The Raptors can sign Delfino without using the NBA’s mid-level exemption because they maintained his “Bird rights,” which allow teams over the salary cap to sign their own free agents. The rights were kept in the complicated four-team transaction finalized Thursday.
That deal brought in Turkoglu and sent Shawn Marion to the Dallas Mavericks. The market for Delfino is expected to begin at about $4-million a season.
Another big man is needed, and former Raptors centre Rasho Nesterovic would be a good fit. But the Raptors will get stiff competition from European teams, who have offered the Slovenian big man between $2-million and $4-million.
Surprisingly there, are some decent bodies out there for 15-20 minutes and $2-4-million: Brandon Bass is one, though word is he’s heading to Orlando. Chris Wilcox another. You could take a flyer on the healing powers of Leon Powe – a Goodwin client, as is Demar DeRozan – and get him very affordably. I’ve always kind of liked Aaron Gray and he might be cheap.
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Bargnani was selected first overall in the 2006 NBA draft and has recently signed a contract extension worth a reported $50 million over five years.
"I’ve had so much money since I joined the NBA — 20 million in the first four years," he said in an interview published in Saturday’s La Gazzetta dello Sport.
"I cannot even manage to think about what to do with it. I’m not someone who buys eight Rolls Royces and I don’t have strange needs or material dreams."
Toronto is looking for some perimeter players to add depth to their roster and strengthen their bench. Some potential options at the shooting guard and small forward positions are:
"This is a huge deal for the Turkish community," homeroom teacher Imran Coksurer shouted over bursts of gleeful bellowing as the children mobbed the smiling, six-foot-ten hardwood hero, who loomed, minaret-like, above them.
"That’s what we’re hoping; we really want our voice to be heard and we want other communities to realize there is a Turkish community."
Obscure as it might be to the rest of Toronto, the community’s presence has been made boisterously known to Mr. Turkoglu every time he’s visited here as an opposing player through nine National Basketball Association seasons with Sacramento, San Antonio and, most recently, Orlando.
Free-agent shooting guard Anthony Parker is expected to officially sign his two-year, $6 million contract with the Cavaliers on Sunday or Monday.
The Toronto Raptors defensive stopper and top 3-point threat, who agreed to a deal with Cleveland three days ago, is in the process of making travel plans to the North Coast.
The Toronto Raptors General Manager joins the Morning Show to talk about the latest trades and signings and the changes being made to the team.
with so many different African-American players not wanting to stay in Toronto (or even come here), citing reasons such as the cold, the tax, the country, etc., why doesn’t Toronto effectively become Europe’s first NBA team…that just happens to be playing out of Canada?? Hedo said that the key to coming to Toronto (and don’t tell me it was because of the extra $3 mil, because over the life of the contract, that’s nothing) was the Turkish culture here and the cosmopolitan nature of the city.?? Why don’t the Raptors play that up as much as possible and make the Raptors into an international team??
Having Hedo around is only going to help Bargs develop. Hedo has the ability to light things up from outside, but he does attack the basket and is surprisingly effective when he does. He isn’t really fast, but he manages to use his body well, getting himself in good position to put in some layups or at least get to the line. If Bargs can take a few notes, he should be able to learn from Hedo and use his superior athletic ability (yes, I do think Bargs is a better athlete than Hedo) to create a few more points for himself.
