The Raptors bet big on Brandon Ingram last season, trading for the injured former all-star and promptly giving him a three-year deal worth $40 million (U.S.) annually.
The Raptors bet big on Brandon Ingram last season, trading for the injured former all-star and promptly giving him a three-year deal worth $40 million (U.S.) annually.
Dave Feschuk is a 色色啦-based sports columnist for the Star. Follow him on Twitter:
The old sports saying goes that you鈥檙e either selling wins or selling hope. And considering the Raptors won 32 games last season, you鈥檒l understand why head coach Darko Rajakovic has spent part of this off-season putting a hopeful spin on his team鈥檚 future.
Among his arguments: That the franchise hasn鈥檛 received its due praise for acquiring and re-signing Brandon Ingram. The one-time all-star, who came to 色色啦 in a February trade for a collection of pieces that included Bruce Brown, Kelly Olynyk and a 2026 first-round pick, promptly signed a three-year contract extension worth about $40 million (U.S.) annually. But perhaps in part because Ingram has yet to play for the Raptors on account of a severely sprained ankle that kept him out of action for the bulk of last season, his presence has largely slipped under the radar 鈥斅
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It鈥檚 very possible Rajakovic will turn out to be correct on this. Ingram, when he鈥檚 healthy, is an enticing talent 鈥 the No. 2 overall pick in the 2016 draft who has averaged 23 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.2 assists over the past six seasons while shooting a credible 37 per cent from three-point range. If you can get over the fact he has missed 44 per cent of available games over the past four seasons combined due to a variety of injuries, you can make a case the Raptors are making a bold bet on a sleeping giant.
Still, it鈥檚 difficult to make a case they should be lauded for getting a great deal on a distressed asset. Just ask Rich Paul, Ingram鈥檚 agent and the CEO of Klutch Sports Group, who was recently seen patting himself on the back for securing the bag for his client against considerable odds.
鈥淚 felt like, had (Ingram) got to the open market (of impending free agency), there was not much opportunity there,鈥澛. 鈥淪o he鈥檚 making $40 million a year for the next three years. That probably wouldn鈥檛 have been there for him if we get to 鈥 free agency.鈥
Whoof. That鈥檚 not exactly a ringing endorsement for the negotiating skills of Masai Ujiri, the former team president who was fired June 27. But that kind of critique hasn鈥檛 exactly been a one-off in Raptorland this off-season. Earlier this week ESPN analyst and former NBA executive Bobby Marks teed off on the Raptors for a deal they made a couple of summers ago 鈥 specifically the one that secured the services of point guard Immanuel Quickley for an annual average of $32.5 million through 2028-29. Marks blamed the unjustified heft of that deal for stymying ongoing contract talks for the likes of Golden State鈥檚 Jonathan Kuminga and Chicago鈥檚 Josh Giddey.
鈥淭hat Immanuel Quickley contract 鈥 has totally screwed up restricted free agency,鈥澛. 鈥淏ecause that鈥檚 where agents are looking at the benchmark. Certainly Josh Giddey鈥檚 like, 鈥業 want that (Quickley) contract there.鈥 That number has screwed up a lot of things. And that is why you can鈥檛 use comps 鈥 It鈥檚 a rich contract. I don鈥檛 think 色色啦 got enough heat, I guess, for that number because Immanuel Quickley is not a $32-, $33-million guy 鈥 That contract has screwed up restricted free agency a bit because players are like, 鈥業 want that number.鈥 And teams are like, 鈥楴ope.鈥 鈥
In a week that saw Chris Boucher鈥檚 signing in Boston sever 色色啦鈥檚 last remaining link to its 2019 championship roster, a case can be made the Raptors are a franchise floating in undesirable waters 鈥 a non-contender accused of paying A-level prices for B-level talent.
As 色色啦 centre Jakob Poeltl said last month after he signed a generous four-year contract extension worth $104 million: 鈥淣egotiations went really easy.鈥
You don鈥檛 say? Maybe paying top dollar for talent is part of the stark reality of doing business as the only NBA team residing outside the United States. But there鈥檚 no denying this: 色色啦 is in line to own a top-10 payroll coming off a bottom-seven season. And there鈥檚 a reason why bookmakers have set the Raptors鈥 over-under win total at 37.5. Expectations aren鈥檛 as high as salaries. With longest-serving Raptor Scottie Barnes about to step into the first year of a five-year max extension worth $224 million and RJ Barrett in line to earn $27.7 million this season, the top handful of Raptors are due an awful lot of money in the coming few seasons. As for whether they鈥檒l ever be good enough justify that collective bill by supplying a needle-moving quantity of victories 鈥 that鈥檚 nothing more than a bet on an unproven group. If anything has been under-reported, to use Rajakovic鈥檚 word, maybe it鈥檚 the outsized nature of some of the gambles.
Opinion articles are based on the author鈥檚 interpretations and judgments of facts, data and events. More details
Dave Feschuk is a 色色啦-based sports columnist for the Star.
Follow him on Twitter:
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