Big Desmond Bane move was right for Magic, but would be wrong for Raptors
Article content
What was the alternative for Magic boss Jeff Weltman, formerly Masai Ujiri's No. 2 in Toronto? Stand pat or trade less for a lesser player? The East might not be there for the taking like this again anytime soon.
Article content
And, of the picks going out, only one (the 2030 Orlando first) has a real shot at being really high (it's possible the 2026 Phoenix first could be decent, but ownership there is deadset on doing everything possible to be good in the near future, with little regard to the long-term consequences. It's more likely later Suns picks are golden than that one).
Article content
The 16th pick this year in a draft seen as being weak after the lottery, probably isn't anything special and, if Bane fits as well as projected, the 2028 Orlando first is probably in the 20s or so.
Article content
Weltman doesn't make many trades and, when he does, he's known as a grinder (he was a key reason the Raptors got Milwaukee to include a second-round pick which turned out to be Norman Powell, in addition to the first rounder that was OG Anunoby in a one-sided 2015 deal for Greivis Vasquez). Clearly he was comfortable with the cost of doing business.
Article content
Article content
Should the Raptors see the East — and their place in it — similarly to how the Magic did?
Article content
Trading whatever it takes for Giannis would be one thing (even if at the moment insiders don't think he'll be moved anytime soon), throwing in for someone like Kevin Durant quite another.
Article content
On paper, Toronto doesn't look as close to contending as the Magic. That team now has three players (all under 26) capable of averaging around 20 points and five assists a game and is outstanding defensively. They really were one ideal piece away from relevance.
Article content
Does anyone besides maybe Ujiri and his staff feel the same about the Raptors? Brandon Ingram should help (if he can stay on the court, which has rarely happened in the past) and he'd better since Toronto happens to be 29th, right behind Orlando, in three-point makes and was only 23rd in accuracy.
Article content
Article content
Durant's also 37, 11 years Bane's senior, and has had a few significant injuries. Plus, to make the math work (without bringing in a third team), Toronto would have to trade Jakob Poeltl, RJ Barrett and either Gradey Dick or Ochai Agbaji (plus any picks required to satisfy the Suns), or Poeltl and Immanuel Quickley, leaving the club without a starting centre — which history has shown goes very poorly for the Raptors.
Article content
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBC
an hour ago
- CBC
Edmonton Oilers could join elite NHL teams who rallied in Game 6 to win Stanley Cup
Eight teams in NHL history have won Game 6 of the Stanley Cup final to force a seventh game and gone on to win the championship. The Edmonton Oilers are aiming to become the ninth after falling behind 3-2 to the Florida Panthers. Game 6 is Tuesday in Sunrise, Fla. Here's a look at the teams that have completed the comeback: 1942 — Toronto Maple Leafs The Maple Leafs trailed the Detroit Red Wings 3-0 before winning four straight to claim the Cup. They remain the only team in NHL history to erase a three-game deficit in the final. Toronto took Game 6 by a score of 3-0 and won Game 7 at Maple Leaf Gardens, 3-1. 1950 — Detroit Red Wings The Red Wings stayed alive with a 5-4 win over the New York Rangers in Game 6, then captured the Cup with a 4-3 double-overtime victory in Game 7. Pete Babando scored the winner. 1964 — Toronto Maple Leafs Toronto stayed alive with a 4-3 overtime win over Detroit in Game 6, then secured a third straight championship with a 4-0 win in Game 7 on the road. 1971 — Montreal Canadiens The Canadiens forced Game 7 with a 4-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks, then captured the Cup with a 3-2 win at Chicago Stadium. Rookie goaltender Ken Dryden was named playoff MVP. 2001 — Colorado Avalanche The Avalanche responded to a Game 5 loss by shutting out the New Jersey Devils 4-0 in Game 6. They clinched the title with a 3-1 win in Game 7 in Denver. 2004 — Tampa Bay Lightning Tampa Bay kept its season alive with a 3-2 double-overtime win over the Calgary Flames in Game 6, with Martin St. Louis scoring the winner. The Lightning went on to win their first Cup with a 2-1 victory in Game 7. 2009 — Pittsburgh Penguins The Penguins beat the Detroit Red Wings 2-1 in Game 6, then won the Cup with another 2-1 victory in Game 7 at Joe Louis Arena. Max Talbot scored both goals in the deciding game. 2011 — Boston Bruins The Bruins forced Game 7 with a 5-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks, then clinched the series with a 4-0 shutout at Rogers Arena. Boston goaltender Tim Thomas made 37 saves in the deciding game.
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Skinner or Pickard? Oilers' Knoblauch still not naming starting goalie for Stanley Cup Final Game 6
Edmonton Oilers' goalie Calvin Pickard (30), left, and goalie Stuart Skinner (74) take part in practice before taking on the Florida Panthers in the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs, in Edmonton, Wednesday, June 5, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — It's anyone's guess who starts in goal for the Edmonton Oilers when they face elimination in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Florida Panthers on Tuesday night. Coach Kris Knoblauch did not say Monday whether it would be Stuart Skinner or Calvin Pickard. 'It's who we feel can win us a game,' Knoblauch said after practice. 'That's how it's gone in other games, and we'll make that decision.' Skinner was Edmonton's starting goaltender to begin the playoffs, lost the first two games and was replaced by Pickard, who went 6-0 before getting injured. Skinner also started the first four in the final, got pulled twice and for Pickard, who won Game 4 and lost Game 5. 'A strength of our team is that we can go with both guys,' winger Connor Brown said. 'They're up for the challenge. I mean, they're both absolute pros. Both have given this their best every time they come in there, and they both work hard, so we're in it as a group.' Ryan Nugent-Hopkins did not practice Monday, though Knoblauch expects the Oilers' longest-tenured player to be in the lineup Tuesday night in Sunrise. That is a constant, even if Nugent-Hopkins is not 100% healthy, though there could be other changes coming. Either Jeff Skinner or Vasily Podkolzin may be ticketed for the press box as a healthy scratch up front, while John Klingberg is a candidate to return on defense. Status quo Panthers Florida will be making no such changes, barring something unforeseen, in the first chance to clinch back-to-back championships. The same 12 forwards and six defensemen who have been in place since A.J. Greer returned from injury in Game 3 figure to be in the lineup again. 'It's all health based,' coach Paul Maurice said. 'We're a pretty healthy team, fortunately, at this point, and we've got good players.' That includes Matthew Tkachuk, who missed the remainder of the regular season after getting injured at the 4 Nations Face-Off in February. After some ups and downs and uncertainty, he's 'feeling the best' he has during this run. 'I thought there was maybe a 50% chance I wouldn't be playing as close to about a week or five days before the playoffs started,' Tkachuk said. 'Very lucky and fortunate that I've got great trainers and doctors, and they all somehow got me healthy enough to play.' Florida Olympians The Panthers have five players already bound for the 2026 Olympics in Milan: Tkachuk for the U.S., Sam Reinhart for Canada, Aleksander Barkov for Finland, Nico Sturm for Germany and Uvis Balinskis for Latvia. The 12 teams participating unveiled their preliminary six-man rosters Monday. Sturm and Balinskis have not played in the final, but the Olympic announcements put them in the spotlight. 'Being an Olympian is something that not a lot of athletes can say about their careers,' Sturm said. 'It's the best athletes in the world from every sport, and it's definitely something that I've marked on my calendar, something that I want to achieve in my career. It'd be a huge accomplish to be able to play there and, once your career's done, to say you participated in the Olympics, I think that's a huge accomplishment not to be understated.' Stephen Whyno, The Associated Press
Winnipeg Free Press
3 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
McDavid, Oilers facing elimination against Panthers in Game 6 of Stanley Cup final
FORT LAUDERDALE – Connor McDavid chose his words carefully. The Oilers captain — undoubtedly hockey's best player — had just been asked about the pressure on himself in his team's moment of need. 'That's a pretty heavy question,' McDavid said with Edmonton facing elimination in the Stanley Cup final. 'I don't think about it that way. If you think about it that way, you'd be probably pretty crippled in terms of how you prepare and how you play. 'It's a big game. Everybody knows that. I know that. And I'm looking forward to it.' That big game comes Tuesday night with the Oilers down 3-2 to the defending champion Florida Panthers in the NHL title series. Edmonton battled hard to get the showcase matchup even at 2-2 with a 5-4 overtime road victory after trailing 3-0 in the first period of Game 4, but then laid an egg at home in Saturday's 5-2 loss to press their collective back against the wall. The Oilers, in short, have no margin for error. 'The Cup will be in the building,' McDavid said of Game 6. 'Those are games that you dream of. Obviously, it's not for us, but any time the Cup's in the building and you're playing, it's a good sign.' Edmonton will need a much better start to make sure hockey's holy grail gets put back in its case and loaded onto a plane for a potential Game 7 in the Alberta capital Friday. Florida, which topped the Oilers in seven in last year's final despite nearly blowing a 3-0 series lead, has outscored Edmonton 11-4 in the first period, including an ugly 7-0 mark over the last three contests. 'It would be nice to go out there and play with the lead,' said Oilers forward Corey Perry, competing in his sixth final. 'That's our goal — to start strong, get that first one and play from there.' McDavid is tied for playoff scoring lead alongside teammate and fellow centre Leon Draisaitl with 33 points, but registered just his first goal of the final with Edmonton down 3-0 in Game 5. The 28-year-old superstar has seen plenty of Florida captain Aleksander Barkov — a three-time Selke Trophy winner as the league's top defensive forward — in the series after getting another heavy dose last spring. 'It's going to be a tough test,' Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk said of again trying to knock off Edmonton's No. 97. 'He's desperate to win a Cup … but so are we.' McDavid skated around a question about his own play when speaking to reporters following Monday's practice in sweltering Florida. 'It's not really about me,' he said. 'It's about us. It's about us trying to get a win here … that's what we're looking forward to. 'Everybody has another level, myself included.' Oilers defenceman Darnell Nurse said McDavid's leadership and accountability push the group forward. 'Sets the example,' Nurse said. 'When he speaks up, everyone has a lot of respect because of the amount of work that he puts in. Not only coming rink and preparing practice-wise, but knowing what goes on behind closed doors and the commitment and sacrifice and everything that he does for this game and for this team, it motivates us. 'We have to bring it.' Edmonton head coach Kris Knoblauch, who also had McDavid in junior with the Ontario Hockey League's Erie Otters, said the Newmarket, Ont., product has been a talent others will follow from the start. 'It was his work ethic, his attention to detail, wanting to be the best player possible,' Knoblauch said of the No. 1 pick at the 2015 NHL draft. 'As he's gotten older, you become more comfortable at being a leader and you build that rapport with all the players. 'He's got so much respect from players because of the acknowledgment of the other players' contributions.' Perry played with McDavid at the world championships for Canada in 2016, but didn't really know him until joining the Oilers last season. 'I was very surprised how outgoing he is in the dressing room, how he's friends with everybody,' said the 40-year-old. 'He's that leader. He has a voice and he uses it when something needs to be said. 'His actions speak louder than words … couldn't ask for a better captain.' Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. The Oilers have a well-documented history of bouncing back. They were down 3-2 to the Vancouver Canucks in the second round last spring, trailed the Los Angeles Kings 2-0 to open these playoffs and — of course — nearly pulled off a miraculous Cup final moment 12 months ago. 'For whatever reason, our group doesn't like to make it easy,' McDavid said. 'We've put ourselves in another difficult spot and it's our job to work our way out of it.' The pressure is on. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 16, 2025.
