Raptors are who we thought they were: Offers GM 5 Year $15 million Deal

Harden is at 43.8%, is he just an inefficient scorer too? Gallinari is solid, 56% true shooting, even close to 59% after the first few weeks.

Anyway, whatever your or mine personal strategy for building a good team would be, Ujiri did build a very good team that might be deep in the playoffs if core players stayed healthy.

And in the end, who cares how much this or that GM or coach or statistician gets paid? It doesn't hurt the team. It sounds like you think that it counts towards the cap or something.

 

You're right. I looked at a number of sites. I must have criss-crossed the number and the link. Haven't found the right link again. But, I did find this article that says Ujiri's old salary was less than $1m, which would make him the lowest paid GM (you might want to double-check me).

In any case, given the relative contributions to winning, it doesn't make a lot of sense to pay coaches more than general managers. Good coaches might be a bit more rare, but good GMs are more important. Investing $3m in a guy to not blow draft picks or sign bone-headed contracts is probably money well spent.

 

It was worth it just to get Colangelo out of there. He handed out big extensions like candy (Bargs, Derozan) and signed free agents to terrible contracts (Hedo, Fields). His only good moves were the Lowry trade and drafting Valanciunas.

The Raptors are capped out, but has some flexibility outside of Gay's max deal. Ujiri should be able to put together a competitive team.

 

i agree with pretty much everything. but i'm not even sure that the Lowry trade was good either. it just put them further into mediocrity. they should've kept the pick, traded the vets, got a high selection. now they have Lowry who may re-sign there or not. even if he does, where is he taking them? .500 at best, as currently constructed, unless Valanciunas improves a lot?

 

The Raps have to worry about Lowry's looming free agency, but it was a good deal for them overall. Lowry is only 26 years old, not exactly a broken down vet. If they traded that pick for Ty Lawson (25 years old) instead, would you also consider that a bad deal?

Worst case scenario, Lowry walks next year and they lose him for nothing. Even then, they will have had him on a cheap contract for two seasons for the #12 pick in a weak draft. Not bad. I think they'll re-sign him to a fair market value contract and will be very happy with him.

 

(Cool story bro alert)

I sat next to Ujiri at the Sloan Sports Conference in Boston a few years ago right after he had traded Carmelo. He kinda gave me a look like, "wtf are you doing sitting next to me, kid?", but after I leaned over and softly whispered, "nice job on the 'Melo trade." into his ear (it is as gay as it sounds), he gave me a smile and a fist bump.

Later, he was texting someone, and I stole a glance. He was texting his "Pookie bear" (name of text receiver) about missing her and that he can't wait to get back to the hotel. Classic.

Yeah I know, photos or it didn't happen yada yada yada.

 

that assumes that the pick would've been #12 had they chosen a different strategy.
I'd absolutely take Lawson over Lowry, btw.
Right now their roster seems awefully similar to that Bobcats roster from a few years ago when they had Gerald Wallace, Stephen Jackson, Felton and Tyson Chandler (who wasn't quite at his best at the time). Gay-DeRozan-Lowry-Valanciunas. Not sure where they are going with that. They'd need Valanciunas to become a perennial all star to even have a shot to advance in the playoffs.

 

Since when did low-risk moves become bad? BTW a lot of those stuff you mentioned are actually good things. Not sure why buying picks or having 2nd rounders who might blow up locked up 4 year deals are bad moves.

 

Pookie bear. :grin:
Hey, that sounds like a fitting nickname for Melo.

 

So...basically...exactly what Morey did with Lin

 

with a name like "ma sa i" "u ji ri", i thought he was japanese until i saw the picture. lol

 

I just don't see how anybody can possibly see this as a bad move. I don't know that I feel that Ujiri should have won executive of the year this year, but he is definitely head and shoulders above of Colangelo. And, as others have mentioned, it isn't like the GM's salary counts against the cap.