Here's what I think is a realistic plan for the Raptors. Expect a long post.
Sign Demar for a little less then max, but give him the extra year that we can give him. Explain to him we need him to take less, just like Kyle did, to make a team here and build to get past that one final hurdle. We're so close, why leave and lose out on a chance to actually make it to the Finals? If you make it to the Finals, anything is possible. As much as Derozan sucked in the playoffs, we have the familiarity with him, and we need a guy who can drive to the basket. I'll get more to the Demar situation a little later.
Next up would be the draft. On draft night, I think we keep the pick at 9. Grab a SG / SF, some one with good size, a bit raw, but nothing too risky. Take a good scorer, who is similar to Demar's game with hopefully some better defensive qualities. Some one who's a better shooter and maybe not as athletic. This guy can be molded into your Derozan clone, who can drive to the basket and develop into some one you can replace Demar with later on down the road. Demar will look good later on down the road because when he signs for less then max here, he looks more valuable the more the cap goes up.
The 2nd thing we do at the draft, is I don't think we use our pick in the later round. Masai would want to take a project, and right now we have the window in the East, IMO, to not need the project but use the 24th and package it with T-Ross to get his cap off the books, and move him out. I'm not sure what kind of player you can get for him, but I think adding the 24th will help get his value up to the point where you can get some one who can contribute a lot more then T-Ross did off the bench and defensively.
I think Biz walks at the end of the year, which sucks. You can't replace an interior defender like him, but on the other side, I think J Val remains healthy next playoffs, knock on wood, and we play him more minutes as long as he's not in foul trouble. That means you fill out in free agency with just a guy who's a rim protector. Nothing special.
I think then with the cap used from T-Ross deal, hopefully, we have enough to make a plunge for a better PF. This will give us a better starter then Scola, and lets P Pat come off the bench, and I think that instantly makes us better.
We got to the 2nd best team in the East this season. Our core is in place, and at a decent age, this is the time to put some eggs in the basket and see what we can do. We're so close. What a season by the team. Can't complain about a thing but the refs. But anyone who watches the game can tell its not a surprise. It is what it is. And we'll need to play through it.
