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hier gibts doch vince carter-fans oder? hab nen bericht über die lage in toronto gefunden...
Carter, Rose, Marshall must go
By Chad Ford
If you think basketball is already a tough sell in Canada – wait until you check out this year's Raptors.
This spring, when the Raptors decided to clean house in the front office, the Jack McCloskey-led search party got an interesting response to their grand quest for a new GM – lots of "Thanks, but no thanks" from some of the brightest young minds in the NBA.
Why? The job description sounded a little like a "Mission Impossible" episode.
The new GM's mission, if he chose to accept it, included:
Making wholesale changes for a team that is nearly $20 million over the cap for the next three seasons.
--Finding a way to trade Vince Carter, the most popular player in franchise history, without alienating season-ticket holders.
--Discovering a new home for Jalen Rose, an overpaid, shot-happy 31-year-old swingman who had recently been dumped from the lowly Bulls.
--Uncovering a starting-caliber center and point guard in free agency for just $4.9 million.
--Picking a lottery draft choice with less than a month of prep time.
--Hiring the team's third new coach in the past three years.
A quarter of the way into the season, and much of the work in Toronto remains undone. There were no major changes to the team. Both Carter and Rose are sulking on the bench.
Their starting caliber center was Loren Woods, a journeyman with a history of flakiness. Their starting caliber point guard was Rafer Alston, a journeyman with a history of letting his street game interfere with his NBA game.
The lottery choice was Rafael Araujo, a big skilled center, whom the Raptors drafted about 10 spots higher than anyone expected. He's averaging 8.2 mpg this season.
Their new coach – former Timberwolves swingman Sam Mitchell – is a guy without any previous head coaching experience.
The result? Only one move has paid any dividends. Alston is having a career year for the Raptors and looks like he's toned his game down enough to be a good point guard in the league.
The rest? Disaster. Mitchell has alienated many of the players on his team with his no-nonsense, blast-his-players-in-the-media approach. Everyone from the bad guys like Carter and Rose to the good guys like Alston and Chris Bosh has felt his wrath. Carter was reduced to a role player before hurting his Achilles. Rose plays and acts like a dead man walking. Woods looks awesome one minute, terrible the next.
The team has lost 9 of their last 11.
Meanwhile the new GM they hired, Rob Babcock, continues to … well … wait might be the best word. He's had several deals on the table for both Carter and Rose, but has been frozen by indecision. His inability to cut his losses while Carter was healthy and Rose was playing well has put him in an unenviable position.
The question this summer was whether he could get fair value for Carter. Now, it's whether he'll get any value for him.
What's a rookie GM to do? The franchise is a mess. Mitchell is losing his mind. The fans are fleeing the arena. The Raptors need change, and they need it fast.
Insider poured over depth charts and salary-cap information and sought the advice of a few NBA general managers to give you the four things the Raptors must do to turn the franchise around.
FORD'S RAPTORS FIXER UPPER
STEP 1: Trade Vince Carter
By now, everyone on the planet knows that Carter wants out of Toronto. Babcock and Mitchell, after a summer of fence sitting, now want to make it happen. The Raptors have been in trade talks for months with a number of teams trying to work something out.
They've been close to a deal with the Blazers several times, but the insistence by Babcock that Rose be included in the trade has been a major stumbling block. Now that Carter is injured, including Rose in any package might be a deal breaker.
That means Babock might have to start considering deals that don't include Rose.
Carter, Jerome Moiso and Woods to the Hornets for Jamaal Magloire and Jamal Mashburn
The Raptors have shopped Carter (left) and Rose as a package deal, but they might have to consider other options.
This deal has been talked about at several levels for the past month. Magloire is currently on the IL for the next few months with a broken finger that has made the Hornets more willing to consider moving him.
Magloire is not easy to trade because he's a base-year compensation player. However, this is one way to get it done under the cap.
It's obvious why Toronto should do it. They need a center badly and Magloire, a Toronto native, is young, talented and has a very reasonable contract. Mashburn is out for the season and contemplating retirement. Either way, his contract comes off the books in 2006.
The New Orleans side of the deal is more muddled. Carter was a big attraction the last few years, but with all of the negativity he's endured, it's no longer a slam dunk that he sells tickets in New Orleans. If Carter can't do that, what's his value to the Hornets, a team that will likely struggle even if he's healthy? A Baron Davis-Carter backcourt might be exciting, but without any real bigs in the middle, it probably doesn't win any more games.
Carter and Moiso to the Sixers for Samuel Dalembert and Glenn Robinson
Sixers head coach Jim O'Brien isn't a fan of Dalembert, even though everyone else in the league seems to be. One source told Insider that Dalembert's recent surge in playing time is an effort by O'Brien to showcase him for a trade. Sixers GM Billy King doesn't want to trade him and hopes that the showcasing makes O'Brien Slammin' Sammy's biggest fan. The way Dalembert's played the last few nights, it should. If O'Brien remains stubborn, the Raptors are perfect fit. A front line of Dalembert and Bosh is a great place to start in any rebuilding scheme. Carter's ability to score would be welcome in Philly. Right now it's essentially feast or famine with Allen Iverson.
Carter to the Sonics for Ray Allen
This is a deal that's been rumored for months. With the way the Sonics are playing, it makes little sense right now. Allen is healthy and doing what he does best – shooting the lights out. Carter is aching and refusing to do what he does best – dunking with reckless abandon. The concern for Seattle is the upcoming free agency of Allen. He wants a lot more money than the team seems willing to give. Carter is younger, locked up for the next four years and would create a buzz in a city for a team that still can't convince fans that it is legit. The trade doesn't make much sense now for Seattle, but if the Sonics start falling to Earth this might be a deal that the team can't refuse.
Of course, there are still two teams out there that might be willing to take back both Carter and Rose.
Carter and Rose to the Knicks for Jamal Crawford, Nazr Mohammed and Tim Thomas
The Knicks are one of two teams that would seriously entertain taking Rose's contract along with Carter. It's ironic really because Rose and Isiah Thomas never got along in Indiana – a reunion in New York would be forced to say the very least. However, Isiah is obsessed with Carter and seems to be willing to do anything to get him. The fact that Carter is no fan of Knicks head coach Lenny Wilkens – they were together in Toronto from 2000-03 – probably says more about Wilkens' future in New York than it does about Isiah's eagerness to add Carter to the team.
Right now, Isiah's offer of Mohammed, Tim Thomas and Jerome Williams doesn't really make the Raptors' heart beat any faster. Swap in Crawford for Williams, however, and Isiah might just have a deal.
Carter and Rose to the Blazers, Shareef Abdur-Rahim to the Timberwolves, Wally Szczerbiak and Nick Van Exel to the Raptors
Paul Allen is the other owner crazy enough to take both Carter and Rose's contracts. The Blazers have shown major interest in Carter in the past, but have always been on the fence with regards to Rose. If they do take both, they'd prefer to keep Abdur-Rahim out of the equation and send Van Exel and Damon Stoudamire together. That would free them up to send Abdur-Rahim to the Nets for Jason Kidd. A Kidd-Carter backcourt, the Blazers feel, would be worth the cash.
However, realistically, it's probably not going to happen. Kidd doesn't want to play in Portland, and there's no evidence the Nets would agree to a straight Abdur-Rahim for Kidd swap anyway. If the Blazers want to make a deal, they'll likely have to take Carter and Rose. If the Raptors want to make the trade happen, too, they'd like Minnesota to get involved so that they could replace Carter with a popular scorer like Szczerbiak.
STEP 2: Trade Jalen Rose
Babcock (left) and Mitchell are learning on the job as rookie GM and head coach, respectively.
As we stated before, putting Rose in a package deal with Carter has slowed trade talk down for the Raptors. The team might be better off separating Carter and Rose and trading them individually. That's easier said than done. Few teams want to deal with Rose's contract or attitude.
Still, if the Raptors were willing to take back a bad contract in return, there are options.
Rose to the Heat for Eddie Jones
As we discussed in Monday's column, the two teams have talked and the deal works financially. Both players have two years left on their contracts and both have weaknesses. Rose still has gas left in the tank. Jones won't be a problem in the locker room. Pick your poison. It's really the trade that makes the most sense for both clubs and could help grease the skids for a Carter trade.
Rose and Donyell Marshall to the Sixers for Glenn Robinson and Kenny Thomas
The Sixers are a team that needs scoring, and head coach Jim O'Brien has been pushing for change. If they can't work out a deal for Carter, a package of Rose and Marshall might make some sense for the Sixers. They would get scoring a more consistent inside presence in Marshall and some long-term salary cap relief. The Raptors could dump Robinson (who is in the last year of his contract) and could use a versatile low-post scorer and rebounder like Thomas. Money-wise, they have to deal with the last five years of Thomas' contract, but that might be worth getting Rose out of their hair.
STEP 3: Trade Donyell Marshall
Marshall is the one guy on the Raptors that teams actually want. Not only can he be productive in the post, but his salary is reasonable ($5 million this year), and he's in the last year of his contract. If the Raptors are going to start rebuilding with young players, now is the chance for them to give up Marshall (who plays the same position as Chris Bosh) to try out a few younger guys.
Marshall to the Heat for Dorell Wright, Malik Allen and Wesley Person
The Heat are looking for a versatile, consistent low-post scorer and rebounder, and Marshall fits the bill. They would have to give up a young talent like Wright to make it happen, but given the Heat's championship's aspirations, that wouldn't be too much to ask. They could actually combine this trade with the Rose-for-Jones swap and really add some punch to their team. Allen and Person won't fit into the picture in Toronto, but Wright has been called a young Tracy McGrady by some scouts.
Marshall to the Cavs for Dajuan Wagner and DeSagana Diop
Donyell Marshall
Forward
Toronto Raptors
Profile
2004-2005 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
16 10.6 6.2 1.1 .419 .800
The Cavs are offering Wagner and Diop to teams for second-round draft picks, but if they could get a veteran like Marshall to help with the playoff drive – even better. Neither Wagner nor Diop have done anything so far, but in the right environment they might be worth a look. Wagner, the former No. 6 pick in the draft, can score. Diop is huge, if completely untalented. Again, for the Raptors it's about rebuilding and taking some trial runs with a few guys hoping they stick.
If the Raptors took Option 1 on all three steps, they could end up with a roster that looks like this.
Point Guard: Rafer Alston, Milt Palacio, Alvin Williams
Shooting Guard: Eddie Jones, Dorell Wright, Wesley Person
Small Forward: Morris Peterson, Lamond Murray, Jamal Mashburn (injured)
Power Forward: Chris Bosh, Malik Allen
Center: Jamaal Magloire, Rafael Araujo
STEP 4: Build around Magloire, Bosh, Wright and Alston
While following the steps here wouldn't turn the Raptors into contenders, it would give them a very nice young core and a mix of veterans that could eventually turn into something.
Having Magloire and Bosh is big. The Raptors would sport one of the best young front lines in the NBA. Alston has proven that he has what it takes to be a solid point guard in the league, and Wright has tremendous upside down the road.
As these four players mature, the team will continue to improve without having to make radical changes.
We could have picked different options that would have given the Raptors significant cap room. The problem with that route (one the Raptors have seriously considered following) is that the Raptors then have to lure top-flight free agents to Toronto.
Cap space doesn't win championships. NBA players haven't flocked to Toronto in the past and likely won't in the future. If the Raptors aren't able to add young prospects via the trades, they'll have to rebuild via the draft. Before they seriously contemplate going down that road, Babcock might want to call Jerry Krause and ask him how that worked out for him in Chicago.
---- manche ideen sind zwar unsinnig (z.b. Rose nach Philly? passt nicht zu iverson), aber interessant ist es...
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