That trait extends well beyond showmanship and could provide real value to a team that's been atrocious in closing games and creating offense in difficult spots this season. But behind the many criticisms of Gay's game is a consistent productivity highlighted by an ability to hit difficult shots. Gay may not make much sense lining up opposite DeRozan on the wing, nor does he have the kind of skill set that would make for straightforward chemistry with point guard Kyle Lowry. The Raptors had amassed enough salary that Calderon's expiring $10.6 million contract wouldn't create enough cap space for Toronto to reinvent itself, all but ensuring that Colangelo would trade his starting point guard in any move that brought a decent basketball return.Īnd by all means, this trade accomplishes that much. Once Colangelo had committed so much to so limited a core, this kind of gambit was to be expected. The very process of improvement requires a delicacy of timing that Colangelo just doesn't seem to grasp, as he racks up the kinds of contracts that only seem to work against the Raptors' best interests.īut perhaps no single move was more declarative than the Raptors' preemptive offer to DeMar DeRozan, a decent enough player and positive personality who will be (over)paid $9.5 million annually through 2017. By racing through the roster-building process, Colangelo quickly smashes a mediocre roster into the salary-cap and luxury-tax lines, two thresholds that dramatically limit the means through which teams can get better.
His managerial style simply strips a team of its brakes, which for a rebuilding franchise is more than a mere inconvenience. One move leads to another which justifies a third and which necessitates one more, all executed without the bother of spending discretion or patience. But in this case he also seems to be getting a bit ahead of himself from a team construction standpoint, crippling the Raptors' options by way of his own decision-making momentum.Ĭolangelo, it seems, cannot be stopped - or at least can't seem to stop himself once he gets on a roll.
Gay is a talent, and Raptors general manager Bryan Colangelo has made a play for potential at only the cost of Ed Davis, Jose Calderon and his expiring contract and a second-round pick.