Bryan Colangelo has never been one to take his time when free agent peroid hits. We all have heard the story about him leading an entire team down to talk with Steve Nash about returning to the Suns. Last year he wanted to acquire Jason Kapono and he was on the phone with him at 12:01 am. It is what makes Colangelo one of the better people at his job. He has a plan and goes out and makes it happen. Sure he may not always have the right plan but he is never fearful of that. He hits the ground running and works on making what he wants happen. Bryan Colangelo has never been afraid to take a risk and his latest trade for Jermaine O’Neal which will become legal on July 9th is another example of that. So who is he putting his chips on for his choices from the free agent pool. The fact he has made this trade is no doubt a selling point as many around the NBA seem excitied about the prospect of a JO and CB4 duo on the Toronto Raptors.
Raptors would need some extra selling points. Most NBA teams will have to be creative as there is few teams with any extra money to spend beyond the mid level exemption under the collective bargining agreement. There is also the issue of restricted free agents as well. There are many attractive options in that market as well. But just like with the Raptors own restricted free agents, Jose Calderon and Carlos Delfino, others team just like the Raptors have the right to match any offer their restricted free agents should get. So it is a much more risky to target these players. Teams have 10 days to match offers on restricted free agents and during that time other options can slip through a team’s fingers. It is all part of the game that is free agent peroid that starts at midnight tonight.
Raps Search To Replace Ford
The Raptors shopping list is pretty basic. A back-up point gaurd that is experienced would be nice. Damon Stoudmire would be a excellent option and he does like Toronto already so it is not a case of selling him on the city or the idea of living in Canada. Another option could be Chris Duhon of the Bulls who at one point had signed an offer sheet with Toronto as a restricted free agent. This was prior to Bryan Colangleo under the Rob Babcock era. But much like Morris Peterson once signed an offer sheet with the Hornets when full free agent rights came his way he still considered the Hornets as an option and of course did sign with them last year. These are just 2 of several options the Raptors could use to fill the role of back-up to Jose Calderon. Many seem to think that Roko Ukic can be that option. But having never played an NBA game in his life it is wishful thinking. Jose himself struggled in his first year in North America. At some point Ukic could be that back-up point guard for the Raptors. But it will not be in November of 2008.
Who Can Solve the Swingman Problem
The other major need that is widely talked about is the need for an athletic, slashing and attacking small forward or shooting guard. The name that gets most often mentioned in regards to the Raptors is Cory Maggette. But he may not be able to be signed this off-season unless it was part of a sign and trade deal. Many of the big name free agents that had player options have decided to use them feeling that the free agent market next season will have much more money to be spent in it. Also teams with better chances of winning a NBA Championship. Ron Artest is another of these players that has decided to wait till next year to shop his services. This could make this year’s trade deadline a very interesting one. It will also make this off-season much harder for teams to find impact players on the free agent market.
Global Free Agents?
There is also a new problem for NBA teams. The Euro Factor is starting to become a very real one for the NBA in reverse. The economics in the world have changed in a major way. We here in Canada now have a dollar that is almost equal to our neighbours to the south. But also the EURO has grown against the United States Dollar. It has gotten to a point that Europe who has long watched it stars go off to North America for Basketball and Hockey, now have the resources to offer some pretty larger dollars to attract players. So the free agent market is becoming a global market beyond just the 29 other teams that make up the NBA. The Raptors no this first hand as both Anthony Parker who is still under contract and Carlos Delfino who is not have been rumoured to be targets of several teams in the EURO league. The world is changing and so is how free agents may view it. At this point it would seem insane to think Lebron James would go to Europe. But that being said older players that still could be veteran options in the NBA. We here so much about the global economy well we may be starting to be on the verge of a global sports market as well. Bryan Colangelo is well aware of what is going on and he understands the new challenges that will lie ahead.
Raptors In Search of A Warrior
Golden State may have an answer for the Raptors. Bryan Colangelo in the past has expressed interest in Mickeal Pietrus. He is an interesting option for Toronto and seems to be a guy that would fit the Raptors well. He is often a favourite to be interviewed when the Raptors have played the Warriors in the past. He seems to be a good person and fits the idea of the Raptors wanting players of high moral charcter. As a basketball player he still has room to grow and expand on his game. He plays in a high up tempo system with the Warriors and those skills can help the Raptors who would like to expand the amount of running they do. He is also a guy that could come for a reasonable salary price. All good things if he is on the Raptors wish list.
End Of The Honeymoon For BC?
Colangelo has always been able to find players that are able to find success for his clubs. He does not always target the names that first come to mind. He has had his share of misses in his time of Toronto as well. Fred Jones who is now on the market again was one of those. But if he makes a mistake or things change to the point the circumstances of his team do, he has shown the ability to respond to that as well. I still have faith in Bryan Colangelo and think he can press the right buttons to build the Raptors into a contender in the Eastern Conference when all is said and done. We have to remember where he started from with this basketball team. They were a complete mess under Rob Babcock and he left a real team in need of a leader with vision and direction. Which Bryan Colangelo is without question. Some people have started to make rumbles about Colangelo and his performance. But I think this is just the end of what has been a long honeymoon peroid that is coming to a close. He has not changed at all, the way he has been treated has. He is still respected but their are some that are now not afraid to question the man that is rightfully thought of as a savior of this franchise. The second phase of the Bryan Colangelo era is underway.
If I was making up a list of Free Agents that I would want to add it would be impacted greatly by the fact many have decided not to opt out of their contracts. I think not just this off-season but the trade deadline combined will be the final product of what the new look Raptors will look like. It is not to say that what is about to happen is not important. It will be important and it will lay the foundation for the upcoming season. But I feel that their will be need to upgrade on what the Raptors do this off-season at the trade deadline and at that point names like Maggette and Artest will be in play as well as a number of other big names to be available. This is something that Andrea Bargnani should take note of. If he does not produce this season it could mean the end of his chances. It may make sense for Raptors to use him as part a deal to acquire someone that they may need. If he does start to show growth the Raptors still would have other options they could package together. But Bargnani needs to play his way out of being one of them.
So get ready for a lot of changes as the Raptors look to make the push to that next level. They do not want to be a franchise that is just happy with making the playoffs and going down to defeat every year in the first round. That is not acceptable to the fans or Bryan Colangelo. This is also something Sam Mitchell knows and if he wants to remain here with the Raptors from start to finish in it’s growth to contender, he too will need to continue to improve and develop in his job and role as well. It is great for any fan of any franchise to honestly have reason to believe that the franchise that they cheer for will not just accept being good enough. That is not a concept in Bryan Colangelo’s vocabulary. He wants to WIN and not just win enough to make the playoffs but to win ultimately in the sense of a championship.
So begins another off-season of Raptors Basketball. If you want to create your own off-season wish list for the Raptors there is a list of all the free agents from ESPN. You are free to share it with everyone in the comments section of this blog:
Tags: Bryan Colangelo, Chris Duhon, Cory Maggette, Damon Stoudamire, Jason Kapono, Mickeal Pietrus, Raptors Off-Season 08, Ron Artest, Steve Nash
July 1, 2008 at 10:11 am |
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