if we're willing to give battier, will that change the picture? with the exceptional talents we have in yao and mcgrady, i really feel we should be an offense-oriented team and should be scoring in the 100+ range per game. this team already have a solid defense, giving up shane to get an excellent pg is going to make us better off imo long term. we can always fill the sf position later. wing is much easier to fill than the pg. keeping dreaming...
The raptors didn't pass the 1st round twice because they don't have a good wing defender. Moon is not as good as Battier. There is no where to go for them in the EC if they don't have an excellent wing defender. For example, how can they stop James, Carter, Johnson, ...?
I think since we only have as much as other teams to offer him financially, if not less than some other teams, we gotta use a couple of tricks to woo this superstar PG... 1: tell calderon we will have spanish-speaking players surround him other than Yao and McGrady...ie. we go get Rudy Fernandez and Walter Hermann and we already have our very own SCOLA. So they have the Spanish triangle in our team. surely on the court jose can just dish out a few commands in spanish and bewilder the other team and jose can communicate more instinctively and naturally and more quickly. 2: how can we not tell him he'll get a massive chinese shoe deal...its a given that he's a star PG and he's Yao's teammate...just look at scola...and scola has less fame and reputation than jose... 3: tell him we don't have another PG conflicting with him at starter spot...(I like the idea of trading rafer for a backup centre plus picks)..and we'll clear all obstacles of him being comfortable at PG...(unlike hmm hmm forrr...) 4: did I mention we're a true contender the championship? 5: oh I forgot to mention above he'll instantly have 13 billion more fans just think of how much money he can earn from jersey sales...
They can't take the risk of TJ getting injured and becoming completely rudderless. The Raptors could use the MLE on Pietrus who is a pretty good defender. He could complement Moon and still retain Calderon.
The problem is that other team won't take the risk of Ford either. Ford wants to stay in Toronto and he also claimed that he wants to be the starting pg. As I said N times before, this is decided by Calderon himself. If he wants to leave, no one can stop him. I think he will leave for sure, but he might choose the lakers. Of course, I think the rockets can offer more than the lakers.
So, here's the only way to get Calderon. Morey has to meet with him and his agent. Morey has to sell them that he would be the point guard for the Rox and Morey has to dangle a sizable contract in front of them, something like $45 over 5 years. Here's the catch. Morey has to agree to sign the kid to the contract and he has to convince them that they want Houston. Then Calderon and his agent have to go back to Toronto and tell them that he wants to leave and he will only sign the one year tender and leave as a free agent. Their insurance is that Morey is gonna give the kid at least $XYZ dollars on a long term contract, come hell or high water. (The only exception is if Calderon suffers a career threatening injury.) Now, Toronto is on the hotseat. They either S&T him to us for expirings, etc. Or they keep him for one more year with the idea that they are gonna top our offer when he is a free agent. In other words, they gamble they can win him back and they pay him the big bucks. If this played out just right, we may be able to get Calderon for something like BJax, Brooks, Loren Woods, and our first rounder or perhaps a bigger deal with Battier/Brooks/expirings/first rounder going to Toronto for Calderon and Parker. IF Toronto took the first deal, they would then have some expirings to use in combination with other expiring deals to try to attract a team to trade them a premier talent to go alongside Bosh/Ford/Bargnani. If they took the 2nd deal, obviously they are getting Battier and Brooks to help anchor down their rotation. This is all based of course on: 1. Morey being willing to give up big money and convincing Calderon NOT to sign a MLE offer sheet. 2. Calderon wanting to come here. 3. Toronto not dangling a bigger contract in front of Calderon than Morey dangles. So, it's just not feasible. That's why I started the thread about what teams would possibly be interested in trading for T.J. Ford. In my opinion, that market is very narrow, and I can see the possibility of Colangelo having to move Ford for junk simply to get rid of his contract.
but does Ford really help us at the point, he is injury prone, has a dodgy jumper, although his penetrative abilities would be an upgrade
All Calderon is doing in that blog is trying to get more money. He's not going anywhere. Toronto won't let him and would be stupid to with TJ's lack of durability. Calderon was easily in the top 10 of pg's and is getting better. Houston can't afford him and doesn't have what it takes to get him in a package unless they wanted Brooks or Rafer in return with Shane or Scola or Landry.
No offense, but between Ford and Brooks, I'd just wait and see on how Brooks will develop vs taking on Ford's less-than-savoury contract. As for the situation with Calderon, jopa nailed another one on the head. We have a chance, but it's slim to none. Truth be told though, Calderon might just be the one guy I'd be willing to move Battier for. Point guards with his skillset don't become available all the time, whereas guys like Battier, no matter how good they are, could still be had elsewhere. It all hinges on Morey's smooth-talking ability. Ideally, we do a S&T for Calderon and leave our MLE untouched so we can sign Landry and possibly Pietrus as Shane's successor if he does get involved in the deal with Toronto. It's a longshot, but stranger things have happened.
One thing is clear: Toronto will want and NEED Shane. Their starter SF is an undrafted rookie Jamario Moon for goodness sakes(not saying hes not good, but he won't start for a good team) but I still don't see them giving up Calderon, they'd only offer Ford and his 9 mil per year contract. In that case I'd rather pass and keep our defensive star Shane. Shane's salary is only 6 million, which means we have to give up like another 3 mil player?! if the trade is like shane and a 3 mil salary player for ford,--- then I wouldn't even consider it!
If the rockets are willing to give up Battier, without a doubt, they will give us Calderon. With Battier, the raptors can be a 50+ wins club easily in the EC. Same as the rockets, the raptors didn't pass the 1st round for years. They need to make a big move. But, I doubt Morey will give up Battier...
Your right if TJ came here...wow 3 of the most injury prone players in the league...thats one thing we could be the best at lol
It would be amazing to get Calderon but honestly, I doubted we'll get him. If Morey can get him, I have to got to nominate him for GM of the year. Calderon is a very good PG and from the way Toronto is saying, they are not letting him go.
