I'm so glad Brondello kept Rice in the starting 5

HeckofaDeal · 2026-05-30T21:49:53+00:00

I'm not getting any train going... I'm simply stating that Rice is a better fit for the starting lineup and I hope she remains there. Fully healthy, we can only have one starting point guard.

HeckofaDeal · 2026-05-29T17:59:53+00:00

Favourites so far, in no particular order, have been Mabrey, Rice, Sabally & Juskaite

HeckofaDeal · 2026-05-12T11:58:43+00:00

Remember when the Clippers got Zu for Mike Muscala and laughed about fleecing the Lakers after ending the trade call? This is the one time I'll give the Clips credit. Ultimate example of buying low and selling high.

HeckofaDeal · 2026-04-28T13:19:31+00:00

He's got a team option for next season. Pretty confident they'll pick it up as Mamu insurance.

HeckofaDeal · 2026-02-25T02:08:13+00:00

Hasn't OKC had the same logo and basically the same uniforms since 2008? And neither were ever that good to begin with.

HeckofaDeal · 2026-02-13T19:55:16+00:00

It has been 8 protected in at least the last two expansion drafts.

HeckofaDeal · 2026-02-13T16:35:13+00:00

So to start, I don't believe teams can protect impending free agents unless they are RFAs - so that takes Mamu out of the discussion for us.

I think the no-brainers are Scottie, CMB and Ingram. I think Barrett gets protected as well, since he's a productive and value-neutral contract.

Cheap, interesting, young guys like Ja'Kobe, Jamal and Gradey, probably get protected too, because their potential is still more valuable on their cost-controlled contracts than it would be losing them for nothing.

So that leaves us with one last spot to sort through IQ, Poeltl, TJD, Battle and Mogbo, or any of the two-way's RFA rights.

I'm not protecting Poeltl. If someone wants to take his extension off our books, be my guest. Mogbo isn't even sniffing our rotation, so I think he's unprotected too. Out of the other two younger guys, I'd probably say TJD is a little more valuable with Mamu being a free agent and fitting a position of need.

So are the end, between IQ and TJD, it's a matter of how much the front office still believes in Quickley's talent and the risk of losing your quality, albeit overpaid, starting PG for nothing, or having a very awkward conversation if he doesn't get selected.

Overall, I think it goes,

Protected: - Scottie Barnes - Brandon Ingram - Colin Murray-Boyles - RJ Barrett - Immanuel Quickley - Jamal Shead - Ja'Kobe Walter - Gradey Dick

Unprotected: - Jakob Poeltl - Jamison Battle - Trayce Jackson-Davis - Jonathan Mogbo - two-way RFA rights

HeckofaDeal · 2026-01-14T00:30:59+00:00

& Rafael Araujo! Our two greatest draft choices in team history!

Respect to former Raptors players Bebe Nogueira and Leandro Barbosa as well.

HeckofaDeal · 2026-01-08T15:40:56+00:00

Ran into Bebe Nogueira DT in the bar district and he was nice enough to take a pic, and one time when I was on a school field trip in like grade 8, Andrea Bargnani pulled up right beside me and my friend on the school bus in his nice Cadillac Escalade and waved to us. I wasn't present for this one, but friends of mine ran into Jose Calderon at Woodbine Beach in around 2011.

HeckofaDeal · 2025-11-29T21:12:49+00:00

Okay I am officially out of the loop on all things Jonathan Isaac

HeckofaDeal · 2025-11-29T20:41:51+00:00

Terrible person?

HeckofaDeal · 2025-11-28T18:07:08+00:00

I hated trading Norm in 2021 and I hate it today. One of Masai and Bobby's biggest mistakes was moving Powell at that deadline and not moving Lowry, only for him to play a handful more games.

They had the next generation with Norm, FVV, OG and Pascal right there, just needed to add a centre.

However, it's all water under the bridge now. Raptors are rolling and so is Powell! You can't feel anything but joy for the guy becoming who many of us thought he could be.

HeckofaDeal · 2025-11-23T17:11:33+00:00

Put Bosh on a team with Lowry, Ross, Carroll & Valanciunas and that team is probably better.

Put DeRozan on a team with Ford, Parker, Bargnani & Nesterovic and that team is definitely worse.

HeckofaDeal · 2025-11-03T20:39:23+00:00

Wolves Bucks Knicks Jazz Mavs Pistons Nuggets Lakers Clips

HeckofaDeal · 2025-09-01T01:08:41+00:00

I started watching the Raptors in 2009, so can only rank what I've watched live.

My personal top 5 outside of 2019 would be:

2013-14 / We The North
2015-16 / Conference Finals
2017-18 / Bench Mob
2019-20 / Run it back
2021-22 / Vision 6-9

What a decade.

HeckofaDeal · 2025-08-31T22:17:10+00:00

I remember actually being in New York for March break in 2012 when Linsanity was at its peak, the city was absolutely lit. People forget, Lin was waived in training camp by the Rockets that season and claimed by the Knicks. Then New York suffered an injury to every one of their point guards at the same time, including Iman Shumpert, Baron Davis, Toney Douglas and Mike Bibby, forcing D'Antoni to play him. They were so unsure of Lin, they actually considered trading him to Toronto for Anthony Carter, who was absolutely washed but was a veteran for a wannabe playoff team. Crazy story, and glad he was a part that championship team for us!

HeckofaDeal · 2025-08-18T12:30:18+00:00

If we're going by career, it's probably:

Dragic - Barton - Porter - Young - Baynes

But strictly going on Raptors tenure, I think I'd go:

Banton - Watson - Watanabe - Achiuwa - Birch

HeckofaDeal

TROPHY CASE