With the signing of Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk, the battles for the Raptors’ final roster spots are coming into focus, Blake Murphy of The Athletic tweets.
Murphy writes that the player option included in Mykhailiuk’s deal makes it very likely he gets one of the team’s final roster spots, especially given Toronto’s lack of guaranteed depth at the shooting guard spot. Second-round pick David Johnson and partially-guaranteed Ishmail Wainright are the only shooting guards on the roster beyond Gary Trent Jr. Fred VanVleet has seen plenty of time at the position in recent years, but is almost certainly going to start games as the team’s point guard.
Murphy adds that if Mykhailiuk is guaranteed a spot on the 15-man roster, that means that Wainright, Freddie Gillespie, Sam Dekker, Isaac Bonga, and Yuta Watanabe will vie for the final three openings. Gillespie and Watanabe both showed promise for the Raptors in limited time last season, while Bonga has at times proved an interesting, potential-filled player as a 6’9″ playmaker with decent defensive instincts and some shooting ability.
Murphy added in a response to his initial tweet that Watanabe is considered a heavy favorite for a spot after his strong play last season, but given his non-guaranteed contract, he’s not quite a lock. Murphy also says that Egyptian big man Anas Mahmoud is likely to receive an Exhibit 10 deal.
In a final tweet, Murphy adds that the Raptors are operating like a team that knows that it’ll be able to move Goran Dragic by the deadline to avoid a tax bill.
Trade Dragic to the Mavs for Dwight Powell, Josh Green and a second round pick.
Powell returns home to Canada and helps fill the centre spot. Raptors tallest player currently is 6’9, so unless they are planning on playing small ball all year then they will need to add something.
Josh Green is a young prospect that helps fill in at SG, where the Raptors have a depth issue also. In college he shot 36% from 3 and played good defence and was hoping to be a 3 and D wing at the next level. Might be worth noting Trevor Gleeson one of Nick Nurses assistants is Australian and spent most his time in the NBL or with the Boomers, Green is Australian and would’ve spent time learning from him.
Plus your getting back a pick.
For Dallas, Dragic is a great fit with countryman Luka Doncic. Dragic can play alongside Doncic as a secondary playmaker and shooter, something he’s done a lot of recently in Miami. He’s use to playing with a star player and being apart of a playoff team like that. He would bring a huge amount of experience and leadership to a relatively young Dallas team.
Powell isn’t a loss for the Mavs last year he played 17 minutes per game, and with Moses Brown having joined he should be getting those minutes. Same with Green leaving, he played 11 minutes per game.
1. Dragic. Brunson.
2. Doncic. Bullock.
3. Hardaway. Finney-Smith.
4. KP. Kleber
5. Cayley-Stein. Brown.
Not sure how this turned into a Mavericks thread.
The Mavericks should sign Millsap and call it good for now
The article is about the Raptors, My post is half Raptors half Dallas, as my trade involves those teams.
As for Millsap I don’t think he would be much of a fit cause they don’t need help at PF
Dallas is 1 of the 2 good teams Millsap makes the most sense for
As of right now Dallas has PF covered well with KP, Finney-Smith and Kleber
They have Finney Smith, and that’s pretty much it, but DFS is also useful at the 3 where they only have Bullock, Green, and Brown. Where those guys also play other spots…Klebar or Porzingis could give them some minutes there in big lineups, but 1 of their issues has been playing too many multi big lineups so often…Millsap would be literally perfect
Doncic, Hardaway, Bullock, Millsap, Porzingis
Sterling Brown, DFS, Green, Powell, Brunson, Klebar off the bench
Their other bigs depending on matchups
Can any of those players shut down Brook Lopez, Anthony Davis, Ayton, Jokic?
This is why I mentioned Millsap
DAL & TOR have both been acting like a Dragic trade to DAL is in their future. But Jo.Green & No.Powell are only about $14m salary and Dragic shows $19.44m for whatever reason. I think another Mav is needed and forget the 2nd.
Using the ESPN trade machine, it says the Mavs need to give up another 400k. I’m not sure if there isn’t any kind of loopholes they could use.
But considering getting Dragic would leave them with another 3 point guards (Brunson Burke and terry) they could give up 1 of these guys and then the deal works.
For Dallas I wouldn’t hesitate to give up terry or burke, which is what it would take. Think you could also still find good back ups/role players in FA to fill out your team too.
Would look into Mario Hezonja, Justin Jackson and Harry Giles
New menu item at the Raptor’s concession stands:
Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk
I feel like Yuta’s spot is in jeopardy with all of the other options at his position. I expect the last 3 spots to go to Bonga, Wainwright, and then Dekker or Yuta. If Dekker knocks down shots more consistently than we’ve seen from him in the past, I’m not sure if Yuta keeps his spot, just b/c Dekker is a little more capable at the 3 than Yuta, who is more of a 4, although they mostly play the same 2 positions
Maybe I’m counting wrong, but assuming 3 of those guys get spots, that leaves them with a 15th spot open. In that scenario, I could see them going with a depth veteran guard, like Teague or Isaiah Thomas, or maybe someone like Hartenstein as a different look for them at the 5…unless they want to leave that 15th spot open
They had 11 guys on guaranteed deals before the Svi signing, so assuming he’s assured of a spot, that would leave just the three openings.
I just realized I wasnt counting Wainright…so I wonder if 1 of the spots might be between him and Bonga, or if both make the team still, if they see more value in 1 of those previously mentioned guys getting the final spot, or leaving it open