Raptors Republic - Latest Comments

Re: Raptors Draft Dark Horses: MELEEK THOMAS & QUADIR COPELAND

JA — Sun, 14 Jun 2026 15:01:54 -0000

Agreed. I would only be interested in taking on Fox if it meant the draft capital, AND knowing that the Raps window to contend is in 4+ years as is (so taking a small step back to help realign for that window with the additional draft assets makes reasonable sense to me).

Re: Raptors Draft Dark Horses: MELEEK THOMAS & QUADIR COPELAND

Done deal — Sun, 14 Jun 2026 14:58:18 -0000

The Raptors did not "lack major talent" when they win wtaf? Kawhi was incandescent.

Re: Raptors Draft Dark Horses: MELEEK THOMAS & QUADIR COPELAND

PrimeBargnani — Sun, 14 Jun 2026 14:57:47 -0000

Yeah liked MPJ for fit and as an expiring contract if need be. For Grizz it'd have to be a 3-team trade, prob not happening unless the Heat strike out on Giannis and want Ja...they could want Fox too. Bulls need to stay out of the bottom-3 worst teams, maybe they take him if the cost is literally nothing - could just take him into capspace.

Think Fox kinda sucks, never liked the trade for Spurs and hated the extension.

Re: Raptors Draft Dark Horses: MELEEK THOMAS & QUADIR COPELAND

cease and sekkle — Sun, 14 Jun 2026 14:55:09 -0000

Fox is a good player, so I don't think there should be a rush to get rid of him. It's the future salary that is a bit scary.

Re: Raptors Draft Dark Horses: MELEEK THOMAS & QUADIR COPELAND

JA — Sun, 14 Jun 2026 14:41:10 -0000

Nets have no one $ wise to send back other than MPJ - who is not a Spurs culture player (although he would be a good fit on the team)

Grizz don't have much to send other than JA - who would not be a good fit (another ball dominant PG who can't shoot).

Bulls have Giddy (Simons, Sexton - if they keep any), as well as pick 15 - who might be used on a PG if one falls down. I'm doubt they would want to take on Fox as they aren't ready to contend.

IQ/Jak pick 50 for Fox + pick 20 + pick 35 is interesting.

IQ would slot in as 6th man, and Jak would upgrade their back up big situation. Both good culture guys.

Re: Raptors Draft Dark Horses: MELEEK THOMAS & QUADIR COPELAND

PrimeBargnani — Sun, 14 Jun 2026 14:33:07 -0000

Yeah maybe, their best deal might be just sending him somewhere for free. Like Bulls or Nets or Grizz, a rebuilding team that needs a starting PG.

Re: Raptors Draft Dark Horses: MELEEK THOMAS & QUADIR COPELAND

Phil Dude — Sun, 14 Jun 2026 14:12:32 -0000

My guess is their FO will need to attach boatload of picks to get rid of Fox. Will be interesting to see down the road if an offer sheet comes for Harper or Castle

Re: Raptors Draft Dark Horses: MELEEK THOMAS & QUADIR COPELAND

PrimeBargnani — Sun, 14 Jun 2026 14:04:07 -0000

OKC has 3 max guys, including Shai who will make 60M after next season. We'll see how long they last, but what they and the Spurs both have are draft picks to keep adding cheap depth. The hardest part is finding/acquiring those top-3 guys, but probably second hardest is nailing the cheap depth to ensure you can keep a top-heavy team together.

Spurs have time, and turning Fox into 2-3 depth guys is essential to maximizing this 2-3 year window before Castle & Harper get paid.

Re: Raptors Draft Dark Horses: MELEEK THOMAS & QUADIR COPELAND

LJ2 — Sun, 14 Jun 2026 14:02:58 -0000

I doubt it. The list of small guards that have been really successful in the NBA is short.

Re: Raptors Draft Dark Horses: MELEEK THOMAS & QUADIR COPELAND

Ghost Of Masai — Sun, 14 Jun 2026 13:49:38 -0000

I think everyone knows it takes some luck to win a NBA title especially in the parity era of Adam 'The Snake' Silver.

https://media4.giphy.com/me...

Re: Raptors Draft Dark Horses: MELEEK THOMAS & QUADIR COPELAND

PrimeBargnani — Sun, 14 Jun 2026 13:45:28 -0000

Exactly, it'll take incremental wins via draft/trades + leaps in development. Issue is the timing of our contracts will force us to make decisions over the next two transaction windows.

This Knicks team is so unique, and they wouldn't exist without Brunson's unprecedented pay-cut. Without it, they don't do the OG trade because he wanted the max. It also allows them to do the KAT trade. That FA signing and extension gave them this title, it's all Brunson.

Re: Raptors Draft Dark Horses: MELEEK THOMAS & QUADIR COPELAND

Ghost Of Masai — Sun, 14 Jun 2026 13:42:40 -0000

The conclusion was Mikel Brown Jr.

Re: Revisiting the Raptors-Knicks Anunoby trade after his Finals game-winner

Ghost Of Masai — Sun, 14 Jun 2026 13:41:23 -0000

He's basically Kobe Bryant in a 6'1 body. lmfao

A "lead PG" refers to a lead point guard in basketball aka the primary floor general responsible for running the offense, directing plays, and dictating tempo.

Re: Raptors Draft Dark Horses: MELEEK THOMAS & QUADIR COPELAND

PrimeBargnani — Sun, 14 Jun 2026 13:38:29 -0000

Wemby year 3, Castle year 2, Harper year 1...all things considered, Harper's play in the Finals was astounding. If he ascends quicker than anyone expects, they could have another real shot very soon. Assuming most make all-nba teams, hell they could all get Supermaxes so no risk of them ever leaving in FA. Basically have a 5-8 year window with that core-3, if they want. They don't need a lot of picks to make any massive swings, just find role players that fit next to those 3.

The Fox extension is a nightmare though, immediately hated it - 30% was completely unnecessary. Take whatever you can get this summer, waiting could make it worse.

Re: Raptors Draft Dark Horses: MELEEK THOMAS & QUADIR COPELAND

Ghost Of Masai — Sun, 14 Jun 2026 13:37:38 -0000

I don't think the Knicks were less talented. I don't know where you pull that from.

https://media4.giphy.com/me...

Re: Raptors Draft Dark Horses: MELEEK THOMAS & QUADIR COPELAND

Ghost Of Masai — Sun, 14 Jun 2026 13:35:09 -0000

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwBmLp9GxMM

Re: Raptors Draft Dark Horses: MELEEK THOMAS & QUADIR COPELAND

moremilk — Sun, 14 Jun 2026 13:34:26 -0000

looking back at the last 20 years, the most enduring teams all have the same formula: one superstar, surrounded by good, but not quite elite players. The type of players that might make an all star here and there. GSW (Curry), Denver (Jokic), Bucks (Giannis), SAS (Duncan), Dallas (Dirk), Lakers (Kobe) etc.

Teams where the 2nd guy was also a big max/all-nba player rarely lasted more then 3-4 seasons, and teams with 3 max contracts did even worse.

The reality of the cap system is it hits elite teams from two sides - it's hard to assemble and sustain depth with limited budgets, and the team being good makes the draft picks very poor (if they're not used to assemble the team and add depth in the first place).

The spurs will be no exception. This season (and the next), wemby + harper + castle + champaignie combined for less money than say brandon ingram makes by himself. In essence, SAS got an extra 80M+ in free money to spend on depth. Imagine if the raptors could add 80M in free salary to their team, we'd probably make the finals too :)

Once their top guys get paid, that 80M will evaporate. Going up to 2nd apron would give them around 20M, and if they can move fox, that's another 10M, but they're still going to lose 50M in talent even as a 2nd apron team. That's like removing barnes + johnson + vassel from their team.

Re: Raptors Draft Dark Horses: MELEEK THOMAS & QUADIR COPELAND

Schwing and a Miss — Sun, 14 Jun 2026 13:14:36 -0000

They are a smol market team tho..

Re: Raptors Draft Dark Horses: MELEEK THOMAS & QUADIR COPELAND

Schwing and a Miss — Sun, 14 Jun 2026 13:14:00 -0000

Sell high on Shead?!

Re: Raptors Draft Dark Horses: MELEEK THOMAS & QUADIR COPELAND

PrimeBargnani — Sun, 14 Jun 2026 12:51:03 -0000

That team was broken up over money right after they made the Finals, don't think the Spurs ownership will be that stupid!

Re: Raptors Draft Dark Horses: MELEEK THOMAS & QUADIR COPELAND

moremilk — Sun, 14 Jun 2026 12:50:02 -0000

I like this article (the part about how the knicks built their team):

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/49056824/new-york-knicks-win-2026-nba-finals-san-antonio-spurs-game-5-brunson-towns-wembanyama

shows how much luck is required for a team that lacks a major talent to win a title, and why it's so rare. In the last 25 years, only the Knicks, Raptors and Pistons have done it, and of course, the raptors got that talent via the once in a generation type of trade for kawhi.

The raptors took a major risk in trading for one season of kawhi, just like the knicks took multiple risks in building their team.

It's tempting to think that the lesson here is that teams should take more risks. I think that's wrong though, it was ok for the raptors or knicks to take those risks (what did they have to lose?), but it would be a mistake for say SAS to do the same (and, to a lesser extent, teams that have a good young start, like the pistons, raptors etc).

Re: Raptors Draft Dark Horses: MELEEK THOMAS & QUADIR COPELAND

moremilk — Sun, 14 Jun 2026 12:41:51 -0000

I'd rather have neither tbh, but if other teams start drafting them, that means a good, bigger prospect might fall to us.

Re: Raptors Draft Dark Horses: MELEEK THOMAS & QUADIR COPELAND

moremilk — Sun, 14 Jun 2026 12:40:30 -0000

watching these finals - the knicks were less talented, but every player in that starting 5 is at their absolute peak. They're all 30 years old (give or take one year), very experienced, but without losing much physically. To me, that's the success recipe for a team that lacks a megastar - which we do, and aren't likely to get one.

If that's the case, we basically should target 2030 or so as our contention window. By then, scottie will be 28, CMB 25, Walter 26 (the 3 guys most likely to be on the team by then). Use the next 3 years to add to this young core, and worry less about the older guys around them (iq/rj/ingram/jak).

So yeah - definitely agree with singles/doubles, small increments, keep adding young guys. This draft might be more relevant than whatever trades/free agency moves we make this season.

Re: Raptors Draft Dark Horses: MELEEK THOMAS & QUADIR COPELAND

justsayin — Sun, 14 Jun 2026 12:37:17 -0000

Small is ok.

Small and skinny not so ok.

Re: Raptors Draft Dark Horses: MELEEK THOMAS & QUADIR COPELAND

moremilk — Sun, 14 Jun 2026 12:28:37 -0000

wonder what this finals will do to the draft, are all those small guards suddenly going to be more desirable?