The Ball Blog
  • Home
  • Articles
    • Trade Grades
    • Season Predictions: 2016
    • Power Rankings: 2015-16
    • Best, Worst Draft Scenarios
    • NBA PG's Chat >
      • Establishing Personalities, Part 2
      • Establishing Personalities, Part 1
      • Free Agency
      • Rookies
      • Season in Review
      • Champs!
      • Ganging Up
      • I'm Rooting For...
      • Finals!
      • Choked!
      • Buzzer-Beater!
      • MVP!
    • Best Case Scenarios for Playoff Teams
    • Draft Targets
    • Season Predictions: 2014-15
    • One Trade That Every Team Should Do
    • State of the Franchise
  • Teams
    • Atlantic >
      • Boston Celtics >
        • Trade Grades Celtics
        • Season Predictions 2016 Celtics
        • Power Rankings Celtics
        • Best, Worst Draft Scenarios Celtics
        • Best Case Scenario for Playoff Teams Celtics
        • Draft Targets Celtics
        • Season Predictions Celtics
        • One Trade That Every Team Should Do Celtics
        • State of the Franchise Celtics
      • Brooklyn Nets >
        • Trade Grades Nets
        • Season Predictions 2016 Nets
        • Power Rankings Nets
        • Best, Worst Draft Scenarios Nets
        • Best Case Scenario for Playoff Teams Nets
        • Draft Targets Nets
        • Season Predictions Nets
        • One Trade That Every Team Should Do Nets
        • State of the Franchise Nets
      • New York Knicks >
        • Trade Grades Knicks
        • Season Predictions 2016 Knicks
        • Power Rankings Knicks
        • Best, Worst Draft Scenarios Knicks
        • Draft Targets Knicks
        • Season Predictions Knicks
        • One Trade That Every Team Should Do Knicks
        • State of the Franchise Knicks
      • Philadelphia 76ers >
        • Trade Graders 76ers
        • Season Predictions 2016 76ers
        • Power Rankings 76ers
        • Best, Worst Draft Scenarios 76ers
        • Draft Targets 76ers
        • Season Predictions 76ers
        • One Trade That Every Team Should Do 76ers
        • State of the Franchise 76ers
      • Toronto Raptors >
        • Trade Grades Raptors
        • Season Predictions 2016 Raptors
        • Power Rankings Raptors
        • Best, Worst Draft Scenarios Raptors
        • Best Case Scenario for Playoff Teams Raptors
        • Draft Targets Raptors
        • Season Predictions Raptors
        • One Trade That Every Team Should Do Raptors
        • State of the Franchise Raptors
    • Central >
      • Chicago Bulls >
        • Trade Grades Bulls
        • Season Predictions 2016 Bulls
        • Power Rankings Bulls
        • Best, Worst Draft Scenarios Bulls
        • Best Case Scenario for Playoff Teams Bulls
        • Draft Targets Bulls
        • Season Predictions Bulls
        • One Trade That Every Team Should Do Bulls
        • State of the Franchise Bulls
        • OLD Chicago Bulls
      • Cleveland Cavaliers >
        • Trade Grades Cavaliers
        • Season Predictions 2016 Cavaliers
        • Power Rankings Cavaliers
        • Best, Worst Draft Scenarios Cavaliers
        • Best Case Scenario for Playoff Teams Cavaliers
        • Draft Targets Cavaliers
        • Season Predictions Cavaliers
        • One Trade That Every Team Should Do Cavaliers
        • State of the Franchise Cavaliers
      • Detroit Pistons >
        • Trade Grades Pistons
        • Season Predictions 2016 Pistons
        • Power Rankings Pistons
        • Best, Worst Draft Scenarios Pistons
        • Draft Targets Pistons
        • Season Predictions Pistons
        • One Trade That Every Team Should Do Pistons
        • State of the Franchise Pistons
      • Indiana Pacers >
        • Trade Grades Pacers
        • Season Predictions 2016 Pacers
        • Power Rankings Pacers
        • Best, Worst Draft Scenarios Pacers
        • Draft Targets Pacers
        • Season Predictions Pacers
        • One Trade That Every Team Should Do Pacers
        • State of the Franchise Pacers
        • OLD Indiana Pacers
      • Milwaukee Bucks >
        • Trade Grades Bucks
        • Season Predictions 2016 Bucks
        • Power Rankings Bucks
        • Best, Worst Draft Scenarios Bucks
        • Best Case Scenario for Playoff Teams Bucks
        • Draft Targets Bucks
        • Season Predictions Bucks
        • One Trade That Every Team Should Do Bucks
        • State of the Franchise Bucks
        • OLD Milwaukee Bucks
    • Southeast >
      • Atlanta Hawks >
        • Trade Grades Hawks
        • Season Predictions 2016 Hawks
        • Power Rankings Hawks
        • Best, Worst Draft Scenarios Hawks
        • Best Case Scenario for Playoff Teams Hawks
        • Draft Targets Hawks
        • Season Predictions Hawks
        • One Trade That Every Team Should Do Hawks
        • State of the Franchise Hawks
      • Charlotte Hornets >
        • Trade Grades Hornets
        • Season Predictions 2016 Hornets
        • Power Rankings Hornets
        • Best, Worst Draft Scenarios Hornets
        • Draft Targets Hornets
        • Season Predictions Hornets
        • One Trade That Every Team Should Do Hornets
        • State of the Franchise Hornets
      • Miami Heat >
        • Trade Grades Heat
        • Season Predictions 2016 Heat
        • Power Rankings Heat
        • Best, Worst Draft Scenarios Heat
        • Draft Targets Heat
        • Season Predictions Heat
        • One Trade That Every Team Should Do Heat
        • State of the Franchise Heat
      • Orlando Magic >
        • Trade Grades Magic
        • Season Predictions 2016 Magic
        • Power Rankings Magic
        • Best, Worst Draft Scenarios Magic
        • Draft Targets Magic
        • Season Predictions Magic
        • One Trade That Every Team Should Do Magic
        • State of the Franchise Magic
      • Washington Wizards >
        • Trade Grades Wizards
        • Season Predictions 2016 Wizards
        • Power Rankings Wizards
        • Best, Worst Draft Scenarios Wizards
        • Best Case Scenario for Playoff Teams Wizards
        • Draft Targets Wizards
        • Season Predictions Wizards
        • One Trade That Every Team Should Do Wizards
        • State of the Franchise Wizards
    • Northwest >
      • Denver Nuggets >
        • Trade Grades Nuggets
        • Season Predictions 2016 Nuggets
        • Power Rankings Nuggets
        • Best, Worst Draft Scenarios Nuggets
        • Draft Targets Nuggets
        • Season Predictions Nuggets
        • One Trade That Every Team Should Do Nuggets
        • State of the Franchise Nuggets
      • Minnesota Timberwolves >
        • Trade Grades Timberwolves
        • Season Predictions 2016 Timberwolves
        • Power Rankings Timberwolves
        • Best, Worst Draft Scenarios Timberwolves
        • Draft Targets Timberwolves
        • Season Predictions Timberwolves
        • One Trade That Every Team Should Do Timberwolves
        • State of the Franchise Timberwolves
      • Oklahoma City Thunder >
        • Trade Grades Thunder
        • Season Predictions 2016 Thunder
        • Power Rankings Thunder
        • Best, Worst Draft Scenarios Thunder
        • Draft Targets Thunder
        • Season Predictions Thunder
        • One Trade That Every Team Should Do Thunder
        • State of the Franchise Thunder
      • Portland Trail Blazers >
        • Trade Grades Blazers
        • Season Predictions 2016 Blazers
        • Power Rankings Blazers
        • Best, Worst Draft Scenarios Blazers
        • Best Case Scenario for Playoff Teams Blazers
        • Draft Targets Blazers
        • Season Predictions Blazers
        • One Trade That Every Team Should Do Blazers
        • State of the Franchise Blazers
      • Utah Jazz >
        • Trade Grades Jazz
        • Season Predictions 2016 Jazz
        • Power Rankings Jazz
        • Best, Worst Draft Scenarios Jazz
        • Draft Targets Jazz
        • Season Predictions Jazz
        • One Trade That Every Team Should Do Jazz
        • State of the Franchise Jazz
    • Pacific >
      • Golden State Warriors >
        • Trade Grades Warriors
        • Season Predictions 2016 Warriors
        • Power Rankings Warriors
        • Best, Worst Draft Scenarios Warriors
        • Best Case Scenario for Playoff Teams Warriors
        • Draft Targets Warriors
        • Season Predictions Warriors
        • One Trade That Every Team Should Do Warriors
        • State of the Franchise Warriors
      • Los Angeles Clippers >
        • Trade Grades Clippers
        • Season Predictions 2016 Clippers
        • Power Rankings Clippers
        • Best, Worst Draft Scenarios Clippers
        • Best Case Scenario for Playoff Teams Clippers
        • Draft Targets Clippers
        • Season Predictions Clippers
        • One Trade That Every Team Should Do Clippers
        • State of the Franchise Clippers
      • Los Angeles Lakers >
        • Trade Grades Lakers
        • Season Predictions 2016 Lakers
        • Power Rankings Lakers
        • Best, Worst Draft Scenarios Lakers
        • Draft Targets Lakers
        • Season Predictions Lakers
        • One Trade That Every Team Should Do Lakers
        • State of the Franchise Lakers
      • Phoenix Suns >
        • Trade Grades Suns
        • Season Predictions 2016 Suns
        • Power Rankings Suns
        • Best, Worst Draft Scenarios Suns
        • Draft Targets Suns
        • Season Predictions Suns
        • One Trade That Every Team Should Do Suns
        • State of the Franchise Suns
      • Sacramento Kings >
        • Trade Grades Kings
        • Season Predictions 2016 Kings
        • Power Rankings Kings
        • Best, Worst Draft Scenarios Kings
        • Draft Targets Kings
        • Season Predictions Kings
        • One Trade That Every Team Should Do Kings
        • State of the Franchise Kings
    • Southwest >
      • Dallas Mavericks >
        • Trade Grades Mavericks
        • Season Predictions 2016 Mavericks
        • Power Rankings Mavericks
        • Best, Worst Draft Scenarios Mavericks
        • Best Case Scenario for Playoff Teams Mavericks
        • Draft Targets Mavericks
        • Season Predictions Mavericks
        • One Trade That Every Team Should Do Mavericks
        • State of the Franchise Mavericks
      • Houston Rockets >
        • Trade Grades Rockets
        • Season Predictions 2016 Rockets
        • Power Rankings Rockets
        • Best, Worst Draft Scenarios Rockets
        • Best Case Scenario for Playoff Teams Rockets
        • Draft Targets Rockets
        • Season Predictions Rockets
        • One Trade That Every Team Should Do Rockets
        • State of the Franchise Rockets
      • Memphis Grizzlies >
        • Trade Grades Grizzlies
        • Season Predictions 2016 Grizzlies
        • Power Rankings Grizzlies
        • Best, Worst Draft Scenarios Grizzlies
        • Best Case Scenario for Playoff Teams Grizzlies
        • Draft Targets Grizzlies
        • Season Predictions Grizzlies
        • One Trade That Every Team Should Do Grizzlies
        • State of the Franchise Grizzlies
      • New Orleans Pelicans >
        • Trade Grades Pelicans
        • Season Predictions 2016 Pelicans
        • Power Rankings Pelicans
        • Best, Worst Draft Scenarios Pelicans
        • Best Case Scenario For Every Playoff Team Pelicans
        • Draft Targets Pelicans
        • Season Predictions Pelicans
        • One Trade That Every Team Should Do Pelicans
        • State of the Franchise Pelicans
      • San Antonio Spurs >
        • Trade Grades Spurs
        • Season Predictions 2016 Spurs
        • Power Rankings Spurs
        • Best, Worst Draft Scenarios Spurs
        • Best Case Scenario for Playoff Teams Spurs
        • Draft Targets Spurs
        • Season Predictions Spurs
        • One Trade That Every Team Should Do Spurs
        • State of the Franchise Spurs
  • Weekly Survey
  • Trivia
    • 1960s and Earlier >
      • 1960s-Easy
      • 1960s-Medium
      • 1960s-Hard
    • 1970s >
      • 1970s-Easy
      • 1970s-Medium
      • 1970s-Hard
    • 1980s >
      • 1980s-Easy
      • 1980s-Medium
      • 1980s-Hard
    • 1990s >
      • 1990s-Easy
      • 1990s-Medium
      • 1990s-Hard
    • 2000s >
      • 2000s-Easy
      • 2000s-Medium
      • 2000s-Hard
    • 2010s/Present >
      • 2010s-Easy
      • 2010s-Medium
      • 2010s-Hard
    • General >
      • General-Easy
      • General-Medium
      • General-Hard
    • All-time Records >
      • Records-Easier
      • Records-Harder
  • Blog
    • Evaluating NBA Teams' Drafting >
      • Outline
      • Coefficients
      • Grooming the Data Set
      • Final Rankings
    • Sizing up the 2016-17 MVP Race >
      • The Warriors
      • Familiar Faces
      • Team's Just Not Good Enough
      • The Dark Horses
      • The Man Nobody Sees Coming
    • Playoff Predictions >
      • Playoff Predictions: East
      • Playoff Predictions: West
    • This Week in Basketball...
    • Unpopular Opinions: Draft Day 2017
    • Free Agency News: 2017
  • Us
    • About Us
    • Contact Us

TORONTO RAPTORS: state of the franchise

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.
Proudly powered by Weebly
© 2015 The Ball Blog