Toronto Raptors: Latest Team News and Buzz

NBA Talk

Now that the draft is out of the way, NBA fans don't have a lot to look forward to until the NBPA and NBA owners agree on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement. After reading as much as I could about it, it looks as though both sides are still far apart.

Owners are set to have a meeting next Tuesday to vote on a lockout, and there is one more meeting scheduled on either Wednesday or Thursday.

More insight on Valanciunas

After months of looking forward to a rookie, Raptors fans have, for the most part, come to peace with our draft selection. Valanciunas has only been regarded highly ever since being picked, and it reassures some of us fans who felt he wasn't the the right pick.

Raptors Coach Dwane Casey had this to say about the Big V: "I just came from Tyson Chandler, and Tyson Chandler at the same age was not as good as this young man." Chandler, one of the better big-men available in free agency is exactly who a lot of Raptors fans want this summer.

It appears that fans' perception of players changed after seeing where they landed. Had someone suggested Brandon Knight fall to eighth, or Kawhi Leonard to 15th on a mock draft, they would have to go into hiding.

Now that everything went down the way it did, people adjusted their views on players differently and that says a lot about how much everyday fans really know compared to what is said behind closed doors. 

Where are we headed?

Toronto still has a lot of work ahead, and Colangelo didn't seem to think we're going to skip a beat next year, despite being without the Big V. Colangelo confirmed he'll still be looking towards bringing in a true Center even after the draft, and that goes against what some fans think our game plan is.

Some fans have suggested Valanciunas' absence will mean another bottom-five finish in the East, which will result in a top rookie in next year's stacked draft class.

The problem with that is, Toronto is still planning on going on a spending spree whenever free agency rolls around, and as the youth generally improve their games over the summer, Toronto will have a hard time losing that many games.

That's a good thing right? Well... Let's just say the Raptors improve by 15 games in the win-loss column, that's not quite hitting a home run. As a matter of fact, missing the playoffs and a top pick would be the worst case scenario no team would want. Our problem is Toronto looks like it's headed that direction.

Maybe I am wrong though. Colangelo himself said that aside from 1-2 players, no player available on the board would make a huge impact.

Personally, I disagree about that, but at least that means Colangelo was actually going to go after a real Center with or without Jonas. So even if you hated the pick, know that Toronto is still looking to improve.

Having said that, however, it makes you wonder how our front-court will manage the coming of top free agent and Jonas in the future. Clearly somebody's got to go within the next year, but who should it be?

I'm in favor of giving Bargnani a chance to play the four beside a real Center, and see how things pan out. If he could sustain a 20-6 stat line, it may very well be worth keeping him and dealing Ed Davis, who will probably have more value being in his rookie contract.

Would I be crazy to think Toronto might slip into the playoffs if the right guys are brought in? Only time will tell.

Barbosa stays

In other news, Leandro Barbosa has decided to exercise his team option of $7.6 million, which is great if he rests his wrist this summer and does even better next year, whenever the season starts.

Barbosa's exit could have been beneficial for Toronto as well (check this out), but there's nothing to be disappointed about here.

Other news..

The Raptors also got some chores out of the way in case there is a lockout by picking up the team options on DeRozan, James Johnson, and Ed Davis. Normally teams would wait until the Nov, 2 deadline neared before picking up team options on players.

Speaking of our youth, look for James Johnson to make some serious progress this summer. Lockout or not, Johnson is giving us reason to love him with his dedication to improving.

In an interview with Raptors.com, Colangelo mentioned "Now he has lost another 15 pounds.  He is in fighting shape, if you will.  He looks like he is more eager than ever and he is very committed to the process."

It seems James Johnson is grateful for the opportunity Toronto has given him, and if he continues to work on his body and jump shots, add Johnson to the list of players expected to break out next season.

Extra

Could I finish an article without some speculation? Reading about different teams and players, it seems no team is guaranteed to lock up their top Center. That's really great news for us.

One article suggested Chandler hasn't promised anyone he'd re-sign with the Mavs despite winning a championship, and is leaving the 'business side of things' to his agent.

You know what that means, the Mavs will have to pay big to keep Chandler, and that might not be possible looking at their cap situation.

Where it could get real Juicy is with Memphis. The Grizz saved some money in order to re-sign Marc Gasol in a trade which sent forward Shane Battier to Memphis, but the small market team might not be able to match a near-max contract for Gasol after the new CBA shrinks teams' flexibility.

Who does Toronto send out? Assuming we actually land a Center, that will be four capable big-men for the Raptors. As great as that may be, with the coming of Valanciunas, It would only be logical to deal one of them to help fill some other hole in the roster.

Deciding on whom could be tricky, as Valanciunas and Ed Davis could have the potential to be better than Bargnani and our next Center. Do we trade the youngsters or the proven talent?

Well that's about it, thanks for reading! Lets all hope the owners and players would grow a pair and decide on a deal before they seriously hurt the game of basketball. I'm already disappointed there is no summer league.