How Raptors can keep Biyombo by sacrificing Ross

If the Raptors want to bring back Biyombo, someone is going to have to be traded. Let’s try a Ross deal to see whether it makes sense.

The deals are piling up at an astonishing rate on the first day of NBA free agency. Or perhaps I’m the only one who’s surprised by all the action. Even though I knew it was possible for a bunch of deals to get done in a hurry, I thought at least 24 hours might go by while players and agents listened to pitches.

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DeMar DeRozan’s deal to return to the Toronto Raptors was the first (and biggest from our perspective) to get announced. Obviously, I’m pleased after writing two posts on the importance of keeping him in Canada.

Other deals announced include:

Hassan Whiteside rejoining the Miami Heat
Jeremy Lin becoming a Brooklyn Net
Jerryd Bayless to Philadelphia
Al Jefferson becomes a Pacer

Noteworthy for his absence on the above list is the name of Bismack Biyombo, an energetic centre who endeared himself to Raptors fans with his remarkable efforts in the playoffs. But he can’t be signed now, unless the Raptors relinquish some salary.

Almost every Comment we receive seems to include a trade sending Terrence Ross, the Raptors’ most puzzling player, out of town. A relatively easy way to do that would be this trade:

The RealGM checker says the deal is valid. With this trade, Masai Ujiri would clear about $7 million of salary cap space [Ross is owed about $10M this season, and Stauskas almost $3M.]

The teams would be swapping disappointing players, with Ross reuniting with the General Manager who drafted him, Bryan Colangelo. Staukas would be coming home, perhaps to re-discover his missing shooting stroke.

Depending on how badly Masai wanted Biyombo back, we could dump Ross for just the draft pick. Philadelphia is under the cap, and so can absorb salary without sending any the other way.

I wouldn’t do either of these deals, and not only because I’m one of the shrinking number of Raptors fans who believes Terrence will find himself next season. I can’t see a scenario in which Bismack returns to Toronto because doing sense makes no sense for him. He’s demonstrated he’s capable of a starting job, particularly with a team that doesn’t need its centre to score. Why would he rejoin the Raptors, where he’s blocked by Jonas Valanciunas?

I hasten to mention that if you’re expecting me to write a trade proposal which entails moving JV, “all I can tell you brother is: you’ll have to wait” John Lennon lyrics, Revolution by The Beatles

Oct 28, 2015; Liverpool, United Kingdom; General view of statue of John Lennon at the Cavern Pub on Mathew Street. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /

The point of this academic exercise is to demonstrate that Masai could indeed find the cap space if he really wanted to. But I’d be astonished if he actually did.

Next: Free agent cupboard is bare

A final thought: here’s the roster for the Raptors Summer League team. As you’ll see when you click on the link, travelling to Lost Wages are a bunch of serious candidates for the big team’s power forward and backup centre spots. Much as I enjoyed Biz’s time in Toronto, he’s moving on.

Rapture Nation – send me more Ross trades please.

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