State of the Franchise
Current Cap Space (before luxury tax): $28.6 million
Background: After superstar PF/C Chris Bosh departed to the Miami Heat in the hectic summer of 2010, when the Heat formed a “Big Three” of Bosh, franchise player SG Dwyane Wade, and now 4-time MVP SF/PF LeBron James, the Raptors were left in another rebuilding phase. General Manager and mastermind Masai Ujiri chose to retool around SG/SF DeMar DeRozan, selected with the ninth overall pick in the 2009 draft. In the span of the two years after Bosh left, Ujiri wasted little time rebuilding his team. He flipped a first-rounder for now-franchise PG Kyle Lowry and drafted both C Jonas Valanciunas and SG Terrence Ross. The most notable move Ujiri made, however, was dealing away the horrible-defending, inefficient-shooting, injury-prone, and overpaid PF/C Andrea Bargnani to the New York Knicks for several draft picks. The mastermind continued to clear even more cap space by dealing away the large contract of star SF Rudy Gay in exchange for cheaper role players with the Sacramento Kings just 18 games into the season, where the Raptors went just 6-12. However, immediately following the trade, the Raptors went on a 10-2 run and finished the season with the third-best record in the East, though they lost to the Brooklyn Nets in an intense seven-game series in the first round. Now, led mainly by their All-Star backcourt duo of Lowry and DeRozan, as well as by the genius of Masai Ujiri of course, the Raptors find themselves in second place in the weak Eastern Conference, light years above anyone else in the Atlantic Division, and look to make a deep run in the playoffs this year.
Current Financial State: Try imagining a new color. Now try imagining a bad contract playing under Masai Ujiri. Can’t do it, right? Maybe the two are a little unrelated, but you get my point. Ujiri is simply too genius to hand anybody a bad contract, even with the recent wave of bad deals gleefully negotiated by the incredible agents in the NBA nowadays. PF Patrick Patterson is the closest thing the Raptors have to a bad contract, as he’s due for $18 million over the next three years, though with averages of 9 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.5 threes on efficient shooting in 26.5 minutes per game, that money is hardly an overpayment. One can make the same case for 6’6” PG/SG Greivis Vasquez, though the Spaniard is pretty much justifying his contract with averages of 10 points, 3.5 assists, and 1.5 threes in 23 minutes a game. Star PG Kyle Lowry is fresh off what was thought to be a reasonable 4 year/$48 million extension, but he is now looking like an outright steal. DeRozan is due just $9.5 million annually over the next three seasons, though the third year is a player option which he’s bound to decline. Meanwhile, key players C Jonas Valanciunas and SG Terrence Ross are both on their rookie deals, and we know how cheap those are. Landry Fields, Amir Johnson, Chuck Hayes, Louis Williams, Marcus Camby, and Tyler Hansbrough’s contracts will all come off the books this year, saving the Raptors roughly $34 million in their combined contracts. These point to some potential cap issues in the past, but next season, the Raptors will have just $48.2 million committed, giving them about $30 million in cap space available, while still keeping most of their key players. The Raptors, while only paying 2/3 of the salary cap, could practically still compete for the Eastern Conference title next year (only slightly exaggerating).
Targets: While having their backcourt set with a rotation that features Ross, Vasquez and Williams playing behind stars Lowry and DeRozan, as well as the center position secured by Valanciunas, the Raptors must address their glaring hole at power forward. Considering who they have in their backcourt, offense isn’t really necessary. However, a defensive stud who can also grab rebounds and serve as the third scoring option makes sense, and PF/SF Thaddeus Young fits the bill. There are other players who Ujiri could target, of course, most notably Bulls PF Taj Gibson, and that’s not even talking about free agency. However, if the Raptors want a decent deal for immediate impact from a power forward with the aforementioned qualities, Young is their guy. The Minnesota Timberwolves, Young’s current team, are trying to deal away their veteran pieces in an effort to rebuild and give their younger guys more minutes, and the 26 year old’s name is at the top of the chopping block. The Raptors, as touched on above, have plenty of large expiring contracts to make this deal work, as well as all of their future picks and other teams’ picks as well. The Raptors could package the expiring contracts of little-used role players SG Landry Fields and PF Tyler Hansbrough in exchange for Thaddeus Young, as the Timberwolves have no interest in winning right now anyways. Of course, the Raptors would also have to send a draft pick, probably a first-rounder this year, but it’s not that valuable to them as their slot likely will not even fall in the top 20. For Minnesota, the expiring contracts of Hansrbough and Fields are only there for just that: they’re expiring, and they will not play many minutes for the Timberwolves this season, nor will they likely ever do so again. This move frees up cap space for Minnesota, and the loss of Thaddeus Young is actually beneficial for a rebuilding franchise like the Timberwolves, as it causes them to lose more games, thereby giving themselves an even better chance at nabbing the number one pick. Of course, the main motivation for the team is the first-rounder, late is it may be, as the Timberwolves want all the prospects they can get. Even if they trade for Young, however, the Raptors would still have a hole to fill at the other forward spot, and would still have the money to address it. However, just about all of the good forwards in this year’s relatively weak free agent class are likely to stick around with their current teams, and trading away even more future assets for another forward doesn’t make sense with such a young core. Instead, the Raptors can simply add Young and work with what they have, knowing they will have the cap space to sign an impact forward in 2016. For Toronto, they can fill a need right now with this trade, while doing so in Masai Ujiri’s signature style: with a very reasonable 2 years/$19 million left on Young’s contract.
The Fit: As mentioned, Young provides an instant solution for the Raptors’ need for a forward, a power forward in particular, but he also fits in with Lowry (28), DeRozan (25), and Ross’ (24) age at 26 years old. Averaging 2 steals a game this year and boasting a 6’8”, 220 pound frame with a 7’0” wingspan, Young is a very capable defender who can provide nightmares for opposing offenses when paired next to Valanciunas inside. He can also slide over to small forward, where his superior length and size can pester shooters on the perimeter. Young also rebounds solidly for his position, averaging 5.5 a game over his career. He can also become a great third option behind Lowry and DeRozan on offense, though he lacks outside shooting, as he provides Toronto with a solid post-up game that they haven’t had since Chris Bosh. A career 49.5% shooter, Young is sure to not become Rudy Gay 2.0, who jacked up shots at a very inefficient clip, taking away looks from Lowry, DeRozan and others, and whose departure led to a 10-2 record in the following 12 games. Though Toronto can wait until free agency to address its need for a defensive ace at the forward spots, Young can provide instant impact at a low asking price, and could be just what the Raptors need to secure their first playoff series victory since 2001.
Current Cap Space (before luxury tax): $28.6 million
Background: After superstar PF/C Chris Bosh departed to the Miami Heat in the hectic summer of 2010, when the Heat formed a “Big Three” of Bosh, franchise player SG Dwyane Wade, and now 4-time MVP SF/PF LeBron James, the Raptors were left in another rebuilding phase. General Manager and mastermind Masai Ujiri chose to retool around SG/SF DeMar DeRozan, selected with the ninth overall pick in the 2009 draft. In the span of the two years after Bosh left, Ujiri wasted little time rebuilding his team. He flipped a first-rounder for now-franchise PG Kyle Lowry and drafted both C Jonas Valanciunas and SG Terrence Ross. The most notable move Ujiri made, however, was dealing away the horrible-defending, inefficient-shooting, injury-prone, and overpaid PF/C Andrea Bargnani to the New York Knicks for several draft picks. The mastermind continued to clear even more cap space by dealing away the large contract of star SF Rudy Gay in exchange for cheaper role players with the Sacramento Kings just 18 games into the season, where the Raptors went just 6-12. However, immediately following the trade, the Raptors went on a 10-2 run and finished the season with the third-best record in the East, though they lost to the Brooklyn Nets in an intense seven-game series in the first round. Now, led mainly by their All-Star backcourt duo of Lowry and DeRozan, as well as by the genius of Masai Ujiri of course, the Raptors find themselves in second place in the weak Eastern Conference, light years above anyone else in the Atlantic Division, and look to make a deep run in the playoffs this year.
Current Financial State: Try imagining a new color. Now try imagining a bad contract playing under Masai Ujiri. Can’t do it, right? Maybe the two are a little unrelated, but you get my point. Ujiri is simply too genius to hand anybody a bad contract, even with the recent wave of bad deals gleefully negotiated by the incredible agents in the NBA nowadays. PF Patrick Patterson is the closest thing the Raptors have to a bad contract, as he’s due for $18 million over the next three years, though with averages of 9 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.5 threes on efficient shooting in 26.5 minutes per game, that money is hardly an overpayment. One can make the same case for 6’6” PG/SG Greivis Vasquez, though the Spaniard is pretty much justifying his contract with averages of 10 points, 3.5 assists, and 1.5 threes in 23 minutes a game. Star PG Kyle Lowry is fresh off what was thought to be a reasonable 4 year/$48 million extension, but he is now looking like an outright steal. DeRozan is due just $9.5 million annually over the next three seasons, though the third year is a player option which he’s bound to decline. Meanwhile, key players C Jonas Valanciunas and SG Terrence Ross are both on their rookie deals, and we know how cheap those are. Landry Fields, Amir Johnson, Chuck Hayes, Louis Williams, Marcus Camby, and Tyler Hansbrough’s contracts will all come off the books this year, saving the Raptors roughly $34 million in their combined contracts. These point to some potential cap issues in the past, but next season, the Raptors will have just $48.2 million committed, giving them about $30 million in cap space available, while still keeping most of their key players. The Raptors, while only paying 2/3 of the salary cap, could practically still compete for the Eastern Conference title next year (only slightly exaggerating).
Targets: While having their backcourt set with a rotation that features Ross, Vasquez and Williams playing behind stars Lowry and DeRozan, as well as the center position secured by Valanciunas, the Raptors must address their glaring hole at power forward. Considering who they have in their backcourt, offense isn’t really necessary. However, a defensive stud who can also grab rebounds and serve as the third scoring option makes sense, and PF/SF Thaddeus Young fits the bill. There are other players who Ujiri could target, of course, most notably Bulls PF Taj Gibson, and that’s not even talking about free agency. However, if the Raptors want a decent deal for immediate impact from a power forward with the aforementioned qualities, Young is their guy. The Minnesota Timberwolves, Young’s current team, are trying to deal away their veteran pieces in an effort to rebuild and give their younger guys more minutes, and the 26 year old’s name is at the top of the chopping block. The Raptors, as touched on above, have plenty of large expiring contracts to make this deal work, as well as all of their future picks and other teams’ picks as well. The Raptors could package the expiring contracts of little-used role players SG Landry Fields and PF Tyler Hansbrough in exchange for Thaddeus Young, as the Timberwolves have no interest in winning right now anyways. Of course, the Raptors would also have to send a draft pick, probably a first-rounder this year, but it’s not that valuable to them as their slot likely will not even fall in the top 20. For Minnesota, the expiring contracts of Hansrbough and Fields are only there for just that: they’re expiring, and they will not play many minutes for the Timberwolves this season, nor will they likely ever do so again. This move frees up cap space for Minnesota, and the loss of Thaddeus Young is actually beneficial for a rebuilding franchise like the Timberwolves, as it causes them to lose more games, thereby giving themselves an even better chance at nabbing the number one pick. Of course, the main motivation for the team is the first-rounder, late is it may be, as the Timberwolves want all the prospects they can get. Even if they trade for Young, however, the Raptors would still have a hole to fill at the other forward spot, and would still have the money to address it. However, just about all of the good forwards in this year’s relatively weak free agent class are likely to stick around with their current teams, and trading away even more future assets for another forward doesn’t make sense with such a young core. Instead, the Raptors can simply add Young and work with what they have, knowing they will have the cap space to sign an impact forward in 2016. For Toronto, they can fill a need right now with this trade, while doing so in Masai Ujiri’s signature style: with a very reasonable 2 years/$19 million left on Young’s contract.
The Fit: As mentioned, Young provides an instant solution for the Raptors’ need for a forward, a power forward in particular, but he also fits in with Lowry (28), DeRozan (25), and Ross’ (24) age at 26 years old. Averaging 2 steals a game this year and boasting a 6’8”, 220 pound frame with a 7’0” wingspan, Young is a very capable defender who can provide nightmares for opposing offenses when paired next to Valanciunas inside. He can also slide over to small forward, where his superior length and size can pester shooters on the perimeter. Young also rebounds solidly for his position, averaging 5.5 a game over his career. He can also become a great third option behind Lowry and DeRozan on offense, though he lacks outside shooting, as he provides Toronto with a solid post-up game that they haven’t had since Chris Bosh. A career 49.5% shooter, Young is sure to not become Rudy Gay 2.0, who jacked up shots at a very inefficient clip, taking away looks from Lowry, DeRozan and others, and whose departure led to a 10-2 record in the following 12 games. Though Toronto can wait until free agency to address its need for a defensive ace at the forward spots, Young can provide instant impact at a low asking price, and could be just what the Raptors need to secure their first playoff series victory since 2001.