According to league sources, Toronto has had talks with the Indiana Pacers about acquiring 29-year-old Jermaine O’Neal for a package that would include T.J. Ford, Rasho Nestervoic and, perhaps, the 17th pick in this week’s draft.
The talks are not the point where any deal is imminent and a deal is certainly not assured but the source said the Raptors are aggressively trying to move Ford and O’Neal is one of their targets.
Toronto also still has serious interest in forward Boris Diaw of the Phoenix Suns and is in talks with at least three other teams for trades of a similar magnitude.
O’Neal is coming off an injury-riddled season in which he played just 42 games and averaged 13.6 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. The 6-11 centre has been working out in Las Vegas since just after the 2007-08 season ended and according to reports has just begun full-court work.
Obtaining O’Neal will be a huge two-year financial commitment for the Raptors. He’s due to make about $21 million (all figures U.S.) this season and $23 million in 2009-10. To make the trade work under NBA salary cap rules, Toronto would have to add some other pieces in addition to Ford and Nesterovic but they have several less expensive expiring contracts that would make it work.
Everyone figures Portland’s trading out of No. 13 for the right deal but the word on the street is that there is no fit with Toronto at present. The Blazers aren’t all that thrilled with the thought of Ford running their team and they are desperately seeking a point guard.
Hey, all you cool cats in Ottawa.
See you in late-September.
Am told that training camp’s all set for Carleton, starting around Sept. 29 or 30 and winding up with a intrasquad scrimmage at the university on Oct. 5, I believe it is.
Lots of questions out there about the search to replace the Swirsk. Not a whole lot to report at the moment, I’m told they have talked at least briefly to the The Score’s Tim Micallef but not sure how seriously.
The one name I keep hearing in lots of different conversations is Matt Devlin.
No idea when they’ll make the decision since they’re juggling a couple of other balls in the air, too.
While there didn’t appear to be a Jamario Moon — who made the team through the same workout process last season — in this year’s mix, a few players (former New Jersey Nets’ Hassan Adams and Dakota Wizards D-League centre Rod Benson — opened eyes and could wind up getting a further look down the road. Those decisions won’t be made until the Raptors determine what they can get with their 17th pick in the draft.
To that end, the Raptors will hold another workout for potential draft selections today and possibly another on Wednesday.
“We don’t know how many we’re looking at because we’re talking about some trade scenarios right now.
We’re talking about the possibilities of who we would take in the draft, we’re talking about what happens if we make this trade and lose two or three players but don’t have a lot of money. Maybe we have a lower salary area where these type of players (unsigned free agents) might fit in. But having all this in front of us over the next four or five days is going to be very helpful.”
In what was perhaps the best indication of which way the Raptors are leaning come Thursday, was Kelly’s answer when asked if the Raptors had determined from the bigs they have seen, whether one is more ready to contribute at the NBA level right away.”
“That’s a good question,” Kelly said. “That’s the guy we are trying to find so if I tell you the answer to that question, you’ll know who we are picking. But it is a rare draft that at 17, and even after 17, there are going to be guys at 6-foot-11 and up to 7-feet that still are there to be picked. You don’t get that in many drafts.”
Having said that, the Raps will bring 6-foot-9 forward J.J. Hickson back for a second workout today. Hickson, out of North Carolina State, is rated a mid-to-late first-round pick.
Kelly did appear to close the door on Frenchman Nicolas Batum, who was in Toronto on Thursday but did not work out after the Raptors discovered a problem in his physical, a problem they are not making public.
“One of the big considerations is his medical situation and I don’t want to get into that,” he said. “We have no problem with him as a person. He took part in the workout in Oakland but he had just come to the States for the first time. The guys who go to the Orlando pre-draft camp have a physical there but the international players (such as Batum) are still playing at that time so they don’t go. He wasn’t in Oakland in time to get a physical in Oakland so we just happened to be the team that did his physical.
“And while we don’t want to be the bad guys, we were the guys who uncovered whatever was uncovered.”
*There have been several reports out of Phoenix that the Suns would trade Boris Diaw to Toronto for T.J. Ford and the Raptors’ 17th pick in the draft. Another report out of New York dismissed the rumor, saying the Suns have no interest in Ford. I don’t know how Suns general manager Steve Kerr feels, but I for sure know that Suns coach Terry Porter is Ford’s biggest supporter in the game. Ford was his point guard for two years in Milwaukee and he would love to have him back as Steve Nash’s backup.
Now, any extension for Marion in the range the forward is seeking could cut severely into the Heat’s cap space for the 2010 offseason, when players such as Heat guard Dwyane Wade, Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James and Toronto Raptors forward Chris Bosh can become free agents. Riley has stressed that maintaining cap space for that offseason is his financial priority.
Most of you will recall that when T.J Ford returned from his injury he brought with him his trainer and mentor in John Lucas. This man is the reason at least in part that you have a T.J Ford to trade at all if the Raptors choose too. It was Lucas not just last season but after T.J’s first injury with the Bucks that rebuilt T.J Ford basketball wise. T.J Ford trusts and has faith in John Lucas. After all he has brought his basketball career back from the dead not once but twice. Through that long process of rehabilitation it only makes logically sense. Ford is not only a client he is a friend of Lucas and his son. So whatever the Raptors get in a Ford trade if it happens will be thanks in part to John Lucas.
THEY SHOULD PICK: Alexis Ajinca, C, France
JP’s scouting report: Ajinca has been impressing just about every team he works out for and is faring very well against the other “upside bigs” in this draft class… he’s a lean, agile seven-footer who can run the floor and block shots… he has the makings of a post game, but he’s not there yet…
What they’re thinking: The Raptors are building around a PG/PF combination of Jose Calderon and Chris Bosh. Andrea Bargnani has just been so-so thus far in his career, so popular opinion is that the team will go big with this pick. They could also use a shooting guard to eventually replace Anthony Parker, who is getting on in years, so guys like Brandon Rush (if available), Courtney Lee and Chris Douglas-Roberts are possibilities as well. Donte Greene is a possibility if the team wants to shore up the small forward position.
Offseason blueprint: The Raptors have the right idea locking up Calderon and using T.J. Ford as trade bait. If they’re truly looking to become Suns-East, they should run Bosh at center and try to find a Shawn Marion-type to play power forward. (Hey, how about a T.J. Ford + ? for Marion swap with the Heat?) Barring a big move, they should have the salary cap flexibility next summer to sign a big-name free agent depending on what they decide to do with Barngani. Jamario Moon also deserves a long-term deal. It’s important to note that with the way Calderon shoots the ball, the Raptors need to have at least one slasher-type on the wing to free up Calderon for open jumpers.
With the NBA Draft just four days away, the Toronto Raptors will continue to workout prospects at the ACC … with another six coming to town on Monday. And there are a couple of Canadians on the list as well.
Scheduled to workout for the Raps are:
D.J. White
Vlad Kuljanin
J.J. Hickson
Josh Duncan
Ryan Bell
Jaycee Carroll
According to this system and internet reports of draft workouts, then you would have to assume that the Raps would be drafting: (unless someone from tier 3 or 4 was still on the board)
Courtney Lee or Nicholas Batum if you see shooting guard as their most pressing need
or Robin Lopez or Roy Hibbert if you see a big as their most pressing need.
Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo, who has constructed a largely international roster in Toronto, says it is not necessarily true that foreign influences have changed the definition of what a point guard should be. But with the NBA becoming increasingly multipositional, the league has put more of a premium on versatility than ever.
So if Bayless and Mayo are skilled shooting guards who have the potential to play the point, they have plenty of leverage.
“The versatility of players has become advantageous for teams,” Colangelo said. “If you can play multiple positions or defend multiple positions, that’s nice to have. I really only have two players at single positions — T.J. Ford (at point guard) and Rasho Nesterovic (at center). Everyone else has some versatility, and that’s something we look for.”
Colangelo says playmakers are no longer just point guards.
Former Maccabi greats are also looking for new homes, leading to unusual team-ups. Olympiacos yesterday claimed that it was holding talks with Toronto Raptors forward Anthony Parker, who led Maccabi Tel Aviv to numerous titles during his five-year period at the club. If Parker is signed, he will be joining former Maccabi teammates Vujcic and Halperin.
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How real is that ap could be playing in europe next year? for that to happend toronto would have to buy out his contract right? BC can´t let that happend, he’s a role model for the young players, a true and positive leader and one of the most complete players we have. I just hope he never leave toronto.
Another thing, Do Jermaine and Chris have a very similar game? What’s the point of bringing a conflictive player that will play the same type of game that our franchise player?
jermaine can play center for the raptors. he is probably more of a power forward, but he is a low post player who can grab boards, play defense and score in the block…
just wanted to point out that phdsteve suggested this trade a couple weeks ago:
http://www.raptorstalk.com/2008/06/03/raptors-gm-for-a-day/
sorry for the shameless plug man…
Raps Fans last blog post..Talking Draft!
maybe that’s where the rumour came from. Knew it was too good to be true.
Raul, yes, BC would have to buy AP out. It really depends on what is going on in AP’s mind. You have to think that any swingman would probably put AP on the bench. If offered a sizable deal from a European team, where he is pretty much a cult hero, could he take $2mil from the Raps and go play elsewhere? Sure. It also gives Colangelo more room to move with an extra roster spot and more cash, which, as Jim Kelly said, is a concern right now for the Raps.
I’ve just read here: http://www.solobasket.com/contenidos/olympiakos/quiere/romper/mercado/anthony/parker/c-18286.html# that olympiakos would offer a 3 years 24 millon dollars to parker. If that’s possible and ap only thinks in terms of money it would be a no brainer. He’s 33 y.o. and the raps only owned him 4 millons plus in europe he’ll be the biggest adquisition of the year and everything will circle around him. That said I just hope that offer never comes or that he preffer the organization over the money
Tough to say, Raul. I’m a big fan of Parker and he is one of the few on the roster I would hate to see go. However, in his shoes, the Raptors will not win a conference championship next year, he will spend most of it as a sixth man, and come next summer he will be in an ocean of free agency and probably never going to get an offer close to 4mil a year and still have a rotation spot.
If he loves the game and wants to play every day, he has to head to Europe.