http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/Co...le&cid=1144101012687&call_pageid=969907729483 GM: Raptors have enough youngsters Toronto needs veterans more, Colangelo says James says he's not changing his run-and-gun style Apr. 4, 2006. 01:00 AM JIM BYERS SPORTS REPORTER The Raptors are all but certain to have a high pick in the NBA draft in June. But newly minted general manager Bryan Colangelo says they might not be using it. In a telephone interview with the Star yesterday, Colangelo said there could be players in the draft to help put Toronto on the road to contention. "But we could use our pick to leverage a deal to get veteran help right away," he said. "There's no shortage of good, young talent" on the Raptors' roster, he said. "Another young guy with no experience may not be the best thing for this team." While a trade for a veteran — perhaps a point guard or a big guy who can provide some toughness, interior defence and rebounding help for Bosh and Villanueva — would be one approach, Colangelo said a deal might not present itself. If there is no trade, it appears the draft will be deep enough to provide the Raptors with some help. The Raptors still don't know if point guard Mike James will be back with the team next year. James will be a free agent and has said he wants a major pay hike, and it's unclear if the Raptors will meet his demands. "We'll have to look at ways to cover that hole (in the roster) if it becomes a hole," Colangelo said. "You can certainly look at the point guard spot and say, `that's a need' for Toronto. Colangelo wasn't prepared to enter a debate as to whether the team wants James back next year, or at what price. Asked if he'd like to see James shift from being a combination shooting guard/point guard to a classic point man, Colangelo paused. "At this stage," he said, "I'm not sure you can suddenly become something you're not." Coach Sam Mitchell said players can adjust, but he didn't want to debate whether James should change his style. James, who'll turn 31 in June, is scoring almost 20 points a game and has bailed the Raptors out of trouble several times this year. He has scored 99 points in his last five games, with 47 assists. But he's shooting just 34.6 per cent in those games, well below his season average of 46.9 per cent. James, who came to the Raptors in a deal that sent troubled guard Rafer Alston to Houston, said he's not a typical point guard. And he said he's not changing his game. "If they did their research on me ... I've been jackin' my whole career. If you didn't like my style of play, you shouldn't have ever traded for me in the first place." "Everyone is so quick to talk about my shooting, but no one is quick to talk about how over the last five games ... I've been averaging over 10 assists a game. James said he wants to play for a team that believes in him. "I'm tired of rebuilding. I believe in my heart I can help a team win an NBA championship. "I've proved myself enough in this game where I want my own keys," he said. "I want to be able to roam the yard without no leash on, trusting that I'm not going to hop the fence and I ain't gonna do nothing stupid. "I'm a veteran. I know how to make plays. I know how to be a point guard. I know how to put myself in great situations. But my thing is, I'm a player, and if being a player ain't enough in this game, I'm sorry." What do ya'll think about this. If CD could swing our second round pick, which Toronto could just dump to someone else, we could quickly turn around the draft by having two Top 10 / 12 pick!
What? The raptors aren't going to deal their 1st rounder for a 2nd rounder, even if they'd prefer a vet over a rookie. This is bad news, because we don't have anything the raptors might want(unless they like Luther for some reason), and the raps will be dangling a pick for players that could potentially help the rockets. Plus Colangelo is running the show.
He could run Swift for all I care, since he's in the Shawn Marion body type! Swift + our 2nd round pick for their 1st round pick. That would end the Swift experiment just in time, and it would give us the ammo we need to pickup a shooter from somewhere.
it might be a smart move if the team is ready to compete for a playoff spot with only one main guy helping with the leadership role...but if they still can't compete, then they could possibly be missing out on a lot of value. i remember when the vancouver grizzlies traded a future first rounder for Otis Thorpe. one of the worst trades in recent history (well, other than anything to do with the new york knicks).
But they already have 2 power forwards they are heavily invested in and if Swift can't start for us then he definitely wont hold any interest for them ... There really isn't anyone on this roster othe than the big two that will fetch a lotto pick in a trade.
Balloonstyle, you're pretty much clueless here. Neither trade proposal you've suggested makes any sense what-so-ever for the Raptors. Call me crazy, but I think its safe to assume the reigning executive of the year would know better than to pointlessly trade their 1st-rounder for a 2nd-rounder or believing that Swift/2nd-rounder would be enough to part with a top 5 pick.
we can probably do a three ways trade to get that first round pick. We are so desparate getting it more than any teams in this league
That is about the only way we get into a formidable bid for that 1st round pick. They want a hardnosed big man (aka a "solid" center) or PG (quite confusing since they draft Ukich last year and invested in the Spaniard as well + they could still re-sign MJames). With that in mind, the only valuable expendable commodity we have now is Stromile Swift. I do not see us trading Skip because that will mean we will draft a rookie PG or go out looking for one - Vassilis may not be ready either. So which team out there will be suitable for a three-way trade with us? Will Toronto want Francis if we are able to put something together with Knew York? (will Canadian want him back?). What about Swift to NY for James and a second rounder and then we trun around and move that to TO plus cash consideration for the first rounder? NY already have many 4s but James signing is one they wish they could take back. Will Dallas and Houston like to deal with each other? If so will Dallas like to part with either Diop or Dampier as part of the 3-way deal? Are there any other possibilities?
maybe the rockets should do what toronto is doing and trade their lottery pick for a proven nba player...we dont have time to develop players
It would have to more in the lines of Swift + our 1st round pick, but I don't even think the Raps would take that. The Raps have a very talented young core of Bosh/Charlie V/Graham and MJ is a good scorer. They need to add some vet to come in and lead this team, kinda like what Nash did in PHO. The Suns had a talented core in Stoudamire/Marion/JJ.
Toronto might look to pull off a similar deal as Phoenix did a few years ago when they dealt the #7 pick, which ended up as Luol Deng, to Chicago for a first-round pick the following year to clear cap space. They even have the same GM... Toronto should have enough with such a move to offer a maximum contract this summer to anyone they please; not like they'd want to, but still, free agency is a valid way to bring in veteran help, along with a pick in the 2007 draft, one that is almost universally forecasted to be a stronger year. Either way, I don't see the Rockets and Raptors pulling off a deal with the rosters presently construed. I would think the Rockets are pretty satisfied where they are right now, and don't really have the assets necessary to move up in the draft. If we weren't able to make a move last year for Gerald Green, a guy we really liked, how are we going to do it this year with even fewer trade assets?
Any loto pick like this is not going to be traded till draft day unless they have absolutely no interest in any of the players in this draft. There are way too many variables right now that affect the value of this pick, like draft position and who is going to be in the draft. Right now nbadraft.net has Rudy Gay falling to the Raptors.... I would certainly trade next years first round pick draft day to pick him up.
People, people, people. You really need to waste your time---as I do---reading through all the NBA information. For example, Jamaal Magloire is supposedly slowing down that Milwaukee offense. And his numbers have gone down as a result; or, he's playing like a stiff so he can get traded out of Milwaukee. Enter: the Rockets. If the Bucks want to go up-tempo, trade them Stromile Swift and Luther Head for Magloire. Send Toronto native Magloire to Toronto. Take the Raptors' pick. Maybe we add a future pick to sweeten the deal, if necessary. Of course, this begs the question, wouldn't Milwaukee simply trade for the #5 pick? Answer: Sure. But some experience and depth would be better than nabbing a rookie, wouldn't it? Luther would be OK; he played college ball in Illinois, so the Midwest wouldn't jar him too much. Stromile could play PF and backup C; Bogut could slide to center. We get a lotto pick and cap relief. (Of course, we'd have to worry about our backup center slot if we traded Stro.)
???what the hell are you thinking??? trade last years first rounder, next years (or later) first rounder, and stromile for a #5 pick in a draft without a guaranteed superstar????????? probably the worst trade idea i've ever read. Head alone might end up being equal to whoever we would get with the fifth overall pick - most likely not...but still - why trade that much for an inknown commodity?
Because Head, Stro, and next year's 1st rounder(most likely) all suck. The number 5 pick, even in this draft, could yield a legit starting sg or a better pf prospect than stro. Not that the trade would happen, but I'd consider it based on who's there at 5.
We also have a trade exception, and I'm sure the Raptors would love to dump Hoffa (Araujo) for cap space: Hoffa 1st rounder For 1st rounder for next year 2nd rounder from the Knicks. TE to make it work capwise That would open up about $4-5 million in cap space for the Raptors which gives them enough space to re-sign James while still going after a center like Nene, who they're rumored to be interested in. And for us, if Toronto lands between 4-7 that means we would have a good chance to land one of the following: Noah, Aldridge, Thomas, Roy, or Gay. I'd gladly take any one of those guys. Then we can use our own pick to fill in the blanks. If that pick lands in the top 3, then I'm sure they could get much better deals than we would offer.
I like MJ a lot but I find it funny that everyone wants him back yet Stevie, who is a far better overall player was run out of town and is still criticised to this day. Steve has said pretty much the exact statement above to JVG and was buried/labeled as a selfish idiot but MJ says it and no one notices and everyone wants to bring him back. I just don't get it.
