# Amir Johnson a Raptor Soon?



## kirk_2003 (Jun 23, 2003)

> http://thestar.blogs.com/raptors/2009/08/so-long-carlos-and-roko.html


According to Doug Smith, The raptors are supposedly close on a deal to send Delfino and Ukic to Milwaukee for Amir Johnson and a unnamed second player.

Depending on the second player, this seems like a very good deal..

thoughts?


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## roux (Jun 20, 2006)

Yeah, I dont want to give up Amir, Delfino seems like a solid rotation player and Ukic does nothing for me, I only like this deal if we are pushng either Bell or Gadzuric on you


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## junkyarddawgg (Mar 24, 2005)

I really liked Ukic, but it is true that he was redundant with Jack and Calderon. More help up front always helps, though I don't know if Amir has developped a lot. He seemed pretty raw the last time I saw him. As for the 2nd Bucks palyer, I'd only want Mbah a Moute, or one of their young ones, like Weems or Sharpe, maybe Meeks. But it might be asking too much.


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## Mr_B (Mar 6, 2004)

Does BC ever sleep?


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## junkyarddawgg (Mar 24, 2005)

Oh and forgot to say that I'm glad to see that the board isn't dead. It's been a few days that I've checked in and ZERO posts.


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## roux (Jun 20, 2006)

junkyarddawgg said:


> I really liked Ukic, but it is true that he was redundant with Jack and Calderon. More help up front always helps, though I don't know if Amir has developped a lot. He seemed pretty raw the last time I saw him. As for the 2nd Bucks palyer, I'd only want Mbah a Moute, or one of their young ones, like Weems or Sharpe, maybe Meeks. But it might be asking too much.


Moute and Meeks are not being included in a deal like this, I could see it being sharpe or weems but contracts are going to have to line up and Bell seems like the most logical guy to do that


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## roux (Jun 20, 2006)

nevermind, i didnt realize Amir was makeing 3.9 million this year, it could be a guy like weems, but it would have to depend on how much delfino signs for


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## Mr_B (Mar 6, 2004)

Delfino was asking for 4-5 mill per season last I checked


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## kirk_2003 (Jun 23, 2003)

im still holding out for joe alex.. BC make something happen! haha..
but if it was Joe Alex i think his name wouldve popped up with amir.. has be someone thats not really name worthy.. UNLESSSS BC still panning out the deal to get someone we're hoping for ie. Mbah a Moute (really doubt it, skiles is high on him) but i still covet joe alex


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## roux (Jun 20, 2006)

kirk_2003 said:


> im still holding out for joe alex.. BC make something happen! haha..
> but if it was Joe Alex i think his name wouldve popped up with amir.. has be someone thats not really name worthy.. UNLESSSS BC still panning out the deal to get someone we're hoping for ie. Mbah a Moute (really doubt it, skiles is high on him) but i still covet joe alex


Its not going to be moute, get it out of your head


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## junkyarddawgg (Mar 24, 2005)

roux2dope said:


> Its not going to be moute, get it out of your head


One can dream, no? 

I guess it's a tribute to how good Mbah a Moute is as a team player.


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## kirk_2003 (Jun 23, 2003)

^its not in my head.. 

i just want joe alex, that have been said numerous times.. im just mentioning moute cause some of the other posters like him or want from the bucks.. im with you on that i dont think its moute because skiles is high on him.. while charlie bell and joe alex could be the unnamed player. 

since you guys bought in ersan this offseason and as well in this trade it gives your another guard/forward, in delfino.. i could see joe alex being expendable..


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## Junkyard Dog13 (Aug 9, 2003)

can block sshots and finish with authority 2nd unit PF.
Needs to add some wieght only 210. Ukic was not gonna get any PT at the point and with a log jam at SG best to give him a shot eleswhere.

I like BC adding more grit.


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## roux (Jun 20, 2006)

kirk_2003 said:


> ^its not in my head..
> 
> i just want joe alex, that have been said numerous times.. im just mentioning moute cause some of the other posters like him or want from the bucks.. im with you on that i dont think its moute because skiles is high on him.. while charlie bell and joe alex could be the unnamed player.
> 
> since you guys bought in ersan this offseason and as well in this trade it gives your another guard/forward, in delfino.. i could see joe alex being expendable..


God i hope not, I wouldnt trade Alexander for Delfino straight up much less throw in Amir for ukic. Odds are since its an unnamed player its probably weems or sharpe


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## kirk_2003 (Jun 23, 2003)

^yeah thats that i was thinking too.. if it was someone like alex than his name would be all over the "supposed deal" by now; me just wishful thinking..

*edit: i shouldve known something was up when you guys signed warrick as he was pretty much redundant to amir.. just dont know why the head office prefers warrick to amir though.


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## roux (Jun 20, 2006)

kirk_2003 said:


> ^yeah thats that i was thinking too.. if it was someone like alex than his name would be all over the "supposed deal" by now; me just wishful thinking..
> 
> *edit: i shouldve known something was up when you guys signed warrick as he was pretty much redundant to amir.. just dont know why the head office prefers warrick to amir though.


Amir is a better defender and rebounder but hasnt shown the ability to stay out of foul trouble. Warrick as of today is clearly the better player but Amir has more upside, they were both on one year deals and Warrick makes the bucks better next season


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## junkyarddawgg (Mar 24, 2005)

Why would the Bucks want to be better NEXT season instead of thinking long term? Wouldn't Amir be a better fit long term? I mean, they're not going to win the championships next season...


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## roux (Jun 20, 2006)

junkyarddawgg said:


> Why would the Bucks want to be better NEXT season instead of thinking long term? Wouldn't Amir be a better fit long term? I mean, they're not going to win the championships next season...


I know they wont, I dont really have alot to stand on with this deal till i know who the 4th guy is, it could be a financial thing, Amir makes more than Warrick does for one and secondly we may be pushing another contract on you as part of this, my gut says weems or sharpe but Bell or Alexander wouldnt be a huge reach either, I know the Bucks arent super high on JA i just feel they could get more for him than this


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## Chan Ho Nam (Jan 9, 2007)

smart move on the Bucks, Toronto already got Reggie Evans, i dont see why they are investing in Amir, his contract is borderline obscene for his production, if he somehow learns to stay out of foul trouble, his numbers per 48 minutes will be very sexy, but another drawback is that he is not skilled enough to be a PF but can only play an undersized C


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## roux (Jun 20, 2006)

Someone want to fill me in on Ukic, I know what i get with Delfino


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## Mr_B (Mar 6, 2004)

roux2dope said:


> Someone want to fill me in on Ukic, I know what i get with Delfino


I like him hes a solid guard but lacks a consistent jump shot , also he his decision making questionable at times but thats expected given his age


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## Chan Ho Nam (Jan 9, 2007)

Ukic loves to push the pace, he has very good handles, he looks to drive and finish, he'll occasionally feed it to the post players, he is probably my favorite Raptor right now, it'll be sad watching him leave

he can knock down a spot up shot, but unlikely to just pull up midrange and shoot, defense can be a concern but at least he tries


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## roux (Jun 20, 2006)

Milwaukee Journal Sentinal is reporting its Weems

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/53435542.html


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## Junkyard Dog13 (Aug 9, 2003)

ok final depth cvhart heading intro camp
PG Calderon Jack
SG Derozan Wright Douby Weems
SF Turkuglu Wright Weems 
PF Bosh Evans Johnson
C Bargnani Nesterovic Johnson

Final roster
2 PG Calderon Jack
3 SG Derozan Wright Belinelli
2 SF Turkuglo Weems
3 PF Bosh Evans Johnson
2 C Bargnani Nesterovic

thats the 12 man roster
Weems the usual DND


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## roux (Jun 20, 2006)

Thats a solid rotation, i dont know who is going to play defense for you but enojoy watching 130-128 shootouts, should be an entertaining squad


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## Dee-Zy (Jan 12, 2006)

Well... I guess rather than holding on to Fino forever and have his stock drop, it is better to get a player like Amir who has shown potential but once again, like the CV and Gnani pick ups... Why get another PF that can't play alongside Bosh? Amir is an undersized PF, he can't play the 5 and we all know Bosh can't either... anyway...


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## seifer0406 (Jun 8, 2003)

I kind of wonder what type of contract the Bucks will give to Delfino. I hope it's not around 3 mil a year because for that price I much rather the Raptors sign Delfino and still keep Ukic around. Amir johnson gives us pretty much nothing and we get about the same production from pops. I have no idea who Weems is but he's not going to see the floor with Jack and Calderon in front of him.


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## roux (Jun 20, 2006)

seifer0406 said:


> I kind of wonder what type of contract the Bucks will give to Delfino. I hope it's not around 3 mil a year because for that price I much rather the Raptors sign Delfino and still keep Ukic around. Amir johnson gives us pretty much nothing and we get about the same production from pops. I have no idea who Weems is but he's not going to see the floor with Jack and Calderon in front of him.


2 year 7 million guranteed, and i believe the bucks hold a third year team option


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## Damian Necronamous (Jun 10, 2002)

Geez, another great deal for Toronto. Delfino wasn't going to be signed and Ukic wouldn't play behind Calderon and Jack. Weems could be a steal, but Johnson gives them three decent bigs off the bench, with himself, Evans and Rasho. This will be a pretty deep Raptors team.

PG: Jose Calderon...Jarrett Jack...Marcus Banks
SG: DeMar DeRozan...Marco Belinelli...Quincy Douby
SF: Hedo Turkoglu...Antoine Wright...Sonny Weems
PF: Chris Bosh...Reggie Evans...Amir Johnson
C: Andrea Bargnani...Rasho Nesterovic


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## ATCQ (Jun 16, 2005)

Everywhere I look, I see Amir listed as 6'9''. But I was dead sure that someone told me he has grown to 6'10 or 6'11 since entering the league... Can anyone confirm this to be true or false? 

As for him playing SF... really? He doesn't strike me as the type of player who would be well suited to play anything but the 4/5.


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## kirk_2003 (Jun 23, 2003)

^who in the world would say he is a SF?!


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## ATCQ (Jun 16, 2005)

^ My thoughts exactly! someone made a depth chart earlier and listed him as the 2nd or 3rd man at the 3 spot. Not bloody likely.


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## Chan Ho Nam (Jan 9, 2007)

he's definately over 6'9, no question

i see him being the next Dalembert


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## Junkyard Dog13 (Aug 9, 2003)

Groom him to overtake Evans as his deal is done after the year.


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## ATCQ (Jun 16, 2005)

chairman5 said:


> *he's definately over 6'9, no question*
> 
> i see him being the next Dalembert


wicked thanks! thats good news!


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## junkyarddawgg (Mar 24, 2005)

ATCQ said:


> Everywhere I look, I see Amir listed as 6'9''. But I was dead sure that someone told me he has grown to 6'10 or 6'11 since entering the league... Can anyone confirm this to be true or false?
> 
> As for him playing SF... really? He doesn't strike me as the type of player who would be well suited to play anything but the 4/5.



I also remember reading that he's grown from his 6'9, even back when he was with the Pistons. Some player's height jmp up a few years after they enter the league... I remember Turkoglu used to be 6'7 back when he was with the Kings, and Peja was 6'7 too. After a few years, they both "grew" into 6'10 players...


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## seifer0406 (Jun 8, 2003)

junkyarddawgg said:


> I also remember reading that he's grown from his 6'9, even back when he was with the Pistons. Some player's height jmp up a few years after they enter the league... I remember Turkoglu used to be 6'7 back when he was with the Kings, and Peja was 6'7 too. After a few years, they both "grew" into 6'10 players...


Not that I know of. Peja was listed as 6-9 and Turkoglu was always 6-10 when he entered the league.


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## Dee-Zy (Jan 12, 2006)

Turk is 6`10???? I knew he was tall for a sg but I thought he was 6'8"-6'9"


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## Zuca (Dec 4, 2003)

It's official:
http://www.nba.com/raptors/news/johnson_weems_trade081809.html


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## -James- (Apr 27, 2004)

Meh. I'd rather have Roko to be quite honest.

Like seifer said, I don't think Amir will bring anymore to the table than what Pops will. I was pretty high on Roko, actually.


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## southeasy (Jun 11, 2003)

Amir is one of my favourite shotblockers in the NBA

we lost Nothing in Delfino
we lost Nothing in Ukic (Belinelli can do exactly what he did)

& we gained pretty much the only real Shotblocker on the team (Andrea you don't count you 7'footer you) not to mention another real young athletic hustle guy in Weems, he can shoot, defend & he can Really dunk.


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## ballocks (May 15, 2003)

i think colangelo is getting carte blanche again, the same as when he first arrived. i like most of what he's done this summer but this trade is awful. why make it?

some would say for 2010, and the expiring deals of weems and johnson but how does that make sense? is that not the same as admittedly selling ukic and delfino today for, at most, one year of amir johnson? because if you re-sign amir next season, are you then not in a _worse_ position financially than you were before you made the trade?

and how much is delfino costing you? $0. and ukic? peanuts. this can't be financially-driven. and if it is, it's bad logic. it's going to hurt you in 2010. instead of going to the ends of the earth to find someone to pay roko's $1.5 million (!) for 09/10, would it not be a better idea to save that 1.5 million on one of your _overpaid_ players... oh, say chris bosh ($90 million in 2010) or andrea bargnani (5 yrs/50)? 

is the team better now? probably. ukic wasn't going to play. delfino was overseas. they don't lose anything in that sense. the raptors get another player to add to the rotation (at least for one season). but that doesn't make it a good deal. delfino's being given away after the team spent two draft picks to get him. they won't get those picks back and got only one mediocre season from carlos. so if this _isn't_ a bad trade, then that _was_.

what's more, i think ukic will be a splendid player. whatever falling out he had with the coaching staff is now causing them to make some ridiculous decisions on his future. he will come back to haunt them, imo. he was solely responsible for the raps biggest win last year vs san antonio- no calderon, no bosh... just o'neal and ukic- and that doesn't happen by accident. players like that don't grow on trees. maybe the team's problem with roko had less to do with roko than it did with his team. i'll miss his fiery attitude and look forward to his future in milwaukee. i don't blame him for whatever might have happened behind the scenes in toronto because this team was a horror show and any complaints would have been justified. 

if you don't hate this trade today, you will hate it in three years.  the fact that these guys were not going to play for the raptors is not important. if you're going to use assets in any trade, you better make sure you get something for them- otherwise they're not assets. their value to you is not necessarily the same as their value to your trading partner.

peace


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## Dee-Zy (Jan 12, 2006)

long as usual but very insightful (as usual).

I think sometimes we forget how a player got to a team in the first place. Raps did give up 2 draft picks however, if Amir pans out, 2 draft picks for him isn't bad. He is younger than Fino.

Maybe this is an insurrance plan in case Bosh leaves? Amir can be the "Chuck Hayes" or "Haslem" to Gnani. If Raps sign a star wing, Raps might be in a good balanced situation.


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## -James- (Apr 27, 2004)

Thanks for the insight, ballocks, I had not even looked into the financial aspect of this deal.

And I agree completely that if Amir is expiring in 2010 anyways, there is no use in trading for him since we wouldn't want to pay what he'll get next summer (in all likelihood, more than what he's getting now). Add to that that we traded what, in my eyes, is a very solid point guard prospect in Ukic, now I really do not like the trade. Like you pointed out, Amir is pretty much a one-year rental.

In terms of talent, this trade really isn't _terrible_ though I am high on Roko. Even the Delfino trade I don't mind because the picks we traded were only second rounders. But if you were to ask me if I would rather have Amir for one year or Ukic for two, I'm taking Ukic ten times out of ten.

I was actually pretty excited to see him paired with Jack and/or DeRozan in the backcourt since I thought Ukic would mesh quite well with either of the two. At least this trade will take some minutes from Evans.


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## southeasy (Jun 11, 2003)

Amir came into the league as a SF in exactly the same mold as a Josh Smith.... since then he has grown into his frame and is now slightly under 6'11"

he can pretty effectively defend the 3, But is Mostly utilized to defend the quicker 4's (Chris Bosh), but in Detroit he did start & defend the 5, even over a guy like Rasheed Wallace (true story)

his Defence is there, just needs to work on his Offensive game. This offseason he's been focusing on his mid-range J, & hopes to compete for title of MIP in the NBA.


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## kirk_2003 (Jun 23, 2003)

^definately wont the MIP here with the Raptors, if thats what you're suggesting..


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## Zuca (Dec 4, 2003)

Article on Amir:
http://www.nba.com/raptors/news/johnson_intro_082109.html


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## southeasy (Jun 11, 2003)

kirk_2003 said:


> ^definately wont the MIP here with the Raptors, if thats what you're suggesting..


definitely Not.it was Amirs words himself, he is taking his own initiative, working out offseason regime, putting up hundreds of shots a day & hopes to compete for the MIP this season (this was when he thought he was with the Bucks mind you) but i can see him earning significant PT here, & hopefully he can show improved awareness on the court.


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## c_dog (Sep 15, 2002)

not jumping with joy with this one. i liked bonsu on this team. not sure if amir johnson will provide much more than pops. maybe better shot blocking, but i felt pops was an underrated offensive player. neither are go to guys but i felt more comfortable with bonsu on the floor.. he just felt like the guy who was a great fit with our system.

of course, amir can still change my mind by playing spectacular basketball. definitely not upset with losing delfino/ukic.. no need crying over expired/spilled milk when you have better players in derozan and belineli.

btw, weems is going to surprise some people. dude's got decent game, just needs a chance. he's a dahntay jones caliber player.. better offensive player, though worse defender, but same talent-wise. the kind of glue guys you love to have playing effective spot minutes. he could be ahead of antoine wright in the rotation if he has a strong training camp.


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## southeasy (Jun 11, 2003)

c_dog said:


> not jumping with joy with this one. i liked bonsu on this team. not sure if amir johnson will provide much more than pops. maybe better shot blocking, but i felt pops was an underrated offensive player. neither are go to guys but i felt more comfortable with bonsu on the floor.. he just felt like the guy who was a great fit with our system.
> 
> of course, amir can still change my mind by playing spectacular basketball. definitely not upset with losing delfino/ukic.. no need crying over expired/spilled milk when you have better players in derozan and belineli.
> 
> btw, weems is going to surprise some people. dude's got decent game, just needs a chance. he's a dahntay jones caliber player.. better offensive player, though worse defender, but same talent-wise. the kind of glue guys you love to have playing effective spot minutes. he could be ahead of antoine wright in the rotation if he has a strong training camp.


i think Amir also has a pretty underrated offensive game. Detroit was loaded with higher chart offensive options in Rip, Iverson/Billups, Sheed, Prince & guards like Bynum/Afflalo. Amir has a smooth offensive game for his size, Decent J for a PF. They tried to force Amir to be a low-post guy, which he is not.

Definitely have to co-sign that Weems comment. I see him as more then just a throw in.. hope we don't waive him. I infact made that exact comparison to Dahntay Jones (defensive intensity, size, mentality). Respect. Weems has got a pretty nice jumper. However i think Wright will be our #1 guard, over DD & Beli.


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## c_dog (Sep 15, 2002)

i wouldn't be surprised to see wright starting the season as one of the top rotation guys. i do however, expect derozan, and beli to take up most of the minutes at 2 by mid season. i'm hoping weems can eventually develop into a nice 2/3 for us. i think this guy can be more effective than joey graham

i just don't see wright as a long term guy for us. he'll eventually be phased out of the rotation and would be one of the first guys BC looks to dump in trades.


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