Toronto Raptors mailbag: Is Giannis coming to town? RJ Barrett on the move?
It has been a while since we did a Toronto Raptors mailbag. But with the most insane lottery in recent memory completed and the NBA draft just a month away, now's as good a time as any to take reader questions.
Article content
Article content
Here's part 1 with a thanks as always for the questions. Part 2, with more of a focus on the draft and ownership changes, will drop later in the week:
Article content
Sean @Whispering375: Why would Raptors look to trade RJ Barrett? He's been a bucket-getter. Who would you move this summer?
Article content
Article content
@D13Drafts asks: 'It seems that RJ Barrett is the most likely piece of the core to be moved. What do you think is a likely destination for RJ & do you expect to see movement on that front?'
Article content
Ryan Wolstat: It's a fair take D13 and one I've made myself in past columns (arguing either Barrett or Ochai Agbaji might have to go at some point to avoid the luxury tax).
Article content
Though Barrett checks a lot of boxes (at 24, he's actually the second-youngest 'core' piece, not including the ninth pick of this coming draft, he's the leading scorer each of the last two seasons, a homegrown star and puts a lot of pressure on the rim, unlike most of his teammates), he likely has a more moveable contract than other core Raptors.
Article content
Immanuel Quickley arguably has a more-needed key skill, with his ability to hit pull-up three-pointers, than Barrett, Brandon Ingram isn't going anywhere and the team believes in Gradey Dick and Ja'Kobe Walter a lot, making Barrett perhaps superfluous because Ingram will replace his points and, between Dick and Walter, they can absorb the bulk of the shooting guard minutes (with Agbaji potentially playing some as well or Quickley sliding over beside Jamal Shead).
Article content
Article content
It was a bit odd Toronto didn't push Barrett for all-star consideration at all even though he was the leading scorer and was putting up insane numbers at home. They like him and opted for a deal that included him from New York instead of other variations that didn't, but don't seem to value the Canadian connection, the work ethic, personality, bucket-getting abilities and improved defensive commitment as they should (clearly I like Barrett more than many people do).
Article content
I don't see what the Raptors do with Dick and would be intrigued what he'd fetch on the market, but not sure it would be enough to give up on him now (if he has another overall year like this past campaign, though, it would be hard to get any value for him), but not sure there's any other obvious choice to trade, unless Agbaji could get you something nice before you have to potentially overpay him.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Globe and Mail
18 minutes ago
- Globe and Mail
Coming soon: Season two of Behind The Advice
Money weaves its way through all our lives. It influences our choices, big and small, and charts the course of our future. And behind every piece of financial advice, there's a person with a unique story to tell. Host Brenda Bouw is back for season two of Behind The Advice, a Globe and Mail podcast about financial advice and the people who give it. From an advisor who kept their previous experience living in poverty a secret from colleagues and clients for years, to one who thinks the industry has become far too complacent, Behind The Advice gathers stories of trial and triumph, and digs deep into the moments that shape how advisors think about money, their clients, and the industry at large. Season two launches June 18th.
Globe and Mail
19 minutes ago
- Globe and Mail
Edmonton's heritage Garneau district confronts upzoning
Increasing density to meet a growing demand for housing in well-served, well-connected central areas, often precedes the preservation of complementary attributes that make dense urban environments a desirable place to live, including a sense of place, or the emotional connection between people and place. Preserving mature trees and heritage buildings, for instance, stands at odds with the demands of a real estate market on steroids. This situation is currently at play in Edmonton. To bolster the number of Edmontonians living in 15-minute neighbourhoods, city hall recently approved the rezoning of five priority growth areas to allow for higher densities in the city's major activity nodes. 'Priority growth areas are about enhancing these areas, and giving more people opportunities to access existing amenities,' says Lisa Drury, a senior planner at the City of Edmonton, noting that increasing housing choice is 'a key part of the rezoning process.' Calgary home sales drop in April as economic uncertainty continues, real estate board says One of these priority growth areas is Garneau, one of Edmonton's oldest neighbourhoods, whose central location, ample access to transportation options and proximity to the University of Alberta, make it an ideal candidate for densification. But Garneau is not lacking in density, nor in housing diversity, and some residents worry that the zoning changes introduced by city hall could disrupt the balance supporting the neighbourhood's livability, as well as its long-term desirability. In a public hearing last month, Elizabeth Finn, a Garneau resident, shared her concerns with city council. 'I'm not adverse to increasing density, what I am concerned about is that, in the name of increasing density and decreasing bureaucracy, Garneau is going to lose its uniqueness and charm, what makes everyone want to live there.' Heritage on the outside, party on the inside Ms. Finn first moved to Garneau in 2018, when she was a student at the University of Alberta. The area's walkability, lush tree-lined streets and a wide variety of services and amenities, including the iconic Whyte Avenue, popular for shopping, dining, and nightlife, quickly captured Ms. Finn's heart. After renting an apartment in a high-rise tower on Whyte Avenue (also known as 82nd Avenue), four years ago, Ms. Finn and her husband found their dream home just one block away: a 2½-storey foursquare built in 1915. The couple purchased the 2,000-square-foot property for less than $430,000, a bargain by today's standards. This year's tax assessment pegs the value of the century-old dwelling at $600,500. Ms. Finn's home isn't an outlier. Edmonton's record population growth has caused house prices and rental rates to climb. In the past four years, the median resale price for detached homes has increased by more than 20 per cent, the Realtors Association of Edmonton reports. Over the same period, low vacancy rates drove rents up by roughly 20 per cent, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation data shows. To relieve some of the pressure on the city's housing market, the new zoning implemented in Garneau allows for mixed-use towers as tall as 21-storeys along two arterial roads, 82nd Avenue and 109th Street, and accommodates mid-rise buildings between six and eight storeys on adjacent areas, accounting for the impact of taller structures on low-rise properties. What it takes to own and restore a Canadian heritage home Recognizing the significance of heritage buildings in Garneau, city planners incorporated transition zones of lower heights on neighbouring sites. For example, the parcels next to the William Buster residence on 81st Avenue, are zoned to allow for a maximum height of three storeys on one side, and six storeys on the other. City administrators encourage homeowners to list their property in the city's heritage inventory, a first step to historical designation, and to lifetime protection from demolition. If a new building is designated, however, the zoning already adjudicated to adjacent properties would remain unchanged. This puts Ms. Finn in a difficult position. Although she wishes to list her home in the heritage inventory, Ms. Finn is hesitant to pursue municipal designation because the north side of her street, 81st Avenue, is now zoned to accommodate six-storey buildings. 'We would be enveloped by apartment buildings,' Ms. Finn says, pointing at the existing towers rising behind her backyard, on Whyte Avenue. 'Our ability to resell the house would be very limited.' After council's decision, Garneau's resident association retained a consultant to amend the upgraded zoning and protect older properties. But the attractiveness of Garneau doesn't rely solely on heritage buildings. They downsized to save money and simplify their lives. Here's what they wished they'd known Garneau embodies the kind of dense neighbourhood urbanists yearn for. Within a 15-minute walk, an array of uses, building heights and architectural styles converge to create a vibrant milieu that captivates residents and visitors alike. 'We love neighbourhoods that connect us to a story about place, that make us feel like we're part of something bigger,' says Neal LaMontagne, a city planning lecturer at the University of Alberta. Because Garneau was established in the pre-war period, before car-dependent subdivisions filled with cookie-cutter homes came to dominate Canadian cities, it displays features that can be difficult to replicate. 'The fact that it's an older neighbourhood lends itself to a more human scale, to human-centred urbanism,' Mr. LaMontagne says. 'It also means it's adapted over time, so it has a complexity that is rare in newer neighbourhoods.' Despite its historic character, Garneau isn't frozen in time. One reason this neighbourhood continues to thrive is its eclectic mix of old and new buildings. Almost half of existing dwellings were built after 1980, and in the last 15 years, more than 600 apartments have been completed. For Mr. LaMontagne, the city's focus on meeting a minimum density of 250 residents or jobs per hectare in major nodes, as established by Edmonton's City Plan, diverts from the importance of maintaining some of the physical qualities that sustain Garneau's desirability. 'Our oldest neighbourhoods are our most central neighbourhoods, so planners have to make sure that they're not exclusive,' he says. 'But how do we do that in a way that you're including people in something that's really desirable? How do you keep those qualities? Our planning tools in Alberta aren't nuanced enough to fit that complexity.'
Globe and Mail
22 minutes ago
- Globe and Mail
Estée Lauder Launches in the Amazon.ca Premium Beauty Store
Estée Lauder, the flagship brand of The Estée Lauder Companies, is proud to announce its official launch in the Premium Beauty store. This launch will enable broader access to Estée Lauder's high-performance skin care, best-in-class makeup and iconic fragrances to customers across Canada with the ease and convenience of Amazon. Estée Lauder debuted in the Premium Beauty store in Fall 2024. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: 'This launch marks a significant milestone for the Estée Lauder brand in Canada,' said Justin Boxford, Global Brand President, Estée Lauder. 'We're thrilled to partner with the Premium Beauty store to bring our globally renowned products to Amazon customers in Canada. Grounded in our night science leadership, skin tone authority and fragrance expertise, we're excited to deliver our hero products and an elevated, high-touch experience through the lens of 'The Beauty of Performance'.' Within the Estée Lauder brand storefront on Canadian customers will be able to discover, learn about, and shop Estée Lauder's best-in-class hero products, such as the award-winning, iconic Advanced Night Repair Serum and the #1 selling foundation, Double Wear Stay-In-Place, through a convenient and trusted online shopping experience. Customers can also find other brand favourites like Revitalizing Supreme+, Re-Nutriv, and Futurist Hydra Rescue Moisturizing Foundation. "We're excited to welcome the iconic Estée Lauder brand to expanding our premium beauty offering to customers across Canada," said Eva Lorenz, Country Manager and Vice President of Amazon Canada. "This launch builds on our successful relationship with The Estée Lauder Companies and represents a significant milestone in our journey together. We've worked closely with the Estée Lauder team to create a shopping experience that honours the brand's rich heritage while making their beloved products more accessible to Canadian customers who appreciate the convenience of shopping with Amazon." When shopping Estée Lauder in the Premium Beauty store, Prime members enjoy fast, free delivery on every order. Shop Estée Lauder now in the Premium Beauty Store at ABOUT ESTÉE LAUDER Estée Lauder is the flagship brand of The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. Founded by Estée Lauder, one of the world's first female entrepreneurs, the brand today continues her legacy of creating the most innovative, sophisticated, high-performance skin care and makeup products and iconic fragrances — all infused with a deep understanding of women's needs and desires. Today Estée Lauder engages with women in over 150 countries and territories around the world and at a variety of touch points, in stores and online. And each of these relationships consistently reflects Estée's powerful and authentic point of view. Follow @esteelaudercanada on Instagram, Facebook. ABOUT THE ESTÉE LAUDER COMPANIES The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. is one of the world's leading manufacturers, marketers, and sellers of quality skin care, makeup, fragrance, and hair care products, and is a steward of luxury and prestige brands globally. The company's products are sold in approximately 150 countries and territories under brand names including: Estée Lauder, Aramis, Clinique, Lab Series, Origins, M·A·C, La Mer, Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, Aveda, Jo Malone London, Bumble and bumble, Darphin Paris, TOM FORD, Smashbox, AERIN Beauty, Le Labo, Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle, GLAMGLOW, KILIAN PARIS, Too Faced, the DECIEM family of brands, including The Ordinary and NIOD, and BALMAIN Beauty.
