Kleiza's coming and the Warriors fetch an astonishing price

Hey, welcome to Linas Kleiza Day!

Denver's window to match the Raptors' offer sheet expires tonight and The Nuggets are not going to match.

Oh, and we’re two days away from the end of Toronto’s summer league run. I think if they go 5-0 they might erect a statue to Eric Hughes outside Thomas and Mack, right next to the ones for Tark and Wayne Newton.

Or not.

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But, on the flip side, if we’re two days away from the end of Toronto’s Vegas vacation, we’re also two days away from Bryan leaving a gathering of a couple dozen other GMs and that means he’ll probably be working overtime trying to get something done before the flight home.

Put in that kind of super-charged environment, it’s almost impossible for him to resist getting some trade done, or some move made.

This is something of an educated guess but I bet my mid-week next week we might have some resolution to the issues that plague the Raptors, namely what to do with the point guard spot and whatever small forward issues they need to resolve.

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Speaking of summer league and the non-roster guys you may think are impressing (I’m a perfect 5-for-5 on Days Without Watching A Minute Of Action), here’s something to consider:

Right now, the Raptors have 13 players with guaranteed contracts, they hold an option on Joey Dorsey and I don’t know that there’s room for anyone, to tell you the truth.

I think for financial reasons, they probably won’t go with a full 15-man roster (that seems to be a trend around the league) and if they are to make some kind of trade, or even use that juicy trade exception, it’s going to mean players coming back, or even extras being added.

So no matter what transpires on the court out there, I think it’s a simple fact of there being no room for anyone.

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Last call for the mail, boys and girls.

Not sure when the weakly, er weekly mailbag will get up but I suspect we’ll stay on the same schedule this week.

And since I’ve got all day Saturday to sit in the office and pretend to know what I’m doing steering the ship, I figure that’s as good a chance as any to get caught up with the mail.

So click here, challenge me and we’ll see what we can do.

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Seriously, this is going to be really cool.

Somehow, amid being reminded of the billion or so dollars in oft-questionable contracts that were doled out this summer, David Stern is going to have to sit across from Billy Hunter, plead his case for the NBA economic model being near ruins and Billy’s going to look up and say:

“Four hundred and fifty million dollars, David. That’s what the Golden State Warriors went for. Four hundred and fifty million dollars.”

That’s the largest sale price in NBA history for a team that has made the playoffs once in the last 16 seasons.

I tell ya, the league is really going to have a hard time pleading its economic hardship argument with things like that going on.

Now, heaven knows I have no expertise in the area of high finance or the inner workings of multi-hundred million dollar businesses, but the perception that things are horribly broken in the NBA model is going to be hard to prove to the common folk given what’s been going on the summer, capped by that extraordinary number the Warriors fetched Thursday.

I am sure there are teams in the league in precarious financial straits, just as I’m sure there are players who are horribly over-paid.

There would seem to be enough blame for why on both sides – owners and general managers who spend foolishly, players who don’t earn the princely salaries they are paid.

But I would also assume that both sides would realize that the general public sees this as billionaires arguing with multi-millionaires over an unimaginable financial pie and anything less than a settlement will be a catastrophe for all concerned.

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In a moment of digression, I’ll mention that not only has Super Son decided this would be a good summer to start learning the drums (and I have to tell you, the sound of a neophyte 13-year-old Ringo hammering away is something not many should live through) but he decided last night would be a good night for him and I to sit through Rocky IV.

On The Waterfront it’s not, and I think I need to be spending more time with him on finding the finer things in life. Like silence. And good flicks.

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Speaking of digressions, I need Bryan to do what he’s got to do this weekend, because starting Monday, I Are Golf Boy in my one-week-a-year-turn-on-the-links and I’d like a nice, relatively quiet week.

I’d also like sun (the best thing about basketball: No rainouts) so if anyone can hook me up with temps in the mid-20s and no humidity starting Monday, it’d be appreciated.

(Yes, it’s quiet in basketball land, hence the digressions).

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Hey, finally saw an Antoine Wright rumour out there.

Cleveland’s apparently got some interest and I guess that’s not a huge surprise since, you know, they don’t have a whole lot of players and they were calling about him last year around the trade deadline.

Boston was being bandied about as a possibility a couple of weeks ago so we should see him somewhere in the league next year.

But I’ll also throw this out to calm some things down: I don’t imagine there’s any kind of sign-and-trade deal out there. Teams making offers to Wright are going to be making offers below the mid-level exception and a) they won’t have to do a deal for financial reasons and b) there’s nothing at that price range that’s likely to help the Raptors on any team.

There has been little or no communication between Wright, his agents and the Raptors brass; that ship has sailed off unimpeded.

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I know, we’re a little bit shorter than usual today, blame the guys in Vegas.

Comments

[camilito]

So Orlando is 20 millions into luxury tax territory; wow...and having players they don't need and the Raps could definitely use like Gortat and Pietrus. Ideally something could be worked with Orlando that would save them some big money in exchange for at least a part of Raptors TPE. Too bad I understand that Orlando GM is a difficult fellow to deal with.

[michael]

hey doug,

Will there be a barbosa and kleiza press conforence anytime soon. i wanna watch it.

Blogger's note: No plans at all; both are back in their homelands

[Andrew Gregg]

Hi Doug:

In 1993 I was hanging around southern California and took in some summer league games at Cal-Irvine (Home of the Anteaters). It was an immense amount of fun--laid back, like watching minor league baseball.

But the best part of that summer was that Magic Johnson had his own team in the league--with Kurt Rambis and some other big bodies. It was amazing to see him play, watching from the third row in a 3,000 seat auditorium. Doug Christie was on the Lakers team that summer--but I didn't see his wife anywhere.

Just saying that summer league isn't always bad...

AG, Toronto

[The J]

You know, I actually like Rocky IV. Sure it was cheezy, especially now in retrospect, but that was part of it's appeal. My only knock is that it doesn't have the original score, but it does have the mandatory mantage, and yelling "DRAGOOOOOO!!" from the mountain top. To me it's my favorite Rocky movie after the first. In fact if you think Rocky IV is bad, just TRY watching Rocky V. It is beyond horrible. 15-20 minutes into that one and you will be looking for a summer league game to watch!
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Antoine is 26? Wow, I would have guessed early to mid-30s. Then again I find it hard to believe Greg Oden is a day under 40.

[Geoff Read]

Rob V: what you meant to say was "complement" him... although, given the size of Shaq's ego, the Raptors would probably need to get a star player to compliment him too.

Shaq fans: he was once a dominant centre. Now, he's a shell of his former self and the exact opposite of what the Raptors are trying to do, which, apparently is to run an up tempo offense with their younger guys. If Shaq has any use at all anymore, it's not with a team that's emphasizing speed and a full court offense.

Now, if Kevin O'Neill were still here, Shaq would probably be his dream player.

[joe jameson]

Hey Doug,

Why no love for the Young Guns dunk off? I found it quite entertaining. MUCH better production value compared to CBTV, and I think you will agree.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uogNSPU9LgE&feature=player_embedded

[Matthew]

Hey guys. Here is a rumour from Yahoo sports. It has nothing to do with the raptors but just reading the headline makes me wonder if they have editors over there.

http://ca.sports.yahoo.com/nba/rumors/post/Milwaukee-seeking-suddenly-free-Head?urn=nba,256407

[Danny]

The greatest part of Rocky IV is the extended, over-the-top training montages. Who doesn't love Balboa shunning technology for the great outdoors?!? Gimme Raging Bull anyday! Also, any word on Matt Barnes around the league?

Blogger's note: Not a lot, heard Boston and Orlando but not much else. Am sure there will be; he's a pretty valuable guy in my opinion

[Evan]

So happy to hear Antoine is leaving. If it wasn't for a few lucky late 3s, people wouldn't be looking for him to come back. He played hard, but shot a terrible percentage, and didn't do much other than defend. The team doesn't need individual defenders but defenders who can play as a team. Sonny more than fills his roll.

[AJR]

Doug,

I like what I've seen from Dorsey. Reminds me of another well-built rebounder with terrible FT%. Ben Wallace. Defense wins rings.

Here's an idea... Calderon for Marc Gasol. Me likey. Heck, if they wanted Chandler, Hasheem Thabeet might even be worthwhile.

Has Memphis shown any interest?

[The J]

@joe jameson - after watching that video I have gone from "having Amir, Sonny and Demar on the floor together might be disaster" to "having Amir, Sonny and Demar on the floor together might be disaster, but atleast it would be a highly entertaining disaster". If they are going to lose, atleast we'll be entertained.

[Lorie]

Hey Doug,
I read that the U-17 girls won their first game against Turkey. Have you had a chance to talk to anyone about this game in particular, and maybe what the expectations are for these kids? Same as for the U-17 boys: chiefly an experience at the international level, or are there medal hopes? (And do you think Perk's still having a ball over there?)

Blogger's note: Important win in a tough group and I haven't spoken to anyone over there yet; and Perk has fun wherever Perk is :)

[AJR]

Doug,

In my Fantasy Basketball league we hand out a “Babcock” award to the worst GM of the year. We flirted with naming it the David Kahn or the Isiah, but the Babcock has held lasting appeal.

What would be your top 10 list of the worst GM’s in NBA history, worthy enough of having our award renamed in their honour? And would Michal Jordan make the list?

[Matthew]

@AJR - No AJR Memphis has not shown any interest in your trade offer. Their GM would like you to stop calling him.

[DH]

Kerry, considering the Raptors lost a guy who grabbed almost 11 rbs a night. The replacement possibilities are a rookie and a young player that got his 1st significant minutes last year. It is easy to see why fans are excited about Dorsey. Currently it leaves the team with a leading rebounder whose maxed out at 6 rpg. Not good enough.

[BB]

Anybody who is not excited about the Kleiza signing should watch some of these highlights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pD2ncuy3WF8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Np8WO4Qx2g&feature=related

I somehow think he'll be okay on fast breaks. lol

[Aditya]

Blogger's note: Many and varied reasons, where's he fit? Who's he better than? What's it mean for other kids? Why lock him up for any length of time? Redundancy. He's an old 26. Many, many and varied reasons.
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Is Dwyane Wade a washed up 28 year old then?

Blogger's note: Surely to all that's good in the world you're not serious?