These are my Toronto Raptors Linkage links for February 15th from 07:18 to 12:33:

• Hollinger On The Salary Cap – Finally, let me share a juicy tip from a league source on the state of the salary cap: Basically, it’s going to be worse than a lot of people expect, and the luxury tax level next year is going to be even lower than several teams are planning for now; the implications are going to be huge as we head into next year.

  Here’s the more interesting part of what I was told — it may just be the tip of the iceberg. The salary cap (and thus the tax level) could potentially drop massively in 2010; my source used the term “bloodbath.”

  This would have huge effects on the pursuit of big-game free agents, of course, but also on the luxury tax level for that season … which could push many more owners over the line and potentially lead to fire sale-type trades.

• Posterizing the Marion-O’Neal trade – Now even though we like to think of ideas that are a little more creative, every now and then you just have to go with the easy layup and give the fans what they want.

  So here it is, with a bonus poster for the Miami side of the deal.

• All-Star: Bosh Evaluates Toronto’s Trade – With the addition of a $4 million trade exception and Marion's expiring contract, the Raptors did get more flexibility. They may have gained something more than that however.

  By Saturday Bosh was even starting to see the short term benefit's of Marion's presence.

  "He's just one of those guys that are super athletic," Bosh told HOOPSWORLD. "He can finish at the rim. He can shoot the ball from outside, he can defend and he can rebound. He's going to help us out."

  And the trade could also end up being addition by subtraction for the Raptors. O'Neal may be averaging two blocks per game, but his health issues don't seem to be subsiding anytime soon and his scoring average is decreasing for the fourth consecutive season from 24.3 ppg in '04-'05 to 13.5 ppg this year.

• Three jeers for Kapono – Two-time champion Jason Kapono came up one point short in the second round. The Raptors sharpshooter was trying to become the third player to capture three straight titles in the popular all-star Saturday event.

  Kapono last year tied former Bull Craig Hodges for most points in a single round with 25 in the final round. He was looking to join Hodges, who won the contest from 1990-92, and Hall of Famer Larry Bird, who won it from 1986-88, as the only three-time winners of the event.

• Welcome to wacky world of Bryan Bizarro hoops – What of the chemistry issues that might crop up if the soon-to-be-31-year-old Marion, who is making $17 million (U.S.) this season, signs for far less this summer?

  If he was unhappy being a top-three, top-dollar player on a championship contender in sunny Phoenix a few years back, which he reportedly was, what are the odds he's a happy camper for fewer dollars on a worse team in his first cold-weather home? Grumblers are the new glue guys.

  What about defence and rebounding, the chronic unaddressed weaknesses on a club with an ever-skimpier interior presence? Colangelo actually spoke the words Jake and Voskuhl in assessing the front-court depth.

  And even if the GM uses the mid-level salary-cap exception to land a big man in the mould of Rasho Nesterovic, the club is, at best, back to where it was when it was clobbered by the Orlando Magic in the first round of the playoffs last year. Small is big.

• Posted Sports Podcast: State of the NBA at the All-Star break – This week on the Posted Sports Podcast, Post columnist Bruce Arthur and basketball writer Eric Koreen discuss the NBA’s trade rumours and All-Star Weekend.
• Future free agents mingle – "If you say the wrong thing, even if you don't mean it a certain way, it can be taken the wrong way and people notice it. Even if you don't say anything, it can be taken the wrong way," Bosh told Toronto writers.

  To some, 2010 will prove more myth than massive makeover. Bobcats executive Michael Jordan warned in a conference call last week, "Everyone looks at 2010 as the year to buy into free-agency. I don't think stars will be moving as rapidly and as often as some think."

• Toronto Hasn’t Given Up – Toronto, which hasn't given up on the playoffs, has a home game against Cleveland on Wednesday and then a home-and-home pair against New York on Friday and next Sunday. "We have a very favorable schedule after the break," said Raptors coach Jay Triano. "We go on a (winning) streak, we're right back in the picture."
• Raps’ GM delusional – Two years ago, his plan for the future was built around the acquisition of T.J. Ford. That didn't work. This season, it was built around the acquisition of O'Neal. That didn't work. And now, the plan has been altered once again.

  With Chris Bosh's status in Toronto uncertain, and Colangelo talking about playing for this year with the Raptors second-last in the Eastern Conference, there have to be concerns about the direction he is taking this franchise.

  Until now, he has been given the benefit of the doubt on just about every decision he has made. That statute of limitations is now over.

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Related posts:

1. Toronto Raptors Linkage for February 14th through February 15th
2. Toronto Raptors Linkage for February 15th from 18:35 to 23:02
3. Toronto Raptors Linkage for January 15th from 09:02 to 12:57
4. Toronto Raptors Linkage for May 15th from 06:02 to 10:01
5. Toronto Raptors Linkage for January 15th through January 16th