How to start off Raptors legit in association?

[Ejfalcon9]

Got the itch to use the Raptors in Association because of the new court (Looks ill!) and this is probably the best start i've had with them. If you play with realistic trades Toronto is easily the hardest rebuild in the game. It's easy to hit trade finder on your huge contracts and cheese the AI but whats some legit moves to make that helps the team yet is realistic? I kicked off my season with these moves.

1. Inserted Valunciunas back into my game (Only fair)
2. Traded 12 2nd round and Rasual Butler for Chase Budinger (I Like Buds play)
3. Traded James Johnson, Linas Klieza, and Anthony Carter for Andreas Nocioni (Nocioni does nothing for us with his contracty ,but helped the Sixers cap and gave us roster space + he's in his contract year.
4. Signed AK47 (Our starter and a great defender. No one took him in the real season so I thought a 1.8 mil 1 year deal was fair.
5. 5 games in Barboso was getting pissed due to his lack of play so traded him and our 2013 2nd round for Daniel Gibson, Anthony Carter, and Cavs 12 2nd round.

I'm trying not to handicap other teams or ourselves.

[MVPdrose1]

i like the budinger move. not sure if the rockets would part with him for that tho.

think the nocioni move was also nice. im a bulls fan and LOVED nocioni when he was in the Chi. that was a fair deal.

did you see ak47's new tatoo in the game? pretty wild!

[Ejfalcon9]

Quote: Originally Posted by MVPdrose1

i like the budinger move. not sure if the rockets would part with him for that tho. think the nocioni move was also nice. im a bulls fan and LOVED nocioni when he was in the Chi. that was a fair deal. did you see ak47's new tatoo in the game? pretty wild!

Oh yeah it looks awesome in game. I figured the Budinger trade was fair because he doesnt have the best potential and only has a few traits in his game I like. Also I figured it would be cheap to pick up AK ,but i'm using RonYells SimWorld roster so he's tuned to not be a crazy defender and not be 100% from the 3 so I feel like him being my place holder starter for a year will work. Hopefully we can get a lotto pick and pick up either Michael Kidd - Gilchrist, Harrison Barnes, Perry Jones ,or Ant Davis.

[Paulinho]

Also thinking of starting a Raptors Association. Team is so underrated by 2k. I understand they are not a play off team in a weak Eastern Conference but damn Bargnani, Derozan & Calderon should all be above 70.

[b2th3m1th]

I like the boobie Daniels trade I like that guy. But I think you gave up too much for nocioni. I would have tried to keep klieza. I love that guy

[2PlusTheFoul]

I started a Raptors association (as I always do in every basketball game) with Bedwardsroy19's rosters and the compatible draft classes and did the following moves.

1st year:
- traded barbosa at the deadline to the Thunder for Daequan Cook, Nazr Mohammed and their 1st round pick
- played out the rest of the year unfortunately ending 37-45 getting the 11th overall pick (Jeremy Lamb)

Offseason:
- selected Scott Macado (28th ovr I think)
- selected Tu Halloway (i think thats his name - mid second round)
- got offered a trade of Jose & Anthony Carter and a future 2nd for Denver's 2013 1st and took it
- Tried to sign Russell Westbrook & Javale McGee and got match by their teams.
- Signed Nicolas Batum in free agency

2nd year:
- Line-up of: 1. Bayless, 2. DeRozan 3. Batum 4. Bargnani 5. A. Johnson
- 2 weeks before deadline at 25-28, traded Amir Johnson & 2014 first to Portland for Greg Oden.
- Got offered Bayless and 2013 1st round pick to Nuggets for Ty Lawson (wanted to leave for free agency)
- Lawson wanted to sign an extension so I signed him to a 4 year deal.
- Extended DeRozan as well
- Line-up of 1. Lawson 2. DeRozan 3. Batum 4. Bargnani 5. Oden
- Raptors team ratings: 14th in Defense, 28th in Offense, 24th Ovr.
- Finished 43-39 with the 6th seed against the Knicks and lost 4-2.

Offseason:
- traded Macado (age 23 & 71 ovr) to Warriors for their 11th pick, Kendall Marshall (age 21 & 69 ovr - I'm a UNC fan lol)
-traded a second round pick to Orlando for Nicola Mejici (or something like that)
- traded 2013 & 14 2nds to Denver for Kosta Kofous and their 2014 2nd.
- with my second 2nd round pick, selected a 6'11" PF from Duke (forgot the name)
- had 14.07 million in cap space
- signed Blake Griffin to an offer sheet starting at around 13.69 mill but got matched. (was gonna try to swing a deal for Rondo who already gave the Celtics notice he was leaving even with 2 years still left on his deal.)
- ended up filling out the bottom of the roster with vets and undrafted rookies with potential.

Now starting 2014 season.

[b2th3m1th]

not to far fetched. Especially the Batum signing because Toronto seems to sign the top foreign players. And that trade for Oden is something I could also see Toronto doing because taking a flyer on a guy like that is what small market teams have to do.

[Ejfalcon9]

I'm about 1/4 through year 2 and in year 1 we where the 27th ovr team in the NBA, Now we are 18th. In the off season keeping around our bench warmers with bloated contracts and where unristriced free agents paid off. Ended up with about 28 mil cap room and was able to pay Kevin Love enough so that Minnisota wouldnt match the offer. Then added a few skilled rotational players like Jason Kapono and Kirk Hinrich. Also picked back up Chase Budinger and Nocioni. Ended up with the 3rd overall pick and chose Perry Jones. NJ was at 6. Traded them Our 1st round 2013 , Cavs 2013 1st round, and Jose Colderon for their #6. Colderon had a 10 mil contract in his contract year and The Nets had D Will as their only PG + Nets have alot of Cap room so I thought it was semi realistic trade. Chose Michael Kidd Gilchrist at #6.

Perry Jones is good of the bench getting alot of minutes behind K Love. My intent was to start Budinger but Michael KG is a beast at Point Forward so he's my starter.

The lineup is now.

PG Bayless/Kirk Hinrich/Myak Kabongo
SG DeRozen/ Daniel Gibson/ Jason Kapono
SF Kidd-Gilchist/Budinger/Nocioni
PF Love/Jones III/Ed Davis
C Barg/Valenciunas

Really happy with the team this year! Hopefully we will make .500 and the next year if the team gets even better we'll make a playoff run.