franchise. I just hate to see Jose leave town.

I don't want to see Ford go as much as I'd just like Calderon stay. The only way I can see Ford's trade value rise above the "Malik Rose Line" however is by keeping him until the trade deadline when there will be some desperate teams around. Perhaps he plays better up until then as well and further ups his value.

The problem with that is can the raps even afford it?

If Jose goes, I think the the portland trade is good value and I'd expect C to take it if it was on the table.

I don't want to see Ford go as much as I'd just like Calderon stay. The only way I can see Ford's trade value rise above the "Malik Rose Line" however is by keeping him until the trade deadline when there will be some desperate teams around. Perhaps he plays better up until then as well and further ups his value.

The problem with that is can the raps even afford it?

If Jose goes, I think the the portland trade is good value and I'd expect BC to take it if it was on the table.

There must be something with Jose to Portland. Why would we want to make Portland a dynasty is beyond me and why would people think Travis Outlaw is an upgrade over Garbo is also beyond me (an athletic scrub over a winner?).
Anyway, I have 2 dreams trades for this summer and one for the trade deadline: trade TJ for drafting Brook Lopez and then Bosh for Biedrins and Jackson (I can dream, right?) Then at the trade deadline trade Rasho, AP and filler for whatever star SG may be available. Possible roster:
PG: Jose/Ukic/veteran PG
SG: Redd/Delfino
SF: Jackson/Kapono/Moon
PF: Bargnani/Garbo
C: Biedrins/Lopez

Good mix of youth and veterans as well as offense and defense. We move Bargnani to his natural spot and have shotblockers at the C position.

I think what we saw this year is that TJ Ford will never be an elite NBA point guard. Sure he can take over a game from time to time, but he's got no D, he's not a good teammate (compare his interpersonal skills to Chris Paul, for example) and he's an extremely selfish player, even in a game where he gets 8-10 assists.

If Jose goes, the Raps will be on the path to the bottom of the Eastern Conference, no matter what you get for him in a trade. Fortunately, Mr. Colangelo know this, so Jose won't be going anywhere.

I love you guys at raptors HQ, but on this one, I just thank God you're no the actual GM of my team.

I agree with others that Ford might be tough to trade for anything of value--but when you have a cancer on your team you have to get rid of it, no matter what it takes.

If I were Portland I'd part with Roy to get Calderon, draft at #13 Westbrook or Budinger and bring over Fernandez and I'd be set for the next 8-10 years. In a Conference with the likes of CP3, Deron Williams, Tony Parker and Steve Nash, any team needs a potent offensive PG to negate the impact of the opponent PG.
Colangelo might even bite into this seeing that we need a scorer/slasher and would take presure off TJ. The big problem with Roy is that he has bad needs so if karma strikes we would be without backcourt.

Daniel,
Trade Bosh for who?? Biedrins and Jackson?? You're being sarcastic right...or maybe you're just joking?

Daniel - have you seen the 4th quarter of any Blazers games recently? Travis Outlaw is their #1 option in crunch time, and his turnaround 15-18ft jumper is as close to MJ as anyone can be (not named Kobe). He's definitely not an athletic scrub.

I would be more than willing to give up Jose or TJ to get Outlaw w/ Jack and/or Przybilla.

Also - all this talk of clearing cap space to sign the big free agent is kind of silly, considering Toronto's history of never getting a single top-tier free agent to come here.

Trading or drafting is really the only way to get a solid starter on the roster... and, given the lack of tradeable assets, we'd need to target someone who is overpaid and/or causing some unrest: RJ from the Nets, Kirilenko from the Jazz, JO from the Pacers, Okafor (sign-and-trade) from the Bobcats... these are the types of deals that might be out there.

If I am the TO GM and trading a top 5 starting PG with 9ast 13ppg & 53%FG (Jose)in only his 1st yr starting, with unlimited potential, I need a lot more back than a F with a 43%FG and 13ppg, Outlaw. Pryzblly's nice but the no 1 need is for a scoring (20ppg) SF/SG who can create his own shot and defend.

this is much better than Howlands prospects...you have to use your brains and not your heart if you want to make the team better and JC has the more value than Ford at this point...Plus we would only have to see Jose twice a year...But getting a backup point guard, a rebounding Centre and a wing solid wing player would help in 3 arears with just one player..that is a great scenerio and I for one especially love it because we get to keep TJ and I know he has to ability to become a very good point guard...A lot of people around the nba don't see Jose the way Raps fans do(..ala Gilbert Areanas)..Come on BC make this scenerio happen.......raps4life

http://fannation.com/truth_and_rumors/view/50654

Gotta agree with OneandDone, ain't no way I'd trade Bosh for Biedrins and Jackson.
A re-signed Monta Ellis though is interesting, perhaps packaged with Al Harrington. Hell, I'd try to convince MLSE to go above the cap and make an offer to Golden State for Ellis. Don't know what that does for our D though.
Either way, we might have to be looking at Golden State's lineup in case B.D. opts out (it's huge money he'd be leaving, though) an they sign an offer sheet for JC. Washington might be the same with Zero opting out (though I think that's unlikely).
Curious, does anybody know what contract status Ramon Sessions had with Milwaukee? Was it the same deal as Jamario?

Franchise, good analysis. But I have to very much disagree with you on this one. TJ, not Calderon, will be the one who is traded by Colangelo.

Colangelo has made his feelings about TJ known and has subtly implied that Calderon is staying and that TJ would be traded in the following interviews:

1. BC's interview with Chuck Swirsky in April. In this interview, BC makes it clear how he feels about TJ when he says "to some degree I can understand his plight, but at the same time you want people to be team-oriented and do what is in the best interests of the team because winning is the most important thing." The key words are "to some degree". In that same interview he also says that Calderon will be back in the fold next year.

http://www.fan590.com/ondemand/media.jsp?content=20080411_144947_7560

2. BC's year end interview. In this interview, BC says the following:

(a) "Jose will be back in a Raptors uniform next year";

(b)In talking about trades that the team may look to make in the summer, BC says "whether or not those trades involve TJ going to another team or whoever on the roster". He specifically refered to TJ as an example of a player they could trade. If he was talking generically about the PGs he could have said "if we have to look at trading TJ or Calderon we will".

Based on those interviews, I'm pretty certain that BC is keeping Calderon and trading TJ - because of TJ's health issues and attitude.

Also, BC has said that one of his priorities in making a trade this summer is to acquire another 20-Pt scorer. One of the Raptors' biggest problems is that they have too many depth players and not enough talented starters. They need to consolidate that depth for starters.

While I like all 3 of Jack, Pryzbilla and Outlaw, BC won't trade Calderon (a starting PG) and one of the 3 most talented players on the Raptors for what amounts to 2 depth players in Jarret Jack and Pryzbilla and Travis Outlaw (a talented but at this point a player with potential). Any trade of Calderon would have to be for an 18-20 point scorer. I think you're more likely to see a trade like TJ and Graham and a pick or TJ and Moon for a player like Maggette or Mike Dunleavy.

The Raptors need to consolidate their depth for starting players not look to add more players that are less talented than Calderon or TJ.

BC's year end interview can be linked to via raptors.com

This trade would make sense if portland was pressured. But Portland is in a Position of power considering they already have the a young core in l.a. oden and roy, the west is stacked so there's no pressure to win a championship soon, therefore they have plenty of time to find a point guard. So i think we get 2 of the 3 maybe, i would take prysbilla and the rights to the rudy for calderon and our first pick and hope pritchard bites

Calderon for Outlaw+filler? I had to actually check wikipedia to make sure today is not April Fools in Canada...

I am of course opposed to the idea of trading Calderon and keeping Ford, but even if you wanted to do that, shouldn't you ask for much more in return?

Daniel there is no way I'd give up Bosh for Biedrin and Jackson.....I don't think any gm in the league would.

And I'm certain the Blazers wouldn't give up Roy for anything on the Raptors uniform not named Bosh. The guy is 24 years old and he's already made the allstar team in the west which is loaded with big name guards.

I have question about the trade: We give up Jose to get a backup pg.....only problem is we dont' have a top tier starting guard. We have a backup pg and an injury prone, undersized, me first, no jumpshot PG.

Ford would be the absolute best back up PG in the league. He can come in and get his offence, get other guys involved and really change the tempo of the game. As a starter he can't keep the defence honest and is a weak team defender.

Word out of Portland is the team wants to get older quick because they have all the young talent they want. There have been numerous reports saying they are willing to deal their no. 13 pick.

Two backup PGs we can sign:

Steve Blake or Chris Duhon

Trade TJ Ford to one of the teams who need a starting PG for some muscle.

For example

Ford for Chris Wilcox

Ford and AP for Pryzbilla and 13th pick

If miami takes Beasley send Ford for Haslem

Ford for Jeff Forster and Ike Diogu

If you can get a player like Maggette or dare I say Ron Artest for the right price and right amount of years then you take it. Otherwise I'd wait.

I would not trade Bosh or Jose....the only way I would trade Jose is if I got a starting caliber PG back in return.

That's what's great about articles like this...you see how fans place different values on different players.

Daniel - Like BC mentioned, Outlaw is one of the top fourth quarter scorers in the league, an area Toronto struggles in every year. Sure Garbo is a winner, but so was Bill Walton in Portland. If Garbs injuries mean he's reduced to a 10th man role, don't you make this deal and take a bird in the hand? Outlaw is the the sure thing, Garbo right now is definitely not.

Sergi - I'd rather not see Jose go either. But Outlaw and co aren't cap fodder...these are three guys who could contribute to the Raptors' success next year. It simply depends which way each club is leaning in terms of future planning and like you mentioned Weighing EddyCurry, it's true that Portland is in no rush. However as I linked to in this article, point guard is top of their list so if they don't land Rose in the draft, I bet they see what's out there.

I think it would have been interesting to throw this trade idea out there back in December when TJ was playing so well...how many people would have said "do it in a flash?" I mean Outlaw is not Maggette at this point...but he also plays less minutes on a team with superior talent and other scoring options and right now, his PER is already higher than the likes of Anthony Parker, Tayshaun Prince and Grant Hill. His numbers have improved each year to the point where he would easily get 15 a game at the starting 3 spot on this team. Oh...not to mention he's got a reasonable contract and is only 23!

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/stats?playerId=2015

I’m going to throw this out their ‘cause I’m curious to get everyone’s reaction… Have you all been keeping up with Calderone’s comments since he got back to Spain:

"I would like to start and that's the most important thing,'' Calderon is quoted as saying in yesterday's edition of the Spanish daily sports newspaper El Mundo Deportivo, a sentiment he first shared with visitors to his website.

Continued Calderon in the article: "I've been two years with him but I don't know if I could be another year because things would have to change." He said speaking of TJ no doubt…

So, does this make Calderone the "Me-first anti-Christ" that TJ Ford has been labelled as? Isn’t this even a step further than TJ’s comments, saying specifically that he doesn’t want to play with him? Is he still the saint we all made him out to be? Just curious…

if you lose calderon you lose a winning mentality, leadership, calm under pressure and a team first apporoach...because no one else on the team brings that certainly not jarret jack ( who was a uni roomate of cb's) . Try again guys , we need CHARACTER

MAS - I think it's a given that Calderon always did want to start and rightfully so, so his sainthood is preserved because he showed didn't want to hurt the team with controversy.

I have a very hard time with the concept of trading Calderon - it would have to be one hell of a trade to even consider leaving the team in Ford's hands next year. This year proved who the better point guard was.

Interesting that Russell Westbrook has slipped down to Raptors in the NBADraft.net mock draft. I don't want to put too much stock in that. How on earth Chase Budinger ranks ahead of Westbrook is beyond me. He'd be my pick if he were available, if only for the fact that he's an uber athlete who can defend at both guard positions, something the Raptors sorely need.

MAS, Calderon's comments were not the same as TJ. TJ's comments were made during the season and his poor attitude affected the team's chemistry and play on the court. On the other hand, Calderon, who obviously wanted to be a starter, let TJ start for the betterment of the team. Also, Calderon's comments were made in the off-season. He's a restricted free agent and obviously wants the team to either start him or move him in a sign and trade.

As for the trade talk about Calderon, he's not being moved. But even if he was to be traded, you can be sure that Colangelo will only move him in a trade where he gets back a 20 point scorer.

While the trade proposed by Franchise includes 3 good role players, none are better than Calderon at this time - although Outlaw does have potential.

In my opinion, Colangelo will instead be looking to make a 2 for 1 trade where the Raptors get the best player in the trade and give up depth. He will not be looking to make a trade where the team gives up Calderon, one of their top players, for depth.

Rasho has exercised his one year contract option. He will be with the Raptors for next season and making 7.5 million.

I'm sure a lot of teams out there would want a 7 footer who can defend, shoot, rebound and has an expiring contract. Could be a valuble piece.

But don't forget how strong he finished the season. Sam went with a different lineup so Rasho didn't get any minutes....but he was our second best player for the last month.

Another opportunity to take a shot at ford: Even though Rasho was pretty much completely benched during the playoff series even though he was coming off his most productive month ever and that could have cost him a contract ext. did he complain? Nope

Wow... still watching the playoffs(Cavs r up by 7 with about 6 minutes to go) and we are talking about net year!
Good arguments can be made for trading either PG. Calderon's value is high- he will be one of the best PG's in the league for the next few seasons. It is no fluke that Spain excels in Intrntl competition, he is a key part of a great team. His prime years are coming.
I haven;t lost faith in TJ. I am hoping he learns and grows by the mistakes he made this past season. He has the potential to be very good possibly great. His health will always be a factor but any player can get hurt anytime. Not sure we could get equal value for his potential, 'cause he could become great. Heart of a warrior.
Ideally? Whats wrong with how it has been prior to TJ's injury? We were envied by most teams about our PG situation. TJ can start - Jose can finish most. Split minutes as evenly as possible and continueto occasionally play them together.
Jose's recent comments are a concern(not angry because as a RFA he earned the right to speak his mind). Can he and TJ co-exist? Hmmmm......
If we keep both that definately lowers our trade assets.
A two for one might be our best scenario. Maybe move up in the draft. Who knows, much too soon ......... Cavs up by 3 - 16 seconds left.

I can't believe it's taken me this long....

Franchise, you are Rob Babcock, aren't you!

(Sorry man, that was just a wee bit weak.)

I'm taking Howland's off season by a few leaps and bounds.

Calderon commands somebody bigger in return.

Plus trading him is just loco man....maybe you've shared one too many rounds of guffaws with Zicarelli.

Why not trade Ford for the rights to Fernandez? Portland would get a PG with amazing quickness and the ability to take over games without even losing anyone on the roster while Toronto gets Jose's and Garbo's running mate. Portland assumes the risk of TJ getting injured and Toronto assumes the risk of Fernandez not being able to translate his game to the NBA.

I am not sure about the financial side of it though.

A bit off topic, but I just found out from my buddy who works for Canada Basketball that the Swirsk's decision to leave T.O. was definitely not planned and had nothing to do with pressure from his wife. They were happy here, but due to a family matter that I would rather not disclose (he didn't really have much of a choice) had to move back to Chicago. He is definitely a stand up guy!

So, last year, Deron Williams makes some comments after losing the conference final that some guys, apparently referring to Andrei Kirilenko, were already making vacation plans rather than worrying about making the finals. This year, Andrei flies out to San Fran the day before a home game, missing practice, to work out a visa situation for his family vacation to France. I know he had permission from the team to go, and I know guys have a family, but really think this guy's either a little wacko or doesn't have that absolutely burning desire to win a ring. Me, after last year, would've said, screw it, I'll deal with the visa situation after my job is done, even if I have to postpone my trip to August. Love his skills, but really doubt I'd want that attitude on the Raps.

This is a trade that I have been a big proponent of. I love the trade, personally. I mean, there can be variations to the same trade Franchise is proposing. You can include the 13th overall pick---although Portland would have to pick for us, and pick a player that not only we like, but they like as well.

I think Outlaw is a good player, and he's improving every year. Only 24 yrs. old.

Jarret Jack--if your thinking about losing chemistry, well just know that Jarret Jack was Bosh's teammate at Georgia Tech. So that only helps.

Joel Pryzbilla--the key to trade IMO. If we can get him, it would give us a legit starting center, and it would buy time for Andrea Bargnani.

And for those of you looking for a 20 ppg. scorer, where and who are you lookin' at?

Maggette--I would only trade Ford for him, not sure if the Clippers want another injury prone PG--see Livingston.

Josh Howard--it could work, but you need another team. Actually, this is could happen if you do a 3-way deal--Sacramento: T.J. Ford
Dallas: Ron Artest
Toronto: Josh Howard

Luol Deng: Not likely. Paxson loves him.

So your options are so limited from the start. Josh Howard would certainly be great. But Travis Outlaw is not a scrub either--he can play.

Sunny - You hit it bang on. Lots of permutations to this deal including maybe even moving Ford instead of Jose, and subbing in draft picks, Fernandez, etc. It's really too early to talk major trades but those players that most people want to see on Toronto, be it Artest, Maggette, Josh Howard, Deng...they just aren't realistic at this point in time.

Skywalker - I never trust draft.net ha ha. At one point they didn't even have CDR ranked and then had him as a second-round pick for a long time. Draftexpress is the source for sure...and actually an interesting workout article from them recently featuring a few guys I wouldn't mind taking 2nd round flyers on if I was BC:

http://www.draftexpress.com/article/Cross-Country-Workout-Swing-Part-One,-IMG-Academy-2881/

So Chuck is working in CHI now.....doesn't he still have to travel with the team for road games?

Assistant GM, enlighten us with more information from your important connections.

Maybe the grade 8's you teach have given us a new tidbit on Britney Spears' sitch as well.

Obviously, like somebody has cancer. blah, blah blah, every family has it, mine too don't worry. Can I join the secret club?

I'm sure with enough digging I'll find the truth, but in the meantime keep me posted.

Funny comment from Deron Williams after the Jazz loss the other night:

Sloan and Williams both talked about the need for leadership and toughness. Williams suggested that for as much as Houston and the Lakers complained about the Jazz's physical play, the team could have been even tougher in denying easy layups.

"I think Matt Harpring said we need to sign Hoffa [Rafael Araujo] for a 1-hour contract," Williams joked.

The Calderon Scenario is an interesting one. I like Outlaw Pryz and Jack coming back. I would go one step further though and trade Ford as well. I know how crazy that sounds but Jack can start (though he isn't a long term starting solution) and if you can get even just a pick and another expiring contract for Ford, can't you live with that?
Projected Starting Lineup:
PG - Jack
SG - Parker (possible trade here)
SF - Outlaw
PF - Bosh
C - Przy/Rasho

I realise that its step down with Jack but it might be worth the risk especially if you can turn around and sign Duhon, you don't have a bad combo and the two of them would have to be a better influence on Euro PG boy then Ford would be.

After all that BC has said I cannot believe that Jose will not be on the team next year.

Ford has heart and talent but his attitude is NOT something that BC will put up with. Ford is getting traded and Jose is not. Book it.

McGateway: I think we'd win less games with that lineup then we did this year.

Does anybody have a list of the possible free agents in 2009?

Apparently the Ak47 visa situation was not as bad as it was made out to be if you check espn.com.

I go back to my original trade idea.

Deron Williams is going to need a contract ext. soon enough and they won't have the money to keep AK47, Williams, Boozer, Memo. With the emergence of Ronnie and Korver....ak47 is the most likely to be moved.

He does have a terrible contract however he has shown he can be a good second option when a team needs it, he rebounds, blocks shots and suprisingly handed out 5 assists a game.

The Jazz would likely want expiring contracts after the 2008-2009 season because right after that season ends william's massive pay increase will kick in.

So we could send a package of:

AP (4.5 million)
Garbo (4.5 million)
Graham (3 million)
Baston (2 million)

for

Kirilenko (14 million)

Then we can still move TJ ford (8 million) to Portland for:

Jarrett Jack (2 million)
Pryzbilla (6 million)

The good from these trades is we get a great backup pg.

A second option who can do everything.

A big man who rebounds, blocks shots.

The bad is we will be paying Pryzbill and Ak 47 a lot of money for 3 years. However we would certainly be more talented and balanced in my opinion. And we could see how things go this year and next and if they dont work out in those 2 years you have nearly 22 million in expiring contracts to deal from those 2 players.

So our top 10 lineup would be:

Calderon/Jack
Delfino/Moon
Ak 47/Kopono
Bosh/Andrea
Rasho/Pryzbilla

Daniel: The idea of trading Calderon for Roy is a great one, but there is no way Portland would do that. Besides, Roy and TJ in the backcourt is a toxic mix. TJ isn't interested in handing the reigns over to the shooting guard.

I hope that Jose is not going anywhere. No, he is not going to be as good as Paul or Williams, but he is good and getting better and is already at the top of the 2nd tier of pg's. There is no point bringing in another scorer if TJ wants to be the scorer. A team starts with the point, and we need it to be Jose. Besides, all that crap about a winning, unselfish culture goes out the window if Jose leaves and Vince, I mean TJ, stays.

Trading Bosh for any number of average players is crazy.

BBall: Thank you for staying focussed on the purpose. We need some talented ball players (20 point guy) and Outlaw isn't it. Make a significant move, or bide time, develop young guys, and make a significant move later.

wtf: Do you think that adding Pryzbilla and Kirilenko makes us a top contender for the championship? If not, we are stuck in mediocrity for 3 years. I don't like it. You are expecting Pryzbilla to be able to match up to a Duncan or Garnett? If not, no point.
I do like the general idea of moving TJ for whatever the market bares, and leave Jose. Jose will be worth his value as a piece. If it means moving TJ for Malik Rose, and moving a bunch of expiring contracts for Kirilenko, who is a top defender, then maybe. Stick AK with Westbrook (please drop to us) and we have a tough defence with some offence. When I see Celtics beat the Cavs with 84 points, I want to play defence.

I don't think it makes us a contender but I think it does improve us significantly.

The only problem is the amount of money that it will cost us for 2 years (we would be able to easily move them in the third year since they're deals will be expiring)

Building a championship team is something that can take years and sometimes you still don't succeed at it.

Basically there are two things I want in the offseason:

TJ Ford moved
A threat at the wing position

What we get for TJ doesn't really matter to me because I think it could workout to be addition by subtraction...however we will have to get a backup PG somehow. If we don't get one through a trade we could sign Duhon or Blake.

There have been rumblings about a lot of wing players who are on the market....and each of them would comand a different price. Guys I've heard rumours about are:

Ak 47
Lamar Odom
Richard Jefferson
Carmello Anthony
Ron Artest
Corey Maggette
Jamal Crawford
Micheal Redd
Josh Smith
Boris Diaw
Josh Howard

Why in the world would the Blazers trade Roy for Calderon??

I was talking with a friend on trade scenario's and wanted to know what you guys think of this trade.

How untouchable is Kevin Martin on Sacremento? If he is tradeable, what about the Raps trading TJ Ford, Bargnani, and whoever else to throw in to match up salaries for Kevin Martin. Having a core of Jose, Martin, and Bosh looks pretty good. Sacremento would get a PG to compete with Beno Udrih and an upgrade in PF with Bargnani over Mikki Moore and Shelden Williams. The Raps get a great shooter/slasher/get to the line SG and also a guy to score in the 4th quarter. Jose can feed him all day with the dimes and Bosh will get the help he deserves.

I wanted to know what you guys think of this trade scenario. I thought it would be perfect for the Raps.

I would honestly hate to see Calderon leave the Raptors. I realize that he cannot co-exist with TJ, but BC would make a grave mistake by trading away the better PG.

That is the problem with the Raptors... we covet the wrong players. I went to game 3 in TO. Let me just say that Calderon is the fan favourite and BC knows that. Everytime TJ makes a mistake on the floor, the fans started to chant Jose's theme song. TO fans have always showed more knowledge than all the coaching staff.

I don't have a personal problem with TJ because the onus should fall on the coach for distributing minutes. Yes, Jose gave up the starting role, but it was up to the coach to make the "final" call... which was the wrong decision. This action pretty much sealed the fate for Jose tenure in TO.

I don't like the deal with Portland. There are rumors that Miami is interested in TJ's services and I would rather trade him for Ricky Davis. The Portand deal proves to be more beneficial to the Blazers and sets the Raptors back a couple years. Grant it I like the way Outlaw plays, but I'm not sure about the durability of Joel.

Right now, we have seen the desire of Dallas to unload players and the Raptors could grab the services of Jerry Stakehouse.

Who cares the Raptors could even look at getting Andre Iguodala because Philly is having difficulty signing him ---- anything can happen.

I think Franchise's deal does a good job of leveraging one of our most valuable trade assets to address multiple needs.

Like others have said earlier,you can't put all your eggs in the slashing swing basket.

I'd agree that for most of the expiring deals, have to wait until trade deadline, since who would want to pay for a full season of garbo and joey?

BC while I'd partially agree with you, I would also say that having cap space makes trading easier. Instead of offering up useless filler contracts, you can trade with a team over the cap, and they can get back an asset AND a big trade exemption to use as they see fit, just like the Jason Richardson trade.

If we move away from potential blockbusters, I think Anthony Parker could be a valuable addition to a playoff team looking to expand on its 3pt shooting and retain 09 caproom. Package him with the 08 pick and we could go after another emerging young player to add to our foundation, in the mold of a Travis Outlaw.

As far as cheap under the radar wings, Marquis Daniels could be worth a flyer. His contract expires after next year, with a team option for the year afterwards.

How about this....

Trades:
Ford + Garbajosa + 17th to Chicago for Nocioni + 9th pick

Jason Kapono + Joey Graham for Josh Childress

trade for/or buy 2nd rd. pick and take Devon Hardin

Draft:
Eric Gordon
Devon Hardin

Sign:

Jose Calderon to 8.5 mil/yr.

Josh Childress to 6 mil/yr.

Sign Damon Stoudamire to vet's min.

Bring over Ukic

Team outlook:
Calderon/Stoudamire/Ukic
Gordon/Parker/Ukic
Childress/Moon/Nocioni
Bosh/Nocioni/Humphries
Nesterovic/Bargnani/Hardin

Team gets athletic and brings in a scorer in Gordon that can the load off of CB4. You get some toughness w/ Nocioni and an experienced backup in Damon Stoudamire.

There are still a lot of spare pieces on the team that can be shipped off for either a Chris Wilcox or Andrei Kirilenko or someone like that.

Franchise, thanks for the DraftExpress tip; very comprehensive site. They have Westbrook going 11th, which is about where I'd expect to see him. We can dare to dream, though. Interesting who they had at the 17th spot - Nicholas Batum, the French equivalent of Rudy Gay. I know Colangelo likes European players, but that might be too much of a gamble, even for him.

We definitely should not be looking at trading 20-25 year olds like TJ or Calderon (peak NBA years are 25-29 for most players) for declining bench players in their 30's like Stackhouse.

And - is Marquis Daniels really any better than Delfino? He seems to have very similar stats, but with a far worse 3PT%. For $6-7M per year, I'd rather go for a cheaper MLE player like Pietrus or a proven 20pt scorer like Maggette. Even on the Pacers, I'd rather risk $8M on Dunleavy with his 19 PPG and 42% 3PT than $6.5M on Daniels.

HOWEVER - since Stephen Graham was just re-signed by the Pacers, my favorite trade (Joey Graham for Stephen Graham) is back on the table.

I think the Bulls are a good target - they will be bringing in a new coach (which always leads to some roster moves), and have far too many young SG/SF players.

Also - the Bulls may become desparate for some expiring contracts since Hinrich and Hughes and Nocioni and either Gordon/Deng (re-signed) = $40M+ per year for the next few years.

Getting Joel Pryz would be a good "get", since he could take over for Rasho if he's traded at the deadline.

I would horde that cap space for someone more accomplished as a legit offensive option then AK47. While his all around ability is great, if he's not a legit shot creater/double team worthy, then the point is moot...at that price.

BC,
You're right, with Daniels, you do take a hit when it comes to 3pt shooting. I also think you take a hit in rebounding, when you compare to Delfino, since Indiana played a faster pace then Raptors did.

The reason Daniels looks promising, is that he's a step up when it comes to the athleticism, quickness and ballhandling.
He's not a star, but I think he's enough of a contrast from anyone we have currently, to add something positive.

I think Indiana would be a good for TJ Ford, so getting Daniels as part of the package back looks good to me.

BTW

The move for Daniels would only make sense if we don't draft CDR and don't get a second option slasher

If anyone has tried to trade a BYC player using the ESPN Trade Machine, their respect for Bryan Colangelo will go up by a factor of a hundred.

I've been checking out some draft sites, and there are a few other options besides Douglas-Roberts that could fit the SF need. We might even be able to trade down and get a 2nd rounder:

Donte Green (Syracuse):
http://www.nbadraft.net/admincp/profiles/dontegreene.html

Brandon Rush (Kansas):
http://www.nbadraft.net/admincp/profiles/brandonrush.html

Joe Alexander (W Virginia):
http://www.nbadraft.net/admincp/profiles/joealexander.html

Will Daniels (Rhode Island):
http://www.nbadraft.net/admincp/profiles/willdaniels.html

2nd Rounders

Bill Walker (K-State):
http://www.nbadraft.net/admincp/profiles/billwalker.html

Joey Dorsey (Memphis):
http://www.nbadraft.net/admincp/profiles/joeydorsey.html

Great list I'm a fan on Green. I think he can be like next year's Thaddeus Young.

A freshman that was over looked even though he had a tremendous season.

He averaged 17 and 7 so he can score and rebound. However we'll have to make him work on actually getting to the basket and not just jacking up jumpshots.

Batum, Green, CDR are the guys I like. I'm not as high on Westbrook as some people are on....

I am eliminating my hopes on Westbrook. At 6'3", I don't think that he can guard all the 2's in the league. No jumper, either. Batum has an apparent lack of edge. He's perfect for Sam. Sam can ride him endlessly, bench him, and have him out of the league after his rookie contract is up. Maybe Rush has a good enough jumper to make it, and has a strong enough sense of self despite Sam's development influence. I'm thinking Batum is the best at this level. None of the bigs seem skilled enough to be worth the pick.

I am eliminating my hopes on Westbrook. At 6'3", I don't think that he can guard all the 2's in the league. No jumper, either. Batum has an apparent lack of edge. He's perfect for Sam. Sam can ride him endlessly, bench him, and have him out of the league after his rookie contract is up. Maybe Rush has a good enough jumper to make it, and has a strong enough sense of self despite Sam's development influence. I'm thinking Batum is the best at this level. None of the bigs seem skilled enough to be worth the pick.

realistically, if I were BC this summer I'd make these moves:

I. No-brainers:
1.sign Jose to 40-45 mill/5 years (1 yr player option);
2. sign Delfino for 10mill/3 yrs; positives: when he's on he has Ginobili skillset: shoots 3's, drive and kick, court vision, good rebounding; negatives: shot selection, poor finisher in traffic; definitely a keeper in my books; a potential 17/5/5 in his prime.
3. hold on to Kapono; could easily become 15 ppg off the bench, an essential 6-8th man in a contending team, instant offense.
4. bring over Ukic for 6 mill/3 yrs
5. draft a pure C to replace Rasho either at 17 or higher (see below).

II Plausible (prob. >50%):
1. trade TJ and Hump either to draft higher (option A) or for a Crawford-type player (option B).
2. trade Rasho, AP and Joey for AK47: it makes perfect sense for both teams.

III. Implausibles: just fill in the blanks, which doesn't mean it's not possible. Actually, knowing BC , that's what i expect to happen.

Roster:

PG: Jose, Ukic
SG: Delfino, Crawford
SF: AK47, Kapono, Moon
PF: Bosh, Garbo
C: Bargnani, draft

I like the idea of having a team with best complementary skills: Jose, best Ass/TO ratio, Bosh, best FT% for PF, Kapono, best long-range shooter, AK47, best weak-side shotblocker.

Steve - How untouchable is Kevin Martin?

Here's a question Howland and I have debated recently too. Sacto in a way is in a similar situation as Toronto. In fact in the East, they'd probably be nipping at the Raps' heels for a final playoff spot. They're not going to get better and while they love Martin, like Jose for Toronto, moving him would be their best chance to do a serious talent upgrade. He'd be a godsend here for sure, especially paired with a pass-first point guard like Jose.

Thing is, neither Howland or I see Sacto moving him. I think it's more likely they try their hand in the draft once more, and then decide on Artest first.

Dee Truth - I was at that game too, solid observation. It was great to see TJ get the cheer when he played well but you're right, you could just sense the fans ready to turn on him if he made a mistake. That's why this off-season BC's decisions in regards to these two could be very interesting.

BC and WTF - forget draft.net. Their rankings right now are RAN-DOM...if you watched college ball this year you don't want Toronto drafting Alexander (exact same skill set as Bargs but shorter), or Green unless you're patient on a number of levels. Green has a ton of upside but has a shot selection that rivals Zach Randolph. Right now, if Sam even played him, he would drive fans nuts. TJ Ford X 10. And 17 and 7 only looks nice if you didn't watch him shoot MORE THAN TWICE AS MANY 3'S AS 2'S at Syracuse. He's got major upside, and if some of the other players Toronto is targeting are gone while he's there on the board, maybe then you take a flyer.

Will Daniels doesn't have the talent to make a short-term impact with the Raps, Dorsey is a 4-5 and Rush isn't aggressive enough for my liking. More of an Anthony Parker or Mo Pete clone. Solid defender and long-range shooter though.

And as for Big Bill Walker...huge fan...but not sure yet whether he's mature enough to handle the league or fit with this team of Raptors' "good-guys."

Franchise: I certainly don't follow NBAdraft.net

I haven't ever since they had Ivan Chiriaev going No.5 in the lottary.

What made me follow draftexpress was that they never even had Ivan on the board.

Where is that guy anyway?

Batum would still be my first choice for the Raptors if he is available. He reminds me of Charlie in a way. A lot of people said Charlie has no drive, doesn't put in the effort, doesn't dominate the way he can....well Sam was able to get the best out of him.

Could he do the same with Batum? I'd be willing to take that gamble.

Although to me Mitchell has lot a bit of that fire and edge which I felt was his greatest strength. Never really see him getting in anyone's face or screaming anymore....mostly just has his arms folded up....