well, who would you guys sign this summer? Here are some players who will be free agents (off the top of my head):

Carter (no way), mo pete, PJ Brown, Lewis (if he opts out), Magloire, stackhouse, Mo williams, nocioni, verejao, billups (if he opts out), bibby (if he opts out) etc...

Feel free to correct me, or to add more free agents. There's probably a lot more who have team options and player options. But who do you think we can realistically pursue, and who can we just dream about? (carter back to toronto? Reunite mo williams with TJ Ford? Lewis?)

I'd try and go all out to get a guy like Gerald Wallace, and then maybe Varajao. To do this would be near impossible, but a first step would be letting Mo Pete walk and cutting ties with Joey Graham.

This would be useful for this thread. I copied it from a RealGm post. I do not claim any of these comments as my own or agree necessarily with the poster but it helps the discussion along - Remember - we will only have the MLE or LLE to work with because we are capped out so barring a creative series of trades or sign and trades - these are our options

For the lazy:

This is a list (from my perspective) of players that will either be UFA or have their own decision (a player option or early termination option) to become a UFA that could garner serious interest on the market, albeit at very different rates and for different reasons:

m.carroll
p.brown
j.stackhouse
c.webber
m.barnes
d.mutombo
y.korolev
c.mihm
s.parker
l.walton
c.atkins
e.jones
j.kapono
j.posey
r.patterson
m.williams
m.moore
g.hill
j.magloire
m.peterson

g.wallace
c.billups
a.mcdyess
v.carter
m.bibby
m.finley
r.lewis
d.stevenson

The space in the list seperates between guys who will for sure be UFA and players who may become UFA at their own discretion. I'm leaving off the RFA and TO option players, since if they have real value to a team, most likely they'll have to be traded for to acquire and can be lumped in with all the other players in the league. Meaning a guy like Varejao will not be let walk away without compensation. Cleveland would match anything but the most ridiculous contract (which we couldn't offer anyway) so RFA guys are pretty much a non-starter as far as MLE goes for us. Also, of the above list the players with POs are for the most part already making MLE or more and won't take their option to make less than MLE so again are totally unavailable for our team as a straight signing.

I'm totally drinking BC kool-aid, so I'm content to just wait and see what happens, but for clarity's sake I think if you're gonna speculate about MLE guys, the first section of the above list pretty much covers the only legitimate options. Although maybe Finley or Stevenson would take a longer term MLE type deal if they opted out of their current ones, which is why I included the PO list. There are also a ton of guys I left off and maybe I missed a couple that deserve consideration, but IMO they'll be signed for small amounts or are guys I wouldn't touch with someone elses pole let alone my own (or I just know absolutely nothing about them).

I wouldn't mind Ruben Patterson (not sure about his chemistry though), Eddie Jones, Rashard Lewis, Antonio McDyess, or Michael Finley. I don't mind cutting Mo Pete loose but I want to see Joey G under a different coach.

Notice all the guys I listed are relatively experienced in the NBA/old timers. We have a lot of young talent, and I think we need some older mentors in there that can lead by example as well as in practice.

BC and Maurizio Gherardini seems to be great at picking up talent in Europe. I'm hoping they will continue to do that.

Has anyone factored in salary implications? Without looking it up, I think the Raps will have something like the Mid Level exception to play with and not very much else. I think Bosh and T.J big money comes into play next year, add in Rasho, Parker, Garbo and Bargs and I don't think the Raps will have the luxury of any one worth more than the 5 mil mark. Anyone want to dig up the figures?

I tried to insert the image but couldn't, so I'll just give the link:

Toronto Raptors Salaries

So as i understand, this year our total is 53.6 mill, and next year it's 48 mill (in guaranteed contracts)

So I'm guessing if we let mo pete go, we can make a pretty big free agent signing, no?

Most likely BC will give Kris one more year, so 5 mill/year for someone should suffice.

While the cap figure will increase slightly from $53.135 million to whatever NBA revenues dictate, that still doesn't leave the Raps much signing authority except for the mid level exception. If Mo Pete is really disgruntled as Doug Smith reports then it would be unlikely he'd resign leaving a hole in the rotation for next season. Who's out there that can rebound, slash, hit jumpers and play D that would sign for about 5 million/year?

MoPete on his good days

Seriously. I dont think we can actually get a player like you described with 5 mil a year. Atleast not a consistent one. MoPete can do those things, but as we all know he is inconsistent. But Im still hoping we keep him. He can win some games for us when he is hot and is decent on average. He has also been professional about losing playing time and has been loyal to the franchise. He has got the right fighting spirit in him and I believe he can be helpfull in developing the younger players.

If we dont keep him, I hope we go for a rebounder. I dont care if the guy can shoot or slash, but if he could rebound and play D that would be good addition to the team. Varaejo, Pattersin or someone like that would be nice, but might be too expensive.

I think Deshaun Stevenson is the 2/3 that best fits the description, who should be available for about $5M/year, but the Wizards might not want to let him go.

We do have the rights to Roko Leni Ukic, but I doubt that he'd be able to step in and perform the way this year's crop of Euro vets have--Jorge, Tony, and even Bargnani all had better track records of Euro success...

I fall into the trust BC camp. We'll see what he comes up with.

BTW, if you want a laugh, check out the Knicks salary cap page. $20M to allan houston, 17M to Jalen rose, plus millions more to Shandon Anderson and other assorted pieces of junks. It's unbelievable.

Compare that to the Spurs at 65M or so for the whole roster...

The thing I like about our cap situation now is even with the big salary increase for Bosh, the combined payment for Bosh/Mourning/Williams next year is $12.4m compared to the $13.2m we are paying for the 3 players this year.

So Bosh going from Rookie Scale to Max pretty much has zero impact on the cap. Looking down the line 2009/10 could be our biggest window of opportunity to win the whole thing with Bosh/Ford/Bargnani under contact at $30 the potential of those 3 players 2 seasons from now is sky high. Given the cap will rise the rest of roster would be filled with similar players to what we have now.

I would like to see the Raps resign Pape Sow, given his inactivity I doubt many if any teams will offer him a deal next year so we might be able to get him pretty cheap.

The Raptors should have one target in free agency: Anderson Varejao.

This team is currently 30th in the League in rebounding. And they have enough offensive weapons. They need a guy who is going to do the dirty work, get them some second chance points, and keep the other team off the glass.

It doesn't look like they'll have too much money (barring a trade or something). But maybe they can front load an offer enough to make the Cavs blink. It's not like Danny Ferry is a brilliant GM -- he may be stupid enough to let Varejao walk since they still have Ilgauskas and Gooden.

I'd agree that Varejao makes for an enticing free agent, but when you look at his situation more closely, a few obstacles rise to the surface:

1) Can the Raptors really make an offer that Varejao would accept? His asking price almost assuredly will be higher than the mid level exception and unless a significant sign and trade takes place (Mo Pete? Hughes 1, Lebron 2, Peterson 3, Gooden 4, Z 5), I don't think anyone would leave that much cash on the table to sign with the Raps.
2) I fully agree that his fierce rebounding and tenacity would indeed fill the gaping hole the Rap's have, but can his actual lack of offense be ignored? The Raps are in a position where Pheonix found themselves a couple of years ago. The Suns went out and got players like Kurt Thomas and Raja Bell to shore up their defensive needs, but both were not one-dimensional players - Kurt could hit the jumper and Raja could bomb with this best of them. A team like Pheonix and Toronto rely on spacing created by their shooters to generate easy buckets. With a player like Varejao, the defense can sag a little which would adversely affect the entire offense.
3) I also base my premise on the fact that NBA 2K7 for my Xbox360 says the 'chemistry' would be "low" if Varejao was on the Raptors club. 'Nuff said.

Yep exactlly, like i mean can any of you name a raptor that BC has signed who is not ok offensively? Even humphries and rasho have some offensive skills. I'm not saying we shouldn't sign Varejao, I'm just saying that BC has a record of signing players with offensive skills, he also signs the most unexpected players. Like i mean, did any of you actually thought of a juan Dixon trade of a TJ ford trade? he'll just find a way to suprise us all and sign some guy who will hopefully help our team. That doesn't mean though that i won't be thrilled to see Varejao in Raptors uniform.

Sideshow Bob is a RA, I really don't think he is going anywhere.

Ferry has made some dumb moves in the past but he will not lose the Brazilian for nothing.

As for what BC will do? Well I look forward to hearing that he has signed so-and-so and having to look up everything about that player because he is under my radar.

i second sideshow bob for sure.


wouldn't mind gerald wallace either

i think Varejao will probably be on the list of acquisitions for BC..its not a trade from outta nowhere like we've seen, but its a guy we need and young at that..

I can't see the Raps making a huge splash in the market this year. Bosh and TJ's extensions will be on the books, the options on Joey Graham and Kris Humphries have already been picked up and unless I'm seriously misinformed I'm pretty sure that puts us over the cap.

Which leaves us with the Mid-Level Exception which will probably be used to lock up Calderon, with Mo Pete leaving town on the horse he rode in on.

I don't think the Mid-Level Exception is used on your own players - they're used to acquire free agents from other clubs. If I remember correctly, you can sign your own players without regard for the cap, however said player's salary would still count against the Luxury tax.

Signing Gerald Wallace is a pipe dream. He would look great in a Raptor's uniform with his athleticism and sick hops, but the Raps have neither the cap space or players to acquires his rights that would entice Charlotte to pull the trigger on a deal.

BC might find some really interesting trades to transform the club and get them into the next tier, but I wouldn't hold my breath for any big changes for the club through free agency alone.

Why's everyone so high on Gerald Wallace? I don't feel he's the answer to anything the Raps are lacking, except for the fact that he's able to rebound better than most of our swing men. Please don't waste money on Gerald Wallace.

The Rasho Problem, and a Call for Dikembe!

I love what BC has managed to do so far, and am hopeful that he can do some more magic, but I'm not ready to grant him untouchable status. The reason was evident last night - Rasho. While I like Rasho, he's clearly not a championship big. He's useful in a supporting role, but at 8 million of cap space for the next 2 years, the expiring contracts of Eric Williams and Matt Bonner are better all the time. Unless BC manages to pedal Rasho to bring in some disgruntled superstar who is reborn in Toronto, he is going to keep our front court soft for a few more years.

We could see McGloire come here for the mid-cap, but then we'd have nowhere to use Rasho at all. In fact, he may be perfect for us if he can shut up about being a front line player and enjoy watching Andrea play most of the game.

Ah, Andrea! That is our rebounding problem! We have 2 finesse power forwards who are too skilled to not be on the court, but can't rebound enough - especially Bargnani who will always have a tough time grabbing offensive rebounds from behind the 3 point line.

I'm thinking Mutombo. Bring him in to play a little defence and to teach Andrea (and maybe Pape) how to be a center on the defensive end of the floor. I think Rasho is trying to do that now (face it, Rasho knows what he is doing, he just lacks some athletic ability). In 2 years, we'll be serious about this championship thing and by then we can have a better big man in an improved Bargnani, and have some coin to hire some serious muscle to pound out 20 minutes for us.

The first thing BC should do is get us a draft pick. Joey cant fetch us one by himself but im sure something can be worked out. With a draft pick we can do a lot of things like trading it to a team for a certain player. (ex. Varejo in a S&T or whatever).

But Varejo isnt even the answer here. Yes he can rebound but we're already paying around 36-37 mill to a group of guys who SHOULD do the same but they cant cuz they're all soft.

I'd rather just try my luck on a no name, low profile, young kid who can be had for cheap. I'd prefer this kid to be a SG/SF. There's a ton of these stashed away on many teams.

For this off-season, ill sum up what i would like to see.

1) A young SG/SF brought in.
2) Money being saved for next off-season.

See next off-season, Rasho's contract is off the books and we can sign someone big. That's why i'd rather save money this year than spend it on a Gerald Wallace. Also, this year's FA's are pieces that we cant afford or are pieces that we dont really need.

What makes you think Mutombo will want to play here?!?!? he's not even sure if he is coming back next year, but even is he is coming back, I don't think he'll want to play for us, he'll probably want to stay close to home, and he's way too old to get significant minutes

Anyone remember the last ancient Houston Rocket center we signed in the offseason?

That said, I do like Mutumbo, if he's willing to come. But who are we going to dump to pick him up? We've already got Bosh, Bargs, Garbo, Rasho, and Sow who can all play the C.

And as for Rasho, I think this team wins nowhere near the games it has won without him. Anyone remember how good Rasho was after Sam un-benched him? I agree that Rasho is mainly here to teach Bargs, and maybe even Bosh, how to play as a defensive big. Getting Rasho was one of the better moves of the offseason, especially considering that it's not like BC had another potential FA to spend that money on. If he has someone he likes this summer, then he'll dump salary and pick them up; if not, he'll leave it the way it is.

i like vc15's suggestion to look for one of those swingmen that could make an impact. just like a kevin martin, there are guys out there that could do things if given the right amount of minutes and the right system. aside from that, i don't think we should look to the free agents too much. mutombo is awesome, but i think his brittle ancient body needs the hot houston air to keep it limber, and i'm scared he's finally gonna lose whatever it is that is keeping him going

Rasho has really been an underrated pickup who doesn't show his value on the stats sheet. Without a doubt he's the first true center this club has seen since Hakeem (which, I might add, would bring the club total to 2 in the entire history of the franchise for true centers). What would Eric Williams and Bonner be doing for the Raps right now? Rasho bodies large front court players and allows Bosh to play a more natural PF position. By no means is Rasho a "premiere" center in the league, but he changes a lot of shots with his sheer size and bulk, while providing solid defensive positioning.

I'm going to throw out a couple names to see if more conversation can be sparkedt: Andres Nocioni (I believe a UFA), Bonzi Wells (Player option, which he probably should opt out of as I think he'll at the very LEAST score a Mid-Level Exception figure).

nocioni, if he can be had at a good price, brings some balls to the team. bonzi wells can play ruff and rugged, but he isn't consistent and has character issues. i think we should hope bonzi to sign with the pistons and sabotage sheed's good behaviour with the pistons. if only we could get the pistons to sign reuben boumtje-boumtje so sheed and bonzi could throw basketballs at his head in practice like in the good old days.

Hey, I'm not trying to dis Rasho. I like him and love his attitude. But he's an interim guy here to help out some other guys and give us a decent center. He is not a major rebounder or a center who is going to be a centerpiece player. Everyone was complaining about not getting enough boards and wanting to sign someone to get them. I merely pointed out that Rasho's 8 million contract didn't leave a lot of room for getting someone better. Bargnani may one day be, but we have to give him at least 2 years to get there. So, let's focus on that. Rasho and Mutumbo training Sow and Bargnani. Hopefully Sow becomes a ben wallace who can deliver some killer defence and presence. But like Diop in Dallas, it is gonna take a few years. So, while we have Rasho's contract holding us to a long term solution, lets work on that framework. We just can't expect to have the solution we want until we develop it.

We do get a few million in a year should Dixon be let go.

I like the idea of finding a hidden diamond of a swingman somewhere. But really, how easy is that? Hope it happens, but I think they major moves are a few years away.

This team needs Andre Kirlilenko or Josh Smith. Kirilenko is not getting the playing time he deserves in Utah, so maybe they wouldn't mind trading him.

I maintain that Gerald Wallace is exactly what we need. It would solve a lot of our problems. He slashes, can score, and would probably be one of the best rebounders on the team. And frankly I dont think would mind a move from Charlotte (unless maybe they get Oden).

Other names mentioned in this thread:

Dikembe Mutombo: This is ridiculous. Dikembe is probably 45 years old. If you are a contender right now, maybe. If you are in the process of building a team from the ground up, stupidest move you could make.
Andersen Varajao: Exactly what we need, but we'd need to rid ourselves of a few players to sign him.
Bonzi Wells: Biggest chemistry problem you would ever see. Would never endear himself to Mitchell by taking off most games.
Andreas Nocioni: Fantastic player, but 1) will never come here and 2) dont need his skills as much as others




Not going to happen. As was pointed out at RaptorsHQ the other day, Dixon and Mitchell have already developed a "Bonneresque" relationship. I think Colangelo will hold on to Dixon as well and maybe trade him sometime next year, but with Mo Pete good as gone Dixon becomes more valuable.

^Mitchell is gone after this season, so it doesn't matter if Dixon and Smitch are having passionate sex in the locker room or not.

I hope to never have a Bonneresque relationship with any man.

I don't know what I was smoking when I mentioned Bonzi. He's a cancer and team killer.

If you really look at Gerald, I don't think he'd mesh - he can't shoot. Defenses would sag into the lane and dare him to shoot a 3 (.297%). Yes he can guard. Yes he can dunk. Yes he can slash. Big NO for shooting skill. As already said previously, the Raptor's rely heavily on spacing and the threat from outside shooting. I love Gerald's talent, but he really is a poor shooter.

Andres scores, defends, rebounds, plays hard and is an above average shooter. I can't see a reason for him not to sign with Raps as I think he'd bite on a mid-level exception and the strong Euro connection. Although I agree there might be more suited players to sign with the Raps, I really do think Nocioni is the most likely candidate as the other options may provide obstacles that can't be overcome.

Anyone wanna see Andre Miller in a raps uniform? I'd like to see BC pull some strings and get 'im in here.

And give up who? TJ or Jose? I don't see that happening, with the fact that Philly needs a point guard like him.

Magloire anyone (at a midrange signing deal)?

I have one more:
Poor man's Varajao - Mikki Moore. High energy, rebounds, gritty. Still can't shoot a jumper.

Pietrus is a restricted FA who intrigues me.

i like mikki moore, he's quick and does a lot of hustle plays. he's the kind of guy you really don't want to overpay for, because, like my basement, he has a low ceiling. one thing about nocioni is that he always seems to have low oncourt/offcourt +/- type numbers. i'm not sure what the reason is, maybe he fouls a lot or something, or maybe his replacement player is much better.

yep, seems a BC type player, like you said- he can shoot, score, he is an int'l player, and he is white, seems too good to be true. Is he an unrestricted free agent? anybody knows what Chicago might offer him? what's the actual chance that Chicago lets him go?

Pietrus is indeed pretty intriguing, but it wouldn't make sense for Golden State to let him walk for nothing. They'll probably at least make him a qualifying offer to retain his rights while they dangle J-Rich. Pietrus makes for a relatively inexpensive insurance policy if they end up moving the former slam dunk champ.

Please..can we leave black/white out of this? Bc has signed both colours...and even a tweener (Parker).

BC likes team players...reguardless of race.

You know i was kidding right? maybe i just forgot to put the sarcastic smiley

To further clarify, I said "Euro influence" and nothing about white/black. That is, players that are more familiar with FIBA type basketball and European lifestyle.

Culturally speaking, for anyone who's been never been to Europe, there are many differences from North America (everything from pace of life to some countries going with unpasteurized milk).

Totally agree...strange how a lot of the NBA has missed the lesson of the Euro Championships.

When it comes time, the Jazz are not going to move Kirilenko anywhere. But if they did, get him! Injury prone but fills up a stat sheet nicely. He'd make us a tough night for any wingmen trying to deal with Parker and K at the 2 and 3. He doesn't need to be a huge scorer, which is fine, because our points, Bosh, and Bargnani will do that. Another high percentage role player would do us well! Not to mention, he'd add a little more ethnicity to this team and fan base. Maybe we could trade for him and find a way to get Jamaal as well to give us some Canadian ethnicity. These moves would make the future immediate, though.

getting gerald wallace would be unreal- anyone see him basically steal the game from the Cavs this week?
blocks, rebounding, hustle...exactly what we need.

charlotte would be crazy to let him go though.

I read this idea floated on another forum and wanted to post it under this thread.

I've basically cut out all the nastiness and pushed the idea a little further along to get down to the nuts and bolts of things.

Biggest Need: Acquiring a rebounding energy front court player.
Biggest Asset: PG. Ford, Calderon, and a Euro bench player in Roko.
Principles in the deal: Calderon & Varejao in a swap of sign and trades, with draft picks and fodder to make a deal work with both teams filling their respective needs.

Why this deal works for the Raptors: The Raptors get that long sought after energy player that rebounds and can play 4/5 and sometimes 3. Solid defender and all around hustle player the Raptors so sorely need.

Why this deal doesn't work for the Raptors: Roko is NOT NBA ready. A player riding the pine in Europe isn't ready to step in a backup PG role no matter who you talk to. Even if he's the second coming of Magic Johnson, if he's not getting playing time at the PG position in Europe, he's not going to do well in the NBA.

The great unknown for the Raptors: It goes without saying that trading from your strength to help your overall team would make the most logical sense. Although the jury is still out on the Ford/CV deal, I think we can safely say that the deal in its worst case would still result in both clubs benefiting rather than either team losing out. When looking at the top tier clubs in the league, you'll find that most of them have at least a very solid PG and a very respectable backup (Parker+Udrih, Terry+Harris, Nash+Barbosa) and to a lesser extent Detroit (Billups, Delfino), Miami (Williams, Payton), Houston (Alston, doesn't matter because you have TMAC bringing the ball up on many possessions). Trading away this dynamic duo that Toronto has never enjoyed before would be a very difficult to justify unless you could unequivocally say that your team wouldn't miss a beat with your PG combo and that your asset you're gaining really would fit into the offensive system in place.

Do you make the deal?

My general preference is to leave it this summer. If we can find a bargain pickup, go for it, particularly in the energy rebounder category; but besides minor additions, I'd rather do nothing this summer.

Here's why:
- This is Garbo's first year in the NBA
- This is Bargs first year in the NBA
- This is arguably Parker's first year in the NBA
- This is Slokar's first year in the NBA (granted, he isn't doing much)
Do we really expect players moving to a brand new league to pick up on it immediately? I expect all of these players (well, maybe except Sloky) to be much better next year.

- This is Ford's first year with the team.
How many of you think Ford is comfortable with the team yet? It almost isn't surprising that JC is doing as well as he is--he's had more experience on this team. I'm tempted to say that Ford can only be better next year, as he gets to know the players better.

There's good reason to believe that all the above players are going to be much better next year; therefore, that means they'll be underrated trade-value wise. Going back to the Phoenix analogy:
Amare = Bargs (pushing it; I only make the comparison because they're both fleet-footed centers)
Marion = Bosh
Diaw = Garbo
Bell = Parker
Nash = Ford
Barbosa = Calderon (or invert the last two if you prefer)
I don't think they're equal quite just yet; most of our players have a bit of development to go before reaching that. I'm mainly pointing out similar skill sets. Luckily, all six of these players can be expected to be better next year. And our bench is at least as good.

Basically, I think we could contend next year if we sat on our hands. Knowing BC, that really isn't likely; but also knowing BC, I doubt he'll screw it up.

Calderon for Varejao? I wouldn't do it, because Varejao loosely equals Garbo. Varejao's a bit better at rebounding, Garbo's a bit better at the other aspects of the game. Dealing from our PG strength for a big man would simply create a strength at a different position. I'd rather have strength at the PG position. If we have roster room, I'd send Ukic to D-League next year, and a few games as 3rd-string PG; if not, I'd leave him in Europe.

Garbo is old and will be entering his twilight soon. He'll be a great role player off the bench, but he's not our next Diaw. Parker has a few more years in him as most guards tend to last longer than big men.

Still though, we will be losing Mo Pete, and we need someone to replace him. Also, the Raps should never play it out any off season. If there are guys out there to grab, you should be in a position to be able to grab them, unless you're in the midst of a dynasty (which we're not).

The Raps-Phoenix comparisons are, in my opinion, way off. We're a completely different team. We have a "Dirk"-esque player, something the Suns don't have in the nearest. We are our own blend of uniqueness, and I personally believe we have a higher defensive ceiling than most young teams in the league, which is key.