Should Raptors’ Masai Ujiri go for broke?
By Brian Boake
A competitive team is at a crossroads. What happens if the Raptors trade for Zach Randolph? And what if they don’t?
Several times I’ve expressed the opinion in this space that this season does not “belong” to the Toronto Raptors. Recently I suggested the team need not be a participant in the often-frenzied action which precedes the February 18 NBA trade deadline.
Yet I just published a Trade Proposal in which the Memphis Grizzlies’ Zach Randolph becomes a Raptor. What gives, Brian?
The battle for playoff seedings in the Eastern Conference appears likely to be tense until Game 82. Prior to the season, most prognosticators narrowed the Eastern champs down to either the Cleveland Cavaliers or Chicago Bulls. While the Cavs inhabit first place, the Bulls are among nine above-.500 teams, which includes the Raptors, in the race for seven post-season spots. A bad week can send a team tumbling down the standings; conversely, a four-game win streak will create a 5-place jump.
Any one of eight teams has a reasonable shot at joining the Cavaliers in the conference finals. If an underdog were to catch Cleveland while LeBron James is recovering from a twisted ankle, all bets are off.
Let’s consider our All-Star backcourt. While Kyle Lowry is under control (his contract has a player option year after 2016-2017), DeMar DeRozan has a pleasant problem to tackle when this season ends. He will surely opt out of his contract’s final season, and double his salary, or more. Will he choose to stay in Toronto, assuming the team makes him an attractive offer, or will he bolt? I believe he’s a loyal person, and will stay on two conditions: the money is right, and the team is ready to win big. DD wants a championship – we’re with you, bro!
Would the acquisition via trade of Zach Randolph demonstrate the Raptors are serious about making a run for the fancy bejeweled rings? It certainly would, and might be the factor which keeps DeMar in our city.
If the Raptors don’t make the trade, where are we? The team will have two first-round selections in the 2016 draft, one of which (acquired in the Andrea Bargnani trade) is likely to be in the lottery. There are two scheduled in 2017 as well (N.B. the Milwaukee pick is chock-full of conditions). Acquiring young talent won’t be a problem. If anything, the team is on track to acquire too many prospects. There are a group of young men (Bruno Caboclo, Delon Wright, Lucas Nogueira, Norman Powell, Anthony Bennett) itching for a chance to prove they belong in the big team’s rotation. Add in four first-round selections between now and June 2017, and even the D-League team won’t have enough minutes for everyone.
Ultimately Masai Ujiri has to decide whether this is the season to take a run at the Eastern Conference finals by acquiring Zach Randolph. Even if the Raptors fall short, Randolph has another year on his contract. We increase our chances of keeping DeRozan, and whittle down our roster to a more manageable size.
Next: Zach Randolph trade proposal
There’s the rebuttal to my steady-as-she-goes notion. Which is it, Rapture Nation? Make the deal, grab a top-four seeding, and go for it? Or continue to acquire young talent, to the point where the Raptors are the toughest team in the league to crack the lineup of? Let’s hear your thoughts.