Speaker 1: What is up, fellasicicos, I am Dana Valley coming at
you with the one the only, my certified fantabulous co hosts.
That's a Hardwood knocked NBA podcast to which you are
to get you right now, mister Grant Hughes trade deadline primers,
we have another one for you. Surprise. We're onto the
Toronto Raptors. Another into all these teams are interesting. Before
we get started, Grant, how heck are.
Speaker 2: You ecstatic to report that Anthony Davis is a Toronto
I'm just kidding.
Speaker 3: It's not a Toronto rapped. How many people just drove
their cars off the road? Hopefully none.
Speaker 1: Yeah, we shouldn't be laughing about that.
Speaker 2: We should start every every team, every primer with a
fake like breaking news. Your team just got someone you
probably really shouldn't want to be mean.
Speaker 1: Yeah, someone they know if we wanted to be mean,
or wouldn't it be someone they really want?
Speaker 2: Oh yeah, like, congratulations, you just got Trey Murphy for
three seconds in expiring salary.
Speaker 3: Way to go, Fellas, that's the wrong bit.
Speaker 1: Those videos are probably they probably pop off and be
disseminated on certain outlets as truth and then by the
end of the day, people would think that Trey Murphy
is actually on the.
Speaker 2: Oh yeah, it would get aggregated and the chat whatever
AI client you use would would really think that that happens.
So I think that should be our goal is to
mess with with large language models as much as we can.
Speaker 1: Would you like to take us through the Raptors trade
deadline vitals?
Speaker 2: Absolutely, they are less than a million dollars into the
tax file that away. That might be something they want
to address at the deadline, and that would be kind
of underwhelming, but a real world concern. All, they have
control of all of their first round picks going forward,
fairly rare condition these days. They owe a twenty twenty
six second to the Pacers, and they owe a twenty
thirty one second to the Pelicans. They also have the
Lakers twenty twenty six second rounder. So on paper, here
your first thought is like, well, I guess they got
to duck the tax and then I don't know what else.
But kind of weirdly, they have been mentioned in several
fairly high profile star trade pursuits, so we've got to
maybe more than you might think to discuss with a
team who's on paper goal should just be like, I
don't know, shave a few hundred grand off, get under
the tax and call it good.
Speaker 1: Yeah, and let's start there. Do you think they will
even if they make a big move, they're ducking attacked, right,
you're just too close at this point, not too well?
Speaker 2: Well, yes, One, it's like in this situation, that's always
the first like sort of domino to fall.
Speaker 3: The other thing is like they have some pretty.
Speaker 2: Easy ways to do it if they want to, like
whether that's o Chaia Baji going into someone's trade exception
and you just have kind of you've done it, and
then some with that trade.
Speaker 3: They have a number of guys.
Speaker 2: That you The problem is there a lot of the
players you might use for that purpose, just salary dumping
or like on the younger side, and you might not
want to give up on some of them. But it's
it's such a small margin, it's so easy to shave
that much money. Like that's if you bet on one
thing with the Raptors is that they're gonna get under
the tax, right even if they make a big upgrade.
Speaker 3: That has to happen.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I think that you mentioned the name there too.
Is Akbaji headed into restricted free agency. He does make
maybe more than some team most teams would want to absorb.
But I also think you hit the dilemma right on
the head, is like, well, this isn't a team that
just wants to give up on Jamison Battle. Probably doesn't
want to give up on Jonathan Mobo. They definitely like
do they want to give up on Grady Dick? Like
if they at that point, do they want it like
Elijah Martin? So that's what's really tricky. It almost has
to be ak Baji or it's you're sandwiching so much
salaries into a bigger move. And speaking of which, grant,
why are the Toronto Raptors fascinated? Actually? Can I I
understand the need to maybe you want to upgrade the
big man spot because Yako Purtle is in dre prone
and signed for all of eternity apparently, But do you
understand the ada Do you see that as being I
took this as they're trying to find a way to
get off of the quickly and pertle deals in one shot?
Is how I mean?
Speaker 2: If that's the reason you're interested in Anthony Davis, Like,
I'm not sure what's more confounding like that can't be
the move. It has to be a better way if
you don't believe in Yaka Pertle or you're or you're
willing to admit that, like that contract extension was maybe
uh not advisable, but it's hard to find applause, Like
like why else? Like if not that, why are they
interested in Davis? Because like we'll talk about their needs,
but like I don't really know what need the Raptors
have that Davis addresses right, Like he's there there.
Speaker 3: How does he?
Speaker 2: I mean, yeah, he's a huge name, and if he's healthy,
he's a better player than Yaka Pertl But like, okay,
he makes three times as much and isn't ever healthy,
So like what what.
Speaker 1: Do you call it? It's just your your what are
you seventh in defense on the season, sixth over the
past month, and so yeah he makes you better? Are
you just kind of out on your offense then and
saying well, fuck it, we don't need guards who get
two feet into the paint. Playmakers get two feet in
the paint.
Speaker 2: And not just that, but they're they're twenty seventh in
three point accuracy and like close to bottom five in
attempted Like Davis is well his dad, Davis been working
on this three point.
Speaker 1: I've heard he's been working on his jumper. Graham.
Speaker 3: Okay, well, then disregard all of that. He'll sew that.
Speaker 2: But that's the thing, like, you know, if we fetishized
the spacing center, but like the Raptors, if this is
who they're going to be built around, they really need
a guy that's gonna space at a at a big position,
right like because I don't know, I love Calinary Boyles.
I only he's ever gonna be someone Defense's carriage.
Speaker 1: But he's you know what, I'm okay if he does
in space the floor because calin Ary Boyles, fucks, that's
what he does.
Speaker 2: And you wanted to play, and so you really need
someone that can space next to him.
Speaker 3: And I don't think that's Scotty Barnes. Nobody takes him
seriously still.
Speaker 1: And yeah, but man, the Raptors have like maybe two
of my favorite players who aren't reliable spacers that are
just like Scottie Barnes and cmb is. But you don't
think about those two is you don't need to call
and if like Scotty Barnes is just reach peak, Like
what do you need is it like I need to
go to work with the ball in my hands and
get into the arc and be physical and h turnaround. Sure, oh,
I'll just finish plays and like CMB is kind of
the same way at least as the play finisher and
the decision maker CMB specifically though, like that's not someone
I'm giving up in an Anthony Davis deal at this point.
No way. And by the way, the other thing too,
is we talk about maybe they want to get off
of that quickly deal quickly is the idea of a
manual quickly is still too important for this team to
trade without getting an a manual quickly replacement.
Speaker 3: That's the thing, Like.
Speaker 2: You can we can agree that he's probably overpaid, like
in a vacuum, but if you take him off this team,
like he's part of the problem, right, Like he doesn't
do everything you would want for a player making that much,
but the shooting is just like you you can't subtract
him from the raptors situation and say like, well, like
he's too valuable offensively, so like in a weird backwards way,
like he actually almost is worth what he's being paid
because of what he does offensively, except like he's also
simultaneous like kind of flawed and like I don't know that,
I don't know. We're gonna be studying that contract for
a long time. But that's kind of what you're saying, right,
is like he's he matters because he does a few
of the things that this team needs offensively. But that's
also like paradoxically, why this team's offense isn't that good
is because of what he can't do very well.
Speaker 1: Right and also the things that he's supposed to do
really well, he's not doing good enough to where when
you go through this stretch where okay, the volume is
still there, defense is still view him a certain type
of way. When he's shooting basically thirty percent from three
since the Sumber fifteenth, that undermines a shit ton of
his value, And so what do you And like that's,
by the way, that's the other thing. So we can
move off of ad and just talk about needs. You
look at Toronto's rotation players. Most use rotation players since
I'm using just December fifteenth, because that's a little bit
more than a month out, they have exactly of their
top they're no, they have It doesn't even matter how
much they play grants. It's December fifteenth. They have exactly
one guy shooting an above average clip from three point range,
Brandan Ingram thirty eight point six percent, and then the
second highest would be R. J. Barrett at thirty five
point one percent. That's a problem, and I like that.
I look at this team and I say, okay, guards
who could set up the offense. I mean, Jamal Shed's
been a revelation, but he's not that traditional type of playmaker.
You're gonna get more downhill stuff from them. Again, the
shooting is questionable. They just need shooting, reliable shooting in general,
but preferably I feel like that needs to come from
a ball handler. And so if you're gonna gravitate towards hey,
let's upgrade the big man spot like that big man
needs to space to me because you're gonna be giving
up assets even if you're sending out bad money. So
that that's like the minimum bar if you're going to
try and go the center route. And Anthony Davis isn't
doing that, I don't know which I thought about bam
Ada Baio for this team. He's taking threes, but he
doesn't hit them enough to say Okay, It's like it
feels like getting Anthony Davis and bam Ada Bio or
bam Ade Baio would solve a problem the Raptors don't
really have. Where I mean, if Anthony Davis, like, what
does it solve? You want to solve the availability problem,
He's he's not solving that. Bam Adebayo might. So that's
Do you have any other like thoughts on what they
need to target.
Speaker 3: No, I think we agree that it's got to be
if it is a big he has to space.
Speaker 2: So like the name I threw in there next to
the usual suspects is like porzingis like if you could.
Speaker 3: I mean that it's an expiring deal.
Speaker 2: It's a fair that's what he makes, like thirty, so
you'd have to send out someone, you know.
Speaker 1: I have a question would you do quickly for perzingis
if you're the Raptors, because I think Atlanta I don't
know if they're gonna love that contract, but they could.
If they're built around Jalen Johnson now, which they are,
they can probably talk themselves into saying, hey, like this
is this this could work And then like that's another
guy who in theory should be able to defend. I
think Quickly's defense has probably slipped since he left the
Knicks a little bit. I think a lot of that
had to do with injuries. But even better to me
this year that would be And then you're getting the
flexibility of Porzingis's expiring contract. At the same time, then
you just have Porzingis and Perl, who are probably two
of the more unreliable centers when it comes to how
healthy are they going to be a change of cadence
between them though, like.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I know they're very different place.
Speaker 2: It's it's just not a perfect solve because now it's
Jamal Shed's offense, I guess, and and the you know,
the that's I guess you're maybe on balance because you're
better defensively, and like as a facilitator, he's you know,
on par with Quickly really at least if you're just
going by the raw assist numbers and he actually takes
better care of the ball.
Speaker 3: Yeah, it's not a perfect solve.
Speaker 2: But if if the mandate on any big man is
he's got to be able to space, like what are
your other Like where else are you going to find
somebody that has like a contract Because Porzingis again the
expiring contract.
Speaker 3: Is like, well, that's that's like a value add.
Speaker 2: It's not like we're taking on terrible money like Miles Turner.
I don't think the Bucks are gonna trade Miles Turner.
Speaker 3: I don't think that.
Speaker 2: You know, Brook Lopez is like I just Jared Jackson
Junior is way too expensive, but he would make more sense.
Speaker 1: I guess.
Speaker 2: So, yeah, I don't know how you get the perfect
solve if you're going for the center and you also
are moving quickly, so because you're just subtracting some shooting
to replace it at another position.
Speaker 1: Could do you trade? There have to be some other
money involve Do you trade the ogn Andobi trade package
for Porzingis and C J. McCollum can't be aggregated though, that's.
Speaker 3: Right, you have to.
Speaker 2: That's that's the tricky part is you've got to do
a one off for him, which that could be quickly.
I guess uh, And then I don't know how you're getting.
Speaker 3: Your Yeah, that's tough. That's a lot.
Speaker 2: That's like a lot of money coming in too. They're
They're true, They're a tricky team. Easy needs to diagnose,
but solves are tough to come by.
Speaker 1: Do you have like an ideal trade target for them.
Speaker 3: I don't know if I, like.
Speaker 1: Trey Murphy, were obligated to mention.
Speaker 2: Yeah, Like again the usual suspect that I think Jared
Jackson makes a lot of sense there.
Speaker 1: Do you actually think I was gonna ask you if
you thought jaredy I.
Speaker 3: Think I think I'm fine with him at center.
Speaker 2: I would you could talk me into Uh, he could
just be one of the better versions of himself because
he's been like four different players over his career.
Speaker 3: Uh in Toronto.
Speaker 2: I think certainly the spacing could potentially be there. I
think defensively, you're not really taking anything off the table,
Like if you're trying to find ways to fit next
to guys like Murray Boys and Barnes, Jackson's a pretty
like who better like who makes more sense? At least
this again assumes that you're getting the Jaron Jackson that
is an all defense guy that's gonna make threes like
which sometimes he's that guy, sometimes he's not.
Speaker 1: Yeah, i'd be just that if that's the all I
guess if you're the The other part of it, too,
is what I would have to remember is if you're
getting Jaron Jackson, junior. Even part of the value in
getting a D would be, oh, we're getting off of
the pearl or quickly in or some case, and or
the quickly contract. So I guess that in fact, Guaran
Jackson he was really good, but I just don't know
if he's enough for what this team's offense needs. Maybe
when you put him around Brandon Ingram and Scottie Barnes,
that changes.
Speaker 3: I mean, could I interest you in a Quinton post?
You're not? I don't hear you saying no.
Speaker 1: I mean for this team? Why not?
Speaker 3: He makes sense.
Speaker 2: He's also just like starting games and then not playing
anymore for the Warriors, so I think they could be
convinced he's movable. Al Horford, you want to Al Horford,
does he want to play for something closer to a contender?
Speaker 3: Maybe?
Speaker 1: Yeah, Man, they're tough and even looking at if you
were trying to solve the playmaking issue, I don't know
who's out there. Do you like a Tyler hero for
this team? Is he better than Emmanuel Quickly? We know
that don Darius Garland would be a better answer, but
he's not available.
Speaker 2: Yeah. So if you're if you're scanning the guard landscape,
you're sort of obligated again a lot of Kobe White.
I think, Hero, you're gonna have to pay him. What
are the odds you can retain him for less than
you're gonna be paying quickly going for if you figure
it out? Though, Yeah, that's true. He's a better player
than Quickly, right, Hero, Like, I think it's just like not.
Speaker 1: This season, but yes, you'd you'd.
Speaker 3: Rather have him, all things being equal, I think said.
Speaker 1: John Rant is not a name they should be in on,
by the way, I've heard them linked way too. That
to me, that was the other thing, was they really
want off one of these quickly or per contracts.
Speaker 2: Yeah, well, with Moran, that's easier to see because just
because I mean easier to see, like oh that because
Trey Young sort of just was used for that, like
they you know, they moved him and now they take
back expiring salary.
Speaker 3: So it's like, okay, that's that's the.
Speaker 2: Blueprint now with other team's unwanted point fit wise, morent
is like awful just like just doesn't it doesn't touch
anything that they need other than like that's a big
name that people might want to come see. But but yeah,
like to even it, I knocked the a D thing
because it doesn't make sense fit wise, like adding a
guard that is one of the just full stop one
of the worst shooters in the league this year, like
to this team, he's.
Speaker 1: He's actually having, relative to his volume, the worst three
point shooting season in NBA history.
Speaker 2: Like yeah, okay, so now you haven't even been Yeah,
that doesn't That's another for me.
Speaker 1: Here's a question, choose the lesser of I don't want
to say two evils, but would you if you're the
Raptors they have to trade for one of them? Ad
or John Morant? You who are you looking at?
Speaker 3: You have to answer too. I'm gonna try to really
think about this.
Speaker 1: My answer is a D because you know what, the
contract is shorter, and I think people are getting too
scared of this whole extension player option thing. So here's
what's gonna happen. If he opts in and he's just
on the books for sixty seven trillion dollars whatever it
is that year, so be it. Do you know what's
actually gonna happen. He's gonna decline his player option and
you were gonna extend him at a number that is
for less It's probably not gonna be now his number
is so high that you can't sell him on three
for ninety because he's now only guaranteeing himself an extra
twenty something million dollars, but he will get substantially cheaper.
And with John Moran, I know the contract isn't horrible.
It goes out longer, and I just think the downside
there with some of the off court stuff as well.
And worse case scenario with AD is that he plays
in forty games a year, but he helps you have
the second best defense because of.
Speaker 2: Any there's a world where the Raptors with Davis are
the best. Well, this world has the thunder in it,
so maybe not the best, but yeah, number two defense.
Like if you get the apex version of John Moran,
where does that get you with this team, because even
that guy can't shoot, so like I don't defend or
defend or be healthy like I Yeah, I think I
think that's probably right, although I at tempted to give
Moran a little bit of thought just because the numbers
just lower, like salary wise, it's just the AD number
gets real scary. But if you do think he's gonna
opt out and you can bring him back for a
lower salary, although like what about clutches posturing with the
MAVs suggests that Ad is like, you know, I'm willing
to sign for a discount this time.
Speaker 3: Like that, it does seem like.
Speaker 2: Wherever he goes he expects to get a huge extension.
So long and short of it is neither of those
guys make any sense on turn I don't know to
go through some of the more popular ones. Should they
be an MPJA team or is that just not? Is
there too much positional overlap? It's not as clean a
fit as some other teams we've talked about for him.
But look, if we're going to complain about the number
twenty seven three point accuracy rate, like you're going to
turn down a forty percent high volume guy, Like, I
don't right, he does fit, but I think would you
agree that like everyone's optimal version of Toronto if they
don't do anything, has Murray Boils and Barns on the
floor together like probably talking over the next few years.
So it's like he's a big time change of pace
from those guys. But I don't know if you can
play all three. Maybe you can't because Murray Boyls could
just guard everything I have.
Speaker 1: I'm just asking a question starting to play better. I
don't know what the cost would be to get him,
but if you're able to get off of the PARTO
contract as part of it, and then itould probably have
to be R J. Barrett and then filling out the
rest of them there. What about can I interest you
in a Joelle and beat?
Speaker 3: Oh wow, I'm trying to get who You're gonna say? Uh,
let's see.
Speaker 1: I think you could.
Speaker 3: You could talk me into that a little bit, which
I wouldn't have said.
Speaker 1: And the way that he's played in Philly this year
to where not taking a back seat, they do have
to change the rhythm and cadence at which they play
when he's on the court. But he's not like the
Joel Embiid of even last year to where everything's like
he's he's seated a lot of the control to not
just Tyre's Maxie, but VJ. Edgecombe as well.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I wonder if what is what Scottie Barnes doing though,
if your offense is running through Embiid.
Speaker 1: It's not running through bid though.
Speaker 2: That's my point is, well, I'm not sure I want
someone at sixty plus million dollars in perpetuity if my
offense isn't running through him.
Speaker 1: Well, hold on, hold on.
Speaker 3: I guess that's not a Raptor specific criticism.
Speaker 2: It's just like, let's acknowledge that even though he's looked
better than, the contract still is what it is.
Speaker 1: Literally, what if the deal was I don't know what
other money needs to be included, but it's And let's
say the Raptors get to pick. It's pertle big contract X,
whether it's quickly or bare. Maybe they even want to
include Ingram in that. I don't think they would. Plus
your first round pick this year. That's it and whatever other.
And by the way, this is how you could tell
that I didn't have Joelle on the brain when we
were prepping for this.
Speaker 2: Yeah, no, I didn't either. I like that we're here now,
so let's let's lean into it. I guess here's the thing.
Speaker 1: Do it is what you're saying.
Speaker 3: It's more fun to just say do it, But I
feel like so implicit in.
Speaker 2: This suggestion and you're do it posture is the belief
that embeids contract is no longer the worst.
Speaker 3: Contract in the league. Is that how you feel?
Speaker 2: Okay, so can't we just make a blanket statement of
you should not trade for the worst contract in the league.
Speaker 1: But what if the worst contract in the lead is
shorter than the current center that's on the roster. That's
the rational way to look at it. And I ultimately
do think like, just so we can move on from
the big men of it all is that if you
want to go after Dayron Sharp, if you want to
go after Jay Huff, you want to see if Memphis
will give you jock land Tail, do that. I'm not.
I don't know who the actual big is that I
would say, go out and give up a ton of
stuff for this player.
Speaker 2: I don't either. I don't either. Again, like we went
with some of the even thrown him beat out there.
Speaker 1: They were interested in Sabonis with pre That's.
Speaker 3: Another one that like what do why what are you doing?
Speaker 1: I don't.
Speaker 3: I don't understand that one.
Speaker 1: I actually don't hate it as much as you do
because I trust Sabonis just and like, also, does it
matter that you don't have that ideal type of or
that conventional type of primary playmaker when you can run
all this stuff through some bonus when he's proven again
not so much this season with the injury, but like
he is a he's floor spacing adjacent. We can quibble
over the volume, but like he will space be on
the arc.
Speaker 2: And I think you can argue that, like you've seen
good offenses figure it out with him, that that's that's
not charitable enough, Like he's been a part and a
reason for a really good offensive production in the past
with like not ideal personnel around him, So.
Speaker 1: You can also they could make it worse. They'll have
enough Jamal shaded is still there afterwards. You're not giving
up CMB or Scottie in that trade. So like the defense,
you should be able to insulate him. Not still not
the cleanest fit. I'm just if that's the one where
it's you're not it's just money. But now you get
into okay, well what is that Because if you're getting
rid of quickly in that is it quickly? And Pertal?
Is it RJ Barrett and Purtle because I still think RJ.
Barrett has a ton of They start playing, but they
start playing worse when he was injured. They started playing
better when he came back.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think you're you're kind of I feel like
pushing us into the bigger conversation of like, if you're
gonna go for a player, just to use Sabonis as
an example, that makes that much, doesn't that player need
to be someone that because based on where the Raptors
are and the standings, based on how how good they've
been overall, doesn't that player need to be someone that
like very obviously elevates you to a level that you're
not at yet, or like at least as someone like
because what's gonna come up with Sabonis? Well, if we
get into a playoff series, which thankfully is a concern
for the Raptors this year, and we've just seen that, like,
his deficiencies are problematic in a in a postseason setting
because of the spacing, because of the defense, so like
and honestly that might apply to maybe less so Davis
just because of the like, yeah, we've seen Davis matter
a ton in playoff series. But like that's all just
to say, like, if you're going to be that aggressive,
if you're gonna take on a forty million dollar guy
or whatever, pay what it costs to get someone like that,
the needle's got to move, Like, and it's the tick
on the dial that the needle has to go from
is like good ceiling razor or floor razer in the
regular season too, like guy who will matter in playoffs
because that's the level the Raptors are at.
Speaker 3: Like, that's to me that informs.
Speaker 2: Like how aggressive they would need, Like if you're gonna
go for someone that costs a lot, that's gonna start,
that's gonna have a significant role, like that guy can't
just be well he helps our offense in march, you know,
Like I think they got to aim pretty high.
Speaker 3: I don't know, I don't know. What do you think
about that?
Speaker 2: Is?
Speaker 3: No, No, how aggressive they should be is a key question.
Speaker 1: Well, so, right, so when you're getting into how aggressive
they should be, it doesn't also is it is it
more about what's the salary of this incoming player or
what do we give up to get him? Because if
in the case of SA Bonus or like in the
hypothetical of EMBIID, the opportunity cost would be like, I
don't you're not mortgaging all of your draft equity to
get those types of guys. No, I think what it
comes down to for me is that if it's a
big I'm actually probably not being that aggressive because who
would even be like the ideal name that there's at
least some type of a pathway to them becoming available.
Even if I could kind of talk myself into well
maybe Minnesota would listen on nas Reed. I don't know
if that's like maybe that would be the answer for
this team. Just not gonna do as much for you
with rebounding, but the spacing if you are, but are
you do you still have CMB after that deal and
if you do, okay him and Scottie and then like
so you're I I just don't. I don't see the
big to where it would make sense for them to
be aggressive. I Nick Claxton, maybe that would be another name.
He's not gonna space, but like just as defensively he fits.
He's shown some playmaking this year. He go put the
ball on the floor. Yeah, like maybe that, but is
again part of the value there. So you're attaching what
to Yaka Perl and whoever to get him, and that's
what's so tricky with them.
Speaker 2: The other thing that complicates it is like you have
Mamu on the roster and in theory he is kind
of you're spacing like you know, fake and drive change
of pace center and he's like pretty good in that role,
So like you can't just go with like the decent
fit who spaces because like how much better will that
hypothetical player be than mamu and so and and by?
And then the follow up question is like, well, so
what should you even give up for that guy who
might or might not be better than our current backup
that does the things we're saying we need this new
addition to do. So it seems like you're what you're
angling towards is like, if you're gonna be aggressive, it's
probably got to be a guard or or like just
a more conventional offensive playmaker position.
Speaker 1: And if you're not going to go that route, do
you settle for something like Kean Ellis? That guy shoots
in defense, so he's not going to add to the
offensive dynamism, but in some ways he would be because oh,
we can count on him to hit more of his
threes than Grady Dick or Jacobe Walter at this point.
Speaker 2: Right, Yeah, And he's just easy, those are the two names,
and he's like eating up their minutes and maybe some
of Shed's I guess or some of Barrett's. So yeah,
I mean that boy that wouldn't cost you hardly anything
right to just go get Keon Ellis. I wonder if
you're gonna have to take how about this uh sentimental play?
Bring DeMar Derozen back, Keon Ellis is attached and you
just have the farewell tour for Derozen and Ellis actually
does help you, and maybe you.
Speaker 1: Trade salary that you're getting Barrett.
Speaker 2: Yeah, you need too much. That's just that, that's a
dumb idea. Also, like do people I guess Toronto still
cares about de Rozan. He's probably pretty well liked there.
Maybe not let us know raptors comments.
Speaker 1: Did. What about Kobe White?
Speaker 2: Yeah, he makes sense and the cost, the price is right,
and you wouldn't even necessarily need him to be your
starter man because quickly.
Speaker 3: He's not going out in that deal.
Speaker 1: If you could do perdle for Kobe White and disume Wu,
I think works. Maybe there's another contract involve there. What's
the compensation? But that would make well you have to
worry about paying Dissumu and White at that point, But
that would make.
Speaker 2: What so about we're talking about the bulls about Vucevic.
There's a there's a spacing center that we haven't touched.
On yet and he comes off the books, right, I
don't know. Yeah, he's also thirty five sure it'd be
it'd be like, let's he would help the team this year,
right offensively? So you you just bring him on, hope
maybe you could. Well, I don't know what it would
cost to get him and Kobe White, and that's a
lot of it's like that you're just maybe renting. So
that's what thirty five million, I mean they could get there.
Are you giving up quickly to make that happen? Is
that something you would look into at that point? Then?
Are you? Well, how are you better today if you
have Kobe White and Vouch than you are if you
have quickly?
Speaker 1: It's at least a conversation, yes, but I would prefer
the But again, then you have to include another contract
for me, And I think Raptor Sands actually probably would
disagree with me because I know that Yaka Pearl does
a lot of things for them offensively that I think
flies under the radar. But I would rather have Vouch
in Kobe White and be able to send out Yaka Pearl.
But it's how are you getting to the rest because
you're not trading barns you're not trading ingram and Quickly
then becomes too much money to send out, and like
Quickly between Quickly and Kobe White running your offense, I
don't know, like what you know what I mean, like
Kobe White's more of a maybe more of a dynamic shooter.
But in terms of creation for others, are.
Speaker 2: You just happy to are you just happy to be
off of Quickly's contract?
Speaker 1: Though, Like I mean, contactor, do you like less pearls
or Quickly's Hmmm, I mean.
Speaker 3: It's a close call.
Speaker 2: I guess probably per I don't know, I want to
say Perdle, but again, like he like you said, he
does a few things that really it's probably Pertle. I
just like maybe I'm stuck on like the why did
you do this when you did it? As as much
as anything else on that.
Speaker 3: Do you think it's part or you think it's Quickly?
Speaker 1: Oh, it's pertal for me that what was off forever?
The extension doesn't even kick in next year right a
year after next year.
Speaker 2: It's just a smaller number though, does that you know,
I don't know, that's tough. I think that's not that
much smaller towards that you got a twenty nine million
in there in twenty eight twenty nine, and.
Speaker 1: How is he at that point?
Speaker 2: Oh boy, he's this is his age thirty, so that'll
be age thirty one two three, and he's still under
contract the next year. But it goes down, it goes
back down to twenty seven three in all right, then
trades Scotty Barnes and keep a purl.
Speaker 3: You're set up front.
Speaker 1: Should they be We're kind of veering into but this
it falls under the aggression level. If he is gettable?
Should they be? Would they be a good LaMelo ball team?
Speaker 2: I mean, I you have my interest, Uh, definitely on
that one.
Speaker 3: I think, well, just just.
Speaker 2: In comparison to Morant for example, like LaMelo makes orders
of magnitude more sense, right because like the shooting is
just I think that's there. Uh And because yeah, I
think I why not? Like what's what's that package look like?
Speaker 1: Though?
Speaker 3: What what do you have? Is it super pick heavy?
Speaker 1: Is that what Martin almost works with? Just quickly? But
that's quickly and a salary and then how many picks? Three?
Because the part of the I think you could argue
that part of the value in that trade is getting
off of the immanual quickly deal.
Speaker 2: Yes, however you are going to how much longer does
LaMelo have?
Speaker 3: When is he extension eligible?
Speaker 2: It's coming up quick like soon, right, three years left
on his own if you've got a.
Speaker 3: Couple before you have to start talking about that.
Speaker 2: Yeah, he's technically under contract through twenty eight, twenty nine,
so you'll be able to extend him.
Speaker 1: Yeah, no player options, right.
Speaker 3: No player options?
Speaker 2: Yeah, that would be because like just next year, for example,
LaMelo makes like eight million more, which for the upgrade
and the.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I would do that.
Speaker 2: You think Toronto has any like interest in that level
of a deal though, because that's not really a name.
The fact that you've heard Morant and not LaMelo is telling.
Speaker 1: Well, because like Morant seems available and LaMelo does not.
Speaker 2: I mean, if you throw three, I think if if
it's three first, I think Toronto's like should absolutely do that.
I just wonder if Charlotte would say, our offense has
been spectacle with LaMelo and Canipple and Brandon Miller. We
don't even pick up the phone unless we're talking for
five first round like good first round assets.
Speaker 1: I think, yeah, I think Toronto should do that deal,
especially because one of those picks is presumably this season's pick.
I don't think Charlotte does, and I honestly would be curious, like,
what's the if they were only sending out expiring money
as an example, would that like lower the pick equity?
Or if it's RJ. Barrett instead of Emmanuel quickly.
Speaker 2: Well, if it's Charlotte, are they saying give us some
bad give us some additional bad money with more picks
like that?
Speaker 3: I don't know.
Speaker 2: Charlotte's an interesting team to try to This isn't the
Hornets primer, but like things have I don't know, it
feels like it's been the last few weeks. Like things
to me feel like they've changed because there's a real
theory of what this team might act might be because they're
offensively grant.
Speaker 1: Do you know where they rank offensively over the last
fifteen games?
Speaker 3: Please advise me.
Speaker 1: Second, And you know what the difference is is that
all all of the players that you want to see
play together are now actually playing.
Speaker 3: Are doing that?
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, big big deal. Who knew? But yeah,
I think Toronto would actually be my favorite LaMelo ball
trade destination. They've replaced it used to be Portland, but
then it's just like the theory of Dame and LaMelo
being there next season just was a little bit weird
for me. But I guess to put a bow on
the aggression thing, I don't think it's like, I don't
know how aggressive they should be. The East is wide open,
so I think you could, if you're good now you
have a top ten, top seven defense, yeah, be aggressive.
But then I'm just like, I don't know, But doesn't
it also feel as if there's a mandate to be
aggressive just because of the net, Like they were linked
to Trey Young and s Bonus and ad and John
Moran And is that more of a visa bigger names
who make sense to varying degrees that we could have
just gotten on the relative cheap for pick equity or
is it, Oh, they're under some real pressure to do
something this season. I don't.
Speaker 3: I don't know how much.
Speaker 2: Maybe some I do think it's interesting that the release
schedule won't reflect this, But like we did just talk
about the Pistons, And isn't it much easier to counsel
like serious aggression for Detroit than it is for Toronto?
And like, why do you think that is? Is it
just because the like the lower into the floor is lower. Okay, yeah,
I know that that's part of it too.
Speaker 1: The wider range of outcomes for me at least, that's
I think what would probably be this smart is can
they go out and get you know, some of the
you I mean, Kobe why would be interesting just because
he is so cheap and he's going to be a
free agent, so I don't know what he costs, but
could you get I mean, Peyton Pritchard would be excellent
on this team. Is Boston willing to listen to offers
for him? Like one of those type we mentioned. Keon
Ellis already is not going to give you enough of
the playmaking, but like those like camp Spencer throw his
name out again, Like Scotty Pippen Junior hasn't played this season?
Is that because the Grizzlies were always planning on tanking
or something? I don't really know. Could you even take
like a younger flyer on just like what does Philly
want he hasn't been great this year? What is Philly
want for Jared McCain or what do the Nicks want
for Tyler Kohleck? Just to throw like a different like
type of playmaking element in there. Should they be looking
at do Malik Monk or Dennis Shrewder do anything for you?
Speaker 2: Like I mean to circle all the way back to
the original question, like if you're thinking along the line
like Monk and less so because he's expensive, I mean
relative to some of the other guys we talked about,
but like that level of addition does make it easier
for you to also duck the tax. If you're taking
about Colek for like almost anybody, you're you're getting cheaper. So,
like you, you're kind of two birds in that one.
So how aggressive should they be? I think if you're
trying to accomplish both the tax ducking and like some
respectable level of like need addressing, you probably aren't going
to be that aggressive, maybe right, Like, isn't that that
feels like where we're starting to circle here.
Speaker 1: I'll say I think the best type of player, not
the single best player that they would despite them being
mentioned to all these big names. I think the ceiling
on the type of player they will require would be
Kobe White. That would be if they acquire someone who's
better than him by the trade deadline, I'd be pretty surprised.
I think they'll end up ducking the tacks and they
hopefully they just make an improvement to get some shooting.
If the deal is we gave up seconds and Akbagie
to get Keon Ellis and duck the tax I'm ultimately
fine with that. Yep.
Speaker 3: I think that's that'd be pretty good. You got anything
else on Toronto?
Speaker 1: Uh? No, can you take us out of here? Sir?
Speaker 3: Yeah?
Speaker 2: So let us know. Also, this is our plea on
all of these, I think, but this one especially like
what raptors fans get in the comments? What should they do?
And what do you think they will actually do?
Speaker 1: And do you still love DeMar DeRozan and do you
stay the most importantly, what are your thoughts on DeMar
de rozen?
Speaker 3: Please?
Speaker 1: Uh?
Speaker 2: Three to five paragraphs maximum fifteen hundred words let us
know what you think. Like a divided thesis in the introduction,
please just to keep the points.
Speaker 3: Nice and clear and separate. That'd be great reverse funnel conclusion.
Speaker 2: Any English majors out there are going to be like nodding, like, yeah,
I know what all those words are.
Speaker 1: Have you ever read a five hundred word paragraph? You're
like three paragraphs at least fifteen?
Speaker 2: I mean Back when we had attention spans Dan, that
wasn't unusual. But you don't see a lot of that now,
a lot more one sentence paragraphs these days.
Speaker 3: I know I'm guilty of that.
Speaker 2: Thanks for listening, for watching Rate Review, Subscribe, Tell your friends,
tell your enemies, let us know. Please again, what you
think the Raptors should and will do.
Speaker 3: Join our discord. You can chime in there as well.
Speaker 2: Links in the YouTube and podcast description shouts Franklin Lakin, apologies,
jaredewl