Friday July 2 2010 – 1:01am Eastern – Cleveland, OH
Again, I’m on vacation, so I’m going to keep this brief.
Amir Johnson signs for 5 years and $34 million with the Raptors.
Is that a ‘bad’ deal for Toronto?
Well, the Raptors wanted him back. Toronto needed a guy that could help lessen the absence of Chris Bosh, and a guy that they don’t have to worry about ‘feeding’ very often on the offensive end either. Johnson is going to rebound and block shots and bring energy to the floor. That’s what the Raptors needed/wanted and they now have it.
On average, Johnson will earn about $6.8 million over the course of his 5 year deal. Given that he made $3.9 million last year, you had to know that he was going to get a raise. But the ‘haters’ have been coming out of the woodwork since Johnson’s deal was first reported by Yahoo Sports.
Many folks are saying that the Raptors paid too steep a price for Johnson. Some are calling bloody murder!
Listen … you’ve gotta relax and take a step back.
Again, after earning $3.9 million last year … looking at a bigger role (possibly as a starter) with the club … knowing that he still has ‘youth’ and ‘upside’ and ‘potential’ in his corner … Johnson and his agent were in a very strong position. And in the end, they got a very good deal – a $3 million raise!
However, when you really crunch the numbers … the deal isn’t THAT bad – if you’re honest with yourself!
Would you have been cool with Amir making $5.5 million? Are you really going to lose sleep over a guy making about $1 million more than you think he should?
Besides, as one of my regular followers on Twitter aptly pointed out, Johnson’s 5-year, $34-million deal is only 6.25% higher than the full mid-level exception. That’s nothing! A paltry 6.25% and some fans are ready to riot?!
I know folks are uneasy in Raptorland – and understandably so – after recent inflated deals for the likes of Fred Jones, Jason Kapono, and Hedo Turkoglu … but I’m not losing sleep over 6.25 per cent.
From Darko Milicic to Drew Gooden to Joe Johnson … everyone that cashed-in on Day 1 was technically ‘over-paid’. Thus, the market is obviously dictating what Amir – and others – got.
E. Smith
28 Responses to “Raptors Sign Johnson”
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How strong of a core do you think Amir Johnson, DeMar DeRozan and Sonny Weems (a.k.a The Young Guns) can potentially be? I think they can be really great together (with DeRozan being the key) but I suppose next year will say a lot.
- SCRaps need to spend to WIN! Right??? Besides Chemistry is important!! Young Gunz (can we think of another name please?).
- NickI understand the premise that you shouldn’t get worked up over an extra 1 million per year, but this is a salary cap league, and our owners won’t pay the damm luxury tax.
So when every guy you sign arguably is 10-25% overpaid – Bargs, Amir, Hedo, Jose, Jack, etc all of those “only 500,000 or 1MM more” add up to the value of at least 1 more player on the roster.
And I don’t know about you, but a starting lineup that costs $40 million and consists of Bargs/Amir/Hedo/Demar/Jose doesn’t look like good value for money.
- MikeHe is worth 4 million max, it will play 10 to 15 minutes a night. ANother bad deal for Toronto.
But it is what we have to do to get guys to come here.
Another long season ahead.
On another note, this young gunz thing is a joke. YOu really think DD, weems and amir are the ticket to a NBA championship. Give me a break.
In all reality, the raptors dont have any winners, and no real pieces.
Davis may be a nice piece, other than that, andrea is soft, hedo is soft, jose is easily the worst defending starting pg in the league and is soft as well.
So the route to a NBA championship is with the young gunz.
What a joke..
- CartsI am thrilled with this signing. This guy is potentially the power forward version of Anthony Parker. A real glue guy that is a steady force whether he stars or comes off of the bench.
I have no problem with an unselfish player getting sightly overpaid in this league. Frankly, he earned it.
- T.J.The league is a joke.
I don’t have a problem with a guy like Kobe or LeBron making $20M per season, because their ROI (return on investment) is astronomical. As far as I’m concerned, you could pay those guys what they’re actually worth — their value is off the charts.
But, when stiffs like Andrea Bargnani and Hedo Turkoglu are being paid over $10M per season, that’s exactly where your problem lies. Add in fringe players like Amir Johnson (seriously, there are piles of Amir Johnsons in the league!) getting paid $7M…and you’ve identified the problem in the NBA.
Sure, other players in TO have been massively overpaid (Hello, Vernon???) but Bryan Colangelo seems to have no clue how to build a contender. The idea is to build a winner, and then get veteran, role players to come for LESS than their actual market value. Not to overpay underachievers like Bargs and Turk and then dole out an insane $7M to a guy like Amir.
As each day passes, things seem to be getting worse for Raps fans. Yesterday, we’re hit with this ridiculous salary for Johnson — and today, rumours abound surrounding BC taking Turk off the trade market.
I guess our teflon GM wasn’t willing to take the proverbial “bag of pucks” for an idiot like Turkoglu.
- brento.People need to chill. When all the dust settles and all the pieces fall in place than criticize..for now ya’ll need to shut up!
- D12D12: What you need to do is read Carts remarks repeatedly, over and over, until you realize he is merely “telling it like it is”. Jesse The Body couldn’t have said it better himself.
He’s absolutely right on every point he mentioned. Which is rare to see around year, but very welcome in my books.
Once Raptors fans get out their Raptors “brainwashing”, they’ll have a very clear picture of a team that has been miserable throughout it’s entire franchise history.
Signing guys like Amir Johnson for $7, when the cupboard is already filled with overpaid junk, will do nothing to solidify this team’s chances of achieving playoff success.
Nothin’.
I’m sure Amir is a nice enough guy, but there’s no way I’m paying him that much dough to play on my lottery team.
- brento.I think that we’ll be getting a decent lottery pick in 2011, so I would sleep better if a: we got rid of Turkoglu for a bag of basketballs, (we did that with Vince Carter) and b: if the Raptor Franchise showed some pride and make Chris Bosh pay $30 million to leave Toronto.
We’re not going to get any value with a sign and trade anyhow.
The 2010-2011 season is going to suck but it will seem to suck less if we know that we’re going to get a decent lottery pick.
I would go to sleep smiling every night knowing that Chris Bosh paid $30 million to get out of Canada.
Raptor management has no pride, otherwise thay would never hae shown that Vince Carter tribute. (An insult to all Raptor fans).
I can imagine all the neat signs at the ACC if we cause CB to lose out on $30 million!
BC hasn’t the guts or pride to do that.
Hence, Raptors continue to be a mediocre franchise.
PS. We don’t really need Amir Johnson either.
- Larry CooperBrento and Carts, promise not to watch or follow the Raps ever?
- NickDarko at 4 years $20M is a STEAL.
Remember, Darko is younger than Bargnani.
- PeterThat was funny, Peter :)
Both players are totally fringe stuff.
Should be paid somewhere around $1M to play basketball in the NBA.
And, neither guy should be on a contract more than one or two years long. That’s it.
@ Nick — this has nothing to do with “watching” the Raps play. This has to do with not accepting the garbage BC and the rest of the Raps management/ownership has been spewing for 15 seasons.
Let’s hope that if fans like me and Carts chose NOT to watch the Raps play, there would be no one left to stare in astonishment at how little Andrea Bargnani has improved since the day his ship set sail for North America.
- brento.Eric,
I need to vent. Just like the Raptors organization, I too am getting tired of the whole Chris Bosh road show. WOW, what an ego this guy has.
I heard during a Bryan Colangelo interview recently that Bosh is not even returning his calls. What a class guy (sic).
You know, I am tired of seeing the Raptors and Toronto being kicked around by these egotistical, low intelligent athletes. The Raptors organization has already traded away VC and TMac for a bag of garbage.
Now, it seems like his highness, Chris Bosh, thinks he can go around and make deals with any team he wants AND expects the Raptors to agree to a sign and trade for a bunch of crappy players and trade excemptions that will never be used. The Great Chris Bosh not only expects to go to any team he pleases (which I don’t have a problem with) but he also expects the Raptors to accept next to nothing in return so he can receive max money. Kiss my you know what Bosh. He seems to forget that he is a BASKETBALL PLAYER. Nothing more. And he should be glad he gets paid millions to do so.
I just hope BC tells the other teams that he wants players like Joakim Noah from the Bulls or a sign and trade for David Lee from NY or the three players Houston is offering in order to close a deal. Nothing short of a fair deal will do. If they don’t want to agree to this, well the Raptors should kindly turn down a S&T and tell Bosh and his new team “The Raptors are going in a different direction”.
Even Minnesota received al Jefferson (a good young player) in return for that other jerk, Kevin Garnett. Why should the Raptors expect less. Why should the Raptors help the Bulls or Heat or anyone else win a Championship at their expense. It made me sick enough just watching Alonzo Mourning raise the NBA trophy after dissing Toronto the year before.
Please Brian, stick to your guns. The Raptors either get good talent in return or call the whole thing off. The Raptor fans and ownership deserve at least that/
Thanks Eric. I feel better already :-)
GO RAPS GO
- R. RalphI 100% agree with you Ralph! :)
- Raps Fan@Brento, easy to criticize as a fan but you don’t have a clue what goes on behind the scenes. As other reports stated as to why Amir was given the contract, simply other teams were bidding for him. An extra 1 million a year, big whoop. Other players such as Drew Gooden gets more, so that kind of draws the landscape of the FA big men.
“The league is a joke”
–
What league isn’t??? Yankees are notorious for signing over paid players.
–
Acquiring Amir is one of the best moves BC can do to keep the young talent in tact. Ever hear of CHEMISTRY! Plus, Amir WANTS to be in Toronto. I was so glad the Raps stole him from the Bucks. In Detroit, he showed nothing but potential and as he matures, he’ll just keep getting better.
Now let me ask you this. If you were a Cavs fan, how would you feel right about now? A. Knowing Lebron could leave. B. Lebron hasn’t even taken the team to the Finals. C. All the circus behaviour going on since July 1. D. Your GM quits because of the owner.
So does the Raps have it THAT bad??
As a fan, I watch through thick and thin. I support the team!!
So please don’t comment anymore about the Raps and think you know something about BBALL.
Thanks
- NickJust in case Chris Bosh reads this blog how about this idea. You said you want to win and get max money to do it. So why don’t you resign with the Raptors and then convince Wade or James to play in TO.
You can sell them on what a great fan base we have in Toronto (near the top in average attendence every year). A great organization commited to winning lead by BC, a terrific GM. Toronto is the fourth largest market on N America and the weather is the same as NY or Chicago.
Lastly, BC has put together a terrific supporting. A starting rotation of Bargnani, Bosh, Turkuglo, Wade and Jack can compete with anyone. And the Raps have solid players in Johnson, Davis, Weems, DeRozen and Calderon. I would dare say this would be a championship contender.
Think about it. Toronto is an amazing and safe city to live. It’s not always greener on the other side.
:-)
- R.ralphHello brento, I am lifting my shun of you for but a moment to let you know that there are not “piles of Amir’s” in the league. In fact, there are far to few players like Amir. He is all about heart and hustle, and those are not “skills.” If hustle was a skill, everyone would do it. The best comparision I can think of for Amir is guys like Anderson Vereajo (sp???) and Joakim Noah (although Noah cries from time to time). But heart and hustle, going after every rebound with foam in their mouths.
I am ecstatic that the Raps have locked up a real basketball player, rather than a dude who plays basketball.
I would have paid more for Amir simply because you can’t buy hustle out of players. It comes down to the old addige; “Hustle is a talent and not a skill, otherwise everybody would do it.”
- T.J.Very well stated, R. Ralph!!
I agree 100%.
This league is filled with an unbearable number of overpaid buffoons, who have completely lost all sense of perspective. It’s high time David Stern takes a long, hard look at the image his league is portraying.
As for Colangelo, he is nothing but an arrogant, self-loving, hugely underperforming, overpaid pantload. His insane “love in” with players like Bargnani, Calderon and Turkoglu will cement his reputation in these parts as, yet another, huge management failure.
He will go to his grave with his Eurotrash players. While once floundering teams like Atlanta, Milwaukee and Orlando have flown past the Raps over the past 5 years, he has given us spin after spin after spin.
And, the result has been zero playoff series wins and an egotistical approach to fans which is completely unacceptable.
- brento.First of all, there isnt a bigger raps fan out there than me. So why wouldnt i follow them.
THe point is simple. THis team is not good enough. And we will not get any better signing 15 minute bench player to 34 million dollar contacts and relying on sonny weems to take us to the promised land.
The idea of Andrea being the face of the franchise is enough to make me think that BC had no idea what he is doing. I hope i am wrong. But this guy would be the 4th option on either the celts or the lakers. Notice that both of those teams made it to the finals…
All i am sayin as of JUly 5th, thinks don’t look to promising
- Cartsbobby brown from clips on flight to t.dot with demar. check out twitter. possible signing?
- rbOf course he’s worth only $5 million, but so what? I would rather overpay a guy that shows character and effort every day and actually EARNS his paycheck, than a sideshow clown like Turkyloo or VC.
Hopefully Amir’s work ethic rubs off on that next wave of young players. Then the raptors may have a decent young core in another year or two, instead of the usual overhyped star surrounded by a bunch of ABA chumps.
- SanchezSome are ignoring the possibility that Colangelo may secretly be courting LeBron or Wade .
Johnson is a good solid signing.
- ChasDavis and Alabi have a lot of upside.
If Raps lose Bosh and trade Hedo , that’s a lot of money saved to court some talented players.
Set aside all of the bashing re: James, Bosh, the Tweets, etc. And what’s the bottom line here?
Bottom line: all the money everyone can get. The CBA expires soon. And while there’s lots of nice spin coming from James, various GM’s, etc., what it comes down to is get all you can right now.
Assume the CBA isn’t renewed. And the players walk out. Whether it’s one month or up to a full season, what will happen?
The owners will trash the players union. The players will trash the owners. The fans will trash all of them.
BUT, will anybody say screw this. Boycott everything NBA related (merchandise, TV and radio, sponsors, etc.)?
No? Why? Because while a lot of fans love to bitch, they’re too damn lazy to actually protest to make a real change. The players and the owners both know it.
The fans will bitch. But they’ll always come back.
- TCorrect me if I’m wrong. But Ohio has one of the highest umpemplyment and foreclosure rates in the country.
That being said, if Lebron stays in Cleveland, how much do you wanna bet he WON’T sign for less money? If he and management were smart, he could re-sign for less. And then show his appreciation to the fans for the support.
Now reality. No chance in hell of THAT happening.
In the NBA (or any other pro sport), does it bother any players to be making megamillions? Meanwhile, some of their fans get laid off or potentially become homeless (thru no fault of their own)?
I’ve been homeless twice. So I speak from experience on this.
- TTJ: I hear what you’re saying. You kinda had to read between the lines with respect to what I wrote. I am so thoroughly frustrated with the ridiculous leadership Bryan Colangelo has shown since he joined this franchise.
He seems NEVER to have a plan. His player transactions make virtually no sense. Signing guys like Calderon and Bargnani to terribly long, high paying extensions. Bringing in guys like Jermaine O’Neal and Hedo Turkoglu, who have reputations as lazy, me-first players. Firing a coach after a month, when it’s clear it’s the players who aren’t buying into the defense/rebounding philosophy the coach is desperately trying to utilize. The list goes on and on.
I didn’t mean to come down on Amir Johnson. He seems to have a great work ethic and, from what we’ve seen, is staying out of trouble (something many NBA players can’t seem to do!).
My problem is – yet again – the length and cost of the contract. It’s simply too long and the hit to the cap is too harsh.
Anyways — Colangelo is in an obvious freefall here in Toronto. His mountain of mistakes is clearly catching up to him. The Kapono, Jones and Turkoglu (and plenty others) are burying him and his kneejerk reactions to bad transactions do nothing but sink him further. He seems destined to ruin his career and take our team with him.
The thought of building anything but a brick wall around Andrea Bargnani is the WORST news this season seat holder has heard in a full 10 years of loyalty towards this team. I’ve been through a lot, but this is rock bottom.
I know I’m venting…and I’ve gotten off topic about the Amir thing…but, I’ve had it up to here with BC’s arrogant B******T. Just hearing his voice during today’s presser made me sick.
To me, he is little more than a crummy used car dealer in a fancy suit purchased by someone else…
ME!
- brento.PS. After watching this team struggle for 15 years, and yet read plenty of blind support on this blog from fans who really don’t seem to “get it”, I am so relieved to read comments from fans who are fed up with Raps management.
Leafs fans know it all too well. You buy your tickets. You buy your jerseys. You buy your beer. You go to the game and watch your team lose. You listen to MLSE reps talk straight out of their a***s about how things are on the way up. The same thing has happened with Raptors fans.
It’s time fans showed their disdain with this ridiculous corporation. The Leafs haven’t won a Stanley Cup since ’67 and haven’t been in the playoffs in 7 years. The Raptors have won 2(!!!!!!!) playoff series in 15 years of existence!!!!!
When is enough going to be enough????
- brento.You have to love this time of year; the lakes are already mid-Summer warm up here in cottaqe country and the adult beverages are cold…
Hey Brento, gotta side with T.J. a bit on this one; for a guy who (rightfully) bashes Bargs for his apparent lack of heart and effort, you should love Amir, if not his contract, for his leave-it-all-on-the-floor heart and hustle.
I’d take a few of him on my team any day.
I aslo have to agree with a few posters here who are echoing what I’ve been saying for months; NO SIGN AND TRADE to reward Bosh unless we get tangible big name/potential players in return. NO TAKING JUST ANYTHING so you can say we didn’t let him walk for nothing.
The Raps are already playing for nothing in the next few years so sign all the Sonny Weems, Amir guys you can and keep lots of cap flexibility, grab a great lottery pick and hope that DeRozan and some of these latest picks all mature well together.
For now, just give me an up tempo competitive team that leaves it on the floor every night and stop snowing me with the faint hope clause.
Did I mention not rewarding Bosh for leaving again???
I actually respect his desire to play for a winner but the ego and lust for the limelight is out of control.
- GaryI didn’t knock Amir, Gary. And, as usual, I agree with your thoughts. From the first time I saw Amir running up and down the court, I knew he was gonna stick out like a sore thumb, surrounding by teammates who have absolutely no clue how to show intensity and hustle.
I simply knocked the contract Amir was given. But, my bottom line is that I have ZERO TRUST OR FAITH in Bryan Colangelo to do anything but, literally, throw together a team, close his eyes, and pray it’s going to work.
This guy, from Day One, has been flying by the seat of his pants, yanking players in and out of this city like it’s a fantasy league.
The result? Nothin’.
O’Neal. Matrix. Ford. Turkoglu.
These are $10…geez, $20(!) million mistakes!!! And, what does he do to fix them? After coming up with some distorted spin to show why the player failed (as opposed to the GM failing), he grabs another $15 million stiff and talks to the media about how “this is the BEST Raptors team we’ve ever seen”.
It’s all crap. And, it’s becoming extremely difficult to support this franchise. Prior to last season, I reduced my season seats from four to two. At this point, I see very little reason to continue throwing cash into this flailing organization.
Finally, while I don’t at all support the method Bosh has used to promote himself, I agree 100% with him bailing TO, and looking for a team with a chance of winning. As for the sign-and-trade, I’ve always thought the team should let him walk – unless a deal helped shape the future of the team. Otherwise, why help Bosh at the Raps’ (and fans’) expense?
- brento.