Jump-Ball: Band-Aids and Dynamite

Franchise, Howland, interesting read. I believe this team needs a fresh start with a coach who has a vision, who is able to start a program and to give this organization some stability at the (technical) helm. The first and best name that comes to my mind (also for having seen him at work) is Messina, but there may be other candidates. On the parting with either Bosh or Bargnani idea: Bosh is at the moment the better player, but he is not a good bang for the buck, especially at max salary. I believe the Raptors and Bosh will part ways this summer and I believe this trade will be a make it or break it for Brian Colangelo with this franchise. That will be the defining trades, all the others will depend upon that one and by the players (picks?) we may get back

nice post guys. my head is definitely playing these scenarios out right now and I think getting bosh out of town is probably the only answer. it's really the only way to become flexible enough again in terms of straight up cash and potentially more picks in the draft.

the tweaking job BC has been pulling the last year and a half has to stop. it hasn't worked.

also, what you guys should do a similar post about is this:

is bosh worth re-signing?

now of course I love bosh. he's a great player. but as we all know so well, he's not a true franchise player, along the lines of lebron or wade. (not too many guys are.) but he's going to be demanding that money. so the question again is, is he really worth it?

Lots of good comments. Some of us have been advocating trading Bosh for sometime so it is good to see some others converting. Bosh offers a great opportunity for Toronto in terms of a trade because many managers will see him as better than he actually is because of the olympic success. I think if the "will" is there, a mobile scorer in the mold of Joe Johnson can be obtained. With that, perhaps a good big man in the draft like Thabeet and you have the makings of a competive team. As much as I wish the best for Triano, we need a whole new coaching group to get rid of the Mitchell influence. I would look for a coach who has apprenticed under Phil Jackson or Popovich and therefore has experienced what a winning program should be

I cannot agree more with the comments that the "killer bees " cannot co exists.
In a perfect world we can hang on to both,but in todays economy the numbers dont work.Although both bigs come with their own issues,pros and cons...teams will be lining up to pick our carcasses.BC will have to make some quick decisions.
I have to agree,that in the long run,it may make more sense to keep bargs strictly from a financial side.If Bosh is going to be our sacrificial lamb (could be by his own choice) my suggestion... whoever is interested in Bosh we package Barnes along for the ride !!!
At this point,if we are going to blow this thing up,we have to blow it up...keeping parker because he is our "glue guy" and could play back up guard doesn't interest me one bit.
Our problem is that we have always been seen as a bunch of pussies,and parker is the leader of the pack.
I would hang on to Joey for his size and gritt.
Pops...for the right price
Marion or "the Rock" has disapointed me of late.
Kapono...take him out to the alley and put him out of his or our misery.
Sorry ,I should not be posting in this frame of mind !!!

My heart breaks for this year's raptors team. Although there are some highlights that made me feel a bit better like AB's development. I would like to ask you guys something though. and that is if Bosh were to be traded who will be the leader of this team. A leader that will be yelling, pushing and motivating the team.I think he is still the franchise player of this team but that could change with AB providing he develops even more.

Franchise,
o a different topic, discussing of one of your pre season articles, we went on the topic of setting the bar on Bargnani for you to declare yourself happy with is progress. I remember you were setting the bar at consistent 15/6 as per your (I did not check) assessment of Dirk Nowitzki progression when he joined the league. The season is Over, there is just an appendix to be plaid (20 games, Sigh!!). Are you able to declare now that Andrea has moved back into a stardom path? (not meaning he is there, just that he is back on track)

I agree with Renato that Messina is the next coach for t6his team. Although some might argue that it is a gamble to bring in a non NBA coach, there are too many reasons why Messina would be a good fit.

At least with Messina, we would hold true to the international identity of the Raps. All international Raps players would instantly have respect for a coach that has won championships at every other level. He also has been a head coach long enough to have a system. He would be able to help BC by telling him what type of players he needs for his system, then leave BC and Gherardini to getting them.

Problem with Bosh and Bargs being together is that we are left without anyone to really protect the paint. If we trade one, we need to bring in someone that will really toughen us up inside. I don't think there are too many solid starting true centres available, but there sure are a lot of tough, inside out PF's out there.

On the Bosh question, I have to reluctantly agree, that CB4 is not really value for money at a max contract. I just think that there are so many other PF's that would bring nearly the same production at half the price. Also, since Bosh is so desireable, not only will we get more in return but we have a chance to offload another contract with him. I loved the thought of Bosh having a career in Toronto, and he is a real pro, but if we are going to shake things up, trading Bosh is the best way to do it.

Teams that I lok at that might be good trade partners for me include G.S. where I would love to pry Biedrins away, then slide Bargs over to PF. If we could do a Bosh+Kapono for Biedrins+Magette+Bellinelli/pick, i think we really change the complexion of the team. The Knicks might be able to offer up a sign and traded Lee+Gallinari+Robinson/pick for a Bosh and change. I do think the Raps should consider making Lee an offer this off season and force the Knicks hand a little going into 2010. I also think the raps should consider making some kind of a play for Heinrich in Chicago. Although it goes against the international Raps theory, Heinrich is a tough defender/good shooter/decent contract and if not a replacement for Jose would certainly be a good pG to team with him.

One thing about this season going kaput, it certainly opens the doors to plenty of discussion about how we might improve ourselves.

Trading Bosh will not result in packages I think you feel we will get. I have already challenged everyone in here to come up with packages from teams that would be interested in Bosh.
GS - That trade could work if GS decides they want to unload salaries but you would be tying the Raptors down for years salary cap wise as both Biedrins and Maggette have long term contracts and Maggette is getting to the age where the law of diminished returns will kick in (hasn't he been hurt most of this year? didn't we learn anything from the Oneal trade?).
NY - Another possibility but I don't think that NY will give up on the italian already. More than likely NY will try and force Curry on us or at least Jeffries. Do we really want that?
Chi - Chicago would laugh at us if we asked for hinrich. Not because he sucks but because again, his contract is long. Yes it gets lower as it goes along but I think he has like 5 years left. Hinrich was such a good franchise PG that Chicago drafted Rose even though they were desperate for front court help. Hinrich is a nice 6th or 7th man on a good team but he is overpaid for that role.
Remember, if we as fans do not think that Bosh is a franchise player, do you really think that the other GMs in the league do not have the same view? Most of these guys are not idiots (Zeke exception) and most will be wary about bringing in a guy that will bolt after next year. We all saw how little interest people were in trading talent and picks for expiring contracts and that is with some teams already in financial trouble so do not expect much in the trade department.
In fact the more I think about it the more I think Toronto should simply ride out the Bosh situation and let him walk as a free agent. Trading away your franchise player (and he is our franchise player even if some of you do not count him as "A" franchise player) for 50 cents on the dollar, is just not a good idea. So unless we are getting the equivalent in expiring contracts and some picks which would truly clear the board, then why bother?

Great read, guys, I really think you've captured every angle in this saga and at the end of the day, all that matters is BC's plan if there is one.
Hopefully it something along the lines of:
-Hire a coach from winning system
-turn bosh/marion contracts into a dynamite scorer and defender who loves to attack the rim
-have rasho and AP as the first two guys off the bench
- have raft of energy guys at power foward
- tell calderon to forget the national team
-pick up a nice SG/SF in this year's draft

AXl...I agree...if there is one comment that has stood out in my mind so far today, was your suggestion to management to inform Mr.Clap your hands defence,that there will be no national team this year...if thats a problem catch you later.(I put that last part in !!!)

McGateway, You make some solid points about the trades mentioned by another poster above relating to GS,NY and Chi but I disagree with the idea that we can’t get a good package for Bosh. Also, there is nothing wrong with taking back long term contracts because if the players are good and young, why wouldn’t you want to have them locked up for a few yrs eg. Monta Ellis? Bosh and Banks for Ellis, Biedrins and Randolph or Draft Pick make sense. You correct about getting 50cents on the dollar but isn’t 50 better than nothing? My trade proposal would at least be 75 cents on the dollar.
As for other GMs not necessarily wanting Bosh, again I disagree. If I were a GM and I traded for Bosh knowing I’ll be able to offer him the more than any other team can in the summer of 2010, as well as already having some nice players around him, as well as knowing that I was planning on pursuing him in 2010 anyway, I’d definitely make the trade now and give myself the upper hand over the rest of the teams wanting him 2010.
The Raps allowing him to walk away for free and not having at least some young appreciating assets to show for it doesn’t make good business sense to me.

Great work on this site and great comments. Kudos to the hosts!
My current thinking is:
- trade Bosh/Kapono/Banks for McGrady/Scola
- bring Messina and make Triano the lead assistant to help Messina with the transition
- bring Delfino, resign AP and Graham
- do not resign Marion or at most a trade and sign for a good SF
- draft the best available player whatever the position.
The reasons:
- Bosh is not a franchise player and not worth of max money
- McGrady is a huge expiring for 2010 when really good players are available for a cheaper price due to the state of the economy
- make Bargnani the franchise player and build around Jose/Bargnani
- give Messina a year to work with a good group of people able to play offense and defense in a solid system that mixes up the half-court play and uptempo game (a la Spurs and Jazz).
- the fans will always prefer and cheer a group of hard-working players than a superstar primadonna who doesn't deliver.
- financially we'd be buyers in 2010 and 2011 summers in a buyers' market.
It is time to blow it up inteligently and build a real team. Even in this scenario (admittedly very unlikely) we would not win less games than now and we may recapture the excitement from 2006-2007 season when AP and Garbo were our key players (not the best players, mind you).

To answer your question Renato, yes, Bargs has indeed surpassed my expectations this year, and Joey Graham aside, is the lone bright spot in what's been a dismal season.

The article Howland and I wrote as an aside was really fodder for discussion as I'm not sure either of us are quite at either extreme. This coming off-season I'd prefer to move Bargs over Bosh while his trade value is at an all-time high as I worry that again, BC is overvaluing his future. I do think he'll be a good player in the league, however I'd still prefer to have Bosh...

...provided a) CB4 doesn't hold the franchise hostage with salary demands and b) wants to stick around.

I watched Dwyane Wade last night put on one of the single greatest efforts in terms of willing a team to victory and came away more certain than ever that you can't pay Bosh the max. The "max" in this era of the NBA should be reserved for guards who can control the pace of the game, ie Lebron, Kobe, Wade, Chris Paul and perhaps Derrick Rose and Kevin Durant eventually. Even Dwight Howard, as dominant as he is, would be hard-pressed to be worth a max deal. He's physically unstoppable, but could he carry a team with the Heat or Bulls talent? I seriously doubt it. I'm not even sure he'd have as big of an impact as Bosh considering his free-throw woes (if you saw last night's game against Detroit this was exhibit A.)

However some team is always going to overpay for these guys. So as a GM you're either forced to overpay too to send a message, or you gamble on being able to replace the star with equal talent in some capacity.

If you can't, you're stuck in a constant rebuild until you strike lottery gold like the Blazers and Hawks recently...

Yes...this should be a very interesting off-season indeed.

well since NO is willing to trade tyson chandler why not trade bosh for him and posey?

Thanks d279, I'm thinking these days players need to make a choice, because 82 games plus olympics is just too much.

Looking at recent turning points of this franchise, garbo's injury is a big one, but his decision to delay fixing it just so he could play on his national team was just as much of one.

So, since we're into this discussion about rebuilding..why not look beyond Bosh and Bargs and see what can be had for other parts of losing core...i.e. Calderon. Is he going to lead this team to the promised land of championship contention? If we opt for a complete rebuild try to get a young point guard prospect who is good on both ends or exceptional on one. This season has shown us that all positions have to be reconsidered. If I were in a position to make such decisions, I would wait to see how the draft order turned out and try to move him for the best two-way point guard prospect available. One thing none of our GMs have done in the past is take a real chance in moving our established players for promising draft prospects. Either limited foresight or lack of faith in the scouting department. Actually, while we're at it, why not remake the entire organization by revamping the scouting department. How many could have been had prospects have we missed out on in the second round and D-league over the years? This was the season of truth. A scouting department that can't deliver at least one solid second round contributor every couple of years is wasting money in my opinion. Hopefully now all of the lies have been exposed for what they are on and off the court.

BC drafted Bargs to play with Bosh, not to make a tough decision in one or the other.
Don't lose faith, I think what the team needs are new coaches, Don't forget these are the exact same Coaches that where here with Sam. It's the same dudes just Assistants, Am I right or What!
Let's bring in Terrence and maybe Gerald, and let's go.

Doug is right...

As with the Marion deal... I think Messina is a foregone conclusion that is just in waiting mode to pan out. It will definitely be an interesting off-season.

Stern punishing Raps fans by making team play 83 games lol?

last year it was TJ now this year its Bosh. The problem with the Raptors is at the 1 the 3 and the Bench it is not at the 4 or 5. They are the only position on the team that has been producing all season long. Why on earth would you trade Bosh to create more problems on the team. I totally dissagree with Howland and I think the whole idea of blowing up the team is ludicris, glad you are not the GM. Everyone is giving Jose a free pass and blaming his short comings on a hamstring injury. JOse simply suck as a point gaurd, the coach has to be yelling every position for him to move the ball, his defence is the worst of all pg in the league and I mean all. BC made a mistake when he kept Jose over TJ by listening to the media and some fans. If he trade Bosh this summer he will go down as the worst of the Raptors GM with the moves that he has made. We need a point guard who can create his own shots, defend his position and shoot the ball, JOse can only do one of the 3, he is clearly a back up, the only reason he had a good year last year like mike james, rafer alston and a host of nba players who played their best game in a contract year, jose is no different. BC already somewhat fix the problem with the 3 by getting Marion, he should concentrate on keeping him. Use the draft and free agency to get a point guard and fix the bench. So for me the keepers are Bosh, Bargs, Joey, Parker, Roko and the new kid Pops. Goners are Jose via trade, Hump, Kapono via trade, and everybody else....TRADING BOSH IS SIMPLY NOT AN OPTION FOR THE LEGO MASTER I TAKE IT HE IS MUCH SMATER than being influence by the media and fans of this hockey city... wonder why the leafs haven't won in 42 years...Because of suggestions like Howland's....raps4life

As far as diagnosing the teams ills;

- BC arrived and patched the lineup with overseas players, giving us good depth, but little star power. The wings weren't great, but they weren't terrible.

- With the trade for JO we had better star power but little to no depth, especially at the wings, where Parker has aged substantially, and Delfino bolted for Europe.

So my plan A;

Let Marion go, sign Josh Childress. Childress is a younger version of the Matrix in that he does everything well, and nothing spectacular. He can create off the dribble, score in crunch time and defend. Plus he's unlikely to request a massive pay raise.

Re-sign Delfino to back up the 2-3 spot. He's streaky, but he's also capable on defense, and can stretch the floor with his range. Plus I always thought Flipper played with a passion often lacking on the team.

Find a way out of the Kapono deal. Trade him anywhere for anything. He can't defend, can't drive to the rim, and while he can shoot the lights out when open he has no offensive sets run for him. I liked his signing at the time, but he's shown he isn't worth his contract.

At the draft find a way to get two players, Aminu would be my favourite, with the first pick, and Psycho-T with a a late 1st / early 2nd.

Re-sign Pops. Look at whether Rasho can fit in with a lower salary. Let Graham go (I'm still not a believer).

Plan B: Trade Bargnani.

I think we've gone off the path with thinking that Bosh is the one who should go.

Given their relative contributions, I'd be looking at dealing Bargnani instead. His stock has never been higher and his contract is imminently tradeable.

Bosh is and could then remain the cornerstone of the team - and given his stats I see that as a good thing. He's a way above average PF, and he's still just entering his prime.

The problem I see is that Bargs is never going to be the rebounding presence in the middle that the team needs to take the pressure off. Pure scorers are nice, and his D is coming along, but without a significant increase in his rebounding abilities he's more liability than benefit.

Kevin Love would IMO be an awesome chip to trade for.

Biedrins would be excellent, as would Tyson Chandler. Sure they are all much more limited offensively than Bargnani but without a significant presence in the middle we just get killed routinely on the glass.

Great discussion about how the Raps should move forward. I don't think there is a clear cut answer, without first having some added information.

Firstly, I think Bosh will be the decision maker on whether he stays or goes because I genuinely feel that if he equivocates this off season regarding an extension or decides he wants to test the market, BC will then trade him. The risk of losing Bosh is too great and BC will be forced to get value in return for Bosh. Moreover, I think this is exactly what WILL happen this off-season, as Bosh has reiterated to ESPN's Marc Stein that he is very interested in becoming a free agent in 2010.

That, in turn, renders the discussion of whether to keep Bosh or Bargs moot, and BC will simply say that he had no choice in dealing Bosh (which is true if he doesn't want to extend with the Raps). The real question comes once BC is forced to explore trade options for Bosh; What assets do you look to bring back if you're Colangelo?

Do you keep Bargs at the 5 and try to acquire a good PF to replace Bosh as the centrepiece of any deal (example: Aldridge of the Blazers)? or do you decide to play Bargnani at the 4 and try to acquire a defensive/rebounding centre (example: Biedrins of the Warriors)?

That is why developping a philosophy going forward is essential to the remake of this team. The coahing staf needs a basketball game plan going forward, on which BC can base a strategy for building the team; this can no longer be a meandering stroll through basketball wonderland for Colangelo, he actually needs to decide what kind of team he wants to build, get the coaches to implement the philosophy, and then acquire the players that FIT within that basketball paradigm. Otherwise, we will be treated to continued mediocrity (and maybe not even that), but just with a different cast of characters.

Once a vision is established, that will dictate what kinds of acquisitions you make. You can deal Bosh to a team that has the pieces you need, instead of just trying to match talent in a potential Bosh trade.

My personal belief is that BC has to target a weak team that is in more disarry than we are; hello Golden State. Although a team like Portland has some really nice pieces, I think a team like the Wariors are in such a state that they may over value Bosh, and may be ripe for a fleecing. The players Nellie hates are the exact types of players the Raptors need (again depending on what philosophy you adopt); scoring wing, who can create off the dribble, make passes to teammates and finish at the end of games: Jamal Crawford; rebounding big man, who can run and play the 5 so Bargs can be switched to the 4: Andris Biedrins. Young, inexpensive SF who could be developped: Anthony Randolph.

Can anyone tell me that Nellie wouldn't push hard for a trade that would land Bosh in the Bay area for a guy he has threatened with bench time in order to get him to opt out, a kid who is played less than an undrafted FA and Biedrins (he's not in Nellie's dog house.....yet). A couple of pieces have to be added to make the deal work, but the core of the scenario is that you would get a defensive/rebounding centre, a scoring wing who can finish and a vesatile young SF who could be developped into a solid contributor (or maybe more if you read what scouts have said about Randolph). It would just be cake if you could unload Kapono, or squeeze out a first rounder from the Wariors because you would already accomplish so much with this deal, while moving Bosh out of conference.

Let me reiterate that I am NOT a proponent of trading Bosh, but I have become entrenched in the belief that he wants to become a free agent; so BC MUST get value for him rather than lose him for nothing or be forced into a sign and trade in 2010. The time for that is this off-season because once teams get wind that Bosh doesn't want to re-sign, the offers will degenerate until we end up considering a package with Tyrus Thomas as the centrepiece of a trade from the Bulls; it might sound funny/absurd now, but just look at what happened with Amare when teams perceived the Suns as being desperate. Those were the types of offers they were receiving from other teams and I , for one, don't want to be a Raptor fan if that happens.

Rob

sorry about the essay guys......I got carried away!

This season has been a downer, but lets look at the summer of 2009 as one of rebirth. If we stay in the 8th slot, we'll be drafting in the same position as we did in 2004. Let's hope that we make the right choice this time around. Hoffa was supposed to be a rough and tough complement to Bosh and possibly save wear and tear his skinny frame. Even if he'd succeeded in that role, that wasn't an example of maximizing an opportunity to choose talent even if you have to wait a while for it. Drafting Charlie V was a smart pick, the fellow was the right balance of proven performance while still retaining a high upside. Had he (big if) been any position but PF he'd probably still be on the roster today.

Continuing the second chance the, we may be able to acquire via free agency or trade, members of the 2004 or 2005 draft classes who no longer fit with their current teams. It would be a great chance to acquire youngish players without paying significant added price for any perceived upside. They wouldn't be stars, but they would be young enough to grow with Bargnani yet still be around to complement the 2009 pick when they start contributing consistently. Delfino and Graham fall under that category as a rotation periods, I wonder how much potential for growth BC sees in these two players, and whether there will be better fits available on the market this summer?

BTW, in terms of assets and cap friendly contracts I think the Bulls and Pistons are capable of the best offers for Bosh. The Pistons have alot of money coming off the books this summer (Iverson and R.Wallace expiring). If Bosh agreed to sign a deal long term with them, we could leverage a higher price in exchange for getting a jump on teams like Miami and New York. And since they are under the cap, we woudn't have to take an excessive amount of garbage contracts back, allowing us to add even more cap space to Marion's expiring deal.

New York, Miami and Cleveland wouldn't ante up for a player they feel they've got a great shot at getting for free in 2010. Of the three, Cleveland would have the greatest need, as a preemptive strike in their battle to keep Lebron. And like Detroit they have alot of contracts coming off the books in 2009. The downside, is they are very short of assets.

Any plan for keeping Bosh and winning big hinged on getting that second star player in the summer of 2010. When JO got traded, that option got taken off the table. And with it any inclination on my part to keep Bosh. If we can't build a winning team around him, let's trade him to somewhere where he can find success. And for our fans, lets give them some hope of better days ahead, and the pleasure of watching a team who's players get better game by game, win or lose.

raps4life,

Your statement: You cannot trade Bosh because he is good (I summarize) is kind of pointless as you have not put on the table a credible plan for producing a team that includes Bosh (at his new price tag) which has a better chance to be better that the one without it. If you can get Kobe for Bargnani + Grahm you will earn everybody's respect, otherwise you post is just a rant that adds little value to the discussion.

2nd Raps fan in LA,
sadly I believe you are right, I believe it will be ultimately Bosh's decision. I still hope I am wrong but I must admit, from a management point of view, keeping Bosh at all costs is the safest (for BC's own butt) choice, taking the risk of trading Bosh and failing to put together a winning team as a result would cost BC his job; Keeping Bosh but failing to put together a winning team and drag "on "the current situation would buy him a couple of more seasons at the very least.

Bedhead,my only concern in keeping Bosh over Bargs would be the questionable knees..

Renato,

I completely agree that keeping Bosh is a safe move; I mean any GM who re-signs their franchise cornerstone, who is only 24 and puts up 22 and 10 is to be commended for doing a good job.

However, like I said, Bosh WILL NOT re-sign with the Raptors this summer and thereby force Colangelo's hand in trading him. That's why for me, as a Raptors fan, the question is what KIND of team are we trying to build and how can Bosh help us do that (via a trade or if we could miraculously convince him to stay)?

The point that was made by Howland is most salient: you can't just tweak a team will win less than 30 games this season and expect to compete with Boston, Cleveland and Orando the next; it's unrealistic, if not insane within the Enstein definition.

Whatever gets done this summer, it has to be with an ultimate goal in mind. You can't just try and bring in players without having a purpose or a design; this was a lesson learned by team USA and rectified by BC dad. You bring in a coach (coach K), you let him develop a philosophy for the team and then get the players that fit into that system; all the while keeping the ultimate goal in mind (winning in international play). That's the blue print right there. Team USA went away from the concept of brining in all-stars and letting them figure it out and instead developped a system and chose players based on how they fit into that system; fewer all-stars yes, but also better results in the form of gold.

BC should call his pop and talk to him about how he began constructing the team that won the gold medal, and maybe a light bulb will go off.

Rob

In BC's defence (although I have very much lost faith in him), there were a lot of people hoping to see Marcus Williams landed as the back-up PG this past off-season. Well, well, he was released by GS today, as many of you are already aware, and may now be committed to a life of Euro-teams and/or the D-league. It's a tough game calling talent and potential at the NBA level, I will give BC that. All of us know-it-alls (myself included) have to keep this in mind. I really think that you guys have it right with the identity concept though. One way or the other, all championship NBA teams are defined by their strengths, and play to these exclusively at crunch time. We need to know who are in the 4th quarter before we can ever expect to win close games consistantly.

I really don't think that there should ever again be a TJ vs. Jose debate. Both players have underperformed this season and the Raps would be hardpressed to win with any one of these guys. Both are quite flawed (if this season has shown us anything.)

Re: the Bosh debate. I can see the pros and cons of keeping/trading Bosh. I was glancing through RealGM today and read an article about agents encouraging 2010 free agents to resign (with their respective teams) this offseason and get their max. money. This is due to the economic crisis that has hit the league and the fact that the collective bargaining agreement will get reopened. This could potentially lower the max contract to fit in line with the lowered salary cap and crappy economic situation. It could potentially cost them millions of dollars by waiting it out another year. The question then should be if Bosh decides he wants to stay for this reason, do we want to sign him to max. money and further handcuff the team financially. I am really starting to think that trading Bosh for the right parts/picks might be better for the team's long term growth...or not! Just my two cents!

I agree with raps4life, i think that trading bosh would be a big mistake, i think BC need to focus on geting better talent on the bench, and getting a better shooting guard, i have to disagree with all who think trading bosh would be better for this team...its just plain ludacris.

I have to ask all of you guys including Howland and Franchise to explain how giving Bosh the Max will so call "handcuff" this team financially.

Keep in mind his current salary and next year salary, the projected salary cap for next year and 2010, WHAT IT really MEANS TO GET THE MAX, and Kaponoo and Banks contract which are both up in 2011 if there not traded?

I recognize that everyone is entitled to there own opinion but throwing out words without any facts and substance is just pointless?

Also suppose Bosh settle for less than the Max if BC promise to get him a very good versatile swing-man?

I look forward to hear from you guys?

even if BC promises bosh he'll get a good swing-man if he signs for less, do u really think bosh will accept it?
Bosh has been with this team for years and he knows nothing is for certain. we all thought this year was gonna be 'The year' but it failed and was actually the biggest dissapointment in our history where our hopes were way up high, but our results were way opposite. all im saying is sure bosh is a great player, sure he will likely recieve the max, but its not like he has carried our team to any real success. sure we were the atlantic division winners a few years ago, but as i recall that was the worst division/conference ever. bosh has been putting up great numbers on a really bad team, and its not like he's leading us to more wins, so it wont be such a bad idea to let him go, and start anew with new young players. at least they will have the ability to strengthen the bench with added well-performing players with lower salaries and will likely make our team better. ya'll have some man crush on this dude, but its not like were winning anyways so why not try something different.
also do u really think a combo of bosh and bargs will lead this team to playoff birth and on. our defence sucks and they both play the same style and position. i would want to keep bargs because hes still has the potential to be really good, and bosh well he does too, but now thats hes been labelled a franchise player, and is most likely going to leave (yes hes gone, theres no way hes gonna stay with the season we just had and the opportunity to play in bigger cities that actually win)bosh is the one who must go. unless BC becomes god and builds a team around bosh that can win a championship (which i am 99.9% sure will never happen by next season, bosh will be leaving us). please, can u please just accept it, and move on.

Good job Tea Time a lot a bull with no facts and substance. It has nothing to do with your fantasy of "man love". If BC move CB4 than all we can hope for is that he gets back young talented players. If not than we hope he build a solid team around him.

If Bosh signs a $133 million dollar deal this offseason and the salary cap continues to decrease (like the U.S. economy) where are the Raps going to find the money to sign other superstars/subsuperstars to compliment his max. money contract and Bargs ~$10 million contract? We need a semi-star SF and SG to have any chance of being a contender in the East. By signing Bosh to that kind of money, we will essentially be the same team we are today, but possibly in a worse position due to the declining salary cap.

Now, had the salary cap continued to increase each year as in the last few years, than this would be a non-issue.