One day has passed since the beginning of free agency and no action so far in Raptorland. There has been a shit load of speculation however. A couple of day ago I laid out what the Raptors needed to accomplish during this years free agent signing period and priority number one was a starting small forward. Well, the rumor mill was churning and a number of names have popped up as players the Raptors are looking at.
Upon returning to my house in Oakville after a day in Toronto for the Blue Jays game (I’m sure you don’t care but they won) I checked in with the lovely people over at Raptors Republic to find out that there are rumors that Toronto is pursuing Hedo Turkoglu. Whaaaa?!? So your telling me that with players like Trevor Ariza, Marvin Williams, Shawn Marion, and Ron Artest on the market that we are trying to sign a 30 year old unathletic player who shoots 41%?
I guess ’cause he’s asking for less than Marion, right? Wait?!? After reading up about the Turkish MJ (btw the worst nickname in sports) at Raptors Republic I learned from fellow Fansided blogger, Air Alamo, that the Raptors are rumored to have offered Hedo $60 million. I mean this in the nicest of way to the people over at Air Alamo, but I pray to god that they fucked up some how. Either that or Bryan Colangelo has lost his damn mind.
I could list hundreds of reasons that any of the other small forwards would be preferable but I will keep it to 3 major reasons.
1) He is old: Hedo is 30 now and turns 31 in May of next year. That makes him a good fit for a contender, but on the Raptors, who will likely be rebuilding next offseason, Hedo is a mistake.
2) He is overrated: If you wonder over to 82games.com, possibly the greatest thing that has ever happened to NBA fans, you will see a number of reasons why Hedo sucks. Almost every stat is not what you would expect from a good NBA player, let alone someone who some consider an elite player. The only reason Hedo gets any love is because he is clutch at the end of the games.
3) $10 million a year : Shawn Marion, who is just as old as Turk, is more athletic than Turk, a better fit in our scheme, and is asking for 6-7 mill. Trevor Ariza is 24, athletic, a good defender, and wants an MLE. So why the hell would we ever make this offer?
My hope is that this is just a huge rumor. That Colangelo is laughing his ass off in his big leather chair and is on the phone with any of the other players mentioned here talking Raptors ball. But if this actually comes true and Hedo Turkoglu joins the Raptors this could very well be my last post here at Raptors Rapture (8 loyal readers weep, majority of other could care less).
The other big rumor in Raptorland was the possibility of David Lee joining the squad. I already discussed that earlier so just click here to check it out.
Until someone is actually signed I am sure we will hear rumors about every available FA. I mean earlier today I even heard our very own TM was on the Raptors free agent radar. Right behind Jack Haley and Shawn Bradley. At 6′4 190 lbs. he would give Ukic a run for his money. So until Colangelo finally signs the dotted line on a contract with a player keep checking in here, Raptors Republic, Raptors Forum, or any of the loyal Raptors blogs for the latest Raptors free agency updates.
FanSided
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You’re damn right I’m on the radar! To quote Newman in Space Jam, “I may not be tall, but I’m slow!”
Turkoglu is a guard that can create his own shot, something the Raptors have lacked since the departure of Wince. His effective FG% (adjusted to heavier weight 3s) was actually up around 48%. In addition, last year was actually a down year shooting the ball for Turk. His career averages are 43% (vs. 41% last year) and 38% from 3 (vs. 35% last year) and he’s had two years in Orlando where he has shot 45% and 40% from 3. He’s also never played on a team with an offensive player of Bosh’s caliber, which should allow him a little more space to operate and get that jumper off. Basically, Turks offensive abilities are WAY ahead of any of the other available FAs at that position.
Are we going to overpay for him if this report is true? Absolutely. But we need to improve this season if we want to be able to sell Bosh on being a contender. If it means overpaying for a guy who can be a legit and consistent #2 option for Bosh, then I can handle it.
Also, word is LA is unwilling to offer Ariza more than the mid-level, so if the Turkoglu thing falls through, he should be available.