The problem is everything they did leading up to Friday contributed to them surrendering leverage with both free agents, as well as potentially with teams around the league in trade talks. The first-round pick they surrendered for Poeltl showed that even if the Raptors didn’t rate the 2024 draft very highly, they had no intention of taking steps backward. In short, when they added win-now talent ready to hit the market instead of shedding it, they made their plans clear and left themselves with limited ways to pivot. Even if the trade market for VanVleet or other veterans didn’t shape up perfectly, going in the other direction — trying to improve the team in the short term at the cost of the long term — cost them some long-term flexibility.
by Barnicus53
22 Comments
It was always bound to. Everyone knew they flubbed the deadline.
As soon as Masai mentioned that he didn’t like to make deals at the deadline I knew one of our guys would walk for nothing
He fucked up bad at the deadline.
His decision to buy in on a trash team of upcoming free agents brought us to this moment. Trading Fred for literally anything, tanking, and keeping next year’s pick would have been so much better than this
When your President of Basketball Operations says he doesn’t like to use one of best times of the year to trade players for good value you know he’s cooked. He’s literally doing the job handicapped on purpose just to try to prove a point, the only point he’s proving is he’s incompetent.
This was bound to happen and the FO did it to themselves.
Masai’s overrated. He’s too emotionally attached to “his” players. He overrates his own players that other GM’s don’t wanna deal with him anymore.
Man’s not the same since Kawhi duped him.
This is the most tiring conversation…acting like the raptors are the only ones who have had a free agent walk for nothing. We turned down a late first at the deadline to try and re-sign Fred long term to a $30 million dollar long term deal, and one team came over the top. Would that first be nice? Sure, but we have plenty of talent still on this roster to make moves.
Imo, resigning OG and getting value for pascal (after extending) is the key to our future.
I guess it’s true.
Most people are fucking idiots.
Finally someone is calling him out.
The first they gave turned into a long term Poeltl deal. Maybe they thought the 1st next year would turn out to be a weak player in a supposed weak draft class. We will soon have Gary down long term. I don’t think this is as bad as some are making it out to be.
Honestly Fred probably talked too much to other players that everyone in NBA circles probably knew he was leaving this leaving Masai and raptors in a tough spot
I said it then and ill say it again Fuk Fredbrick
Masai has been fucking up since the Lowry situation. So many prime opportunities to rebuild the team but they keep expecting huge hauls for their players.
At some point you have to wonder if Masai is that incompetent or is MLSE blocking a rebuild
Calm down Kooreen.
They made the right move. Didn’t panic at the deadline and got Pak signed.
The Raptors on paper were better than a play in team. It’s FVV and the coach for the loss
Not every decision is a basketball decision. They were looking for a fleece, or to make some playoff revenue. We see it as a loss, but in their eyes, it was a win-win.
>In the summer, there’s 29 losers and 1 winner. There’s 29 teams looking to do more.
They miscalculated. They didn’t have any leverage because players were FAs, or flat out refused to extend with trade targets, or other teams opted to keep their draft picks.
I honestly don’t care they lost FVV for nothing, especially when you consider how bad those TDL reported deals were for him. However, it’s the 2 FRPs they gave up for Thad and Poeltl that sting the most. Also probably lost a few spots in the draft. It’s a compound effect of losing out on the future.
And if the team ends up 10th worst or whatever next year, it’s going to sting even more.
I prefer keeping younger players around Scottie. OG and Gary provide more value to the Raptors than FVV over the next 3 or 4 years. Glad FVV walked.
Korean is half baked on this one. Trying to get clicks from a vengeful fanbase.
The problem with saying they should have moved the ‘asset’ is the message it sends to the team. The players would have understood that the management doesn’t believe in them. Can’t send that message.
Also as much as everyone in the org loved Fred, maybe the sight of him moving on for 43 million per year makes others understand his message a little better. Grow up, get paid. Immaturity is a weakness that teams can’t afford.
I’m much happier knowing Fred walked for nothing instead of Gary
Obviously I’m not the only one. Fred, great outspoken leader that he was, was a little full of himself. That became apparent when he just chucked over and over and over again