The Raptors are looking for power forwards, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com, who’s heard the team attached to Thaddeus Young, Kenneth Faried and Markieff Morris, as Windhorst said on TSN 1050 radio in Toronto (audio link; scroll to 6:30 mark) and as Devin Kharpertian of The Brooklyn Game transcribes. Fellow ESPN scribe Marc Stein identified Toronto’s interest in Morris earlier this month, as we detailed at the time. The salary structure of the Raptors would make it tough for the team to deal anyone from its existing roster, as Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca pointed out, but the team has an extra first-round pick for each of the next two drafts, and GM Masai Ujiri has signaled that he wants to trade at least one of those picks at some point, if not before next week’s trade deadline. Still, Toronto doesn’t have the cap room or trade exception to absorb either Young, Faried or Morris without relinquishing salary.
Young seems as though he’d be tough to wrangle from Brooklyn. Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov wants to keep Young and Brook Lopez, believing the team can surround them with free agents in the summer and quickly return to contention, according to Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck (Twitter links). Nets CEO Brett Yormark recently mentioned Young as one of the team’s building blocks. The ninth-year veteran who re-signed with the Nets this past summer on a four-year, $50MM deal is averaging a career-best 9.1 rebounds per game.
Faried isn’t on the trade block, either, as Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post recently wrote, nonetheless adding that he wouldn’t be surprised if the Nuggets moved him for an overwhelming offer. Faried and the Nuggets appeared to share mutual doubts about each other as of this past spring, with the power forward reportedly a significant contributor to the downfall of former coach Brian Shaw, but such chatter has largely disappeared this season under new coach Michael Malone. Faried’s contributions have been steady so far this year, and his 55.3% field goal percentage is his best since he shot 58.6% as a rookie. He’s in the first year of a four-year, $50MM extension.
I’m sure if toronto wants to give us the pick from nyk/den they can have faried.
no thanks
What the heck you talking about they don’t need to trade picks to get faried
Patterson, ross and pick for faried and foye.
LOL. Okay bud. No way we’re moving Ross. Doubt we move Patterson either. Fried doesn’t fit our team anyway. Cant shoot, would clog the paint, and is subpar defender. Morris is better fit. Faried is just smokescreen.
Try to think for this year and in the future. Yes, ideally morris is a better fit but may cost more assets to get with his team friendly contract. Also, Urjiri drafted Faried which shows he likes his game. Cant defend describes both ross and patterson. PF has been a black hole in toronto for years obviously they need to upgrade it to battle the cavs in the ECF so would easily get rid patterson and ross. Frees salary for Derozen’s FA, Ross/Patterson have high salaries for what they bring to the table. Raps have been trying to move ross for over a year and he is blocked by derozan and carroll for minutes anyway.
Do you watch the Raptors? Patterson is one of our best defenders. LOL. Faried is a horrible fit with this team. So is Young. Morris is the only one that fits. Ross is key piece. He aint getting move especially with poison pill.
Looking at just frontcourt players, on defense alone, he is only better than Scola and bennett. Patterson has no rim protection and can’t defend in space because of lack of athleticism. Young is a better overall player than morris but for sake of argument they are a wash. Salaries work on trade machine so pp isnt an issue.
its strange how some people think ross is trash and others view him as nearly untouchable.
I don’t think he is trash just has more value to a team that can wait on his potential than a win-now team
can someone tell me why Toronto might catch Cleveland if they get Thaddeus Young WHO IS A STRETCH 4 wo can shoot and play down low..HIGH PRAISES TO TORONTO GM
I hope they get PJ Tucker, can shoot and defend…..Him and Carroll at the 3 & 4 plus freeing up space in the middle for JV