Whatever else happens, it better happen quickly

You see Atlanta making all kinds of trades and Brooklyn making deals and Utah getting in on the action and Portland signs a guy to a lucrative offer sheet and a lot of teams are entertaining a lot of free agents both high profile and low and I know you’re thinking:

What the heck is going on here in Toronto?

Basically, it’s waiting for on the one big shoe to drop and until Steve Nash decides what he’s going to do, there’s not a whole lot to report.

The Raptors have gone so far all-in on Captain Canada it might be stretch to say it’s hamstringing them on doing anything else but that’s not too far off.

Sure, I’m certain they’re having quiet conversations with a couple of other guys – if they’re not, Bryan’s not doing his job and he’s always been one to make sure bases are being covered so I can’t imagine he’s sitting on his thumbs in his office – but they can’t really do anything for real right now.

Money is a bit of an issue – they’ll have to figure out how much they need to clear to get Nash, they’ll have to figure who, if anyone, they’ll have to amnesty if they don’t – but it’s more a matter of timing.

If they get him, all they have to do is concentrate on a three; if they don’t get him, they’ll need to figure out if they’re okay with Jose as the point guard for another year at least – I think they should be – and then find the other pieces they so sorely need armed with whatever cash they decide to clear up.

What I do expect, from the very few conversations I’ve had since before free agency began, is that things will happen rather rapidly once they know what’s going on with the big fish they’re chasing.

It won’t take two or three or four days for them to basically fill out the roster if they get Nash – he’s got that kind of allure to other free agents – and if they don’t, they have to be ready to hit the ground running with Plans B and C and D.

Things around the office have been eerily quiet and calm, no one’s talking even privately, but you have to hope that beneath that calm, there’s some furious paddling being done and once the No. 1 issue is resolved that things will move at a rapid pace.

I don’t think anyone wants to hear “we’ve got some flexibility, let’s see how we can use it in the future.” They want to hear “we’ve got our No. 1 guy now here are our Nos. 2, 3, and 4” or “we didn’t get the big guy but we’ve got these guys locked up” and they want to hear it quickly.

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It’s official:

After having the TV on as white noise while I’ve been working away at Casa Doug these last couple of days, Criminal Minds is sooooooo much better with Joe Mantegna than it was with Mandy Patinkin it’s not even funny.

Agree?

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Let’s get this straight:

The Atlanta Hawks are going to trade away a perennial all-star and very much the face of their franchise and a guy, love him or hate him, who can make those dramatic late-game baskets and they’re getting back a gaggle of nobodies and a lottery-protected draft pick and somehow they “won” the Joe Johnson trade?

Yes, it is a wonderful sport, isn’t it?

And the next time someone tells you some NBA contract is “untradeable” please laugh out loud; the Nets took on Johnson knowing they’ll have to pay him $25 million in three years.

There are no “untradeable” contracts.

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Tom Cruise turns 50 today; I think we should all jump around on our couches and act like fools.

Ya with me?

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TOD for a minute?

How hard is it to watch Ricky Romero these days?

Had a nice quiet night last night waiting on non-existent Nash news with the ball game on in the background and it was startling to see the ace of the staff scuffling so much.

Now, I don’t profess to know nearly enough about the intricacies of pitching – all I remember is that I couldn’t hit it – but I don’t have any real doubt that, eventually, Romero’s going to find the stuff that made him so good just a year or so ago.

It’s a weird business, professional sports. I don’t know what minor thing can turn a guy from good to bad, make strikes become balls, ground balls turn into hits, bleeders become doubles.

But I do know – and we’ve seen it countless times in baseball and other sports – that just as quickly as things go south they can turn around again and go north. Maybe it’s one pitch, or one strikeout, or one rocket that turns into a threat-killing double play; something happens and things are good again.

I’d love to be able to examine the brain of a scuffling pro athlete to see how much confidence plays into it, too. Every good athlete I’ve ever known has been supremely confident, they just “know” things are going to work out for them and there’s nothing to indicate a crisis of confidence in the relatively young lefty.

Sure, he’s got to be wondering what the hell is going on but I guarantee you he thinks his next start is when he gets back on track and that might be the most important thing he’s got going for him.

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Going to be a little bit of CanCon on the Raptors summer league team, I hear.

The full roster hasn’t been announced yet – it’s hard to get firm commitments with players weighing different offers – but Oregon guard and Toronto native Devoe Joseph has been lined up.

Toss in such other luminaries as Ed Davis, Terrence Ross, Quincy Acy and Mr. Triple Double Ben Uzoh and the team’s eight-game summer league winning streak looks in peril, not to mention it might be hard for them to defend their championship.

I, of course, will be paying scant attention.

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Hmm.

Three weeks today I land in London. Guess it’s time to start getting up to speed on the Olympics, no?

And I hear it was the wettest June in a long time over there, remind me to pack the brolly, would you?

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Comments

[SY]

Wow......3 years 20 mill for Landry Fields.....that's like Wilson Chandler $$....do you think Landry Fields has more upside than Wilson Chandler? Or are they pretty much the same?

Blogger's note: Apples and oranges

[LeeZ]

"Blogger's note: Look at this way, as cold as it is, and probably not right: If it backfires, it's going to be someone else's mess to clean up"
Best. Quote. EVER! Alert the people at Bartlett's! Yep, BC would be outta here.

[LeeZ]

Does the fact that Fields has an INCREDIBLY hot girlfriend factor into the decision making?
O.K., that was a rhetorical question. Here's an actual one: are any of the tall foreheads commenting to you (on or off the record) about any of this, or are we still in lockdown mode?

Blogger's note: Total public comment lockdown, nothing 'til July 11 on the record

[LeeZ]

Via Raptors Republic: per Chad Ford (ESPN) Fields has the ability to pull out of the deal between now and 7/11 though, so the blocking of a S&T isn't necessarily in stone (e.g. if the Suns offered a more front-loaded equivalent, or a 4th year or something like that).

Blogger's note: Sure, he could lie. Two words: John Salmons

[Mike kovacs]

Doug can you please remind us of the new rules wrt sign-and-trade? Is it that the player cannot get more money now by going that route?

Blogger's note: Short story, and specific to this case, any player signed to an offer sheet that is matched cannot be traded to the team that signed him to the offer and cannot be included in a sign-and-trade anywhere

[John]

Man, I wish I could negotiate my next contract with Bryan Colangelo. Between Fields, Kleiza, Kapono, Turkoglu, Amir Johnson and others I'm sure I'm forgetting, Colangelo has really made a name for himself by tripling whatever these guys could get on the open market. Its getting a little embarassing that all the national reporters now refer to Raptors management with such derision.

Blogger's note: Except for all the ones who think is is a bold move to pre-empt a Phx sign-and-trade involving Fields; read more

[LeeZ]

No doubt you're busy ferretting out the details of the whole Fields thing, and this question might well take you a while to answer, but: Assuming the Raps get both Nash and Fields, amnesty José, and make no other moves (I realize the odds of no other moves are extraordinarily slim, but bear with me here) apart from signing Ross and Acy to rookie contracts, where does that leave the team in terms of total payroll? Would the Raps be in a position to make a significant FA addition on top of all that, or would they have to find a way to divest themselves of some salary? And if they can't shed salary, do you think BC would be able to hit the owners up for luxury tax territory?

Blogger's note: Without a lot arithmetic, yes; it would still allow them significant leeway

[doug]

there is no way the deal can backfire, as it is a back loaded deal...and back loaded contracts are easy to get rid of...as in the NBA unlike any sport and how few players there are competing for money, teams love to acquire players with a large contract coming up the books...the Pistons just did it, their the easiest contracts to move...so Fields is a good signing, forces the Knicks to make a move and in turn we have Fields for 2 years or longer....so in essence it's a 2 year deal, at 12 million....not a burdensome contract by any stretch....

[LeeZ]

Blogger's note: Sure, he could lie. Two words: John Salmons
So what's the deal with S&T's, anyway? The player is not actually bound to the team he signs it with??? Was Salmons an S&T guy, or was he an unrestricted FA? (I had assumed he was the latter, but it could have been one of my senior moments, of which I have many...)

Blogger's note: Agreed during the moratorium, reneged when it came time to sign.

[LeeZ]

Alright, I gotta get back to work now (heavy sigh), but before I do, I really have to thank you for your work today (and every day). Seriously, I know of no one else who would put up with so many hairbrained questions (most of them from me) and take the time to answer so many of them. Really helps us fans feel connected to the process. Much appreciated.

[Jeff]

Any chance Nash views the Fields signing as meddling in his flexibility? Can't be too fond of BC messing with the number of his free agent options...

Blogger's note: Absolutely no impact whatsoever

[joeu]

I'm fine with the rumoured 20m for 3 years. He's a kid, and BC is paying for potential. The only bad contracts are the ones that can't be traded for an asset coming back.

[SY]

One thing I do not quite understand.....If the Suns can S&T Nash to NY, can't the Sun S&T Nash to the Raps given that we have way better assets/cap space? Why do the Raps have to go thru so much trouble -> signing Fields to pre-empt Phx etc.....Do you know if there's still beef between the Suns & BC?

Blogger's note: You might be over-valuing the assets they might want to give up

[Pete L]

Hey Doug,

I just read the Raptors signed Landry fields to a 3 year, 20 million dollar contract, which at first looks rediculous. But look at his numbers pre-Melo in NYC (as a rookie)

PTS: 10.1,REBS: 7.0,FG% 50.2% 3P% 40.1% and a solid defender.

Is this not exactly what the raptors need out of their SF?

[Andrew Gregg]

Hi Doug:

Just catching up here...I don't think anyone has written as much copy about Landry Fields anywhere ever. Still, I like the strategy. Since I don't understand numbers, I have a non-S/T, non-cap question about Nash possibly coming here: do you think Toronto could have any advantage on a personal level, with Coangelo's old links to the Suns?

AG, Toronto

Blogger's note: Not a big factor at all

[John]

I just don't understand why it had to be for so much freaking money; my understanding is that so long as we got him to sign the offer sheet, if the Knicks matched they couldn't trade him for 3 months (thus no Nash for them). If this is just a clever ruse, why didn't we just make a reasonable offer and get him to sign it? By the way, I'd love to read one of the national reporters you mentioned who think this was a clever gambit - all I've seen so far is negativity.

Blogger's note: Look harder, I'm not wasting my time

[Jeff]

What are the chances raps get Fields, Lin and Nash?

Blogger's note: Less than 0

[doug]

can I ask a question...why is there this moratorium period?/..why are teams not allowed to sign players before the 11th, it's unlike any other sport...would make it more interesting and take away players and agents playing off offers....but there must be a reason it exists..just wondering

Blogger's note: In part sober second thought, in part the forensic accountants are in 30 front offices determining cap/tax numbers

[Ren]

Is he coming Doug? Give us a guess, maybe a percentage... We are dying out here!

Blogger's note: Wish I could

[Jason]

With 2 offers out for about 19 mil a year does his mean the end of my fab player Jose?. If Nash and Landry both sign what is the cap situation than? Just min contracts left to offer?

[jc]

Hey Doug,
You are always good for sobering insight. Please help. I can't see how a shot across the bow at the Knicks makes us more appealing. If Nash wasn't going with the Knicks, then we didn't need to do it. If he was leaning towards the Knicks, they will find a way around this. If he was undecided, this all looks very amateur. So the only peace I can make is if the powers that be legitimately view Fields as their new, much talked about, starting SF. Any other intentions the signing may have had seem misdirected. Confused am I.

Blogger's note: Let's put it this way: Doesn't make Toronto more attractive, makes it less possible the Knicks can get Nash

[Mr. Cook]

@Doug (reader/commenter) The next year's cap is figured out using revenues of the previous year and usually does not come out until +/- 24hrs of July 10th. Therefore any signings that contravene CBA provisions or implicate the luxury tax could not be made with appropriate due diligence before then and as much as it is 'sport' that would be an unconscionable business aspect to put your brands (franchises) at risk of.

What I find interesting about this is that it increases my opinion that BC doesn't look at positions 2/3 or SG/SF but rather wings and bigs. If we end up with Landry Fields there is a glut at the "2" with Derozan, Fields and the rookie so unless we ship some more people to different places you have to assume the staff is okay with the gaggle of wings between Forbes, Johnson, DD, Fields Kleiza (when he's not being a 4) and Ross sharing the 2/3 positions generally. Flexible line-ups indeed and probably play-off bound with Nash if he signs but I'm not sure it solves the elite lock-down wing necessary to really get things going.

[AT]

trying to figure out what is missing here... if there is a Sign and Trade with phx to knicks, doesn't that mean that is where Nash wants to play? And if that is the case why wouldn't it impact his views of the Raptors??? looks like there is now quite a log jam at the #2. Do the raps end up keep Bayless if no one makes him an offer?

Blogger's note: Isn't the goal of any competition to limit the effectiveness and options of the opponent? That's what they did. Fields can be a 3, can't imagine there's an impact on Bayless

[jc]

thanks for the reply. Btw, should we still be counting on the "news should come by Wednesday night" or, if we've learned anything, should we count on nothing?

Blogger's note: I'll stick to Wednesday but count on me being wrong

[doug]

I thank Doug for his response and Mr.Cook but I tend to think it is Stern liking the "juice" for what this brings, as that was his response to Wilbon's "interview" during NBA finals in regards to not changing lottery...he liked the "juice"...as salary cap can be solved before the 10th...it's all semantics...Stern likes it this way, although I find it interesting as the 2 groups of people he finds most abhorrent, the players and agents he is feeding into during this week....but look at Espn the top stories are NBA stories and conjecture, not fact as the 11th makes them fact...so he has taken "juice" away from NHL (except in Canada) during their FA period..so not a bad move...but not necessary...including draft it's a 3 week or so NBA media fest...not a bad move by Stern