A whole lot of stuff, and a pick for a favourite dancer

As I sit here wondering when the phone will ring or the e-mail will arrive to signal another transaction, this stuff comes to mind:

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What do we all make of this trade, which certainly gave a boost to a rather boring day, didn’t it?

Let’s just say this: It clears up a glut at point guard, address a minor need for a fourth or maybe fifth big and saves a bit of money starting next summer.

I’d have preferred it not include Ukic, who I still think is going to be a pretty good NBA point guard, but he was a distant third here, Douby’s cheaper and his contract expires next summer (Roko has a player option at $1.45 million in 2010). So, as much as it’s sad to see the kid leave, it makes entire sense.

Johnson? Well, he’s relatively raw, never quite panned out after the Pistons gave him that three year deal but he’ll push Patrick O’Bryant to be fifth behind Bosh, Bargnani, Rasho and Reggie Evans and that can’t be a bad thing.

Weems? Well, if they get anything from him, it’ll be a bonus but the fact they don’t need to get anything from him, really, makes his addition at a minimum salary a no-brainer. Can’t hurt, even if he can’t help.

Milwaukee does all right, except in the money part.

Carlos likely starts at the three and Roko will be insurance behind Brandon Jennings and Luke Ridnour, plugging a couple of holes in that roster, too.

This isn’t a deal that’s going to change the balance of power in the East but it does give each team something it needs, which is always the best kind of transaction.

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Here’s one thing when dissecting this deal that everyone should keep in mind:

The thing Carlos wanted more than anything was playing time. And, with the additions of all the swingmen, he simply wasn’t going to get it here.

It’s not as simple as saying, “why didn’t the Raptors just sign him?” when they couldn’t guarantee him the one thing he wanted.

Why would he come? To back up Hedo and maybe Wright and perhaps DeRozan and have to split two-guard time with Belinelli? It wasn’t going to happen and the fact they were able to sign-and-trade him for any piece that will fit a wee bit better is significant.

They have now invested less money on a shorter deal on Johnson, whose trade kicker takes his one-year salary just over $4 million; and have a minimum contract guy in Weems who, even if he can’t play, becomes pretty good cap ballast in some February transaction.

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I notice with great envy that my man T. Enlund is suspiciously absent from the pages of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, but here’s how Charlie played the deal today.

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Oh, and for all the concern about this trade not being able to be done as a 2-for-2 deal until Aug. 23 because Johnson was traded on June 23, here’s how it actually went down:

There are two separate transactions: Delfino and Ukic for Johnson and Weems for no one since minimum-contract players can be dealt with no repercussions.

Just another wrinkle to that zany CBA.

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Yankees! Yankees!

Yes, the lads came up with a big one last night, squishing bugs and hammering hits and rolling to some unfathomably comfortable win.

It sets us up to go for the whole shebang tonight in a one-game, winner-take-all championship final.

That’s if these dopey thunderstorms get in and out of the area this morning.

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Here’s an interesting angle I read from more than a few people yesterday: “Yeah, Amir Johnson’s only 22 and you know that young big men blossom late.”

I hope these are not the same people who have spent most of the summer telling me how horrible Patrick O’Bryant is and how he’s a bust.

O’Bryant’s less than a year older, taller, longer and probably as – if not more – athletic.

Yet people want to run him out of town and yet are willing to see how Johnson develops?

Odd.

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Here’s one for you:

I know for a fact Bryan’s trying to trade Marcus Banks and is working all his GM buddies to see if he can get something done.

What he’s going to have to do, I would surmise knowing how money-conscious GMs think – is find some team that is willing to take on two years of Banks to get rid of three or four years of someone else.

And if you’re Bryan, unless the guy coming back makes less annually than Banks in the next two years, I think you have to resist the urge to pull of a deal.

But – and this is a big ‘but’ – the fact that a handful of the current contracts expire after this season or next may allow Bryan to do just that.

If he can find a team willing to take two years and about $9.4 million of Banks, and take back, say, three years and $12 million of someone else, that’s the kind of trade he has to swing.

Can he do it? I wonder. But in these economic times, being able – because of other transactions – to add payroll two or three years out from now makes it a lot easier than not having that flexibility.

One thing about Banks, though, that you should now: It’s not that he’s a bad guy who disrupts the locker room or the chemistry on the team. In fact, he was a relative non-entity during his short tenure here and there’s been no suggestion from other places he’s been that he’ll cause issues.

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Who do we like among the latest DWTS roster?

Tough to handicap until we actually see them twist and twirl (although it will be absolutely killer if Donny Osmond were to, oh, let’s say, faint during a performance) so I guess it’ll be sentimental selections at the moment.

Can’t, in all good conscience, pick one of the athletes and I have no idea who a couple of those contestants are.

So …

Let’s all back Debbie Mazar just because she’s on Entourage, which is one of the top handful of shows on the tube these days.

Besides, she was in GoodFellas, one of the all-time great flicks, too.

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Comments

[John MacDonald]

Do you think that Bryan C is done wheeling and dealing (barring any trade involving M Banks)? I know that Bryan would still like to have a backup SF (not sure what Weems true position is or if he can even play any sort of roll). Any chance you think Bryan waives Weems and signs a vet to back up Hedo?

Blogger's note: Who knows if he's done; as I've mentioned a few times, there is still an interest in seeing if they can do something with Banks so perhaps he's not done. As for waiving a guy on a minimum deal to sign someone to be, at best, the third SF, I'd say no

[Matt]

Typo - They have now in(f)ested less money on a shorter deal on Johnson

[Travis]

Why trade Banks at all at this point? We'll need an extra PG for practice and after this year he becomes a valuable expiring contract. What are the chances we can get someone useful in a deal for Banks? Slim to none if you ask me. Any player we could possibly add won't change the amount of wins Toronto will get this season.

My point is... If we're going to have players on our roster that will play rarely/never, I would rather have them be on shorter contracts than long.

[Alex]

Congrats Yankees!! Good luck tonight. Doug do you and super son have a favorite Jays player, and what position do they play Super Son at?

Blogger's note: I'm not sure he has a favourite, actually; and he plays a little second base, a little outfield and has pitched a couple of innings here and there

[Mauro]

Hello Doug.
Its just me or now the Raptor are over the tax ? Something small that can be cleared in february if needed ?

Blogger's note: They're still below the tax level

[Nelson Hui]

I hope Amir Johnson pans out. Is it true there was a time in Detroit when Amir was untouchable in terms of trade? If he pans out, will the Raps have to throw more money at him to keep him or are the Raps treating him as a 1 year serviceable big man (rental).

[MarcM]

As much as he was liked, Roko was the fourth best PG on the Raptors. He was pencilled in the 3 spot due to development reasons. For a team with aspirations for challenging for a place in the upper tier in the Eastern conference development time for anyone not named Demar would have compromised that goal.

Regarding Roko's upside: I like his style of ball but never thought he'd get as good (relatively) as Calderon for the simple reason that I don't believe he has the ability to run a ballclub. Sure he can learn to score more consistently but when compared with players from this year's draft (Evans, Rubio, Curry, Holiday, Flynn, Jennings) it's my guess Roko falls in alongside a group of potentially serviceable PGs - like Teague, Maynor, Beaubois, Calathes, Collison and Mills - with lesser skills.

[chris]

Doug - don't be surprised if Amir becomes the third big. He's a nice young player.

Also, BIIIIIIG difference btwn Amir and POB. Amir plays with ferociosness and grit. His biggest issue is fouling....can't stay on the floor. POB has talent and size but he's SOOOO sleepy out there. Appears to not have an ounce of competitive DNA In him.

Also, have you seen POB during warmups? He walks around, shooting 3's....appears to not give a crap about getting better or being ready to play if his number is called.

[Justin]

Could you see Weems getting time in the NBA-DL?

Blogger's note: Sure, that possibility exists, I guess

[Mark L]

Sorry in advance if this has been answered before.
So Delfino decided to return to the NBA? can he still choose to play in Europe?

Blogger's note: After his NBA contract expires, yeah

[Jenuwine]

Hi Doug, just a quick question, do you know when tickets will be out for the first home game? Stupid question this time of month, but hey, I want to have first dibs at tickets for the first home game against the Diesel and Bron-Bron! Thanks

Blogger's note: It's historically been later in September as I recall

[aditya]

"...and have a minimum contract guy in Weems who, even if he can’t play, becomes pretty good cap ballast in some February transaction."

how does a minimum salaries contract become a pretty good cap ballast in a february transation?

Blogger's note: It's a low number that puts no financial burden on the team obtaining him

[Johnpaul Del Rosario]

Hey Doug, great work over the summer! I must have missed it, how did Super Sun's baseball tourney go?

Raptors scenario: With Marcus Banks being the final trading piece the fans want gone, I put on my BC high collar and went to work on the Trade Machine.

For his final coup de grâce Mr. Colangelo trades Banks and newly acquired Sonny Weems for... Toronto's own, Morris Peterson. NO does this because though they just drafted Darren Collison as Paul's primary backup, he is a rookie and seeing how things went for them last year in that department, Banks, (yes Raptor fans) Banks can play a steady role. MoPete has to be a disappointment for them after they used their entire MLE and have gotten very little in return. Weems is thrown in to make salaries match.

Toronto does this because though older and slower, Mo is a veteran presence, knows the city, the organization and can still be a serviceable backup SF in limited minutes.

Another scenario that works is subbing out Weems and throwing in POB. You "lose" a big but free up playing time for a guy you just traded for in Amir Johnson.

One last scenario, is Banks/Weems or O'Bryant for... James Posey. Truly an ideal backup SF for this team who brings a defensive mindset, a little offensive, experience, and the ability to start if *gasp* something happens to Hedo.

NO does this to shed salary a year earlier and in NO, thats not a bad thing.

Keep up the great work!

[jimmy]

Doug,
I wonder if you've gotten Amir Johnson mixed up with another Johnson, because the Amir JOhnson I've seen play and seen clips of on YouTube is at least 3 times more athletic than Patrick O'Bryant! Amir Johnson can dunk from the free-throw line! He did it in his H.S. dunk competition.

[TJ]

Congrads to super son Doug.
If BC can find a taker for Banks I would have to crown him EOY, lol.
Doug my question to you (even though no games have been played) is, do you think the Raps are deepr now then any time in team history, or in the very least since the hay days of VC?
On paper they seem deeper then their Atlantic division title team.
I know, wait till at least preseason to make even a small guess is wise but now is the time of year where we pretend to know how things will pan out over the next 8 months lol.
Cheers Doug.
PS: my bulldog loves it when I read him your blog, seriously, he sits and stares at me.

Blogger's note: This is a deep team, probably deeper than any in franchise history but the fact remains, rotations should never, ever extend past 10 on a regular basis

[CC]

hi Doug, how come Marcus Banks has such a big contract? I can't remember him having a great year or anything...

Blogger's note: Not sure, he had one okay season in 05-06 and someone liked him.

[Ovais]

How tall is Johnson? I've seen 6'9 to 6'11.

Blogger's note: I'm told 6-11

[Bobby]

hey doug so if B.C can pull of a trade involving marcus banks, what do you see the raps gaining? is there really anybody significant that we can get by dealing marcus banks? btw B.C = GM of the year for sure!!!

[Noslak]

Doug, are you sure you've seen Amir Johnson play? He's a big time athelete...unlike POB who's a big time nothing.

[Sean H]

I like this trade. I have to say though that Amir is way more athletic that POB. He throws it down hard, and he's pretty aggressive when he wants to be. Someone said in this forum that POB looks sleepy all the time. I have to agree. I can see Amir getting playing time ahead of POB and Evans. It seems though that many people think he'll be last on the depth chart. I think he has great potential if we give him a chance.

And Sonny Weems? Check out you tube for the dunk off he won in 2008 I believe in the NCAA He's VERY athletic.

[joe]

Doug,
Thanks for all your hard work keeping track of things during this zany summer. The Raptor Roster looks like this:
C: Bargnani, Rasho, O'Bryant
PF: Bosh, Evans, Johnson
SF: Hedo, Wright, Weems
SG: DeRozan, Bellinelli, Banks
PG: Calderon, Jack, Douby

Very nice lineup. Only concern is if Bosh or Hedo went down with an injury, you wouldn't get much offence from any of the 2nd and 3rd stringers. If BC has any magic left, I hope he can somehow move Banks. I agree with you Doug that it probably means having to take back a player with a bit more salary and term on their deal. Any chance we could swing something for Mo Pete or James Posey from New Orleans. Would a combination of Banks and Weems do it?

[Ben]

The reason fans want to run POB out of town but are willing to give Amir a chance is simple. Regardless of talent fans want to see a guy who at least looks like he gives a s*** and POB seems very content to collet paycheques.

However, you were correct on Entourage being a great show.

[John Chisholm]

Doug

I have been following all the moves by BC and his team since the final game last year. They have made 12 changes from last years starting line up. I think the changes are positive both on court and financially going forward.Now... we wait to see if they can play together as a team and "come together" to win.

Time will tell,it's going to be a very interesting season!!

[nigel]

I read the wiki page for Weems. It seems that he was hampered by an injury for a good portion of last season, and wasnt really given a chance. Sounds like a good risk to take. This is exactly what I was hoping BC would do - take a risk on a good player who didnt get the benefit of a chance...kinda like Jamario!

[Borna]

I feel like the raptors got ripped off. We couldv'e gotten way more value for Delfino who is like 7-12 PPG and 3-4 RPG, and Roko who has so much potential. We got Weems who is garbage and Johnson who is okay as an end of the bench big, but then again so is Pops.

Doug, please tell me why did the raps do this trade?

The only answer I can think of was both have expiring contracts and cleaned up the PG glut. I don't think it was worth it.

Thanks

Blogger's note: Dare I point out the folly of your statement "we could have gotten way more value for Delfino" without even a wee hint of where or how you would have obtained that more value? Or should I not point that out?