Signed forward Ed Davis.
Draft 2010
Selected forward Ed Davis (13th overall pick).
If we’re allowing ourselves to take a warm, steaming dump on Bryan Colangelo’s aimless aversion to scouting and drafting, a self-aggrandizing, echo chamber-rattling position that rivals the worst cases of headstrong egoism, then we have to give praise when its due. Ed Davis! I won’t say that I loved Davis from the start but I did watch him improve on every NBA skill in his two-plus seasons. Yes, he still got backed down with ease by larger post players. Yes, his outside shot was not there. But he had the rare rebounding ability where he was both positionally sound and athletic enough to jump and battle for them. He scores from close range and avoids the urge to take long jumpers. And he has tremendously quick hands that he uses to bother offensive matchups, though it’s yet to lead to a passing game. He improved every season and made a paltry $2.2 million this season on his rookie scale. I chose to pretend Bargnani and Ed’s salaries were reversed so I could sleep at night.
I was completely satisfied with an Amir Johnson/Ed Davis power forward lineup. I miss him every day. ED!!!!!!!
July 8 2010
Re-signed forward Amir Johnson, signed forward Linas Kleiza to an offer sheet and signed center Solomon Alabi.
Colangelo got skewered for re-signing Amir Johnson for this 5 year/$30 million extension. Scott Carefoot tackled some of it here. Johnson has more than earned this paycheque. That he is not a 17 point-a-game scorer belies a general ignorance about what wins basketball games. That he’s mostly come off the bench is a product of whatever magical fairy dust Colangelo believes Andrea Bargnani is made of. To answer Bill Simmons’ question: would I rather employ Amir Johnson or Michael Beasley? You can have your knee rubber.
As for Linas Kleiza, Colangelo showed he was incapable of doing three things right, in a row. After a few... I wouldn’t say promising... but respectable years playing garbage time while Carmelo Anthony drank his Gatorade in Denver, Kleiza skipped out to Europe for 2009-2010, seemingly moving on the next stage in his career. Inexplicably, Colangelo not only lured back the restricted free agent, but showered him with a 4 year/$18 million offer sheet, to which the Nuggets responded with a “HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA LOL LOL LOL ROFL LOL.” Kleiza’s been a lumbering, bad-shooting, no-defence, gimpy pylon ever since and, at one point, made me seriously ponder if there was someone more deserving of an amnesty than No Mago. Dark times, bro. Kleiza has a player option for next year and if you’re reading this and you happen to be Mr. Blond, please find Linas and persuade him to take his talents to Bakersfield.
July 9 2010
Signed forward Chris Bosh and traded him to the Miami Heat for two first-round picks in 2011 and a trade exception.
We’ve already talked about Chris’ departure. But the mechanics of the leave, through a sign-and-trade were much contested by the chatterers. The assumption was that, in retrospect, everyone knew Bosh would bolt so why not trade him mid-season? The answer is that the value of a a rent-a-player, even one as good as Bosh, was not higher than the return of draft picks the Raptors’ had previously sent in the O’Neal trade. This is even more true if you believe the Miami union was pre-ordained and, therefore, the receiving team would have had no chance to re-sign Bosh.
“What about the Carmelo Anthony trade?” you ask. Well, there were multiple differentiating factors.
- the Knicks did not have cap space and were therefore less flexible than Miami to absorb max contracts.
- Melo was facing an NBA lockout where there was sure to be clamp downs on max salaries, max years and trade flexibility that could limit his earning potential should have have gone into free agency in 2011.
In a perfect and just world, maybe Bird Rights wouldn’t be so easily transferable through sign-and-trades and therefore, there’d be additional barriers for players wanting to leave in free agency. But, then again, why shouldn't have Bosh signed where he wanted and why not, at least, should the Raptors receive (back) a pick for the trouble.
July 14 2010
Traded forward Hedo Turkoglu to the Phoenix Suns for guard Leandro Barbosa and center Dwayne Jones.
The latest in Colangelo’s signature move of trading away a player he brought in with fanfare (Kapono, O’Neal) and expecting (and mostly receiving) hero's praise. For a declining player, the Raptors received a declined player, but one who made less money and for less years. To think that Turk’s contract still has another year after this (though I’m sure the Magic will exercise their early termination option) it boggles and scrabbles and monopolizes the mind how much money he will have made in the NBA.
November 20 2010
Traded guards Jarrett Jack and Marcus Banks and center David Andersen to the New Orleans Hornets for guard Jerryd Bayless and forward Peja Stojakovic.
This was a salary dump, though buoyed by Jarrett’s early season shooting slump (slumpier than usual). Finally, Marcus Banks, the fat contract and fat body throw-in from the O’Neal for Marion trade, was gone, after stealing $9 million or so from Raptor benefactors. In return, Colangelo got 22 minutes from Peja before buying him out so he could help the Mavericks win the NBA championships, his the gigantic expiring contract and an underwhelming back up, Jerryd Bayless.
February 22 2011
Traded a first-round pick to the Chicago Bulls for forward James Johnson.
It’s funny (not ‘ha ha’ funny but ‘sigh’ funny) that post-lockout, you couldn't have bought a first round pick for Luol Deng but way back in the hazy days of early-2011, James Johnson was the going rate. I had a soft spot for Johnson’s defensive pressure but he’s currently wasting away on the Sacramento bench and it’s hard to make the case his acquisition was worth the price. NB: when he was traded to the Kings, the Raptors received a second round pick. You know you’re Bryan Colangelo when you’re trading a first for a second.
