Cleaning up from the Ford Fallout, among other things

I can’t believe this interweb thing is still working after the beating it took yesterday.

You’d think Chuck Swirsky was leaving the Raptors or something judging by all the comments and queries we got.

As was written in the very first installment of the Ford-O’Neal saga, the deal is not imminent, there are other teams in the mix for T.J. and no one knows for sure whether it’ll be consummated.

That said, the discussion with the Pacers are real, the Raptors do have a lot of interest in O’Neal (if his knee’s healthy) and it could start percolating again any minute.

And with all the comments yesterday containing so many questions, here’s as many answers as I can provide:

Who backs up Calderon?

There was an inordinate amount of concern over this one, which surprised me. Let’s say they do a Ford-Diaw deal, or a Ford deal to some other team for a big or the much loved Ford-Maggette deal. No backup there. Truth is, backup point guards aren’t hard to find. They are working on the Roko Ukic buyout and he could be the guy. They could sign a young one out of a free agency, maybe a guy like Pooh Jeter did enough in the weekend free agent camp to warrant a look.

That’s the least of their worries.

One guy I don’t think it will be, as some have suggested, is Carlos Delfino. Depending on what kind of offers he gets out there, it’s quite conceivable that Torontolets him walk. In a perfect world they’d probably like to keep him, this is not a perfect world. I still think with Moon, Parker and Kapono (especially if it’s the Kapono of the playoffs) you can make the case that he’s superfluous.

What about Bargnani?

If a deal for a centre comes to fruition, he comes off the bench, likely as a backup four. That way he plays against second unit guys mainly and has some success that helps restore his confidence. It doesn’t mean that anyone in the organization has “given up on him.” It means they found a way to improve the team – they think – top to bottom.

What about the tax?

Even with O’Neal’s numbers on the books – and this is running the salary numbers I have and figuring either Baston or Graham are thrown in for ballast and giving Jose a first-year salary of $8 million – I think there’s still enough cash this summer to spend the entire mid-level salary cap exception without paying tax.

The numbers I have came from an NBA GM and my math skills are okay, thanks to the calculator on this machine, so I’m pretty sure I’m right.

Anyway, they will have some money to spend this summer.

What do I think?

If it were to come off, it’s a gamble, no question. It gives them a two-year window to do something special and they’d have more than $20 million to spend at the end of it if the experiment fails.

Sure there are concerns about O’Neal’s knees, just like there are concerns about T.J.’s neck and back; if the deal happens it’s a gamble on both sides.

The upside with O’Neal is that he’s healthy and motivated to regain his place among the league’s elite and when he’s good, he can be very good.

The downside is he plays 50 games a year and these guys muddle through but, frankly, they’d probably rather muddle through with him playing 50 games than with Rasho playing 75 for a year and then losing Nesterovic for nothing in 2009-10.

Not knowing for sure what else is out there, I''d make deal.

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Okay, let’s get on to other matters. Like that pesky draft that’s coming up Thursday.

What should we read into the fact the Raptors had North Carolina State power forward J.J. Hickson back in for a second look, the only guy they did that with?

Not entirely sure but it has to be a good sign if you’re Hickson. He’s 6-9, a bullish low post guy who, someone, gets it done.

Here’s how Jim Kelly summed him up:

"I think he really knows how to use his body, he has a knack for getting inside, he uses his weight very well and has all these little ‘flip’ shots and I don’t know how you exactly describe him but he shoots the lights out from down in the low block area and he’s played against big guys all his life.”

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Let’s do a mail thing that’s divorced from the draft and T.J.

Q: I am aware of MLB's system for developing its umpires but what is the NBA's and why do they have such a hard time finding and developing decent refs? Maybe their development system needs tweaking as look at the amount of refs in college ball. I am a avid NCAA b-ball fan so I am aware of the lack of credible refs there as well but surely there are some good ones or ones that have the potential to become solid NBA refs?

Doug B, Toronto

A: That’s one of the big problems, there aren’t too many places for good young officials to hone their craft. The NBA looks to the D League, the other minor leagues and the WNBA to find officials. They use them in summer leagues and exhibition games but it takes time for them to learn the nuances of the game, and the craft.

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While we were in the arena waiting for the workout to be over, noticed a crane on the main floor and, being the astute observer that I am, immediately thought, “what’s a crane doing on the Air Canada Centre floor?”

Seems the new scoreboard’s on its way. They were dismantling the old one and getting ready to put the new one up.

Heard it’s very cool, bigger screens, better quality video and, hopefully, the scoreboard part of the scoreboard is somewhere easier to see than right at the top.

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Am sure you heard that Groom To Be Matt Bonner was in the weight room working out yesterday. He wasn’t alone.

The Hump’s in town, too, getting a little summer work in.

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Yeah, she’s pretty damn good.

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Oh, and all you Marreese Speights fans out there take note.

All I heard around the gym yesterday – coaches, staff members, people who saw him work out – was how disappointing the session was.

"Worst guy we had in” was one comment.

I’d suggest you’ve got a better chance getting drafted by Torontothan he does.

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One last thing, for now.

Thanks for all the restaurant, cocktail lounge recommendations in Ottawa. It’s a few months until we’re there but all are being dutifully saved.

Much appreciated.

Comments

[Rob]

Hey Doug,

What's the latest with Anthony Parker? I saw reports last night that he has signed with Olympiakos for $5 million. He has one year left on his contract with Toronto, is the report true? If so, how does that work?

Blogger's note: No, that report is not true. AP couldn't and can't sign anywhere until the Raptors release him from his contract and, as I've mentioned, that's unfathomable at the moment.

[Serge Papineau]

Hi Doug,

Here's a line from your article in today's paper:

"O'Neal has been working out since after the regular season ended and has begun full-court, full-contract work"

Typo or Freudian slip?

Blogger's note: A little of both?

[Jason H]

Doug,
Since the story is broke is there no turning back now? Bosh has even gone on record and discussed the JO deal so I believe that TJ must go for sure. If the JO deal falls through and TJ goes to someone straight up how's Rasho going to feel?
Rasho has been a good soldier and I know he's very smart and knows this is business but its gotta upset him somewhat don't you think?

Blogger's note: Rasho's a pro whose name has been bandied about in trade talks often. He'll be fine.

[Jay]

hey doug, you were talking bout the raptors letting carlos walk. I read on the net, yahoo sports to be exact, that the raptors have extended qualifying offers to both carlos and jose - is there any truth to this? by extending carlos an offer, does this mean the raptors would rather keep him around?

also, regarding that big offseason after '09-'10, the players who opt out will be unrestricted free agents. is it true though that their teams can offer them the max - or is the maximum the same for all teams? i heard its some percentage more that other teams can offer.

Blogger's note: All a qualifying offer is is a bookkeeping measure to assure that the Raptors have the right of first refusal on any contract offer he gets. It doesn't mean they have to match it.
The maximum contract is the same for every team and is set out in the parameters of the CBA as a certain percentage of the cap figure.

[Dave Fritz, Kingston]

Hi, Doug,
Excellent analysis of O'Neal-TJ! Thanks.

[leigh]

Hey Doug, did you see this....a word from your old favourite Oak
http://www.nypost.com/seven/06152008/sports/knicks/oak__nba_has_real_problem_115537.htm

[Will]

So much for having one of the premier front courts in the L: http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=ArmVy3iytPL6mEHKNBtd3FG8vLYF?slug=aw-tradeoff062308&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

Mr. Smith, is Wojnarowski full of it?

And, at risk of spouting a Bill Simmons like conspiracy (not to knock him - love the guy) do you think that both GM's were playing the balls out game, e.g. displaying what TJ/J.O. could get them in an effort to ramp up trade value.

Also Wojnarowski suggests Toronto is, " one of the league’s most active teams in trying to move up in the draft." That said, I haven't heard to much of this around these parts (i.e. from you, grange, or the others). Care to comment on my comment?

Blogger's note: All I know from people I trust about the Ford-O'Neal deal is that it was still being kicked around by the individual teams last night. Dead? I don't know about that.
The Raptors are active in all kinds of talks, moving up, down, out, around. That's not new

[Kenneth]

Doug, here's the thing...I really don't think it really matters if we get 60 games or 50 games out of O'Neal because we can still play Andrea at the 5 when O'Neal's hurt. Another reason not to panic is the fact that Andrea is great when his jump shot is falling, he's willing to drive the ball, when he's committed to getting some boards, etc. With the being said, I also think his game will elevate due to the "new post game" he worked on over the summer. I still believe his upside is still TREMENDOUS if you remember how good he was in his rookie season! I think this O'Neal deal is a good gamble because we got some insurance for it.

What do you think Doug???

Btw, What about the legit(20 pt man) small forward that we soo desperately need?

[will]

Also, its clear you put some amount of time into writing an article last night regarding this trade, but Wojnarowski, reported this deal was dead 15 hours ago. This is NOT a shot at you, just an inquiry as to how these things happen, and how, as Toronto's beat writer this kinda thing makes you feel? Too personal? I'll take you out for a beer if it hurts badly, and we can discuss it then...

Blogger's note: As I mentioned in an early post, the deal was still being discussed in meetings last night. Maybe it was dead, got resurrected, died again, got resurrected again. It's fluid, and nothing's ever really dead. On the backburner? Could be. On life support? Possible. But it remains in the minds of some officials.

[Mike]

I love hearing trade and draft rumor speculations, its what makes the day go by, so Doug my question is besides Phoenix and Indiana, I've read that New York and Portland are other potential teams as landing spots for Ford! But what would BC be looking at specifically from these teams if anything?

Blogger's note: No real idea except I'm told you can take Portland off that list, there is no fit there, the Blazers aren't enamoured for small guards.

[Brian]

Doug,

Can you comment on this line from Eric Smith's Blog?

"It should be noted that … my understanding is that the Raptors cannot trade their 1ST round pick outright. NBA rules stipulate that you cannot trade your first round pick in back to back seasons. Thus, if Toronto were to make this deal, they’d either have to (a) select a player on Indy’s behalf - and then make the deal on draft night, or (b) make the trade after draft night."

What is YOUR understanding of this alleged rule?

Bogger's note: My understanding that it's a complicated rule concerning trades of back-to-back first-round picks but it's a moot point in this case because, if (and it's a big if) the deal goes through, Toronto would simply take a player Indiana wants and consummate the deal on July 1 when T.J.'s base-year compensation comes off.

[Kevin]

Just a note about Speights, it would seem that Scouts Inc.'s David Thorpe holds the same opinion of Speights as the Raptors officials. Thorpe was particularly down on Speights in his podcast with Chad Ford the other day, this coming from a fellow that was really stumping for Speights last season as a player to look out for.

[Ty Gow]

Doug

I enjoy your Raptor analysis. With Chuck Swirsky leaving, who else can we turn to?

I think TJ for O'Neal one for one is a trade to do. Both have big upside potential but risky health backgrounds. But if the trade involves Rasho and especially if it involves our round one draft pick - no way! We are already relieving the Pacers of a big contract so why do we have to sweeten the deal. I would not do it!

[doug]

hey doug - thanks for the info on o'neal, diaw and all other crazy draft rumours. i, for one, am not going to miss tj at all so these are exciting times.

my question is quite a bit off-draft-tj-topic: is steve nash, jamaal magloire, vince carter, chris bosh or anyone else going to host a charity game in toronto at the ACC this summer?

with the olympics it might be light on star power - but the nash one a few years back was great fun!

Blogger's note: I can't keep answering questions in here, that's what the mailbag's for, but no, no game here this summer. Spend your money and go watch Canada play Lebanon and New Zealand on July 4-5 at Ricoh Coliseum.

[Nick M]

I have just been reading about a possible trade between the Suns and Clips. Barbosa and #15 to the Clips for Magette and #7. I'm sure BC has talked to the Clips but surely the Raps can come up with a more enticing offer. Say TJ, AP and #17 for Magette, an end of bencher and #7 (Barbosa does not even fit the Clips need for a PG!).

Also I have read that Memphis is trying to give away the #5 as long as the other team takes Cardinals 2 for $13 million.

I'm not sure about the second option (depending on who is there at #5) but if the first happened it would be the best deal the Raps could get, no?

[yertu damkule]

please, please let this deal die. look, i'm sure TJ's gone as well, but this deal just stinks. i know JO CAN play 5, but he's on record as saying he doesn't like/want to. he's 29, been in the league since he was 18...that's a lot of miles. well, it would be if he hadn't missed so much time over the last 5 seasons...but i'm sure that's nothing to worry about, we all know that big guys with knee trouble usually play at a high level well into their 30's. at least we could brag to the rest of the league that we've got a true super-duper-star (or at least a guy playing half the season making $20+ mil).

assuming dealing TJ is a foregone conclusion (though part of me thinks signing/trading Jose would yield greater returns), and if it's to be for a big, so be it...just make it the right big, and do whatever possible to hold onto that pick - and use it to take CDR. CDR! CDR! CDR! CDR!

[Brian]

Doug, after further investigation it appears as though the rule pertaining trades of back-to-back first round picks only applies to FUTURE picks. Teams are not permitted to leave themselves without a first round pick in consecutive future drafts. As the Raptors have their pick in next year's draft (as far as I know), they are permitted to trade the #17.

One more clarification point: You mentioned Ford's BYC - does the mean that a trade including him cannot be consumated until July 1?

Blogger's note: It can, but to take full value of his contract means waiting until July 1.

[Richard]

Doug:

Who picks the pictures for the stories you guys run in the sports section? Why do I ask? Well, it seems whomever the person in charge of selecting the picture chose the worst possible picture of TJ for the article today about the trade rumors. It's a shot from the game where he was booted in Utah after going a little nuts on the court - probably his lowest point as a Rap captured in one photo.

It's certainly fuel for all the conspiracy theorists who think the media and all the writers turned on TJ and are giving him a nice kick in the rear on his way out of the city.

[ro]

Candace is awesome. It's so easy for her. Does AP make any comments about her to you media type people?

[Dave]

Doug I knew you would skip it. You said you would go over Oneal's fight with the Piston fans. If he was a thug and how he would get along with Raptors nice guys.

You said he wasn't a thug. But I got lots of video on youtube showing he is.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwq8KPyzkSI

You said you would cover it the next day. This is a big issue.

Blogger's note: Sorry, it slipped through the cracks.
Jermaine O'Neal is not a thug, was involved in one incident four years ago. I don't think he's a thug, the Raptor brass doesn't, the Pacer brass doesn't, the NBA doesn't and, quite frankly, I believe you may be the only person of those who commented over the last couple of days who have a big issue with an isolated incident that happened in 2004. But thanks for the look back at history.

[Paul M.]

Doug, if you start a FAQ for the blog, could you include an answer for "most comments on any blog posting"? Did 103 for the post yesterday top anything you've gotten so far?

Also, what do you make of Vescey's latest rumour about the Raps and Knicks? Please tell me that if Walsh called to offer Randolph/Curry for Ford, that BC hung up before the names were even out of his mouth.

Blogger's note: Anecdotally (I don't keep track), that brought more comments than anything. And I cannot imagine they'd listen to anything involving Curry.

[Zack]

With all due respect to Anthony, what are the chances of BC trading him for his sister Candace?

And to Kenneth, if Bosh and O'Neal were occupying the frontcourt, Kapono would likely thrive as the starting 3, given many opportunities to once again reign as the NBA's top 3-point shooter with Moon coming off the bench.

[Tristan]

Doug - I realize that the mailbag is for questions, and, to be sure, your "extra duty" has been much appreciated. But, as I'm sure you know, being in the dark is pretty excruciating, so the occasional updates and tidbits that you offer provide valuable relief.

Blogger's note: No problem, I try to get as much up and out there as quickly as I can but there is some time needed to actually do the reporting and try to satisfy the demands of the newspaper product. Oh, and Little League games to coach.

[Mikey]

To Dave, look for all the YouTube vids you want, we all know Ron Artest started that brawl and Stephen Jackson helped finish it. And even if O'Neal and Jackson could be compared as the same type of player, Captain Jack hasn't been doing to bad in Golden State.

[Ret Jackon]

Frankly I would welcome Jermaine O'neil. Its way more than what was expected for T.J. I would hope we can keep Parker, Kapono, Delfino and Moon I think thats a great rotation for the 2 and 3 positions. This trade would surely benefit Bargniani and take the pressure and limelight off him for sometime. I'm just worried this deal will slip away as time passes.

C-O'neil
PF-Bosh
SF-Kapono
SG-Parker
PG-Calderon

would match up well against anyone in the east. If healthy everyone stays healthy.