By RaptorTalk

The acquisition by the Raptors of Shawn Marion, Marcus Banks and $3 milllion from Miami for Jermaine O'Neal, Jamario Moon and a conditional 1st round draft pick is a win/win for both teams.

By no means is this trade a game-changer either way. Both Toronto and Miami got better, but not significantly better.

The key to grading this deal is to wait for Bryan Colangelo's next move which will be the follow-up to this transaction. And there will definitely be more moves to come. If not before the deadline, something will happen in June.

        

Let's first look at the highlights from Colangelo's press conference/call last night with some of my observations:

1. Shawn Marion: He is a good athletic piece next to Bosh and Bargs. His numbers were down in Miami because of Heat system. Bryan is looking to re-sign him if it works out. Chemistry between CB, Andrea and Marion will be better than with Jermaine in the mix. The  days of Bargnani at the three are over. Bosh prefers playing inside, so Bargs and CB are a good match because Andrea is comfortable moving outside. Offensive spacing should be much improved. Marion, CB and Bargs form a very good front court along side Parker and Calderon. Clearly, the big move for 2009 will be the acquisition of a top tier SG.

2. Flexibility: Now the Raptors have money to bring back Carlos Delfino from Russia, re-sign someone like Anthony Parker (at a reduced ticket), sign an MLE free agent in July and re-sign Shawn Marion. Plus, the Raptors should have a lottery pick. This provides an improved club for 2009, as Bryan tries to convince Bosh to stay in Toronto.

3. The Pick: Giving up a first rounder is over valued by many. If the Raps need a 1st round pick there are plenty for sale. That's what the $3 million does. The pick is lotto protected and if we lose it, its likely a mid to later pick. At that slot, its not likely to yield an impact player. The poor economic climate will yield many opportunities to purchase a 1st rounder down the road for $3 million. The funds are allocated for that purpose and apparently will not simply line MLSE's pockets.

4. Banks: Marcus provides depth and defence at the 1/2. He's not a true PG. Will he didn't fit in Miami, he is a bulldog, tenancious defender which should shore up Toronto's perimeter defence. His $4 million contract with 2 years remaining is a negative, no doubt. Now, the Raps have too many PG's. They could use another big, particularly with Kris Humphries and Nathan Jawai not contributing at this point. This may open the door for another smaller deal.

Henry Abbott of ESPN TrueHoops invited David Thorpe to comment on the deal. He makes some interesting observations which are quite valid:

" I do not think it's likely [the Raptors] will sign [Marion] to a long term deal at big money. But if it proves, this off-season, with the economy as it is, that he has low value, then maybe they'll re-sign him cheaply.

In every business there's book value and then there's actual value. Shawn Marion might have a book value of $8 million a year. But if no one has that much money to give him maybe he's yours for $4 million.

In the meantime, Toronto just saved a whole bunch of money they won't be paying Jermaine O'Neal next year. I bet a lot of owners are a little jealous of that right now.

And Marion -- he has been motivated. He just had a game-winning dunk last night against Chicago. They'll get to see, up close, what he's like at this stage of his career."


I certainly agree with that assessment. It certainly appears that Bryan can re-sign the Matrix for a reasonable ticket.


Re-signing Shawn Marion

I guarantee that Bryan and Marion's agent have spoken prior to the trade deal being finalized. Bryan already has a very good idea of what Marion is looking for in terms of contract moving forward. By all accounts, this is not a 'rent-a-player' deal.

If you recall, Marion turned down 3 yrs/ $30 million.  Now, that is almost as dumb as Sprewell turning down 3 yrs/ $21 million. The difference is that the Matrix signs another contract, Spree did not.

Marion is only 30 yrs old and younger than Paul Pierce, Vince Carter, Tim Duncan, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett to name a few. Marion is far from done as a decent palyer.

The list of potential Matrix suitors in 2009 with cap space is small. No team with an eye to 2010 wants to take on Marion. These are the only teams with off-season space to make at least a $7 million offer to Marion:

Atlanta Hawks
Detroit Pistons
Memphis Grizzlies
Minnesota Timberwolves
New Jersey Nets
Oklahoma City Thunder
Portland Trailblazers


Not sure that he really fits in any of those places, nor would he be any better off than if he were to remain in Toronto. So the Raptors could very easily sign Marion to a deal in the $7 million to $8 million range - which is a big win for Toronto. It is simply a case of supply and demand. The economic climate in the US also plays a role in the Raptors favor.


Final thought

While I liked Jermaine O'Neal, he clearly did not have the impact on the Raptors that we thought he would. Also, Bargnani's emergence made JO's presence irrelevant. I'm also not sure that JO and Bosh ever clicked on a personal level.

The fact that Bryan could dump a $23 million contract is a big bonus. Yes, he still has over $4 milion invested in Banks, but he also should land Marion in the $8 million range next season. So we're potentially looking at Marion + Banks + over $10 million remaining next season for Jermaine O'Neal. I don't see that as a bad thing at all.

If I were to grade the deal, I'd give it a "B". Let's be patient and see what transpires next.