These are our links for July 13th through July 14th:

• Sonny Weems – July 13, 2010 – Sonny Weems speaks with Raptors NBA TV following the Raptors’ win over the Rockets at the Las Vegas Summer League.
• Ed Davis – July 13, 2010 – Ed Davis speaks with Raptors NBA TV following the Raptors’ win over the Rockets at the Las Vegas Summer League.
• Bobby Brown – July 13, 2010 – Bobby Brown speaks with Raptors NBA TV following his 20-point performance vs. the Rockets on Tuesday.
• DeMar DeRozan – July 13, 2010 – DeMar DeRozan speaks with Raptors NBA TV following the Raptors’ win over the Rockets at the Las Vegas Summer League.
• Behind the Scenes at Summer League Game 1- July 14, 2010 – Take a peak at what is happening behind the scenes in Las Vegas with the Raptors Summer League squad.
• A Repay Replay – July 14, 2010 – DeMar sets up Sonny Weems for the slam; and Sonny gets him back!
• NBA Summer League: Game in Six Minutes – July 14, 2010 – Check out the NBA Summer League game between the Raptors and Houston Rockets, all in six minutes.
• Newest Raptor: Leandro Barbosa – July 14, 2010 – Check out some of these highlights, of the newest Toronto Raptor, Leandro Barbosa, after being acquired today from the Phoenix Suns.
• Doug Smith – Finally, a Raptor trade that goes through – Barbosa struggled through a so-so 2009-10 season, missing almost two months with a wrist injury that finally required surgery in January.
• RAPTORS: Raptors Acquire Barbosa And Jones From Phoenix – Barbosa was selected in the first round (28th overall) of the 2003 NBA Draft by San Antonio. His draft rights were acquired by Phoenix and then-General Manager Colangelo in a draft-night trade. The native of Sau Paulo, Brazil finished third in the NBA in three-point field goal percentage in 2005-06 at .444. He owns a career three-point field goal shooting percentage of .398 and a free throw accuracy of .828 per cent. He recorded a career-high 41 points versus Oklahoma City on February 20, 2009.
• Raptors officially deal Turkoglu to Phoenix | Posted Sports | National Post – “After much fanfare and high expectations, things just didn’t seem to work out here for Turk,” Colangelo said. “I’m certain he will move on and contribute great things to Phoenix. We wish him well.”
• CBC News – Toronto – Raptors confirm deal for Barbosa – “Leandro Barbosa is a player I’m quite familiar with and I’m very pleased that he is coming to Toronto,” Colangelo said in a statement. “His speed, quickness and scoring ability will mesh well with our desired playing style and talented young athletes.”
• Dino Nation Blog: It is NOT hard to say GOOD BYE!!! – This is far more than addition by subtraction for the Raptors. They actually got a valuable piece. In terms of Jones it is hard to know where or if he fits seeing as he was suppose to move on the Bobcats. Thanks again M.J for that. Still this is happy times for Raptor fans and relief as some may have actually bought into B.C’s smoke screen of considering keeping HeDON’T. Nah one really did that….did you?
• Hoops Addict » Colangelo Falls Prey To Jordan – Sure, he was able to work his magic and deal Hedo Turkoglu to Phoenix, but now the pressure is on him to move Jose Calderon. Prior to this week Colangelo had the option of moving Calderon or Jarrett Jack but after what transpired this week it forces his hand as to which point guard he will move.
• Dino Nation Blog: One Thing Solved For Raptors – Raptors had once traded Alvin Williams to the Celtics and he failed a medical and returned to the Raptors. Williams held no ill will obviously and now is an assistant coach with the club. Will the Raptors and Jose Calderon be able to do the same? If I was Bryan Colangelo I wouldn’t bank on it. Also it really seems like Jack is more in tune with the young core of this team. He deserves this chance to start a season as the number 1 guy for a team. For my money Jarrett Jack showed more leadership in his 1 year than Calderon in his Raptor career.
• Doug Smith – A deal gets done but it won’t likely be the last one – I can’t give you a when, or even a where, but I do think Bryan’s decision to trade Jose earlier this week means that he’ll do everything he can to move him in the next couple of weeks.
• Turkoglu and Childress could be introduced today – The Suns were close to finalizing a deal that will send reserve guard Leandro Barbosa and forward/center Dwayne Jones to Toronto for Turkoglu, a 6-foot-10 multi-skilled forward.
• Raptors Roll Over Rockets in Vegas 100 to 91 – Raptors HQ – The Raptors start 2-0 in Vegas with a 100 to 91 win over the Houston Rockets’ Summer League entry. The HQ breaks things down…
• Day Five Las Vegas summer league roundup – TrueHoop Blog – ESPN – On Tuesday, we saw glimpses of DeRozan’s learning curve and his expanding game. He scored 23 points, shooting 10-for-15 shooting from the floor. Although he unleashed some ferocious dunks, there was substance and nuance to go along with the aerial effects. DeRozan showed off a tighter handle against pressure, something that hampered his one-on-one game at times last season. That added confidence in his ballhandling allowed DeRozan to make better decisions off the dribble, whether it was spinning away from help defenders or finding a seam.
• NBA Vegas Summer League Day 5 Review – Ridiculous Upside – Ronald Dupree, SF, Toronto Raptors – I really like Dupree as a player, and think he could make it in the NBA, but nights where he scores three points on 1-4 shooting with four fouls and two turnovers aren’t going to cut it. He’s in the prime of his career, meaning there’s not much upside left for NBA teams, and I’m starting to resign myself to the fact that Dupree’s likely headed back to Europe this year.
• Bosh has no regrets leaving Toronto – The Globe and Mail – “As far as the boos are concerned, I hope they don’t,” Bosh said. “But it’s sports. I know people are very passionate about sports. Fans, they’re still going to root for the Raptors. That’s not going to change. I don’t know what to expect, but I wouldn’t be surprised to be showered.”
• Jose Calderon still a Raptor, but Hedo Turkoglu on way out – thestar.com – There was no official word why the original Charlotte deal was killed. Published reports suggest the Bobcats may have had concerns with a 10 per cent trade kicker in Calderon’s contract — although it would seem inconceivable they wouldn’t have known when the deal was agreed to around noon Monday — and that Bobcats coach Larry Brown nixed the deal when he heard about it.
• Up Goes Weems – Sonny Weems skies for this alley-oop pass from DeMar DeRozan during Summer League action.
• Rockets vs. Raptors – DeMar DeRozan’s 23 points paces the Raptors over the Rockets in Summer League.
• RaptorsHQ Vegas Report – Post-Game Video with Weems and Davis – Raptors HQ – We’ll throw up the recap to today’s 100 to 91 Raptors win in the morning but right now, a little video from post-game in the Raptors locker-room.
• Dino Nation Blog: Raptors On Court Good, Off Court Not So Much – So after Reggie Evans and Jose Calderon were told that they are gone, suddenly they are not. Awkward, and not good at all. Especially in the case of Calderon. If the Raptors had other offers it is safe to say they will be looking at them. Seems Charlotte, if you care to believe them or not, were not happy about a 10% trade kicker in Jose’s contract. This was one of the reasons they gave for killing the trade. But now you have a less than thrilled point guard, who has had the only organization he has played for say they didn’t want him . While Jack is clearly more in tune with this Raptors young core and is at summer league watching the guys play. It is a pretty awful mess for Bryan Colangelo, and unlike the Bosh saga that played out, a very unforeseen one. Also, not his fault it should be pointed out.
• Raptors stuck with Calderon | Toronto Sun – But his intervention to nix a deal that would have sent Jose Calderon to Charlotte was a stroke of genius, a move Jordan simply had to make because it made no sense.
• Game in Six Minutes – July 10, 2010 – Check out the Summer League game between the Toronto Raptors and Phoenix Suns, all in six minutes!
• Matt Devlin – The FAN 590 Toronto – Matt Devlin joins the FAN 590 Morning Show to talk about the trades in the works by Bryan Colangelo, the Lebron James situation, and David Stern’s response to Dan Gilbert’s letter
• Las Vegas Summer League: Solomon Alabi, Patrick Patterson play well, Raps blow past Rockets – Solomon Alabi, brought over in a trade after being selected 50th overall, put in a respectable effort posting 10 points (2 – 4 fg, 6 – 6 ft) and 6 rebounds (5 offensive) in just over 18 minutes of action. The 7’1″ center is much more known for his shot blocking ability, however during summer league competition he has shown that there may be more to his game than just defense.
• DeRozan leads Raptors over Rockets; Cavs survive – NBA Summer League – ReviewJournal.com – DeMar DeRozan scored 23 points in just 20 minutes of action to help Toronto to a 100-91 victory over Houston in the first game of the day at the Thomas & Mack Center in the NBA Vegas Summer League.

These are our Toronto Raptors news links for July 13th from 07:05 to 19:02:

• Bosh doesn’t regret how he handled move to Miami – “They are some of the greatest fans out there,” he said. “They love sports, they love basketball, they love their team and they were extremely supportive of me and everything I did.”
• Calderon’s fate with Raptors uncertain with Charlotte deal dead – thestar.com – League sources would not identify the other teams interested in acquiring Calderon, who has three years and more than $28 million left on his contract.
• Bosh thanks Raptors fans, doesn’t apologize for comments on Twitter | Posted Sports | National Post – “You know you’re not going to please everybody. You’re going to step on some toes. I didn’t want to offend anybody or make anybody upset. My intentions throughout that were just to broadcast what I was doing and just have fun with it.”
• CHEAP SEAT: Bosh Breaks Toronto Silence : SWAY Sports – Bosh is unlike any other basketball star the city has seen. Its first franchise player Damon Stoudamire whined his way into a trade out of town to his hometown Portland Trailblazers after a soured relationship with team management. Ditto for Tracy McGrady who forced his way back to his home state of Florida. Vince Carter did likewise many years later and then – from his new home with the New Jersey Nets – admitted to dogging it on the court while playing with the Raptors. Bosh committed none of the above infractions and while he may not have been as dynamic a player as the above-mentioned trio, from beginning to end he was the team’s best ambassador and rarely, if ever, stopped pushing his game.
• Dino Nation Blog: The Former CB4 Hits Toronto Airwaves – To come mop up after the fact and say he loves the city and the fans is not going to cut it. Bosh has been here long enough to know that. But like he said he wouldn’t change a thing. Many Raptor fans would.
• Sonny Weems Building Team Chemistry – HoopsWorld – “We (DeRozan and Weems) want to be the face of the Toronto Raptors,” explained Weems. “With me and him on the wing, (the) Toronto Raptors are going to be a good team. If everybody clicks, we get Jarrett Jack back as our point guard, (and) Ed Davis contributes; we can be just like that team (the Oklahoma City Thunder).”
• Jordan reportedly nixes Raptors’ trade – The Globe and Mail – But Monday night word began to leak out that the trade was being reconsidered with Jordan concerned about parting with Chandler, a defensively minded centre who has had health problems the past two seasons, but is among the NBA’s best rebounders when healthy. As well, his $13.1-million salary comes off the books this season and may prove to be a bargaining asset that could net something more at the trade deadline.
• Sources: Charlotte Bobcats pull out of Phoenix Suns-Toronto Raptors trade – ESPN – Sources close to the situation said Tuesday that two main factors led the Bobcats to pull out: Calderon has a 10-percent trade bonus in his contract in addition to the $29 million remaining on the deal over the next three seasons; and Charlotte coach Larry Brown was never in favor of the trade.
• The Toronto Raptors and The Star Player Philosphy | Bleacher Report – Perhaps Toronto was never meant to hold onto its stars in the NBA maybe the team should be modeled after Euroleague teams like Olympiacos, Barcelona and CSKA Moscow. All of which operate with a sharing style offense where there the scoring load is split between three or four people equally and all of which stand at the top of the standings each year.
• Sources: Dallas Mavericks get Tyson Chandler in five-player deal – ESPN Dallas – The Bobcats had agreed Monday to trade Chandler and Boris Diaw to Toronto for Jose Calderon and Reggie Evans as part of the Raptors’ deal with Phoenix that will send Hedo Turkoglu to the Suns. But Charlotte, sources said, withdrew from the deal Monday night, partly because of a 10-percent trade bonus in Calderon’s contract (which has nearly $30 million remaining over the next three seasons) and because coach Larry Brown was not in favor of the deal.
• Chisholm: What is Plan B for the Raptors? – While Calderon’s stock slipped some this season, he’s a legit starter, is one year removed from a standout statistical season and the defence behind him on Charlotte would mitigate his liabilities a whole lot better than Toronto’s defense ever could. If, as ESPN’s Marc Stein tweeted, Calderon’s 10% trade kicker is a sticking point, the Raptors could send the cash back in the deal to cover it as it would be worth it for them to get out from under Jose’s deal. Heck, considering Calderon is the one onerous contract left on the Raptors roster, they could even look to sweeten the pot with Miami’s 2011 draft pick, if that is the kind of asset that would excite Charlotte about revisiting the trade.
• Jordan nulls Raptors/Bobcats deal, sends Chandler to Dallas – Charlotte Bobcats owner Michael Jordan has reportedly nixed the proposed deal with the Toronto Raptors that would have sent Tyson Chandler and Boris Diaw to Toronto for Jose Calderon and Reggie Evans, and has instead sent Chandler to the Dallas Mavericks.
• Doug Smith – The FAN 590 Toronto – The veteran Raptors reporter joins Doug to discuss the reportedly-off deal between the Raptors and Charlotte Bobcats that would have point guard Jose Calderon going south, Bobcats owner Michael Jordan’s involvement in the trade, and why the involved players were informed before the deal was officially completed.
• Chris Bosh – The FAN 590 Toronto – The recently-departed former Raptor joins The Game Plan to discuss his exit from the Raptors, the way his signing with Miami was perceived by Toronto fans, and how he expects to be treated in his first game back at Air Canada Centre
• FAN590 – Blogs – The Rap » Cold Feet Keep Calderon in T.O. – He finds out that he’s being traded from the only pro team/city he has ever known while dealing with his 3-month old son at home in Spain. Yet as he wraps his head around the fact that he’s on the move to Charlotte, he finds out early in the morning (in Spain) that the deal is likely off and he’s actually staying in Toronto. Further to that mess … he now knows that the Raps are/were trying to get rid of him and the answer to the “are they going to trade Jose or are they going to trade Jarrett Jack” question seems pretty clear.
• Calderon likely staying put, as Jordan nixes Raptors-Bobcats trade | Posted Sports | National Post – Calderon, the only player on the roster to predate Raptors president and general manager Bryan Colangelo’s 2006 arrival to the team, has three years and US$29-million left on his contract. If that end of the deal had gone through, the Raptors would have saved an additional US$4-million in long-term commitments, as Diaw’s contract expires after 2012. However, if it is only the Turkoglu deal that takes place, the Raptors still figure to save more than US$25-million in commitments.
• Bobcats out of big trade; Barbosa for Turkoglu still on – ProBasketballTalk – Basketball – NBC Sports – If Toronto really wants to run now, Barbosa is the guy. He’s as quick as anyone in the league. He is a year off an injury and if he can return to his 2009 form he can score fairly efficiently and give the Raptors some assists. And turnovers, but more assists.
• Jordan flinches on Raptors-Bobcats deal | Toronto Sun – Jordan, who has made some spectacular blunders as a team builder, was getting killed in the media even though the Phoenix end of the three-way was far uglier, but it is rare for a trade to disintegrate after getting far enough that players are told they are leaving.
• Charlotte deal off, Jose still a Raptor (for now) – thestar.com – The nixing of the Charlotte part of the multi-team transaction is a sorry saga. The highly-respected Marc Spears of Yahoo first reported Monday afternoon that Chandler told him he’d been traded. Evans has also publicly said his goodbyes to Raptors fans through his Twitter account before Yahoo reported overnight that trade was in peril.
• 2010 NBA Summer League: Should Toronto Raptors Keep Joey Dorsey? | Bleacher Report – Right now, Dorsey looks like a rich man’s Reggie Evans with slightly better offensive game, which simply means he kind of has one.
• khandor’s sports blog » Bobcats after bigger ‘game’ than before – Could it possibly be the case that the original trade proposal agreed to by Charlotte and Toronto did, in fact, look like this:
• Raptors Digest » Leandro Barbosa to the Raptors; Turkoglu to Suns; Bobcats deal dead….for now – Barbosa is an ideal fit for the Raptors who are in need of some back court scoring as well as a competent 6th man. Barbosa is also a capable starter at SG, his best position but can also play some backup point guard if needed.
• The Basketball World Is So Confused – Bright Side Of The Sun – Yes, he sucks at rebounding. But that does not make him a bad fit in the offense/defense. In 2005-06, the Suns won 54 games and made the WCF with Boris Diaw at PF/C. Diaw averaged 6 rebounds per game. Suns had Marion with 11 rebounds a game, but the team only played a 7-man rotation back then. Someone had to get the rebounds, and Marion was a vacuum on a pogo stick. In 2008-09, Orlando went to the Finals with Hedo/Rashard Lewis F tandem. Orlando had Dwight Howard with 11 rebounds per game, but the team overall averaged about the same rebounds as the 2009-10 Suns. They just surrendered fewer, resulting in a great differential. The 2010-11 Suns, with zero improvement from any players, project to pull down 41 rebounds a game. Middle of the pack in the NBA, statistically speaking.
• Doug Smith – Charlotte end of Raptors deal dead – The part of a complex Raptors deal that would have sent Jose Calderon and Reggie Evans to Charlotte is dead, killed by Bobcats owner Michael Jordan according to league sources.<br />
  <br />
  The teams had signed off on the transaction that would have shipped Boris Diaw and Tyson Chandler to Toronto early Monday afternoon – with Chandler being he was to become a Raptor – before it died later in the day
• Doug Smith – More fun and games as The Summer of Change (again) rolls on – The negatives of the guys coming in are this: Barbosa’s play dropped off sharply last year thanks to injuries and off-court issues that sent him back to Brazil for a bit; Diaw has some conditioning issues and Chandler’s constantly hurt.
• Calderon-Diaw-Chandler trade still on hold – Rufus on Fire – But in the end, it’s not a bad development at all that the trade is on hold. Amazingly given MJ’s reputation as a personnel man, if Woj’s report (linked above) is true, Michael Jordan is — again! — the voice of reason. Why should Tyson Chandler be a throw-in to get a point guard? Why should the Cats give up their best center? Their defensive rock in the middle? Forget Reggie Evans, and forget Chandler. Why can’t we make Boris for Jose work?
• IC Cold Links: Keeping An Eye On Bobcats And Raptors Deal; Pacers’ CIB Deal Roundup – Indy Cornrows – If the deal goes through, there might still be hope depending on how much of a trade exception the Bobcats receive. I’m talking about a dream scenario where the Pacers’ take advantage of Larry Brown’s impatience with young point guards and the Pacers trade Ford for Augustin and enough of the trade exception to make up the deal work. The Pacers get a healthy point guard with a TEAM option next year, so if he works out you bring him back on the cheap, if not, no problem. Then you have a trade exception that doesn’t take up a roster spot to sweeten any other deals for expiring contracts.
• Inside the NBA – Colangelo at fault – The problem, I’m told, is Toronto general manager Bryan Colangelo’s financial expectations. I don’t know if that literally means cash or whether he’s demanding another team take a bad contract off his payroll. But at the end of the day, Colangelo wants to make this work. It’s now so public, it would be hard to stuff the genie back in the bottle. Chandler and Evans already consider themselves exes with their former teams.
• Raptors clean up mess, what now? | Toronto Sun – The Raptors will be young, exciting and … probably pretty bad. But at least they have their pick and Miami’s and the potential to either exceed the luxury tax and trade for another good player, or sign a good player either next summer or in the summer of 2012, when they might be flush with cash.
• Addressing Concerns About Hedo Turkoglu – SB Nation Arizona – It is certainly worrying when a guy who was a key contributor on the 2008 Eastern Conference Champion Orlando Magic goes to the Raptors with huge fanfare only to become persona-non-grata after only one season. The nice folks north of the border were thrilled at news that Hedo and his remaining contract were headed south.
• Feschuk: Extreme makeover, Bryan Colangelo style – thestar.com – Is Colangelo’s latest concoction any good? The honest answer is that even the brightest of basketball minds are never sure how any random collection of players is going to mix. There were smart insiders celebrating Colangelo’s work a summer ago, and then came a 40-win flop. There were brains as big as former coach Sam Mitchell’s praising the arrival of Jermaine O’Neal two years ago, and then came the mid-season rejig. Chemistry, the kind you need in sports, is as much a science as patience is a Colangelo virtue.
• Sources: Jordan holding up Raptors trade – NBA – Yahoo! Sports – The sudden reluctance of Charlotte owner Michael Jordan has thrust the proposed Toronto-Charlotte trade into jeopardy, multiple league sources told Yahoo! Sports on Monday night.
• Bargnani last man standing | Toronto Sun – Colangelo hasn’t just taken a broom to his roster, he’s gone to his closet and removed a vacuum cleaner, ridding himself of pieces he thought would address concerns, obliterating a core and giving himself much needed financial flexibility in the years to follow, assuming he’s around.
• From hello to goodbye for Hedo | Toronto Sun – There weren’t many hightlights, but here are a few.

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These are our links for July 11th through July 12th:

• Are The Raptors Coming Alive Again? Or Trading For Diminished Players? | Bleacher Report – Everyone essentially coming off of bad years except for Dwayne Jones who had a very good year in the NBDL, dominating the boards at 6ft. 11inches and 251 lbs. and scoring at about 18 point a game as well. But that was in the NBDL and Jones has never stuck with a team at the NBA level because he has never been able to duplicate what he has done in the college and NBDL ranks at the NBA level — on numerous tries, over numerous years. There are thousands of ‘close but no cigar’ NBA players like that…a kind of Joey Dorsey like player only two or three inches taller…I still hate giving up on players who are big and active like this and could finally put it all together…meaning possible double-doubles every night…but alas, these guys dreams are coming pretty close to the end..it is probably this year or never for both of these big guys…and for Dwayne Jones, it didn’t happen in Phoenix last year and it is not likely to happen either here in Toronto or south of here in Charlotte.
• Metro – Toronto : Blog : Weekend Rap : Draw your own conclusions – Sure enough, Calderon on his way out of town. Tyson Chandler heading north from Charlotte according to Yahoo, which ain’t bad at $12.6 mil for only one season. Calderon’s contract is an albatross-in-the-making anyways. It’s still a rebuild because even with the additions the Raptors are nowhere near good enough to make the playoffs in the east. There’s still the glaring absence of a wing player who can score more than 9 a game consistently. But Colangelo has done what every NBA GM wants to do when the pieces around him don’t work — clear cap space for a year or two down the road. You gotta hand it to him, this situation could look much worse.
• Raptors Ship Hedo Turkoglu, Jose Calderon | Bleacher Report – Boris Diaw is a great defensive-minded player. He can play defense, grab rebounds, and works hard. He’s the anti-Turkoglu. His offense isn’t bad; it comes in bunches. He will likely be the starting small forward.
• Chisholm: For Colangelo and Raps, this is just the beginning – In fact, that is part of the most ironic elements to this tale. In one 24-hour period, the Raptors have acquired two pieces that were in desperate need during the entirety of the seven year Chris Bosh era in Toronto, and they’ve done it less than a week after Bosh committed himself officially to another team. Barbosa gives the Raptors an offensive spark plug off of the bench who will apply pressure to defenses by creating shots for himself and others, while Chandler, as was stated above, represents the legit centre the team has been desperate for since Antonio Davis pleaded to move back to power forward in 2001. While Diaw doesn’t address a specific need, per se, he is the kind of Swiss Army Knife player that can excel in just about any system because of the staggering versatility to his game.
• Making sense of the Toronto Raptors` makeover – Toronto will certainly be different in 2011. But will Colangelo’s latest remodel job and improvements lead to more wins and a post-season birth in a revamped E»astern Conference?
• The Basketball Jones’ Tas Melas tells Suns fans what to expect from Hedo Turkoglu | Fanster.com – All Sports. All Phoenix. – TM: His wife is angry? Doubt it. Rumor has it she hasn’t even set foot in this city. Why am I talking about his wife? Who cares? Although, Banu is a beautiful name. Either way, no one is upset in this fine country. I suppose the owners of Lobby night club won’t be too happy – the man had plenty of dollars to blow.
• Raptor rebuild decidedly Sun-ny – thestar.com – While the next collective agreement could change things, Toronto is saving about $30 million in salary obligations — but down the road, so Colangelo isn’t positioned to go out and spend crazily this summer.
• GM Turned Miracle Worker? How Bryan Colangelo Saved the Raptors Future | Bleacher Report – While I won’t disagree with Turkoglu being the better player of the two, having Barbosa on the team will allow the Raptors to run a very up-tempo system. They already have one of the most athletic back-courts in the league with the likes of Demar DeRozan and Sonny Weems in the fold.
• Change Is in The Air In Toronto, And Things Are Looking Good | Bleacher Report – For next year’s starting lineup head, coach Jay Triano can mix and match Jose Calderon, Jarret Jack, Demar Derozan, Amir Johnson, Linas Kleiza Boris Diaw, Leandro Barbosa, Ed Davis and Andrea Bargnani (tentatively).
• July in Raptorland – The Globe and Mail – In trades like this there are always warts – all three of the incoming players are coming off poor seasons because of injury or lack of interest. But indisputable is that they’re younger and cheaper than the players going the other way – the Raptors will save about $25-million and all three will be off the books by 2012 – and at their best are almost certainly better players, having played key roles on elite NBA teams not long ago.
• Colangelo’s corrections may save the dream – National Post – On paper, it is a masterstroke. It’s a sea change, at least financially. Toronto’s two worst contracts: Gone. Toronto’s biggest headache? Desert-bound. Toronto’s financial flexibility? Back on the table. Toronto’s international flavour? Well, he’s moving a Turk and a Spaniard and got back a Brazilian and a Frenchman. So, largely intact.
• Jose Calderon trade would address Charlotte Bobcats’ gap at point guard – Bobcats/NBA – NewsObserver.com – The Raptors can afford to lose Calderon, with Jarrett Jack on the roster. They’re looking to make up for the loss of perennial All-Star Chris Bosh, who signed with the Miami Heat. Diaw has the versatility to play multiple positions, but he was mostly a power forward (Bosh’s position) in Charlotte and Phoenix.
• Armstrong: Three thoughts on the Raptors’ trade – Make the moves that have good common sense logic and substance to them and it will work out. The long-term health of a franchise is counting on that. They’re not going to win the 2011 NBA Championship, so they need to do the things that move the process along in the right direction for the franchise, not as much getting caught up with the short-sighted 2010-11 team approach.
• Hoops Addict » Colangelo Continues To Shake Things Up – Throw in the fact Chandler’s massive $13 million per season contract expires after next year which combined with some other expiring deals will provide the Raptors with a large chunk of cap space for the 2010-11 offseason.
• the samsquanch: The Nightmare is over – Looks like it opens up some spots to sign guys like Mike Roll, Bobby Brown, Joey Dorsey or some other legit free agents that are still available. Doug Smith said the Raps are done dealing but I am not sure about that. Can a guy like Colangelo really keep the gun holstered? Also, like I said it doesn’t rule out signings since we still have that $15M trade exception. Cha-ching! We also need a backup PG cause I really don’t see Captain Barbosa as a legit PG.
• Chandler confirms trade to Raptors – NBA – Yahoo! Sports –
• Raptors on the Move | Toronto Sports Media Blog – All these moves improve the Raptors. It gives Colangelo a more competitive team on the court while allowing for more financial freedom in the next couple of years. I would not be surprised however, if there were several more moves to come from Colangelo in the next couple of weeks.
• Now it’s Toronto’s turn – with the CB4 era over, the Raptors move on – Examiner – Calderon’s exit is a tough one to take for a fan base who just watched Bosh skip town after seven seasons, but he was ultimately expendable with Barbosa and Jarrett Jack on the roster, and the $30 million left on his contract wasn’t easy to swallow when he hadn’t established himself as a clear-cut starter. Conversely, Chandler has just one year remaining on his deal at a pricey $13.1 million (could be a valuable expiring contract) and Diaw has two years left at $9 million per. To review, Toronto essentially shipped out eight years of contracts at $75 million for five years and $46 million.
• What Do Raptors Fans Think Of Hedo? – Desert Dirt – SB Nation Arizona – I tweeted Bruce Arthur, a columnist from the National Post in Toronto to help give me an idea of how the people in Toronto thought about Hedo Turkoglu. Here are the responses and let’s just say they aren’t positive:
• Bryan Colangelo cleans house, lands three players for Toronto – Ball Don’t Lie – NBA  – Yahoo! Sports – This isn’t a coup. This isn’t going to vault them into the playoffs. What it does do is make this team’s prospects less depressing. That’s it.
• Colangelo’s moves make mathematical sense | Posted Sports | National Post – According to some quick mathematics, the Raptors would be shipping out eight total years of commitments worth about US$78-million in Calderon, Turkoglu, and Reggie Evans. In Barbosa, Diaw, and Tyson Chandler, they would be bringing in five total years of commitments worth about US$45-million.
• Calderon and Turkoglu Out As Raps Remodel : SWAY Sports – Trading Turkoglu became a must after he spouted off in his native Turkey that he would not return to the Raptors. Injury, personal issues and fatigue marred his 2009-10 season. He showed up to training camp out of shape in October and his game never really lifted off after the team gave him permission to begin training late. Turkoglu averaged a disappointing 11.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists over the course of 74 games but really drew the ire of fans and management when he checked out of a game versus the Utah Jazz due to a stomach virus mid-season. After missing the following game – a home loss to the Denver Nuggets – Turkoglu was spotted on the town at a local club and restaurant. Subsequently he was fined and benched by the team and never seemed to be comfortable with the organization after that.
• RaptorBlog.com – Big Moves In Vegas, Colangelo-Style – The most noteworthy aspect of this lineup is that Andrea Bargnani will finally be able to play the position he should have always been playing — power forward. Tyson Chandler is a legitimate seven-foot-one “true center” and while the Raptors may only get 50-60 games out of him (he’s missed at least 30 games in each of the past two seasons) it will be very interesting to see how Bargnani meshes with a defensive-minded center. Diaw is another strong defender who can guard all five positions depending on matchups, and since the Bobcats had the best Defensive Rating in the NBA last season (with 102.8 points allowed per 100 possessions) and Diaw and Chandler finished second and sixth on the team in minutes played, respectively, it’s safe to assume they had a lot to do with that.
• Raptors Reload With Barbosa, Diaw – HoopsWorld – Both players Toronto is on the verge of acquiring are well known to Colangelo as he had originally acquired them as the GM in Phoenix. Diaw still has two years remaining on his contract at $9 million per season and Barbosa has one year at $7.1 million and a player option at $7.6 million.
• Turkoglu, Calderon on way out of town – The Globe and Mail – The deal would seem to make the Raptors a bigger and higher scoring team, while also adding a rebounding, shot-blocking big man in the form of Chandler. Just as important it rids the Raptors of Turkoglu, who had become the focus of fan discontent during his first season in Toronto and perhaps most important provides significant financial benefits, saving Toronto nearly $25-million overall. Turkoglu and Calderon were owed about $40-million over the next four years and $30-million over the next three, respectively.
• Hedo Turkoglu to Phoenix: Do the Raptors Get the Better End of the Deal? | Bleacher Report – This should at least stop rumors of him accepting the Bryan Colangelo’s last minute offer just for more money and strengthens his case that he might have thought he would be a good fit in Toronto.
• Raptors working on huge deal with Suns, Bobcats | Toronto Sun – Evans’ contract expires next summer, like Chandler’s, but Turkoglu and Calderon were owed more than $73 million (four years left for Turkoglu, three for Calderon). Diaw makes $9 million both this season and next, while Barbosa is owed $7.1 and $7.6 million.
• Raptors Trade Jose Calderon To Bobcats For Boris Diaw, Tyson Chandler; Part Of Three-Team Turkoglu Move – SBNation.com – The previously reported Hedo Turkoglu-for-Leandro Barbosa trade has apparently been expanded to a three-team deal, with the Raptors reportedly shipping José Calderon and Reggie Evans to the Charlotte Bobcats in return for Boris Diaw and Tyson Chandler, according to Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer and Yahoo!’s Marc Spears.
• Raptors talking Turkoglu, Calderon trades – The Globe and Mail – The 6-foot-10 point forward from Turkey created some distractions off the court as well as he tried to steal a cellphone from a women who took a picture of him in a Toronto night club and later was suspended when he was seen out downtown after missing a game due to the flu. He frequently complained about his role with the Raptors, suggesting that with so much of the offense running through Bosh he didn’t get a chance to do what he did best: create for others in pick-and-rolls.
• 2010 NBA Offseason: Why The Raptors Have Improved and Colangelo Is a Genius | Bleacher Report – Pairing all those guys with the likes of Linas Kleiza (if Denver does not match, most likely will not), and rookies Ed Davis and Solomon Alabi. As well as getting two first rounders for next year. The Raptors have now had themselves a very, very good off-season, and could make them a better team then when they had the likes Chris Bosh on their team.
• Bobcats about to acquire Jose Calderon – NBA- nbcsports.msnbc.com – The Bobcats are close to sending Boris Diaw and “possibly” Tyson Chandler to the Raptors in a three-way deal that includes the Suns. Charlotte would acquire point guard Jose Calderon and at least one other player.<br />
  <br />
  As expected, we’re seeing a cascade of player movement following LeBron and co.’s decision to join the Heat. Calderon would certainly fill the Bobcats’ void at PG, and is a far better pure PG than ex-Bobcat Raymond Felton. Of course, if this deal goes through as stated it will leave Charlotte thin inside, relying on Tyrus Thomas and a platoon of mediocre big men.
• Toronto Raptors trade for Boris Diaw – ProBasketballTalk – Basketball – NBC Sports – The Toronto Raptors will be running an experiment this season — what if we start two big men who don’t like to go near the basket or rebound?
• Colangelo busy making moves: Evolving, not rebuilding | TheScore.com – A source has told The Score that the Toronto Raptors and Charlotte Bobcats are in the process of finalizing a deal that will send point guard Jose Calderon and expiring contracts to the Charlotte Bobcats in exchange for Boris Diaw and Tyson Chandler. Sources could not confirm that the trade call has been made to the league as final details are still being worked out. Sources say the expiring contract of Reggie Evans is believed to be going to Charlotte with Calderon.
• Jack Armstrong – The FAN 590 Toronto – Jack Armstrong joins the FAN 590 Morning Show to talk about the prospective trades by the Raptors, their chances without Bosh and Turkoglu, and the championship chances for the Miami Heat this season.
• Eric Smith – The FAN 590 Toronto – Eric Smith joins the FAN 590 Morning Show to talk about the rumoured trade sending Hedo Turkoglu to Phoenix in exchange for Leandro Barbosa, and the acquisition of Boris Diaw from Charlotte.
• Charlotte Bobcats close to trading Diaw, Chandler, aquiring Calderon – Bobcats/NBA – NewsObserver.com – The Charlotte Bobcats are close to sending Boris Diaw and possibly Tyson Chandler to the Toronto Raptors in a three-way deal including the Phoenix Suns that would acquire point guard Jose Calderon and at least one other player, a source from one of the three teams involved confirmed.
• Doug Smith – It’s all one deal and it’s bye bye Turk and Jose – In a complex transaction that’s still not finalized, the Raptors are shipping out Hedo Turkoglu, Jose Calderon and one other piece not yet confirmed and getting back Leandro Barbosa of the Phoenix Suns, Boris Diaw and possibly Tyson Chandler from the Charlotte Bobcats.
• NBA Rumor: Hedo Turkoglu & Josh Childress To Phoenix | Dime Magazine – The Suns have moved quickly to attempt to replace Stoudemire, re-signing Channing Frye and picking up Hakim Warrick. It looks like they are trying to improve their depth at forward to combat the loss of their star big man.
• Report: Hedo Turkoglu to be traded to Phoenix – Orlando Magic BasketBlog – Orlando Sentinel – Turkoglu, 31, was loved in Orlando for his playmaking, ball handling and clutch shooting, but those skills did not translate to the Raptors. He arrived in Toronto out of shape after playing in the 2009 European championships, and he never found his stride in his new city.
• Rumor: Toronto sending Hedo Turkoglu to Phoenix for Leandro Barbosa? – Turkoglu, a laid back individual, would be happier in Arizona. Frankly, the point forward underestimated the intense glare of Toronto’s five daily newspapers, talk radio shows, and fan base.
• khandor’s sports blog » Prime example of what ails the Raptors franchise – After spending 7 seasons with the Raptors franchise, what Chris Bosh finally realized last week, sadly, is that the Toronto sports franchises owned by MLSE are little more than intricately woven ‘dramas’, conceived and operated for the purpose of ‘profiteering’ in a highly specific way:
• CBC News – Toronto – Raptors close to dealing Turkoglu: reports – Barbosa, 27, is coming off an injury-plagued season in which he averaged 9.5 points, down from 14.2 in 2008-09. The Brazilian guard’s scoring average has declined each season since it hit a career-high of 18.1 in 2006-07.
• Green Street » Reports: Barbosa traded to Toronto, off Celtics’ radar – The Celtics will have to look elsewhere as they try to reload their bench for another run at the NBA finals next seasons after multiple reports have Suns guard Leandro Barbosa being traded to the Raptors as part of a three-player deal that would send swingman Hedo Turkoglu to Phoenix. Barbosa had been rumored as a potential trade target for the C’s this offseason, but that appears to be off the table now. Barbosa averaged 9.5 points as a backup last season and could have replaced the recently departed Tony Allen as the first guard off the Boston bench. Instead, the Celtics will now need to lure in other trade partners to fill that role, using the not-yet-retired Rasheed Wallace’s contract as bait.
• Metro – Toronto : Blog : Weekend Rap : In BC we trust, again – Say want you want about Bryan Colangelo’s track record the past three years. But by managing to trade the virtually untradeable Hedo Turkoglu for Phoenix’s Leandro Barbosa and likely Boris Diaw by way of Charlotte — two solid parts — it shows there’s a reason he’s still considered a top-drawer NBA GM. He’s done this before after all, trading Rafael Araujo in 2006 for two, living, breathing human beings, one of whom (Kris Humphries) was a valuable asset.
• Suns To Acquire Turkoglu, Childress In Four-Team Swap – The Baseline – The Baseline – Sporting News – In the first trade, the Suns would send guard Leandro Barbosa and Dwayne Jones to Toronto in exchange for Turkoglu, who struggled with the Raptors after signing a big-money deal last offseason. He was voted the league’s most improved player in 2008 while with Orlando.
• Turkoglu, Childress to Suns – CBSSports.com – In the make-believe world of NBA trades, this one actually makes sense. The Raptors get rid of Turkoglu, who was never happy with his role in Toronto, and get a playmaker in Barbosa with only a one-year commitment. They use a portion of the $14.5 million trade exception received in the Chris Bosh sign-and-trade to make the deal pass muster under the 125 percent rule required to validate trades between teams that are over the salary cap. Turkoglu is on the books for $9.8 millon next season.
• Raptors close to trading Turkoglu, adding Barbosa and Diaw: report | Posted Sports | National Post – The move saves Toronto money in the long term — Turkoglu had four years and US$40-million left on what had rapidly become a millstone of a contract, while both Diaw and Barbosa’s contracts expire after the 2011-2012 season. Diaw is scheduled to make US$9-million the next two years, while Barbosa will make US$7.1 and US$7.6-million
• Doug Smith – Something “complicated” is cooking around the Raptors – I got no indication last night when any Turkoglu transaction would be complete but if it’s getting to the point where it’s being leaked and talked about openly, I’d say it’s sooner rather than later.
• Boris Diaw traded to Raptors – Rufus on Fire – Goodbye Boris Diaw. Now that you’ve been traded to the Toronto Raptors, here’s hoping you and Andrea Bargnani won’t get utterly destroyed when you try to play defense together. That first season with the Bobcats was a shock to the system, since you — out of nowhere — became a monster three point shooter and had your best run of play, ever. Last season, you went back to being the guy you always were, only with more three point attempts, and that guy is going to be useful to NBA teams for a long time to come, but we’re better off taking our chances that Tyrus Thomas does more with his gifts in starter’s minutes.
• Turkish forward Hedo on a move to Phoenix – Hurriyet Daily News and Economic Review – “Türkoğlu will likely start at Stoudemire’s power forward position next season and that will give the Suns a very different look at that spot and also give them more options,” Aldridge said
• Bobcats Send Boris Diaw to Toronto — NBA FanHouse – Just when you thought the Hedo Turkoglu-to-Phoenix trade couldn’t get any more bizarre, the Raptors go and reportedly flip the trade exception gained in the aforementioned Suns swap to Charlotte for one Mr. Boris Diaw, the French enigma who played with fellow new Raptor Leandro Barbosa under Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo in Arizona a few seasons ago. Diaw, a power forward (technically speaking), leaves a Charlotte legacy short on time but rather heavy on solid play, something which seemed out of reach when the Frenchman was first traded to the Bobcats nearly two years ago.
• Dino Nation Blog: HeDon’t Here Anymore – Both players were brought to the Suns during Colangelo’s time as G.M. So these are guys he is obviously very familiar with. If all the info I have been learning about trade exceptions is correct, the Raptors would still have 8 million left of the Bosh exception to use. Not shockingly this would be the 8 million that would push the Raptors potentially over the tax threshold. So the question still remains will the Raptors go there? MLSE has said as has Bryan Colangelo that team is able to go there if they choose to do so. Yet in practice, it has never happened and it was one of the points Chris Bosh made at the end of the season. The fact that this team had never been a tax team and that to be a championship contender he felt a team needed to be.
• Grasping at Straws? – Raptors HQ – The deal would mean getting rid of a major team cancer for starters, but would also trim about $2.5M per season off Toronto’s books over the next two years, and then Hedo’s entire salary after that. Barbosa has one year and a player option left on his contract (which I’m sure he’ll exercise given the impending CBA) so I’m not sure how this can be viewed as anything but a huge win at face value.
• FAN590 – Blogs – The Rap » Turkoglu Traded? – If the deal went through as reported, the Raptors would not only add the speedy Barbosa, but they’d now have a $2.7 million trade exception to play with as well as the near-$15 million exception they acquired as part of the Chris Bosh/Miami Heat deal. However, Coro is also reporting that Toronto may be flipping Jones right away to the Charlotte Bobcats in exchange for forward Boris Diaw (another former Bryan Colangelo guy). The Raps would have to give up a good chunk of their Bosh trade exception – in addition to Jones – to get Diaw.
• NBA Playbook – A Look At The Playcalling In The NBA Through Videos, Pictures, & Words » Unsigned Hype: Day 2 & 3 – After every day of games here at the Vegas Summer League, “Unsigned Hype” is going to be looking at the best performances from players who don’t have contracts with NBA teams or who were drafted by a team in the past year’s draft. Guys who with great performances in the Summer League, may be able to play themselves into a training camp invite and maybe even a NBA contract. Due to my schedule, we are now going to be looking at both day 2 and day 3 here…
• Breaking Down Suns Acquisitions Of Hedo Turkoglu And Josh Childress – Bright Side Of The Sun – Trading Leandro Barbosa is a wise move. His time here had run it’s course and with the development of Goran Dragic his services became redundant. He is a great teammate and fantastic person and for those reasons will be missed but losing him isn’t a big blow to the team’s on-court potential.
• Analysis: Hedo Turkoglu And Josh Childress To Suns – SB Nation Arizona – If he eventually moves back to small forward when Hill retires and the Suns find a better option to start at the four than that will probably make more sense. In the meantime, there are concerns over a guy who choose as a free agent to go to Toronto and then asked to be traded after only one season. A friend of mine who covered the Raptors this season responded with, “good luck” when I asked if he was a good guy.
• Reports: Phoenix Suns trading for Hedo Turkoglu, Josh Childress – ESPN – According to the Republic, Turkoglu is waiving roughly $5 million of a trade bonus in his contract and reducing the guaranteed money in the final season — which was worth $12 million in 2013-14 — to facilitate his move to the Suns.
• Raptors Future is at Summer League – HoopsWorld – Where DeRozan is still very young and is expected to continue developing for several more years, the 24-year-old Weems stepped up last season and showed what he might be able to provide now when given his opportunity to start again. Last season in 19 games as a starter, Weems averaged 11.7 points and 4.3 rebounds, but with the Raptors fighting for their playoff lives in April, Weems stepped it up to 14.1 points and 4.8 rebounds over the final eight games.
• Turkoglu for Barbosa « The Inside – Apparently Bryan Colangelo has pulled off a trade with the Suns according to TSN, and David Aldridge’s Twitter sending Hedo Turkoglu to Phoenix for Leandro Barbosa and a small trade exception. This is a time of ecstasy for Raptor fans worldwide as the troublesome Turk is finally shown the door, good riddance.
• Phoenix Trade For Turkoglu + Childress « nbaroundtable – The downgrade from Turkoglu to Barbosa is a large one and it’ll be felt most of the offensive end. The Raptors benefited significantly from Turkoglu’s passing ability and shooting ability offensively, it helped create a more dynamic offense and better overall spacing for the team. Even if they underused it.
• Report: Suns near deals with Hedo Turkoglu, Josh Childress – NBA – SI.com – Turkoglu is represented by Lon Babby, who is reportedly a candidate to replace Steve Kerr as the president of the Suns’ basketball operation. Childress was previously represented by Babby before leaving the agent for Octagon.
• Report: Suns close to acquiring Turkoglu, Childress in trades – ProBasketballTalk – Basketball – NBC Sports – The Suns do need to replace Amar’e Stoudemire and find a younger replacement for Grant Hill. Childress is young, athletic, and should fit with the Suns immediately. Turkoglu is a huge gamble with minimal pay-off, but if the Suns can get top value out of him, the same way the Suns have used their regenerative powers on many veterans. The Raptors continue to rebuild, and the Hawks… well, they had to get something for Childress and there’s not much room after giving Joe Johnson King Solomon’s savings account.
• Report: Suns to Acquire Hedo Turkoglu, Josh Childress — NBA FanHouse – The benefits of the Turkoglu deal are difficult to envision from the Suns’ standpoint, especially if they’re penciling him in as their starting power forward next season. Turkoglu has always been more of a playmaker type who has done well with the ball in his hands, which is great and all — unless Steve Nash is your point guard.
• Phoenix Suns close to acquiring Josh Childress, Hedo Turkoglu – The Suns would send seven-year veteran guard Leandro Barbosa and late-season addition Dwayne Jones to Toronto for Turkoglu, a 6-foot-10 forward from Turkey with versatile skills to shoot from long range and be a playmaker. Toronto would then move Jones and its trade exception from the Chris Bosh sign-and-trade deal to Charlotte for former Suns forward Boris Diaw.
• “Toronto Raptors are going to SUCK!” Says Sir Charles Barkley… | iimiTV Blog –
• Raptors talking Turkoglu trade with Suns – The Globe and Mail – The deal was first reported in the Arizona Republic. The player supposed to be coming to Toronto, Barbosa, has two years and $14.7-million remaining on his contract. Barbosa, 27, was the 2006-07 sixth man of the year in the NBA averaging 18.1 points and four assists while shooting 43.4 per cent from the three-point line.
• Hedo headed to Phoenix? | Toronto Sun – Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic reported late Sunday night that the Raptors and Phoenix Suns were working on a deal that would send Turkoglu to Phoenix in exchange for guard Leandro Barbosa and Dwyane Jones.
• YouTube – Thank You…Chris Bosh Career Mix- “TORONTO RAPTORS -MIAMI HEAT” (2010-2011 Season) –
• NBA.com: Changing of guard offers Clark, rookie Davis chance to play – Earl Clark and Ed Davis were merely bystanders to those free agency fireworks holding the NBA’s attention span hostage the last few weeks. That’s not to say the two power forwards weren’t impacted by the comings and goings of the Class of 2010.
• Sources: Cleveland Cavaliers, Toronto Raptors won’t charge tampering – ESPN – Toronto likewise declined comment, but one source with knowledge of the Raptors’ thinking indicated that they will not press for an inquiry, either, preferring to let league officials decide if any sanctions are warranted with regard to recent acknowledgements from the three players that they have been talking about teaming up for some time.
• Andrea Bargnani: Can He Be the Raptors Saviour? | Bleacher Report – Now, with Bosh gone, it’s time to see if Bargnani can step up another level. For this to happen, he will have to continue to improve his aggressive play and enhance his post game.

These are our links for July 9th through July 11th:

• Vegas SL Day Two: Studs and Duds – HoopsWorld – Sonny Weems – The duo of Sonny Weems and DeMar DeRozan dominated on Saturday and lead the Toronto Raptors to a 34 point victory over the Phoenix Suns. While both played well, Weems was the more impressive and scored a game high 19 points. But it was the way he scored that made him a lock for this list. Playing in only twenty-five minutes, Weems spent the entire time imposing his will on Taylor Griffin. He would blow past him with ease and finished with several ridiculous dunks that made him a fan favorite on Saturday.
• NBA Sunday: Moving Past Bosh – HoopsWorld – “I’ve just been tuning up my game so I can be ten times better next season… I’ve been in the gym every day since the offseason working on every aspect of my game—working off the dribble, catch-and-shoot. I’m trying to get better at everything.”
• Hoops Addict » Post-Bosh World Could Define Colangelo – But it bears mentioning that Colangelo was unable to build a winner around Bosh, and his personnel decisions – from signing Hedo Turkoglu and re-signing Amir Johnson to selecting Jay Triano as head coach – have left more than one observer scratching his head.
• Raptors Digest » Raptors sign Linas Kleiza to offer sheet: Is it a Good Signing? – The best option out there was Travis Outlaw but the Nets were willing to spend more than the MLE ($7 million/year) on Outlaw and they got their man. Outlaw will be a good fit in New Jersey regardless of what happens with the rest of the roster.
• Challenging Colangelo’s Decisions – HoopsWorld – Colangelo believes that Kleiza brings “toughness, mental toughness, physical toughness” that the Raptors have sometimes lacked and brings “passion and energy every night.” The addition of Kleiza should be expected to provide a major upgrade over what Antoine Wright was able to contribute to the Raptors last season.
• Two Letters From Two Execs: How To Handle Your Star Leaving To Miami | Bleacher Report – Colangelo expresses how he did all he could to keep Chris Bosh in Toronto and apologizes by saying, “Unfortunately we fell short of that goal and must now move on to a post-Bosh era in Toronto”.
• Suns blown out again – NBA Summer League – ReviewJournal.com – “Solo,” would be the nickname of Solomon Alabi, who was acquired via a draft-night trade.
• Weems, Davis show flashes of Toronto’s bright post-Bosh future – Las Vegas Sun – Flash forward two years, and Weems is now back at the Summer League with Toronto, which acquired him prior to last season in a trade. Pressed into duty early in the season due to injuries ahead of him on the depth chart, he averaged 7.5 points per game and showed worlds of promise with his exceptional athleticism.
• Las Vegas Summer League: Ed Davis nets 15 points in his pro debut as Raps outlast Suns 103 – 69 – Examiner – Toronto Raptors second year players Sonny Weems and DeMar Derozan chipped in with 19 and 16 points, respectively. Earl Clark of the Phoenix Suns’, once again, struggled mightily with his stroke scoring 15 points on just 5 of 14 from the field and 5 of 10 from the free throw line. The Suns’ are expecting a great amount out of the versatile 6’9″ forward and to this point he has not delivered. Through the first two games the aformentioned Clark is shooting just 32% on 9 of 28 from the field.
• NBA Summer League: Day 2 | NBADraft.net – The Toronto Raptors launched their SL campaign in spectacular style with a dominating 34 point win over the Phoenix Suns, their second sizeable defeat in as many days. Toronto dominated the boards from start to finish & shot 56% to runaway with a 103-69 win.
• Autograph seekers get plenty of opportunities at NBA Summer League – Sports – ReviewJournal.com – Wearing a No. 8 Jose Calderon Toronto jersey, Macdonell caught the attention of Raptors guards DeMar DeRozan and Jarrett Jack. Both players signed his cap.
• YouTube – Toronto Raptors – GM Bryan Colangelo interview at the 2010 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, NV –
• YouTube – Toronto Raptors – DeMar DeRozen interview at the 2010 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, NV –
• YouTube – Raptors vs. Suns Recap –
• Toronto Dismantles the Suns in Summer League Action « The Inside – As the Las Vegas Summer League officialy kicked off a day or two ago, the Raptors made their presence felt a couple hours ago while obliterating the Phoenix Suns right out of the gym to the tune of an unheard of 103-69 score. The Raptors were led by former Arkansas standout, Sonny Weems who had 19 points and USC star DeMar Derozan who chipped in with 16 (11 free throw attempts) in the blowout. Newly acquired Joey Dorsey exploded in the paint and grabbed 11 rebounds as UNC rookie Ed Davis made his Summer League debut scoring 15 and grabbing 8 boards while swating 2 shots. Bobby Brown ran the point well dishing out 6 dimes and putting in 11 points to orchestrate the offense. Overall, I was very plaesed with the Raptors performance, and although rookie Solomon Alabi struggled offensively, he did finish with 6 boards making the day a win all over.
• HEAT: Bosh asks you not to boo him – July 7, 2010 – But I appreciate every moment I had. I had some great times in Toronto that I’ll never forget for the rest of my life. And stuff like that is priceless. So I know they’re going to be mad at me a little bit, but I did it for my best interests. And I think if somebody was in my shoes they’d do the same thing. And I’d ask them not to boo me when I go back. I hope they don’t.
• Chris Bosh’s decision pulled things together for Heat – NBA – SI.com – “I think it was more of a collective effort,” Bosh said. “I know these two guys. They have to make their own decisions. There was no point where we asked each other to, ‘OK, we’re going to talk and we’re all going to go here.’ We have to play in the best positions for our families, for ourselves, and for our careers.
• khandor’s sports blog » Chief reason Bosh fits well, as an authentic Leader, with James, Wade and Riley – Chris Bosh is a special player, in the NBA, and those Raptors fans who chose to only see “weakness” when they looked at his body of work, as the captain for Toronto, just might be eating some serious crow over the next several seasons.
• NBA Vegas Summer League Day 2 Review – Ridiculous Upside – Bobby Brown, PG, Toronto Raptors – Brown is an NBA veteran, having split the last two seasons among four teams, and he’s certainly no stranger to blowing up Summer League, but given the rather transitory nature of his NBA career these are the kind of performances he needs to turn in. Brown had 11 points on 5-6 shooting, and a very-good-for-Summer-League six assists and two turnovers. It helps that Toronto’s team is fairly stacked with talent (see also: the alley-oop above), but he still seems to be taking care of the ball pretty well, and his three rebounds are a nice bonus.
• Will Raptors use their trade chip? | Toronto Sun – Which means they have two choices: Use roughly half of their Bosh trade exception, staying below the luxury tax and save the rest for next summer or exceed the tax for once by spending most or all of the trade exception.
• What the Raptors and Cavaliers were left with in the ruins – ProBasketballTalk – Basketball – NBC Sports – The Raps now have to find a way to move one of their remaining huge contracts, preferably Bargnani or Hedo Turkoglu, not an easy task. They have to go through the same rebuilding pains as Memphis and Sacramento. But if they play their cards right, in two years they might be able to be back in contention.
• The Associated Press: Bosh’s decision pulled things together for Heat – Playing in Toronto wasn’t exactly been a path to superstardom for Bosh. The Raptors — who have ravenous fans in their own city — simply haven’t drawn much attention in the United States, mainly because of a lack of postseason success (Bosh has never reached the second round of the NBA playoffs) and that they’re just not on television as much as the glitzier clubs.
• LeBron James: Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, LeBron James take less than maximum in NBA free agency – South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com – Instead, James and Bosh took packages worth $110 million and Wade, who clearly does not have the moving expenses, took a deal worth $107 million. Each will carry a starting salary of about $14.5 million for 2010-11.
• Chisholm: What should the Raptors do with trade assets? – So, we ask again, who will the Raptors target? Well, it’s actually a harder question to answer than simply throwing names out onto the interwebs. Looking at the roster right now (again, assuming Kleiza is a part of it), the Raptors go two deep at every position on the roster, and each of those players is a real rotation player in the NBA. Take a look:
• The Opposite or, What Would Presti Do – Raptors HQ – To me, the Kleiza signing is akin to George Costanza still ordering the “Tuna on Toast.” It’s time for Bryan Colangelo to start doing the opposite and thinking like some of his more savvy peers, say Sam Presti.
• The Zan Dishes on Lebron-gate « The Zan Tabak Herald – Bosh has only been effective in Toronto because the offense runs through him. On the “superteam” the ball will not go to him very often if at all. He will have to bang and fight for rebounds and he has never proven to be that type of player. He may also have to do something he has fought against for the last seven years: play centre.
• Doug Smith – Don’t let the money burn a hole in your pocket – Maybe, just maybe, if I can find a free agent out there now who might be amenable to coming in some kind of sign-and-trade transaction I would make a tiny summer deal but I’d hang on to the biggest chunk of it – and I’m talking $9 million at least, probably $10 million – until the season unfolds and things start to really shake out.
• RaptorTalk: The Evil Conspiracy Game of Bosh, James, Wade and Riley – Chris Bosh will soon discover what Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady and Damon Stoudamire already know. The “Jurassic Curse” will follow them through the rest of their career. While each player left Toronto with visions of an NBA Championship, not a single one has ever won an NBA ring. Never happened and it never will. The curse will not be broken until first, the Raptors enjoy their own NBA Championship Parade.
• Raptors Digest » Raptors and Heat complete sign-and-trade – Getting back our pick for 2011 is perhaps an understated part of this trade, as many seemed to be zeroed in on what we can do with the trade exception. As the Raptors are still looking for a PG, Raptor fans would be happy to know that there are currently as much as 5 point guards ranked in the top 25 prospects for next year so we may be able to find a solution next year. We will likely be a lottery team or if not a 7th or 8th seed so the chances are next year will be the 1st year we have drafted a point guard in the 1st round since Damon Stoudamire.<br />
  The names to remember are Josh Selby, Kyrie Irving, Brandon Knight, Malcom Lee and Kemba Walker.
• From Toronto, an open letter to Cavs fans « Beleaguered Toronto Sports Fan – The thing with Bosh’s departure isn’t so much that he’s screwed us over or anything (though, he has been acting like a bit of a boob lately). And it’s not like the Raptors were all that good when Bosh was here. It’s more that general manager Bryan Colangelo, and the Toronto Raptor organization in general, have finally been fully exposed as having failed. Abjectly. It’s like they’ve been operating under cover of darkness, and now the lights have finally been turned on. We can all see clearly now that he’s spent the last 4 years grasping at straws. I guess we’ve kind of known for a while now, but it’s just that Colangelo’s a really charismatic guy, has nice clothes and always speaks so confidently that you can’t help but have faith in him. And he has this “pedigree”. I heard that when he was hired. Sounded pretty good to me. And the guy before that…Rob Babcock…eww…he never would have been able to get away with any of this. He just didn’t have the charisma.
• LeBron James and Chris Bosh re-up with their respective teams…before being traded to the Heat – ProBasketballTalk – Basketball – NBC Sports – This is good news for Toronto and Cleveland; future draft picks may not be quite as sweet as LeBron or Bosh, but it does at least give those franchises something in return. They aren’t likely to be very high (if Miami is as good as they look today, we’re looking at the tail end of the first round), but there are still rotation players to be found that late if teams look hard enough. Plus, the huge trade exception acquired by each team could end up scoring impressive returns (Al Jefferson, anyone?).
• 10 predictions now the Chris Bosh is in Miami | Cuzoogle – Now that Chris Bosh has lost the Predator hair and hit South Beach, a million thoughts have popped into my head for what will happen next. Instead of listing all of them I am going to list 10 things that will happen now that Chris Bosh is playing for the Miami Heat.
• Sources: LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh sign with Miami Heat for $15M less each – ESPN – All three contracts, sources told ESPN.com’s Marc Stein, have an early termination option after the fourth season that would allow LeBron, Bosh and Wade to return to free agency in the summer of 2014. Each player also possesses a player option entering the final season of the contract (2015-16).
• Raptors complete sign-and-trade – National Post – Earlier in the week, the idea of not getting anything in a sign-and-trade deal — letting Bosh leave outright — did not seem like disaster. The optics would have been bad, and the Raptors would have been short a few assets, but getting nothing in return would necessitate a rebuilding process. In the Raptors’ books, that would mean moving Jose Calderon and Hedo Turkoglu for the lowest-committed salaries possible, and taking their chances in the draft lottery.
• Raptors acquire two first-round picks, trade exception for Chris Bosh – thestar.com – The trade exception would allow the Raptors to acquire a player or players with salaries up to $16 million without having to ship out any players.
• RAPTORS: Raptors Obtain Two First-Round Picks And A Trade Exception From Miami – “We all just witnessed an unprecedented moment in professional sports as these three young stars have joined forces in an attempt to completely transform this league. We are certainly sorry to see Chris leave, but we are planning to use these acquired assets to retool our roster and evolve as an organization,” said Raptors President and General Manager Bryan Colangelo.
• Raptors caught in sign-and-trade limbo – Meanwhile, Bosh and James can only get a sixth year on their contracts through sign-and-trade acquisitions. In a mere signing, they will only get five years. And while the Heat will go down as the winners of free agency, they currently have just four players on their roster. The sooner that he can clear up the salaries their three stars are making, the sooner Heat president Pat Riley can go about filling out his roster. More reports have swingman Mike Miller joining the party on South Beach, but the Heat still do not know how much money is available to spend.
• Heat welcome LeBron James, Chris Bosh to Miami – NBA News – FOX Sports on MSN – Wade was in the middle as the trio was lifted skyward for the entrance – Bosh on his right, James on his left. Bosh pointed to the fans and screamed, while Wade aimed his index fingers at the crowd and James strutted about to the fans’ delight.
• Ed Davis Highlights – July 9, 2010 – Check out these highlights of Raptors rookie Ed Davis.
• Report: Raptors Agree to Bosh Sign-and-Trade With Heat — NBA FanHouse – For Bosh, the sign-and-trade agreement allows him to ink a six-year contract for upwards of $120 million. New teammate LeBron James won’t likely be so lucky; the Cleveland Plain Dealer’s Brian Windhorst reports that while the Heat have asked for the Cavaliers’ cooperation on a sign-and-trade for James, it remains unlikely the jilted franchise will take part.
• Foot on the Line – The Heat blows my mind – Meanwhile Raptors with their young guns are on a good way to become last year Nets. That means if the Nets don’t want to repeat last year. Which, I wouldn’t be so sure about.
• Bosh sign-and-trade done – CBSSports.com – Toronto will get multiple draft picks, including a 2011 first-round pick that was previously traded to the Heat, and a trade exception — but no players. Bosh, who along with Wade committed to joining the Heat on Wednesday, will get a six-year deal as opposed to the five-year contract he would have been eligible for through a straight signing.

These are our links for July 8th through July 9th:

• Metro – Another T.O. pity party – The reality is the Raptors are a victim of circumstance. When the franchise-player torch was passed to Bosh in 2004, it meant they had to build a team around a post player, something that unless your name is Tim Duncan, doesn’t really work. You can knock Bryan Colangelo for the moves he has made, but considering the Rob Babcock gong show in place before him, it was stunning the Raptors tasted what little success they did as fast as they did.
• TSN – CHISHOLM: WHO WILL LEAD THE RAPTORS ON THE COURT NOW? – That’s because for the first time in over a decade, this team has no one on the roster that is poised to inherit the mantle of franchise cornerstone. When Carter arrived in ’98, he immediately became that guy, and when he left, his torch was passed on to Bosh. Now that Bosh is getting ready to suit up for the Heat, though, his former job with the Raps is currently occupied by a big ‘VACANCY’ sign. When training camp opens in three months time, every player will be in a position to earn that spot and that kind of open competition is something that will at least make this upcoming season intriguing to follow as we watch a roster full of youngsters vie for top billing with the club.
• As the dust settles….Miami welcomes it’s newest stars – Peninsula is Mightier – They are also working on sign and trade deals with both Toronto and Cleveland for James and Bosh. The one with Toronto would involve a package of Heat draft picks and a $15 million trade exemption for the Raptors. Now if they can also pull of a deal with Cleveland, it would be the ultimate success for the Heat.
• It’s Finally over! • WELCOME TO BOSHTOWN ∞ Population 35 million – In the end #boshtown was my social media experiment and I was trying to do what was best for OUR organization… and at that time was to retain bosh as a player. Looking ahead I know that we will prevail, I fully expect us to win more games next year and that with Bosh gone our offense will free up. Look for a big year from Hedo, our yung gunz are ready to bring it this year and I know Bryan is not done tweaking our roster. I have full confidence in Bryan and the front office to put a quality product on the floor. As a season ticket holder and a fan I have alot to look forward to.
• The National Newspaper – ‘Global Icon’ image has been tarnished – The balance of power in the league has been dramatically altered. The Cavaliers as contenders would appear to be destroyed (their owner’s rash but vaguely pleasing vow to win a championship before James does, notwithstanding). The Toronto Raptors, Bosh’s former team, are no longer of play-off calibre. And the Heat, who won a modest 47 of 82 games last season, with Wade as their sole star, may be the new superteam, rivalling the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics.
• Alvin Williams – The FAN 590 Toronto – Former Raptors point guard and current assistant coach joins the Game Plan to discuss the departure of Chris Bosh, his thoughts on the free agency process thus far and what his evaluation is of the Raptors current roster.
• Dwyane Wade & Chris Bosh – The FAN 590 Toronto – The duo react to LeBron James’ decision to join the Heat and play with them in Miami.
• Grading The Deals So Far – HoopsWorld – Amir Johnson, Toronto Raptors – 5 years, $34 million: Johnson has a mountain of potential. That said, it’s been there for a few years now and there is always a reason he hasn’t reached it, much of that due to playing time issues. Well, since he is pretty much the replacement in Toronto for Chris Bosh, there are no more excuses. The Raptors chose for the player they want without really thinking about if Johnson can actually pull it off.<br />
  <br />
  Grade: C-
• Miami Heat: Deals involving Mike Miller and Chris Bosh being finalized – South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com – The Heat also is finishing off a sign-and-trade agreement with the Toronto Raptors that will allow recently acquired power forward Chris Bosh to receive a six-year free-agent contract instead of the maximum five-year contract an outside free agent can receive. The Raptors, in turn, will receive a package of draft picks from the Heat and a trade exception of roughly $15 million.
• Opposing Views: Chris Bosh is the Reason LeBron Left the Cavaliers for the Heat – Over the past week, one of the 1,073,294 storylines surrounding the free agency bonanza was that James was interested in having Bosh join the Cavs via a sign-and-trade from the Raptors that would have given him a maximum contract to play alongside the King on a team that led the league in wins last season. Bosh would be just the low-post player Cleveland needed to perhaps push it over the top and get James that championship — a solid 24-point, 10-rebound guy who is only getting better.
• Picking up the Pieces in Cleveland and Toronto – Raptors HQ – A year ago by not trading Chris Bosh, Colangelo embarked on the riskiest of poker games and simply lost. Yes, maybe Chris cut off communication etc but wasn’t that always a possibility? BC is acting like his hands were tied, there was nothing he could have done. He even went so far as to say that even if the Raptors had cap space this off-season, would anything have changed?
• Bryan Colangelo’s Letter to Chris Bosh and Raptor Fans « White Chocolate Blog –
• Doug Smith – Cleaning up the debris of a one-of-a-kind night – But here’s the thing: There will be other moves made. I don’t know what they will ultimately be – sources have pretty much gone underground for much of this last week – but there will be some. Maybe they’ll be good, maybe they’ll be bad. I don’t know and you don’t know and no one really does.
• On Kleiza and LeBron | Toronto Sun – Kleiza is a good player. An effective piece. But if he’s a starter and you want to be a good team, he better be your fifth-best starter or you’re not good enough, period. If he’s coming off the bench, that’s a little bit too much money for my liking, but it’s not a complete disaster.
• Feschuk: Colangelo’s not building, he’s scrambling – thestar.com – If the Raptors were serious about building a championship-calibre NBA team, and their chairman of the board, Larry Tanenbaum, has long claimed they are, this would be an obvious moment to begin the grand project. Coming off two straight seasons without a playoff game, with their only all-star lost to free agency, you don’t need to be a statistical analyst to understand that Toronto’s hoopsters don’t possess a good enough core to be a serious contender this coming season or the next handful.
• It’s the James, Wade, Bosh show in Miami – thestar.com – Colangelo and Miami president Pat Riley have spoken since Bosh said Wednesday he was leaving the Raptors for the Heat. But the chance that James could join them was thought to be remote until late Wednesday and Colangelo and Riley were waiting for the result of James’ deliberations before anything concrete could be negotiated.
• A standup kind of guy | Toronto Sun – “I heard that incident many times,’’ Kleiza recounted on Thursday when he officially signed a four-year offer sheet worth approximately $20 million US. “It wasn’t a screaming match. It was directed at one of the players and Jay defended his player. I got a technical foul and we were up 35. It was funny.”
• With no Bosh or cap space, GM has one path to take | Toronto Sun – He can’t slice up the roster and throw a dog’s breakfast 25-win team on the court next season. Drastically reduced season ticket, concession and apparel sales will not please his corporate masters.
• Colangelo: No tanks | Toronto Sun – The clock on Colangelo ticks, however. Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment already has exercised its option to retain Colangelo for next season but there are no guarantees beyond that, no signs or any indication as to what direction the franchise has in the event the GM fails in his latest attempt to re-work the Raptors.
• Amir ready to ‘blossom’ | Toronto Sun – “I know the fans have got my back,’’ he said. “I’ve been tweeting every now and then, but this is exciting. I’m ready to make something happen.”
• Raptors’ Colangelo refuses to wave white flag – “My strategy, my approach, has always been to try to move forward and put the most competitive and entertaining team out there, and justify the investment that the people put into season tickets, corporate partnerships. And I don’t want to leave anything on the table in terms of that effort.”
• Linas Kleiza to Nuggets: Don’t Match Offer Sheet — NBA FanHouse – “I want to play with Toronto,” the forward said in a phone interview with FanHouse. “I hope things work out and (the Nuggets) allow me to do that.’
• Amir Johnson cashes in with Raptors – The Globe and Mail – Colangelo said he felt he needed to make a strong offer to pre-empt any move by another team in an environment where so many teams have considerable cap space. He suggested that while he was in the midst of revamping his roster, he wasn’t rebuilding, and with the summer just beginning, he wasn’t done.

These are our links for July 7th through July 8th:

• Raptors News Conference: Bryan Colangelo – July 8, 2010 – Bryan Colangelo speaks on the signing and return of Amir Johnson for the 2010-11 season.
• Raptors News Conference: Jay Triano – July 8, 2010 –
• Raptors News Conference: Amir Johnson – July 8, 2010 – Amir Johnson takes questions from the media following the announcement of his signing as a Toronto Raptor.
• Linas Kleiza – July 8, 2010 – Linas Kleiza addresses the media after being signed to an offer sheet by the Raptors.
• Bryan Colangelo News Conference: Part Four – July 8, 2010 – Bryan Colangelo speaks with the media about Chris Bosh’s decision to go to Miami, as well as the outlook for the Raptors this season without Bosh.
• Bryan Colangelo News Conference: Part Three – July 8, 2010 – Bryan Colangelo speaks with the media about Chris Bosh’s decision to go to Miami, as well as the outlook for the Raptors this season without Bosh.
• Bryan Colangelo News Conference: Part Two – July 8, 2010 – Bryan Colangelo speaks with the media about Chris Bosh’s decision to go to Miami, as well as the outlook for the Raptors this season without Bosh.
• Bryan Colangelo News Conference: Part One – July 8, 2010 – Bryan Colangelo speaks with the media about Chris Bosh’s decision to go to Miami, as well as the outlook for the Raptors this season without Bosh.
• Amir Johnson – The FAN 590 Toronto – The newly re-signed Raptor joins the Game Plan to discuss his new contract, the fans in Toronto and Chris Bosh’s decision.
• Jose Calderon – The FAN 590 Toronto – The Toronto Raptors veteran joins the Game Plan to discuss his excitement to play for the Spanish National team at this year’s FIBA World Championships, how he deals with trade rumours and what he thinks about this Raptors team going into next season.
• Michael Wallace – The FAN 590 Toronto – The Miami sportswriter joins the Game Plan to talk about Chris Bosh’s decision to join Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat, how the Raptor’s organization has dealt with it and Michael Beasley’s pros and cons.
• RAPTORS: Raptors Move Forward By Adding Forwards – “Toronto is a great city and there is a young, exciting team with a lot of different basketball skills and a lot of different players,” he said. “Hopefully I will be a good piece to his team.”
• Bosh says goodbye to Toronto, hello to Miami on website | Posted Sports | National Post – “As I diehard sports fan, I know what it’s like when a familiar face decides to leave and so I understand your disappointment,” he says. “But know that this was my toughest decision, mostly because Toronto has been so great to me. I’ve loved every minute here and I just wanted to say thank you from the bottom of my heart …
• Raptors GM says Bosh’s departure caused by ‘perfect storm’ – “You lose an All-Star and you lose a player that has been pretty meaningful here in the community and in the minds and hearts of the fans,” said Colangelo. “It’s difficult…it’s difficult to overcome. But I’ve said often we will evolve with or without Chris.”
• Ricciardi: American players see Toronto differently – “But you know what, for American players, it’s a foreign country, and it’s a big obstacle to get over. And I know that’s hard for a lot of people to understand. But American players, Toronto is not going to be their first choice. Especially inner-city African-American kids.
• CB4 – Thank you Toronto –
• PBN | Moment of truth – Toronto Raptors: Even if they score a sign-and-trade for Bosh, it won’t be one they coveted, and won’t rid them of Hedo Turkoglu’s deal. It also hurts to lose another franchise icon back to the States. Raptors fans are a die-hard bunch and deserve better.
• khandor’s sports blog » More examples of ‘poor personnel decisions’ made by the Raptors – The New Jersey Nets announced that they have signed Travis Outlaw [PF/SF] – as an UFA – to a 5-yr contract for $35.0 M.
• Is it worth getting Miami’s leftovers for Bosh? « North of the 400 – Unless the Raptors make another trade and try to move either Jack or Calderon, which I think is a very likely possibility. If anything, picking up another PG would almost force their hand to make a deal – and a serious possibility of them moving what is now their biggest asset.
• Dino Nation Blog: The Starting 5 With Oak – It is always interesting to hear from Charles Oakley and it would be great to see him back as a part of the NBA in some way. If that happens or not is hard to say. However, Charles Oakley will always have things going to keep himself busy and happy. Oakley if he does come back to the NBA, would bring some old school mentality with him and that is a good thing for the league. Whatever Oak does though, he does it with his full effort and it has earned him respect in Toronto, New York and with all NBA fans that watched him play. Much love and thanks to Charles Oakley.
• Dino Nation Blog: Big Free Agent Signings Aren’t the Key – By the looks of things now, the Raptors should be getting a high draft pick next year. It might take a while, but if the Raptors are to ever become successful, they have to hope to land a superstar through the draft to compliment the solid young pieces that are already in place.
• Raptors prepare for post-Bosh era – CBC – The decision by James could determine whether Miami needs to shed salary, with the possibility the Heat would send players back to the Raptors in a transaction tied to Bosh’s signing. Bosh and the Heat have yet to publicly agree to terms of a deal.
• Doug Smith – It’s not much but it’s what I’ve got – I know there is all kinds of stuff out there floating around about multi-team transactions and this and that, I can assure you that if there’s a creative way to salvage a couple of assets out of this for Toronto, the Raptors are exploring them.
• RAPTORS: Raptors Re-Sign Free Agent Amir Johnson – Johnson, 6-foot-9, 210 pounds, averaged career highs in points (6.2), rebounds (4.8) and minutes (17.7) while appearing in a career-best 82 games in the 2009-10 season. He upped his averages to 17.8 points, 6.0 rebounds and 33.0 minutes during five games in a starting role. He also recorded a franchise single-season record by shooting .623 from the field (min. 200 shots).
• Bosh sign-and-trade grows to four teams – CBSSports.com – The trade, which is still exploratory and not close to completion, would send Bosh to Miami, Michael Beasley to Charlotte and Tyson Chandler to Houston, the sources said. Toronto, already settled on taking back the 2011 first-round pick previously traded to the Heat, is trying to extract a player from the Rockets in addition to the trade exception it would get from Miami.
• Can Miami pull off Beasley trade? – TrueHoop Blog – ESPN – If the Raptors ultimately consent to a sign-and-trade, Bosh would be able to sign a six-year max deal with the Heat worth nearly $130 million and LeBron and D-Wade would score max deals, too. Toronto, meanwhile, would come away with a very big trade exception and presumably at least one first-round pick … possibly its 2011 first-rounder that was previously dealt to Miami.
• Agent Bill Duffy: Toronto Raptors sign Linas Kleiza to 4-year offer sheet – ESPN – Denver Nuggets restricted free agent forward Linas Kleiza signed a four-year, $18.8 million offer sheet with the Toronto Raptors on Thursday, his agent, Bill Duffy, told ESPN The Magazine’s Ric Bucher.
• Courting trouble – Sonny Weems – Canada – Macleans.ca – Until now, the 24-year-old’s rising debt load remained a private matter. But according to court documents obtained by Maclean’s, Sonny Weems finds himself on the wrong end of a lucrative but little-known sports enterprise: companies that dish out loans to hot-shot college athletes. And unless Weems finally coughs up the cash to cover his IOU, his legal problems threaten to drag his employer, Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE), into court with him. “Mr. Weems is doing nothing,” said Morton Adelson, Felix Wright’s Toronto lawyer. “I’m now going after the Raptors. They can be liable for everything.”
• Toronto Raptors Summer League Roster – Ridiculous Upside – In continuing the series of spending way too much time telling you more than you need to know about players that don’t have NBA contracts, I present the Toronto Raptors Summer League roster in excruciating detail.
• Raptors sign small forward to offer sheet | Toronto Sun – Small forward Hedo Turkoglu is expected to have an increased role, unless the Raptors somehow find a way to move his brutal deal, and another swingman, Sonny Weems, is also expected to see heavy minutes following a breakout final two months of 2009-10.
• Raptors sign Kleiza to offer sheet | Posted Sports | National Post – “I’m glad to have him,” Raptors swingman Sonny Weems, who was on Denver two years ago as well, said. “He can score. He can shoot the ball. We’re going to need shooters next year to stretch the defence out.
• Toronto Doesn’t Want Michael Beasley | Dime Magazine – In one of the best Draft classes in recent memory (2008), it looks like Miami really struck out with the No. 2 selection. A trade exception and cash could definitely help the Raptors. However, the draft picks figure to be in the late first round.
• Raptors Pursue Linas Kleiza – HoopsWorld – Over his four seasons in Denver, Kleiza developed into a good offensive NBA player on the wing, showing a high basketball I.Q. with the ability to knock down shots. He has also shown good defensive intensity and maintained his college ability to grab rebounds, a skill Toronto’s wing players were sometimes lacking in recent years.
• Raptors among those waiting on LeBron – The Globe and Mail – The Raptors, one source said, would not be seeking any players in return from Miami but instead would want a package of future draft picks and money. The centerpiece of the transaction would be a trade exception worth about $16.5-million which they could use to acquire players in trades with salaries totalling that amount, an essential asset that could accelerate the Raptors rebuilding in the wake of Bosh’s departure.
• BallinEurope, the European Basketball news site » Toronto Raptors make $20 million play for Linas Kleiza – In his first-ever professional season in Europe, Kleiza was named to the All-Euroleague first team and was Greek League (EΣAKE) MVP.
• The Bosh Era Ends, the Kleiza Era Begins? – Raptors HQ – Coming into the league Bosh was a lanky PF who had a lot of growing to do as a player and questions were quickly being asked about his ability to put on weight, develop a consistent jumper and become a leader. The pressure to become great was amplified when a certain someone whined his way out of town and fans were looking for someone to lessen the sting.
• Raptors Sign Kleiza To Offer Sheet « nbaroundtable – Similar to Jarrett Jack 12 months ago, this is a good player on a solid contract but the timing is wrong for the club.
• khandor’s sports blog » Chris Bosh’s exit says it all about the Raptors franchise – Chris Bosh signed to a contract extension with the Raptors on July 15, 2006 because he felt that the situation in Toronto, at that time, working under the direction of Bryan Colangelo, the team’s new President/GM, was the best fit for him, in terms of being able to develop as an elite player and compete for a league championship in the not-too-distant future.
• Hang Time Podcast (Episode 16) « NBA.com – Sekou Smith’s Hang Time Blog – As always, we welcome your feedback (and that includes all of those Toronto Raptors fans still angry about that Bosh and Vince Carter item from earlier this week).
• Doug Smith – There’s A New Raptor In Town – The Denver Nuggets have seven days to match the contract – which is four years and $20 million. No indication what they might do but they’re fighting tax issues, let him go once and it would be no surprise if they didn’t let him walk.
• Report: Raptors sign F Kleiza to offer sheet – The 25-year old forward spent four seasons in the NBA with the Golden State Warriors, before playing with Olympiacos in the EuroLeague last season.
• The Hoops Market: Toronto Raptors reach to an four-year, $20 million agreement with Linas Kleiza – Toronto Raptors have signed Linas Kleiza to a four-year, $20 million offer sheet, according to Yahoo! Sports. The 25-year-old Lithuanian forward will have to wait to join the Raptors to the Denver Nuggets, which extended him a qualyfing offer, if the franchise decides to match the offer from the Raptors. Kleiza, who averaged 17.1 points and 6.5 rebounds per game in the last Euroleague with Olympiakos, can opt out of the final year of his two-year contract with the Greek club.
• Doug Smith – How everyone handled themselves in a very odd process – But perhaps they misread him a bit, too. I know some in the organization were convinced that Bosh would be about the money and that the allure of a sixth year on a contract would be enough to ensure they got something in return.
• Cap Space Updates « nbaroundtable – Note: The Raptors are below the cap by figure smaller than the MLE so they will instead use the MLE rather than their cap space while also retaining the bird rights to their own free agents.
• Cleaning Up After The Fall Out : The Picket Fence – The first team the Raptors need to focus on are the Nets. With the third most amount of cap space, and nothing to show for it, they have to be hurting. The new Russian owner, Mikhail Prokhorov, has to be feeling like the fat kid at the prom, right now, wondering why no one will dance with him. Apparently Boozer didn’t even offer them a chance to match the offer from the Bulls, who were obviously higher on his list. Even David Lee looks like he might be going to Golden State, if rumours are correct. That’s got to sting. Now they have nearly $40 million in cap space and hardly anyone to spend it on. That’s less than $20 million in salaries. In other words, they need to start spending money just to reach the NBA minimum of $41 million.
• Jack disappointed to lose best friend on Raptors – “When you join another superstar-calibre player with the team they’ve been with their entire career, I guess it [determines] the pecking order a little bit,” Jack said. “You’re coming into a new situation. He’s still going to have to feel his way through. He’s not familiar with the coaching staff. He’s not familiar with Dwyane, for that matter. They only have like two [other] players under contract. He’s not really familiar with the team. It’s going to be an adjustment process for him as well.
• Close friendship with Dwyane Wade helps lure Chris Bosh to Miami Heat – thestar.com – “It’s pretty much my second home and to leave that has been difficult,” said Bosh. But not that difficult, given where he’s going.
• Raptor fans, get over it « Beyond the Locker Room – Toronto fans for once stick a cork in you big mouth and open your eyes.
• Keeping Score: Dynamic Duos Like Wade and Bosh Rarely Mean a Championship – Off the Dribble Blog – NYTimes.com – The trouble is, history tells us that combinations like this –- featuring two players who had each been go-to guys the year before -– rarely result in a championship.
• Bosh-Wade news means revelry, relief for Miami Heat fans – Miami Heat – MiamiHerald.com – But even if Miami doesn’t become La Casa de LeBron, interest in the team already has spiked to 2006 levels, when Wade and Shaquille O’Neal brought a title to Biscayne Boulevard.
• Hoops Addict » Bosh Bolts Toronto For South Beach – What fans don’t know is just how much Bosh took Toronto’s losses to heart. There were countless times where Bosh was the last guy to get changed after a tough loss because he was trying to search for answers why his team once again came up short.
• Colangelo out of control – The Globe and Mail – Colangelo could not afford to have the ultimate decision in this process taken out of his hands. But he let it happen – and compounded it prior to the 2009-10 season by signing Hedo Turkoglu for $53-million (U.S.) over five years, and Jarrett Jack for $20-million for four years. At the end of the day, the GM was left with the same product: Bosh, a bunch of European players and a backcourt that was all-too irrelevant at crucial times. It was an unmotivated, poorly-constructed, fundamentally flawed team, whose happy-go-lucky demeanour on the night it was eliminated from the playoffs left many feeling that if they were Chris Bosh, they’d get out of here, too. (There was singing in the locker room, for Pete’s sake.)
• Feschuk: With Bosh’s exit, Toronto sports scene becomes a wasteland – thestar.com – Still, it’s Colangelo — he of the three playoff wins in four seasons here — who failed to build a contender around Bosh. Granted, Bosh simply stopped playing hard during a crucial stretch of his final season here, and he infamously said the Raptors’ win-loss record was no reflection on him. But as a reasonable facsimile of a star player, he had been the lone specimen in a city that lost its best working athlete in recent memory, Roy Halladay, to a December trade.
• Bosh’s greatest hits – thestar.com – Here are five memorable moments in the seven-year tenure of now-departed Raptors power forward Chris Bosh:
• Without Chris Bosh, Raptors have much work to do – thestar.com – Colangelo is actively seeking some help elsewhere in NBA free agency — the team will officially announce the return of Amir Johnson on Thursday — but whatever he gets won’t approach the production the team got from Bosh.
• NBA salary cap hits $58.044 million | Toronto Sun – This year’s cap marks a surprising increase from 2009-10, when it was $57.7 million. The current figure is higher than the $56.1 million projected in April by commissioner David Stern.
• Raps too late with Bosh | Toronto Sun – If Bosh does indeed leave for nothing, there’s a real possibility the team may not be in position to use its mid-level exception.
• Four for the road | Toronto Sun – It’s no wonder why fans should be upset at how little inroads the Raptors have made since Carter missed that shot at the buzzer nine years ago, a shot that would have put Toronto into the Eastern final and in all likelihood set up a date with Shaq, Kobe and the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA
• This might just work out | Toronto Sun – The previous CBA handcuffed a number of teams who paid their stars far too much money. Bryan Colangelo’s Phoenix Suns gave Stephon Marbury a four-year, $76-million US contract, then somehow fortuitously unloaded him to the New York Knicks. The Knicks ended up paying Marbury $22 million to not play for them in 2008-09. The Knicks gave Allan Houston $100 million, the Pacers gave Jermaine O’Neal $126.6 million and there were many others.
• Dynamic duo a trio? | Toronto Sun – The Raptors weren’t commenting Wednesday, but one gets the feeling the team is pissed off at Bosh.
• Progress on Bosh sign-and-trade – CBSSports.com – “It’s not likely,” the person with knowledge of the discussions said.
• Bosh gave his best: Jack | Toronto Sun – “I’m disappointed a little bit, but I knew the situation before I came here. We talked about the possibility of free agency and I knew the possibility of this happening.”
• Raps won’t cash in on Bosh | Toronto Sun – Teams cannot package a TPE with a player on the roster (so the Raptors won’t be able to unload Hedo Turkoglu or Jose Calderon by packaging them with a TPE), but they can get a smaller TPE back if they trade for a player making less than the full amount.
• Eric Smith – The FAN 590 Toronto – One of the voices of the Raptors here on THE FAN joined the Morning Show to talk about Chris Bosh and all the possibilities surrounding his free agency.
• Jeff Van Gundy – The FAN 590 Toronto – ESPN’s Jeff Van Gundy joined the Game Plan to talk about, what else, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade playing in Miami.
• Jack Armstrong – The FAN 590 Toronto – Toronto Raptors colour commentator joins the Game Plan to discuss todays departure of Chris Bosh to the Miami Heat, how this move will affect the franchise and what the Raptors should do going forward now that they are missing their key playmaker.
• Doug Smith – The FAN 590 Toronto – Doug Smith follows the Raptors for the Toronto Star, and he joined the Game Plan to talk about Chris Bosh’s departure and where the team goes from here.
• Dan Shulman – The FAN 590 Toronto – Dan Shulman joins Prime Time Sports to discuss the Chris Bosh signing with Miami and also comments on the MLB All Star game.
• Solomon Alabi – July 7, 2010 – Solomon Alabi speaks with the media after day two of summer league workouts.
• Jarrett Jack – July 7, 2010 – Jarrett Jack speaks with the media about Chris Bosh and the league’s free agency.
• DeMar DeRozan and Sonny Weems – July 7, 2010 – DeMar DeRozan and Sonny Weems speak with Raptors TV following day two of summer league workouts.
• Miami Fans Feelin’ Hot-Hot-Hot! – Front Office Fans – Clearly over the last few seasons DWade has noticed that South Beach isn’t a bad place to be a mid-20′s male celebrity worth $100mil – and its certainly an upgrade from Toronto for Bosh – but we’d like to think that it was the Miami fans and the franchise who made the difference. With Pat Riley leading the sales pitch, the Heat organization did a phenomenal job harnessing the power of the web and their die hard core fan-base to remind their superstar just how much he would be missed if Wade left the club this off-season
• New Miami Heat star Chris Bosh has some close family friends happy to have him in town – Shelia James, paralegal administrative assistant for the city of Riviera Beach, is a lifelong friend of Freida Bosh, Chris’ mother – so much so that she takes credit for introducing Bosh’s parents at a party. Along with sister Rita James, choir director at the church, Shelia also helped arrange for Bosh to make three appearances in the area, stressing to kids that excelling in both athletics and academics can indeed be cool.
• Cybulski: Bosh’s departure all too familiar for Raptors’ fans – Raptors General Manager Bryan Colangelo has every right to not do a sign and trade with Miami which would cost Bosh $30 million dollars, but the downside is that his track record in Toronto has been less than stellar and coming away with nothing might be tough to swallow.
• FAN590 – Blogs – The Rap » 2010-11 Cap & Tax Set – The National Basketball Association today announced that the Salary Cap for the 2010-11 season will be $58.044 million. The tax level for the 2010-11 season has been set at $70.307 million. Any team whose team salary exceeds that figure will pay a $1 tax for each $1 by which it exceeds $70.307 million.
• The Program 101 » Step away from the ledge Raptor fans! – When things are good, and the Raptors are rocking, Toronto fans have the playoff tickets printed up, and are picturing the parade route. But when things are bad, you would have thought that hell’s gates had opened up, and carnage would spread world wide if some trades weren’t made IMMEDIATELY! How quickly this city has gone from chanting that “Jose” thing (Jooooose, Jose Jose Jose ,Joooose, Jose jose- Something like that) to wanting Calderon traded for bag of basketballs, a coupon to Tim Hortons and a 2rd unprotected draft pick (CAUSE LORD KNOWS we need those draft picks!!). Bryan Colangelo was the next Einstein last summer when he pulled off that 4 team trade, but this summer it’s a witch hunt, as we imagine the tag team of Colagenlo and Rob Babcock as our version of The Bushwackers.

These are our links for July 5th through July 7th:

• Raptors’ Jack ready to move on without Bosh | Posted Sports | National Post – “I don’t think anybody could look at him with any type of disdain or anything. They know he gave his heart and soul to this franchise for seven great years. He just felt like it was time to move on.”
• Chris Bosh to Miami: A New Era Has Started in Raptors Basketball | Bleacher Report – DeMar DeRozan will have to take on a bigger leadership role, along with Jarrett Jack and Jose Calderon.
• Metro – Toronto : Blog : Weekend Rap : C ya CB4 – The best choice Bosh could have made. Chicago has Rose, but for Chris to truly shine as the #2 guy he is, he needed a player like Wade in the backcourt. Of course this leaves the Raptors without a sign-and-trade, because Bryan Colangelo won’t touch Michael Beasley with a 20-foot pole.
• Without Chris Bosh, Raptors have much work to do – thestar.com – Whatever finally transpires — and Wade and Bosh aren’t likely to sign their new deals until Friday, after James announces his intentions — Raptors president and general manager Bryan Colangelo has a huge void to fill with his team after losing the 22 points and 10 rebounds Bosh averaged each game last season.
• Feschuk: With Bosh’s exit, Toronto sports scene becomes a wasteland – thestar.com – Still, it’s Colangelo — he of the three playoff wins in four seasons here — who failed to build a contender around Bosh. Granted, Bosh simply stopped playing hard during a crucial stretch of his final season here, and he infamously said the Raptors’ win-loss record was no reflection on him. But as a reasonable facsimile of a star player, he had been the lone specimen in a city that lost its best working athlete in recent memory, Roy Halladay, to a December trade.
• Bosh Decision: Raptors Rebuilding? – HoopsWorld – With Bosh on his way to Miami, and Miami with nothing to send back but young players (only Michael Beasley and Mario Chalmers are under contract) and draft picks, it looks like a very young Toronto Raptors team could be younger still coming into next season. In the situation where the Raptors lose Bosh without the benefit of a sign-and-trade, Toronto is not expected to have much cap space beyond what would be available using their mid-level exception.
• Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh to team up in Miami; LeBron James’ decision to come Thursday – “I’m a winner, Dwyane is a winner and we’re going to bring a winner to Miami.”
• Bosh made the right basketball decision – National Post – But we’re watching, aren’t we? And if you were Chris Bosh, you would be sitting in the exact same position today. He made the right basketball decision. He may have even made, sign-and-trade prospects aside, a laudable basketball decision. Maybe it’s more of the charade, but he and Wade talked to ESPN Wednesday like men willing to take less than maximum money. Which would be, to be clear, a shock.
• T.Jose Caldeford: Ball v.1.39 – Bosh-less & Turkoglu-less Raptor analysis – So let’s assume Bosh & Turkoglu are gone next season. Obviously, there will be new players in the fold, but what was the best Raptor lineup last season that didn’t feature either of those two players? Jack-Belinelli-Weems-Johnson-Bargnani was actually the best performing unit on the entire team last season (min. 30 minutes played)
• Bosh Is Gone, But Will They Getting Anything Back? : The Picket Fence – Taking Beasley back would allow him to showcase his skills while being the first option, and give the Raptors an asset with the potential to increase in value. When rebuilding, it’s always best to get assets with increasing value. And because he’s not much of a defensive player, or a guy who’s going to do the little things, it’s not likely he’ll help the Raptors win any more games, anyway. If he does well, the Raptors have a piece they could use in a trade. If he doesn’t do well, the Raptors could simply not pick up his team option after the season.
• Bosh, Wade Team Up In Miami – ESPN Video – ESPN –
• Destination: Miami — Scattered thoughts on Chris Bosh « Heels on Hardwood – Right now that is my concern — The Raptors organization. They had plenty of chances to surround Bosh with good players but always picked the wrong guy. Colangelo tried to bring in friends of Bosh (see: TJ Ford and J Jack) to keep him happy but he would have been better off getting real talent around the 5 time all-star. Bosh walking and leaving the $30million is a big time blow to the Raptors. Bosh can make up some of that lost money on piggy back endorsements with Wade maybe and the face that Florida has no state taxes. The Raptors meanwhile can be blamed for Miami having the room to sign him in the first place. Colangelo did the Marion trade which allowed for Miami to clear space with the expiring Jermaine O’neal contract. Major OUCH.
• Armstrong: What’s next for the Toronto Raptors? – With Chris Bosh’s announcement that he’s leaving the Toronto Raptors and joining the Miami Heat, TSN’s NBA Analyst Jack Armstrong answered three burning questions that Raptors fans have about the franchise going forward.
• Chris Bosh to the Heat: Sign-and-Trade Remains an Option for the Raptors? | Bleacher Report – Bryan Colangelo shouldn’t be blamed for this. He stayed strong and tried to use whatever leverage he had during this period. He acted with dignity and refused to be the man who does what Chris Bosh tells him to do.
• Bosh Joining Dwyane Wade in Miami | TheCelebrityCafe.com – Bosh’s former team, the Toronto Raptors<br />
  , are attempting to piece together a sign-and-trade in order to receive compensation for losing their star. The National Post reports the team has had limited communication with Bosh’s camp, and became worried that the star would sign with Miami outright.
• Ham Sandwich or BLT? Why LeBron James Shouldn’t Go to the Miami Heat – Associated Content – associatedcontent.com – A team with Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, and LeBron James? The Cleveland Cavaliers can’t even maintain LeBron James ego in its city; can the Miami Heat contain all three personalities in the same gymnasium?
• RAPTORS: Raptors Ready To Turn The Page With Bosh’s Departure – Don’t underestimate the possibility of an 11th hour deal that would get the Raptors some material in return. By signing the maximum with the Raptors and then acquiescing to a trade, Bosh would boost the contract term to six years from five and raise his salary from $96 million US to $125 million.
• LeBron James to Announce Decision Thursday During ESPN Special – Already, though, the James saga is being eclipsed by other free-agent moves, most notably news that Toronto Raptors center Chris Bosh will join Dwyane Wade in Miami, making the team the likely favorite to emerge from the Eastern Conference next year.
• LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and others look for payday with potential lockout on horizon – The entire process we’ve seen over the last week will come back to haunt the 400-member rank-and-file when the owners stop the game on July 1, 2011. The owners are the ones who claim they’re suffering and losing their starched shirts in the process. But they’re the same guys who are throwing around all these max-salary deals, as if they’re all printing money. So which is it?
• LeBron’s Legacy Will Keep Him Away From Miami | Dime Magazine – 1. I think Mikhail Prokhorov was on the ball when he said he that LeBron won’t be joining the two of them because it will affect his brand. From what I have read/seen/heard/surmised, LeBron wont do well sharing the spotlight, and if he lands with Wade/Bosh in Miami, he will be the No. 2 (Wade already has a ring and owns the city). I can see LeBron wanting to play with Bosh, but never with Wade. LeBron has always ever had two options for teams to play for: Bulls and Knicks (maybe the Nets since they are moving to Brooklyn).
• Chris Bosh leaves Raptors to team up with Dwyane Wade – thestar.com – “I wanted to choose the best situation for me and my family and Miami was the best decision for me,” he told the ESPN news conference.
• The Associated Press: Bosh joins Wade in Miami, as they wait for LeBron – “I expect us to compete for a championship,” Bosh told ESPN. “I think both Dwyane and I, we both wanted an opportunity where right away we would be competing. … We’re ready to sacrifice a lot of things in order to do that. It’s not about the money. It’s not about anything else except for winning. I’m a winner. Dwyane’s a winner. We’re going to bring winning to Miami.”
• Bosh and Wade team up in Miami: LeBron next? – Trending – Salon.com – Chris Mannix of SI.com believes the Bosh-Wade pair isn’t enough. The Heat have only two other players under contract for next year, Michael Beasley and Mario Chalmers, hardly an adequate supporting cast. But that also means there’s still enough salary cap space to sign another star.
• Bosh, Wade United In Miami – “Before anything else. Thank you Toronto,” Bosh wrote on his Twitter account following the announcement. “I wouldn’t be here without you all and I will miss you. Your support and love kept me going.”
• Bosh to Join Wade, Shifting N.B.A. Power to Miami – NYTimes.com – “Of course, we would love for LeBron to join Miami,” Wade said. “Who wouldn’t?”
• Stan Van Gundy will not watch LeBron James’ ESPN announcement special – Orlando Magic BasketBlog – Orlando Sentinel – 2. He likened Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade together to Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol and also said he wasn’t surprised Bosh went to Miami because he’d been following Wade around “for two weeks like a lapdog.”
• NBA Free Agents: Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade say they’ll play for Miami Heat – ESPN Chicago – Wade and Bosh are expected to get the maximum amount allowable under the league’s collective bargaining agreement, though the addition of James could change the players’ salaries. Contracts cannot be officially signed until Thursday.
• Chris Bosh chooses Miami over Toronto – Need to know – Macleans.ca – It’s official, Raptors fans: Chris Bosh is a goner. The leading scorer and rebounder in franchise history confirmed this morning that he plans to sign a lucrative contract with the Miami Heat, where he will team up with fellow all-star Dwayne Wade. “We’ve wanted to play with each other and we have a golden opportunity to that,” Bosh told ESPN. “I wanted to choose the best situation for me and my family and Miami was the best decision for me.” It’s not clear yet whether it’s the best decision for Raptors general manager Bryan Colangelo. An unrestricted free agent, Bosh is eligible for a five-year deal worth up to US$90 million. But if he agrees to work with the Raptors on a sign-and-trade package, he could snag a six-year deal worth up to US$120 million—and score some players in return for his former team. The Raps have yet to hear from Bosh’s people, so they’re not sure which option he’ll choose. Either way, though, his Raptors days are over. As Chuck Swirsky would say: “Oh my Bosh!”
• Chris Bosh bolts from the Toronto Raptors, signs with Miami Heat – EYE – It appears that, later this afternoon, a formal announcement will confirm that Bosh intends to sign for five years and “only” $96 million, instead of the max deal he could sign with the Raptors for an ice-cold $125 mil. A sign-and-trade between Toronto and Miami is still a possibility, but last I heard, Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo was disinterested in anything the Heat had to offer. Now, it seems more likely he will lose Bosh and get nothing in return.
• The Canadian Press: Bosh says via Twitter he has decided to join Dwyane Wade in Miami – “I’m not coming alone, as you all know,” Wade said in a video posted on YouTube. “Chris Bosh will be coming with me.”
• Let’s Not Kid Ourselves: Bosh Would Have Pushed Rockets To New Heights – The Dream Shake – I’d much rather have Chris Bosh than not have him. Anyone who thinks that the Rockets would benefit by not trading for him is being ridiculous. Bosh may not be a true “superstar,” but he’s a superior talent who would have fit in with the Rockets perfectly. You can’t tell me that, looking back, the Celtics would rather have Al Jefferson and Jeff Green than Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett. That may not be the best analogy, but it’s darn near close.
• Bosh to join Wade in Miami – The Globe and Mail – Bosh’s commitment to Wade has been made without an agreement being reached between the Heat and the Raptors on a possible sign-and-trade that would allow Bosh to agree to a six-year contract worth $125-million and a five-year deal worth $96-million.
• It’s Your Call: Did Bosh damage his reputation? – For the Raptors, it’s yet another franchise player lost. And with Toronto’s bridge mostly burned with Hedo Turkoglu, the franchise is in a state of disrepair that hasn’t been seen since the departure of one-time GM Isiah Thomas.
• Dwyane Wade says Chris Bosh coming to Miami was key to his return – ProBasketballTalk – Basketball – NBC Sports – “But it came down to Chris, and his decision to come here… unfortunately it did not work out, but Chicago still has my heart,” Wade said of his hometown.
• Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh to team up in Miami – ProBasketballTalk – Basketball – NBC Sports – To do this, Miami would have to get help from Toronto to have the cap space. In a sign-and-trade deal Toronto would have to take on Michael Beasley and his $5 million a year deal and nothing else to make cap room for the Heat.
• Twitter / Ira Winderman: According to source in kno … –
• Dino Nation Blog: It’s Over – Chris said that this was a tough choice to leave Toronto and claims to have been in constant contact with Jarrett Jack through this process. Both said they made the best choice for their families. Which makes sense if this was about money, but both said it wasn’t and both are not from Miami. Wade is from Chicago and Bosh Dallas. So what family has do with being in South Beach is unclear.
• Chris Bosh joins Dwyane Wade on Miami Heat to form fantastic fantasy duo – Fantasy Basketball – ESPN – Bosh’s departure from the Great White North won’t have much of an effect on the Toronto Raptors backcourt. I guess it’s possible we could see a resurgence from Jose Calderon after his awful performance last season, but it’s hard to see how removing the best finisher on a team could improve a point guard’s assist totals. The same can be said for Hedo Turkoglu. Maybe he gets more shots off with Bosh gone, but Bosh’s absence means Turk would face tougher defenses, too. Jarrett Jack probably has the most realistic shot at carving out a fantasy niche this season and is worth keeping an eye on.
• PBN | Threesome, anyone? – A formal announcement isn’t expected until Thursday morning, though it’s safe to say that Burnie, the Heat mascot currently camping out on an elevated platform outside American Airlines Arena until Wade’s signing becomes official, can rest easy that he’ll be spending his final night on that perch this evening.
• Miamia Get Wade + Bosh « nbaroundtable – This is excellent news. It will be brilliant to see Chris Bosh finally have some real help + to see Wade get a new running buddy after playing a couple of years without one.
• CANOE — Bosh feeling the Heat – The Raptors have not yet heard anything official, but will have until midnight Thursday morning to work out a deal with Miami before Bosh will legally be allowed to sign outright.
• Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh signing with Miami?!?! – Peninsula is Mightier – Apparently Chris Bosh had grown tired of the Raptors trying to control the situation and has taken matters into his own hands, saying that he is going to sign with Miami one way or another. If Toronto wants to indulge him in a sign and trade, and help out the Heat by perhaps taking Michael Beasley (or just a bunch of draft picks).
• A wild night and a wide-eyed resolution – Miami Heat – Sun-Sentinel – Truth be told, it would be better for the Heat (but not Bosh) if Colangelo takes a hard line. That way the Heat gets Bosh and loses nothing but the necessary cap space.
• LeBron reportedly considering making it three amigos in Miami – ProBasketballTalk – Basketball – NBC Sports – The other question all three have to face is this: Could a team of LeBron/Wade/Bosh and nine other minimum salary players (all that Miami could afford) really win a title?
• In their own words: Bosh and Colangelo had agreed to work together | Posted Sports | National Post – Without taking any contracts back in a trade, the Raptors will be left with limited room under the salary cap, and the inability to spend beyond the cap. However, if the Raptors make a deal for the sake of making a deal with the Heat, and take back forward Michael Beasley, they could help the Heat land LeBron James, too.
• Chris Bosh-Dwyane Wade a good match, but Heat need center – Chris Mannix – SI.com – Bosh instantly solves that problem. One of the NBA’s most prolific interior players, Bosh, 26, has developed a diverse offensive repertoire. According to 82games.com, 54 percent of Bosh’s attempts last season were jump shots, of which he converted 44.1 percent of them. The remaining 46 percent of Bosh’s shots came on the inside, where he connected on a blistering 61.2 percent clip, numbers vastly superior to O’Neal (33 percent on inside, 59.8 percent) and Beasley (30 percent, 55.6 percent).
• Wade And Bosh In Miami? « NBA.com – Sekou Smith’s Hang Time Blog – Dwyane Wade stays in Miami and Chris Bosh joins him, how he does that remains a mystery because a sign-and-trade deal between the Heat and Toronto Raptors is still a possibility. But you knew it wouldn’t take long for the news to trickle out after LeBron James set up his Thursday night global announcement, that will be carried live on ESPN.
• Bosh Appears to Be Joining Wade – Off the Dribble Blog – NYTimes.com – The pairing of Wade and Bosh would offer Miami a formidable inside-outside tandem. Wade is a dynamic guard, a six-time All Star and the most valuable player of the 2006 N.B.A. finals who has played his entire seven-year career in Miami. Bosh is a five-time All Star but has never made it out of the second round of the playoffs.
• Bosh feeling the Heat | Toronto Sun – The Raptors have not yet heard anything official, but will have until midnight Thursday morning to work out a deal with Miami before Bosh will legally be allowed to sign outright.
• Skolnick-7: Bosh, Wade, Beasley, B-Marsh…. – Ethan Skolnick’s Season Ticket – Sun-Sentinel – In the end, it appears that Bosh did put winning ahead of money. He had to be willing to take the $96 million rather than the $125 million, to force Toronto’s hand. If the Raptors want to recover something for him, fine. But they would do it from the team that he chose. My guess is that Toronto blinks, and Bosh gets his extra cash in a sign-and-trade anyway.
• Chris Bosh joining Dwyane Wade in Miami; LeBron staying? – Ian Thomsen – SI.com – The important specifics of the Miami agreements were unknown on Wednesday, the day before new contracts can officially be signed. Will both Wade and Bosh receive max deals, or are they planning to accept less money in order to create room for James to join them? Will the Raptors accept Michael Beasley in a sign-and-trade for Bosh, which would clear space for Miami to offer near-max deals to James, Wade and Bosh altogether?
• Dino Nation Blog: Bosh May Just Leave For Miami – While many in the media have said if Bosh walks outright it is a disaster. I agree it is not good. However when Chris Bosh was filming this documentary and the communication had broken down should we not all have seen this coming. If the goal was to rebuild anyway, this is a setback in that process. but the process would have been the same. The Raptors sign and trade or not were not expected to be a playoff team by people. In the end the outlook remains the same. Although the pressure on Colangelo to make trades increases 10 fold to make this roster better.
• Doug Smith – The teens lose and Bosh may be on the move — somewhere – If it is the Heat – and it could very well be – I’d say Mario Chalmers, Joel Anthony (although he’s not crucial), Toronto’s own first-round pick back, another one or two unprotected firsts and a big old trade exception would be the best they could get.
• Reports: Bosh to Miami – CBSSports.com – Our own Ken Berger reported last night that an executive close to the talks between the Big 3 free agents (LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh) has indicated that Chris Bosh will be joining Dwyane Wade in Miami in a sign-and-trade. That’s followed by a report from ESPN’s Chris Broussard this morning indicating sources have confirmed Wade and Bosh announcing their decision to join the Heat Wednesday afternoon.
• Bosh to Miami done, but will Colangelo play ball? « Courtside – Colangelo either loses the franchise leader in most categories for nothing, or takes Beasley, the Raptors’next non-lottery first and possibly more + a TPE back. But in doing so, Colangelo would be making a lot of people around the league very unhappy – never his style of doing business – since only the Raptors can make a Wade-Bosh-James triumvirate possible unless the trio accepts less money. All three taking less money to play together and putting their egos aside to work together seemed preposterous even 24 hours ago and I still say 70-30 it doesn’t happen. But it is now a realistic possibility.
• NBA Free Agents: Source: Chris Bosh to join Dwyane Wade with Miami Heat – ESPN – Raptors general manager Bryan Colangelo, in a text message to The Associated Press on Wednesday morning, said “I have nothing official from anyone.”
• In the spotlight: Chris Bosh – 1. We’re talking Bosh now because several reports came Tuesday that indicated the Cavaliers and Raptors have at least discussed a sign-and-trade deal that would bring Bosh to Cleveland. Later in the day came reports that indicate Bosh wants no part of coming to Cleveland, and early Wednesday came reports that Bosh is going to join Dwyane Wade in Miami. So maybe I wrote this for nothing. And maybe you’re just tired of reports and little actual movement or substance. Maybe both. Either way, let’s look at Bosh as as player and how he might fit at his next stop.
• Bosh, Wade to sign in Miami: report | Posted Sports | National Post – But there has been significant tension between Bosh’s camp and the Raptors, with Bosh and his people offering little in the way of communication. Reports have indicated Bosh may sign outright with Miami for five years and US$96-million, instead of the six years and approximately US$125-million. The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported the Raptors began to be concerned about this late Tuesday night and began making calls to the Heat to confirm.
• The Associated Press: ESPN reports Bosh joining Wade in Miami – Miami does have the room to give Bosh and Wade max deals, although would still have to do some bargain-shopping to fill its roster for the coming year, with only Michael Beasley and Mario Chalmers under contract now for 2010-11.
• Miami Heat to get Wade and Bosh: Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh to sign with Miami Heat, report says – South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com – Tuesday, a source close to the situation told the Sun Sentinel that once the Heat had an assurance from Bosh, Wade would re-sign with the only team he has played for over his seven NBA seasons.
• While We’re Waiting… NBA Rumors, Bosh Analysis, and Media Shifting | WaitingForNextYear – “I’m not saying that Bosh isn’t a great player. He’s an absolute force offensively. He can score efficiently from multiple spots on the floor. He can play pick-and-roll or pick-and-pop. He’s a quality rebounder. I even think he can become a plus defender if he has the right center behind him, like Rashard Lewis did when he came to the Magic. He’s a fantastic player, and the best thing about him is that he’d only be more effective on a good team.
• FAN590 – Blogs – The Rap » Bosh To Make Decision Today? – As I stated on the FAN 590 on Tuesday morning (and afternoon) I think Bosh is indeed going to the Heat to join Wade and I believe LeBron is staying in Cleveland. Nobody from the Raptors has returned phone calls or emails though – as they are, understandably, being very tight-lipped about everything involving Bosh. Plus, they technically can’t comment on anything ’til tomorrow (July 8 – when the NBA’s moratorium ends).
• Forget Miami – Should Raptors Fans be Hoping Bosh Joins LeBron in New Jersey? – Raptors HQ – Well unfortunately, if Bosh is indeed bound and determined to go to Miami, there’s not much Raptors’ GM Bryan Colangelo can do. He can attempt to play hard-ball regarding the assets he receives in return for Bosh’s services, provided CB4 is bound and determined to take the max via a sign-and-trade, and not simply sign with Miami.
• Chris Bosh will join Dwyane Wade with Heat – NBA – SI.com – If Bosh signs, which can’t happen until Thursday at the earliest, it would be a huge coup for the Heat. Wade said when free agency began that he would likely only stay in Miami if the Heat lured either Bosh or LeBron James to South Florida.
• Bosh not sold on Cleveland – Morning Journal Sports – The Raptors have resigned themselves to the fact that Bosh isn’t returning to Toronto. But after talking to several teams about a sign-and-trade, they’ve been underwhelmed by the offers.
• Steering through free-agent storm – National Post – So what should he do? Without a contract extension in hand from Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, undertaking a scrape-the-bottom rebuild is risky business, no matter your pedigree. And Colangelo could, if he feels it’s necessary, bring back just-add-water assets and try to catch the bottom end of the playoffs.
• Young players get a chance to prove themselves – National Post – Just before noon yesterday, Ed Davis had just finished his first practice as a Toronto Raptor. After wrapping up the session with his teammates on the Raptors’ summer league team, he made a beeline for the weight room in the back of the team’s practice facility.
• Is LeBron executing an exit strategy? | DailyHerald.com Blogs – If Bosh does a sign-and-trade, the Raptors could send him to any team in the league, so it’s no revelation that there is a combination of players they’d be willing to take from Cleveland.
• Sources: Raptors OK With Bosh To Cavs – ESPN Video – ESPN –
• Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon it will all be over – The Globe and Mail – If James could convince Bosh to join him – and thus scupper Wade’s ambitions – James might even make it back to the NBA Finals.
• LeBron James to reveal plans Thursday on live TV – thestar.com – A sign-and-trade deal with the Raptors would almost certainly cost the Cavaliers forward Anderson Varejao, and Toronto would also probably use any deal to try to free itself of Hedo Turkoglu’s expensive contract, which extends another four years.
• Jack ready for captain’s role, if asked | Toronto Sun – No player is best suited to lead whatever team gets trotted out this fall than Jack, a veteran who easily relates to the team’s young core, a player who learned a lot about himself when he pouted following a demotion to back up.
• Ed Davis – July 6, 2010 – Ed Davis speaks with the media following the first day of the Raptors summer league workouts.
• Jarrett Jack – July 6, 2010 – Jarrett Jack speaks with the media following the first day of the Raptors summer league workouts.
• Eric Hughes – July 6, 2010 – Summer league coach, Eric Hughes speaks with the media following the first day of the Raptors summer league workouts.
• Toronto’s choice: Veterans or rebuild from Bosh sign-and-trade? – ProBasketballTalk – Basketball – NBC Sports – General Manager Bryan Colangelo is in his last year. General managers who lose in the last year of their contract get fired. He might lean toward winning. Rebuilding — and the losing that comes with it — can sting at the gate as well. Nobody is thriving right now, maybe the owner don’t want to take too big a hit.
• LeBron James, Chris Bosh Could Join Forces in Cleveland, Create ‘LeBrosh’ – NBA – NESN.com – Bosh previously expressed that he was opposed to moving to Cleveland, and Nets’ owner Mikhail Prokhorov has asserted that both Bosh and Dwyane Wade would likely end up in Miami.
• Chris Bosh, your future is Cleveland: Terry Pluto | cleveland.com – Yes, Cleveland, even more than Chicago, New York or any of the other teams with salary cap room. That’s because none of those teams — not even Miami with Dwyane Wade — has a star that demands so much defensive attention as James.
• NBA Free Agency 2010: Chris Bosh Would Be Welcomed in Cleveland With Open Arms | Bleacher Report – This seems like a no-brainer for the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Toronto Raptors, and Chris Bosh. It would be in Cleveland’s best interest to try and retain the young J.J. Hickson, but then again, we’re talking about Chris Bosh here. For Toronto, they’re basically getting something in return, rather than just watching their franchise’s best player hit the road in search of something greater. And of course, Chris Bosh receives tons of publicity and his team is the clear-cut favorite to represent the East in the NBA Finals.
• Free agency progresses… and peels back Chris Bosh’s priorities – Ethan Skolnick’s Season Ticket – Sun-Sentinel – Loyalty? Not that. Toronto, after all, did try to put talent around his last offseason, overspending on Hedo Turkoglu. Yet Bosh was done with the Raptors well before free agency started.
• Intern Insight Blog: Bosh would be wise to join Cavs – So, if Bosh wants maximum dollars he will have to do a sign and trade. Let’s go back to the wish list that Bosh made on May 22nd.
• Dwyane Wade, LeBron James likely lobbying for Chris Bosh – Miami Heat – MiamiHerald.com – “Chris is a phenomenal player,” Wade said in a recent evaluation of Bosh, a 6-11 post player coming off the most productive season of his seven-year career in Toronto. “You have a guy like that on your team, you have something special to build around no matter what else you got.”
• LeBron James and Dwyane Wade Awaiting Decision from Chris Bosh | TheCelebrityCafe.com – Earlier today, it was revealed by Henry Thomas, the agent for five-time All-Star power forward Chris Bosh, that the Cleveland Cavaliers inquired about a potential sign-and-trade deal with the Toronto Raptors. However, according to the New York Times, a deal between the two franchises appears improbable for a variety of reasons, including rumors that Bosh is uninterested in playing in Cleveland.
• Several Teams In Search Of A Good Point – Sean Deveney – The Baseline – Sporting News – Toronto. The Raptors are still hoping to put together a sign-and-trade to soften the blow of losing Chris Bosh. Toronto also would like to move along one of its two point guards—preferably Jose Calderon and the remaining $29 million on his contract, but a deal for Jarrett Jack (who is owed only $15.5 million over the next three years) is possible, too.
• Winderman: Dwyane Wade is looking for a friend… one that looks a lot like Chris Bosh – ProBasketballTalk – Basketball – NBC Sports – Get a first-round pick from the Cavaliers, it likely is in the late 20s. Get a first-round pick from a Bulls team bolstered by Bosh, and it’s also in that range. But get your own pick back, and, well, something in the teens appears more than likely.
• Raptors Rumours Galore, but Nothing to Show for it | TheScore.com – After going through everything, it seems silly to believe the Raptors could come out of the summer with the only major change to their roster being the addition of draft picks and a mid-level player. But the longer the Chris Bosh drama plays out, the more likely that becomes.
• The Amir extension « New Leisure Blog – Pros: Amir is still very young. At 23 years old, he shoots a high percentage, grab a lot of rebounds. In fact, he almost average a double/double per 36 minutes. He is a great athlete, who can block shots and get some steals. His PER (16.31)is better than average (15.00). If he can work on his mid range jumper and some post moves, he could even be better. Even if he doesn’t reach his potential, he can be traded rather easily because of his age.
• Allen Iverson Is Ready To Accept Reduced Role…but How Many Offers Will He Get? | Bleacher Report – 3.) Toronto Raptors: The Raptors are going to be one of the worst teams in the league if they don’t get anything back for Chris Bosh. Right now it is looking like that will happened.
• Raptors’ Rookie Big Men Prepared – HoopsWorld – Davis had an outstanding college career that included a NCAA championship in his freshman season where he had 11 points and 8 rebounds in 14 minutes in the win over Michigan State. Davis came back for his sophomore season at UNC even though some people thought he had lottery potential in the 2009 NBA draft, but unfortunately for Davis and UNC, his season was cut short by injuries and UNC never got their opportunity to defend their NCAA crown.
• Bosh’s Options? – Ian Thomsen – SI.com – And now for another possibility: Bosh could choose to accept a sign-and-trade to his home state of Texas — in which case he’s likely headed to the Rockets — which would throw the market into further upheaval.
• LeBron James rumors continue to swirl, including sign-and-trade for Chris Bosh | cleveland.com – Several weeks ago, Bosh reportedly gave the Raptors a list of teams he would consider being traded to and the Cavs were not on it. In recent days, however, Bosh has not been in communication with the Raptors front office.
• RAPTORS: Raptors Continue NBA D-League Affiliate With Erie Bayhawks – “The direct affiliation between NBA and NBA D-League teams continues to benefit players, coaches, and basketball fans,” said Dan Reed, NBA D-League President. “Nearly one-third of all NBA Draft picks have played for their NBA D-League affiliate since the program’s inception, and these affiliate relationships are a key reason why 20 percent of all NBA players have NBA D-League playing experience.”
• Raptors rookie Ed Davis still taxed by draft night query | Posted Sports | National Post – “It was very weird,” Davis recalled on Tuesday after going through a practice with the Raptors’ summer league squad at the Air Canada Centre. “He was asking something like, ‘How are you going to do your taxes?’ I was like, ‘This is draft night. The last thing I’m going to worry about is taxes or money or anything.’
• Which Team Has the Most to Offer Toronto in a Sign-and-Trade for Chris Bosh? | The Big Lead – New Jersey: Enticing if the Nets throw in the No. 3 pick Derrick Favors. You could also add Devin Harris or Courtney Lee, and then the Raptors have rebuilt their backcourt while adding a PF who could be ready to do some things in a couple years. Of course the Nets would then have to scramble to put pieces around Brook Lopez and Bosh. The Nets would still need a talented guard to get into the playoffs.
• NBA Free Agency Rumors: James Recruiting Bosh to Cleveland | WaitingForNextYear – Second, for whatever reason selling Bosh on Cleveland is harder than it seems. Bosh wishes to team with LeBron or Wade in a big market. If he goes to Miami to play with either Wade or James or all three he would have to give up the idea of the sign and trade which would net him the max contract with the 6th year added in. He would be leaving over $30 million on the table in that situation. LeBron and Wade appear to be leaning towards signing with their old teams, which would give them that extra year, and possibly leave Bosh behind or in Chicago with Rose.
• Raptors focusing on potential deals with Cleveland, Miami, New Jersey and Chicago – sportsnet.ca – The Raptors have prepared sign-and-trade scenarios with close to a dozen teams, but are focusing on potential deals with Cleveland, Miami, New Jersey and Chicago. Talks with the Cavaliers have not progressed to where the Raptors have requested specific players, but it’s expected they’ll want forward J.J. Hickson and Anderson Varejao.
• RAPTORS: Raptors Sign First-Round Pick Ed Davis – The Toronto Raptors announced Tuesday they have signed forward Ed Davis from North Carolina to his rookie scale contract. He is under contract through the 2011-12 season, with two team option years to follow. The Raptors selected Davis with the 13th overall pick of the 2010 NBA Draft. Per team policy, financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
• Chris Bosh is your free agency lynchpin – ProBasketballTalk – Basketball – NBC Sports – If Bosh heads to Miami with Wade, does LeBron stay in Cleveland? Does he decide to go to Chicago and team up with Derrick Rose or head to New Jersey to join their young core and build there? He may well stay home anyway.
• Report: Deal in place with Cavs, hinges on Bosh – sportsnet.ca – Bosh stands to make more money in a sign-and-trade deal. If he joins a team without doing a sign-and-trade he will only be able to sign a five-year deal worth $96 million, leaving a possible $29 million on the table.
• Jack prepares for 2010-11 season – Neighbor Newspapers – Jack completed six shooting drills — which required free-throw shots between each — from both sides of the floor with Glover on July 2. The first was a catch-and-shoot drill around the perimeter followed by the “star” drill, a session in which Jack took a jumper off the dribble before attempting a spot-up jump shot at the top of the key. Then Jack moved on to a drill called “21” in which he had to make a 3-pointer off the catch, a jumper from the angle after one dribble and a floater or layup.
• The LeBron-O-Meter: Chris to Cleveland, or is it just bosh? | cleveland.com – Still, the idea that LeBron might be plumping for Bosh to come to Cleveland is reassuring — though, to be honest, we’re not convinced that he’s actively involved in such maneuvering. As we’ve found out over and over here, just because everyone’s saying it doesn’t make it so.
• Bosh to Cavs long way from reality | DailyHerald.com Blogs – At least it’s good news for the local team if Bosh is trying to steer James to Chicago. Here we thought he was trying to convince Dwyane Wade to join the Bulls. Maybe he’d be happy either way.
• Raptors/Cavs not as far along as you think. | cleveland.com – From what I hear, the Raptors and Cavs are not as far down the line on a sign-and-trade for Chris Bosh as is being reported elsewhere. There have been some talks, but not serious … yet.
• No One Realizes Why The Bulls Can’t Do a Sign and Trade For Bosh | Bleacher Report – There is absolutely no way LeBron James or Dwyane Wade will come to a new team and make less than anybody else on the roster.
• Chris Bosh Trade to Cleveland Offered by Toronto; Teams Waiting on Bosh – Associated Content – Chris Bosh would sign with Toronto, and then get traded to Cleveland for a combination of players that could include Anderson Varejao,<br />
  J.J. Hickson, Delonte West, and/or Anthony Parker. One of the young power forwards would be involved (at least), and Cleveland would get All-Star forward Chris Bosh in return. This would give the Cavs Bosh, and then allow them to still sign free agent LeBron James to a max deal for the next six years.
• NBA.com: Want to know where a free agent will sign? Follow the money – Chris Bosh will leave the Raptors for the same reasons Stoudemire left Phoenix. Toronto has made no attempt to give Bosh a max deal. Therefore, there’s no reason to stay. Dwyane Wade knows he’ll get the max from Miami, and there’s no state income tax in Florida, either. So there’s no reason to leave that fortune on the table unless Miami fails to land at least another free agent. And that won’t happen, not with Carlos Boozer (who won’t get big money to stay in Utah) all but begging to join Wade.
• Bulls still in running to land Bosh from Raptors – Chicago Breaking Sports – The Raptors have made clear their desire for Joakim Noah in sign-and-trade talks with the Bulls, who have resisted those efforts. The Bulls have proposed a package involving Taj Gibson, multiple first-round draft picks and a trade exception.
• The LeBron James Saga: Is Bosh The Key to LeBron Staying in Cleveland? | Bleacher Report – This is the best possible scenario Chris Bosh can ask for. By going to the Cavaliers the Cavs would now be championship contenders, hands down. Bosh says he wants out of Toronto and go to a team where he has a chance to win. Well, Cleveland and LeBron James is the best option. Bosh is a type of player that has to have another top player around him like a LeBron or a Wade. If you think I am lying, think about it. If Bosh is to sign outright with any other team. Say the Heat right now without Dwayne Wade. Are the Heat not just the same team as the Raptors were with Bosh…? Exactly. Besides, Bosh will still get his 20 and 10 a night in Cleveland.
• NBA Trade Rumors: Delonte West and Jamario Moon to Phoenix? | WaitingForNextYear – The team has reportedly tested the waters with the Toronto Raptors regarding free agent power forward Chris Bosh, though most feel Bosh is only willing to play with LeBron James if the two-time MVP signs in a bigger market. However, with few teams holding assets that the Raptors would actually covet (specifically Varejao, Hickson and West’s contract), Toronto has informed the Cavaliers that they are willing to entertain talks. The other half of the battle is convincing the All-Star big man to come to Cleveland.
• 2010 NBA free agency: Toronto Raptors would OK Chris Bosh sign-and-trade with Cleveland Cavaliers – ESPN Chicago – Toronto, however, will not cooperate in a sign-and-trade with Miami, which has no players in whom the Raptors are interested, according to sources.
• Dino Nation Blog: Hello Ed, Good Bye Chris. – Chris Bosh went to see Grandma yesterday. She is not working for any NBA team. According to Bosh she is 93 and it made me think of my Grandma who was tiny and small and lived to be 89. Made me stop and pause, to remember that we are all people at the end of the day. Think that was the first Bosh tweet in a long time that made me smile. Bosh is said to be done with visits for now, and it seems is sitting waiting for Lebron and Wade to make their moves. Just because this process is taking a long time, do not confuse that with Toronto having a shot to keep him. There was confirmation of a rumour we mentioned in the Dino Nation Blog a couple days ago. Bryan Colangelo did in fact not even travel to meet with Bosh on July 1. He sent one of his assistants. Compare that to the full court blitz Colangelo constructed to sign Steve Nash. The entire Suns basketball staff was on his door step at 12:01. If you needed anymore signs is that not enough.
• Broussard: LeBron Wants Chris Bosh In Cleveland – Fear The Sword – LeBron James wants to stay in Cleveland and he wants Chris Bosh to join him. That, according to ESPN’s Chris Broussard, who made the assertion this morning on ESPNRadio’s Mike and Mike in the Morning program. According to Broussard, part of the reason there has been a delay in LeBron’s announcement is he is trying to convince Bish to come to Cleveland with him. That could only happen, of course, if the Toronto Raptors worked out a sign-and-trade for Bosh with the Cavaliers.
• khandor’s sports blog » Having your cake and eating it, too … in Raptorville – Unfortunately, the Toronto Raptors priorities have been established for quite some time already, as a profit-centered business operation.
• Doug Smith – Bosh dithers still, the kids win and a blast from the coaching past – But the subtle, and not-so subtle – shots across the bow are telling Bosh and his agent that the Raptors are going to take care of themselves first and foremost, they have some say in what’s going to happen and they won’t be held hostage by a guy who’s bolting after seven years in Toronto.
• RaptorTalk: Bosh’s Max Money Deal Gets Ugly at the Back End – The manner in which Bosh’s free agency has played out is best for both CB4 and the Raptors. Long term the Raptors will be better off rebuilding with the young gunz, while some other team can take the risk and pay $48.6 million to Bosh when he’s 31 and 32 years of age.
• Raptors Digest » Should the Young Gunz add an Outlaw? – How does he fit with the Raptors?: Outlaw is a great fit as a young, athletic small forward who can rebound with the best of them. He plays above average defense and is a player that, as mentioned above can step it up and bring his game to another level in crunch time. As a 6th man Outlaw would probably be lead the Raptors second unit in scoring and would likely log heavy minutes (20+ mpg). Outlaw is someone that can get to the free-throw line in bunches which is another reason he is viewed as such an ideal fit for the Raptors. And quite honestly, if we do not take restricted free agents such as Luis Scola into account Outlaw is probably the best fit out there for the Raptors.
• Chris Bosh really doesn’t want to give up that sixth year – Chicago Bulls Confidential – His abilities are, of course, hugely significant. That is why we are here discussing his potential maximum salary. Yet despite that, Bosh is not worth a six year maximum deal. He is not even worth a five year maximum deal. He is an elite player who made significant improvements last season – a cynic might point out that it was a contract year – scoring more than ever, more efficiently than ever, and with a career best rebounding rate. But he’s normally a below-average rebounder, inconsistent and timid defender, who doesn’t want to take the tough defensive matchups and who isn’t very good at it when he does. His offensive skill and versatility is only bettered in the NBA today by Dirk Nowitzki, but if you buy Bosh, you’re buying a solution for half of the game only. As such a fear of overpaying him (and for him) can be entirely valid.
• NBA Free Agent Rumors: Is Chris Bosh The New Vince Carter? | Bleacher Report – The other burning question is how Raptors fans will treat Bosh when he returns to the Air Canada Center next season. At the moment he will probably get a mix of cheers and boos. Unlike Carter, Bosh tried right up until taking the elbow in the face, so that will earn him the cheers, and unlike McGrady leaving when the team was good, Bosh is leaving when the team is constantly rebuilding and without a real chance to win.
• Daily Herald | Quiet day in NBA to sort out some issues – The Toronto papers have suggested the Raptors won’t take back Miami’s Michael Beasley in a sign-and-trade, one of only two players the Heat currently has under contract. It’s possible the Raptors would be more receptive to draft picks and a traded-player exception for Bosh.
• Bosh sign-and-trade could still happen – National Post – “Things have to make sense for all sides. Things have to make sense for the player. Things have to make sense for the two teams involved,” Raptors president and general manager Bryan Colangelo said yesterday after the club introduced rookies Ed Davis and Solomon Alabi to the media at. “That’s the part that ultimately has to be decided. He might decide on a franchise and we participate, we may not. That’s kind of where things are.”
• LeBron, Wade, Bosh: Super Team or Nightmare? « Section 26 – It is easy to be the best player on the Raptors, who have struggled to make the playoffs since trading Vince Carter. However, the problem that Bosh brings is that he is one of the most selfish players out there.
• Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh may be making documentary of free agency – ProBasketballTalk – Basketball – NBC Sports – The cameras have not been in the meetings (where the actual interesting stuff happened), Bosh tweeted. Still, the cameras have made some of the front office uncomfortable. In their idea of utopia, NBA front offices would operate in a completely closed-door environment; this whole transparency thing unnerves them. But in this case they have no choice – the cameras are there under the direction of the players the teams are recruiting. So they have lived with it.
• Stupid Signing Scale: Rating the Worst FA Contracts So Far | Robert Littal Presents BlackSportsOnline – This is a contract that will tie up the Raptors cap-space, meaning they will have a starting front-court of Hedo, Johnson and Andrea Bargnani, all tied up for 4-5 more years, along with the contracts of Jose Calderon and Jarret Jack. I already feel bad for Raptors fans for when they have to trade away Demar Derozen just to get someone to help them clear cap-space in a couple of years. I’d keep going but I don’t want any Raptor fans to kill themselves.
• Raptors rookies take on heavy load – National Post – “All I’m going to say,” Alabi added, “is the other teams missed out.”
• Raptors looking to the future – The Globe and Mail – With Chris Bosh all but gone and Andrea Bargnani and Reggie Evans the only big men under contract – the club can’t confirm the signing of Amir Johnson until Thursday – there could be no better time to be close to seven feet and a Toronto Raptor, at least if the chance to earn significant playing time is the goal.
• Smith: Dad’s experience sets newest Raptor on the right course – thestar.com – “I just know that I can rebound and block shots and all those things translate to the NBA,” he said. “I know I can do that every night and it’s something I can bring to the table.”
• It’s all in the family for Davis | Toronto Sun – Ed Davis will be asked to do what he did at North Carolina, but it’s off the court where incoming players separate themselves, an area Davis has advantage over most of his peers.
• Solomon’s smiling now | Toronto Sun – Defence is Alabi’s biggest asset, a strength he helped in leading the Seminoles to appearances in the past two NCAA tournaments.
• Raps big on the future | Toronto Sun – GM Bryan Colangelo is very high on each, reassuring everyone that Davis and Alabi have a chance to be consistent members of the team’s rotation.
• Did the Knicks win in Amar’e vs. Bosh? – CBSSports.com – Many will claim that the Knicks got the rough end of this choice between Bosh and Amar’e. But if the evidence from last year is any indication, the Knicks may have gotten a better deal than the consensus believes.
• The Turrible Ten: Charles Barkley Blasts NBA Decision Makers | FanSided – 9. Amir Johnson’s $34 million deal from the Toronto Raptors – Amir who?

These are our links for July 3rd through July 5th:

• Bosh sign-and-trade remains in picture for Raptors | National Post – “Things have to make sense for all sides. Things have to make sense for the player. Things have to make sense for the two teams involved,” Raptors president and general manager Bryan Colangelo said Monday after the club introduced rookies Ed Davis and Solomon Alabi to the media at the Air Canada Centre. “That’s the part that ultimately has to be decided. He might decide on a franchise and we participate, we may not. That’s kind of where things are.”
• Bulls’ broadcaster Swirsky aided in Bosh efforts – Chicago Breaking Sports – When contact was allowed with players starting at 11:01 p.m. on June 30, the Bulls placed broadcaster Chuck Swirsky in Dallas to show their interest in Chris Bosh, who lives there. Swirsky served as the Toronto Raptors’ broadcaster for 10 seasons, calling Bosh’s first five seasons in the league first-hand.
• RAPTORS: Q & A With Raptors Rookie Solomon Alabi –
• Solomon Alabi – July 5, 2010 – Solomon Alabi speaks with Raptors TV, after being introduced as one of the newest Raptors this season.
• Ed Davis – July 5, 2010 – Drafted 13th overall by the Raptors, Ed Davis speaks with Raptors TV after being introduced today in Toronto.
• Davis and Alabi in Red – July 5, 2010 – Ed Davis and Solomon Alabi take questions from the media after being introduced as the newest Raptor members today at the ACC.
• Davis and Alabi in Red – July 5, 2010 – Ed Davis and Solomon Alabi take questions from the media after being introduced as the newest Raptor members today at the ACC.
• Newest Raptors Introduced – July 5, 2010 – Raptors President and General Manager, Bryan Colangelo, introduces Solomon Alabi and Ed Davis today at the ACC.
• Raptors ready to move forward with Davis, Alabi – “We said all along regardless of what happens we’re going to take the best players available,” Colangelo said. “We landed the guy (in Davis) that perfectly fits our roster and our needs right now as we speak with all the uncertainty there.
• Doug Smith – Raptors wait but still have some things cooking – One other thing the Toronto situation might suggest – and this is extrapolation pure and simple and not something anyone from the organization has whispered to me – is that the Raptors probably know what kind of player they’ll ask for in any sign-and-trade and they’re filling out other holes other ways.
• Chris Bosh expected to wait on LeBron – NBA- nbcsports.msnbc.com – When Bosh does announce his decision, it will likely involve a sign-and-trade so that he can make the maximum amount of money. The Raptors are willing to facilitate such a deal so long as they’re getting back worthwhile assets.
• RAPTORS: Raptors Announce 2010 Las Vegas Summer League Roster – Weems had a break-out year for the Raptors, averaging a career-high 7.5 points in 69 games. Weems started the final 12 games of the season posting 13.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and shooting .558 (72- for-129) from the field. He played five games for Denver at the Las Vegas Summer League last season, averaging 16.6 points.
• Armstrong: Thoughts on NBA free agency and Bosh’s situation – I like him personally and I’m happy for him but this is a classic case of a guy being in the right place at the right time. Thanks to CB4′s likely departure, Johnson was at the right place and right time with the Raptors needing to lock up a young, big man. He’s a solid player who has to stay on the floor more by preventing those silly fouls he commits. Expectations will rise with this pact. Does he have the overall game to match it? We’ll see. In the meantime, Congrats on hitting the lottery!
• American Chronicle | Amar’e to Knicks is off if LeBron chooses Bosh. – Nevertheless, the agreement would contain one king-sized contingency – the deal is off if James chooses Chris Bosh to join forces in New York.
• New Jersey Nets interested in Detroit Pistons’ Joe Dumars for GM post – ESPN New York – So far, the other names mentioned as a possible replacement for Thorn include New Orleans Hornets GM Jeff Bower, Toronto Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo, Oklahoma City Thunder GM Sam Presti and USA Basketball executive Jerry Colangelo.
• NBA Free Agency Agenda:Toronto Raptors – With Jose Calderon and Jarrett Jack sharing the point guard duties, Colangelo must look to trade one of them since neither of them is satisfied in sharing the starting spot. Of the two, Calderon is the better fit in Toronto.
• Hurrying up to Wait – Raptors HQ – “So maybe a sign-and-trade deal isn’t the best idea for us. Look at some of these trade packages teams have put together Maurizio! Garbage, garbage and more garbage! Maybe it’s in our best interest to simply let Bosh walk if teams aren’t willing to play ball…
• Dino Nation Blog: The Waiting Game – It is very hard to figure out what to expect from the Raptors next season without knowing who will be here and who will not. But based on what we do know the Raptors look to be a team that is looking to improve defensively and continue to be a team that runs on offense. While the rumours continue to go on it is important these days to remember the difference between fact and fiction. There have been lots of rumoured sign and trade packages for Chris Bosh. Including one from Houston that many find appealing. There is no guarantee that deal is real.
• A few thoughts on the first weekend of free agency ‘10 | TheScore.com – For a guy who hasn’t ever started an entire season and averages 6.5 fouls per 36 minutes over his professional career, this is a hefty, hefty salary. It’s also a necessary one in this offseason where guys much older than Johnson are getting paid as much (look at Drew Gooden who was given a $32 million, five-year deal from the Milwaukee Bucks). While Johnson is a five-year NBA vet, he is still just 23 years old. For an athletic big-man, the Raptors needed to pay, particularly with Chris Bosh on his way out of town. Add in Johnson’s camaraderie with DeMar DeRozan and Sonny Weems and this was a no-brainer for the Raptors just as signing on the dotted line is going to be a no-brainer for Johnson.
• Raptor Report – Ed Davis… If you don’t know, now you know « Heels on Hardwood – The Toronto Raptors used the 13th pick in the NBA draft to select Ed Davis who will be introduced to media and the city later today. This pick came as a surprise to me and I quickly scrambled to try to learn as much as I could about the kid. He comes from a storied college program that had a rough year (which in turn probably led to his stock falling), and has been coached by one of the best. In the process of trying to learn more about Davis, I reached out to a blogger who devotes his site to UNC sports. AEM from The5thcorner.com agreed to answer some questions for me and I thought I would share his responses to help the rabid Raptors fanbase get to know him a little better.
• The whoring has become boring, Bosh – The Globe and Mail – Any team that is so bereft of talent it thinks Amir Johnson is a starter and doesn’t have a legitimate NBA point guard on its roster is in no position to be cute.
• Source: Bulls, Heat ‘In the Game’ for Chris Bosh — NBA FanHouse – The Raptors, who have fielded calls from “half the league,” the source says, currently have six sign-and-trade proposals ready to be executed. Offers from Miami and Chicago, according to the source, are being more heavily considered than the rest. The Lakers are among the teams that have inquired, but they are not believed to be among the top six trading partners being considered.
• “More Than Just Basketball”: Why D-Wade Will Join Bulls, Bosh Too | Bleacher Report – If Wade and Bosh are serious about making this happen though, some strings may need to be pulled. Wade will not be a hard sell for Chicago, and frankly neither will Chris Bosh, but it’s no secret that Wade will attract more endorsements. One thing he and LeBron will never have to worry about is their marketability.
• Sports in the Land (Cleveland): Bosher-Nation – Reports that the Raptors will not help Bosh in a sign and trade probably aren’t true. The Raps are probably trying to force Bosh’s hand into taking a sign and trade deal. He hasn’t talked with the Raptors brass and they want answers soon. It seems as if LeBron will have some major recruiting to do with Bosh. I am hoping that if LeBron commits, he will tell Bosh “Listen, come play with me in Cleveland. We will get national media attention all the time, and we will win a ring. You can’t pass up $30 million by playing elsewhere.” If LeBron re-signs in Cleveland, Bosh will have to ask himself, would I rather have a chance to play with LeBron, increase my chances of winning a ring, and make $30 million more or go elsewhere with maybe D-Wade, and make less money.
• It’s summer 2010: Chris Bosh, give the people what they want. « Beleaguered Toronto Sports Fan – For all of this to make sense, one thing has to be clear: none of this free agency stuff is about winning. All of these great players whose contracts have expired and players that have opted out have not done so because they want to win. They have done so because the current Collective Bargaining Agreement between NBA owners and players will be renegotiated after this season, and player contracts are very likely to shrink. A lot.
• Raptors shopping while Chris Bosh watch drags on – thestar.com – According to league sources, the Raptors are “close” to reaching an agreement in principle with a free agent to take up some, if not all, of the team’s so-called mid-level salary cap exception. No names became immediately apparent, however, and the Raptors staff has maintained a cone of silence over all free-agent movement since the negotiating period began Canada Day.
• Report: Chris Bosh back in Dallas to mull over his future | Dallas Morning News – Bosh made another Tweet Sunday afternoon: “Got the chance to clear my mind today. Church and Sunday dinner with the fam was awesome!”
• Suns rumors: Boston Celtics courting Leandro Barbosa| Valley of the Suns – Needless to say, this news should be music to the Suns’ ears. They’ve been “actively shopping” Barbosa this offseason, and the fact that the Celtics, and apparently the Toronto Raptors, are interested in LB is cause for a sigh of relief.
• Source: Bulls, Heat ‘In the Game’ for Chris Bosh — NBA FanHouse – A source close to the situation told FanHouse the Raptors are becoming “less enthusiastic” about doing the deal that would give Bosh the sixth year and additional $29.4 million on his maximum contract, but they certainly haven’t stopped working toward that end. The Raptors, who have fielded calls from “half the league,” the source says, currently have six sign-and-trade proposals ready to be executed. Offers from Miami and Chicago, according to the source, are being more heavily considered than the rest. The Lakers are among the teams that have inquired, but they are not believed to be among the top six trading partners being considered.
• If Bosh goes to NY, Lee + $5.5mil trade exception could come back – ESPN – Lee has now met with Chicago, Miami and Minnesota, but he has been proceeding with the understanding that the Toronto Raptors could be his ultimate destination if Chris Bosh decides to go to New York. The Raptors are amenable to such a deal, and the salaries would not have to match because Toronto would be trading Bosh into open cap space. If they got Lee at an $11 million starting salary, the Raptors would also gain a $5.5 million trade exception, and Bosh would get a sixth year on his deal and 10.5 percent annual raises, increasing the value of his contract by $30 million.
• NBA Free Agents: Thanks Chris Bosh, But Toronto Raptors Will Keep Self Respect | Bleacher Report – Mr. Colangelo is being very smart and conservative in his approach with this whole hoopla. He’s saying, we’ll sign and trade you if we get a good offer, or we’ll let you walk. Or, of course we’ll re-sign you, but at this point, it doesn’t seem very likely at all.
• NBA.com: Choices of James, Wade, Bosh will have far-reaching effects – It’s clear that Bosh is not coming back to Toronto, but his choice can still have a big effect on the Raptors. If Bosh wants to work out a sign-and-trade deal to get an extra $30 million of guaranteed money, then Toronto can get an asset or two in return. It could be a young player with upside, a veteran who’s willing to defend, a draft pick, a large trade exception or a combination of any of the four. And as Colangelo tries to rework his roster once again, he needs all the assets he can get.
• Rumor: Suns Actively Seeking To Trade Leandro Barbosa – SB Nation Arizona – According to a tweet from Hoops World, the Suns are doing what many have considered an obvious move – looking to move Leandro Barbosa. The Toronto Raptors and Boston Celtics are rumored to be “very interested.”
• Now begins the hard part, waiting for LeBron « Blogs.Bulls.Com – If you are Bosh and believe you deserve a maximum salary, how the heck do you miss the playoffs twice in a row with a pretty good roster that the general manager said was a 50-win team entering this past season?
• LeBron, Wade, Bosh not ready for decision – CBSSports.com – Wade and Bosh finished their pitch sessions Friday night, when both met with the Bulls. Saturday was the main event, with the Bulls and hometown Cavs having an audience with LeBron amid a surreal scene in downtown Cleveland. One of the executives involved in the recruiting process over the past few days described it this way: Now is when the emotion of the process and the glitz of the presentations fade and reality sets in. Reality, and the known vs. the unknown. And the executive came away with the distinct impression that Wade is staying in Miami, LeBron is staying in Cleveland, and Bosh — left out to dry in such a scenario — would then be far more interested in the extra $25-$30 million the Raptors can offer him than he’s been for the past 72 hours.
• ASK IRA: Have the Raptors opened the Heat’s door for Bosh? – Miami Heat – Sun-Sentinel – It’s all posturing. It’s their way of saying Bosh won’t force their hand, that they are in control of the extra $30 million Chris can receive by first re-signing in Toronto and then being dealt. Everyone is talking now. Listen to too much and it’ll make you crazy.
• A little more on Amir | Toronto Sun – In his current minutes, Synergy Sports reveals Johnson is the 4th most effective player in the entire NBA at finishing pick and roll opportunities. He also ranks fourth in converting post-up opportunities and is one of the most productive finishers in transition.
• Toronto Raptors Have a Choice: Letting Chris Bosh Walk Is an Option | Bleacher Report – The rest of the league might not have noticed (yet), but a change is happening in the Raptors team. Newly resigned Amir Johnson, high flier DeMar DeRozan, slasher Sonny Weems and Bulldog guard Jarett Jack formed a sub-culture with the name of “Young Gunz”.
• American Chronicle | Is Bosh really a great player? – The hype of Bosh really astonishes me. I know he has played in Toronto for several years, but is he really a great player?
• Bosh, Raptors feuding? | Toronto Sun – ESPN was reporting Saturday night that growing animosity between Chris Bosh and the Toronto Raptors could wind up with Bosh leaving Toronto with nothing coming back in return and Bosh settling for less in contract years and dollars to leave.
• Bosh maybe hurting his future team’s position – Digital Sports Daily – And Toronto, could just refuse to do a sign-and-trade deal all together, leaving Bosh with only the ability to make $96 million over a five-year contract with a team like Miami, compared to a six-year deal worth $125 via a sign-and-trade.

These are our Toronto Raptors news links for July 3rd from 07:40 to 17:08:

• Ridiculous contract offers show several NBA teams are going crazy – NBA News – FOX Sports on MSN – Toronto paying Amir Johnson $34 million for five years is the most ludicrous deal. Yes, Chris Bosh is determined to go elsewhere, but do the Raptors really believe that Johnson can in any way take Bosh’s place? All throughout his previous five seasons in the NBA, Johnson’s high-end potential has been universally celebrated but, although he’s still only 23, there have been very few signs that Johnson will ever produce the returns that the Raptors’ investment demands.
• Does Bosh hold the key? – TrueHoop Blog – ESPN – The pertinent questions regarding Bosh seem to be the following: Is he as committed to LeBron as LeBron is to him? Would he prefer to join Wade? Is he hoping it works out that all three of them can play together? Or will he go in a different direction, with teams like the Rockets and perhaps the Lakers interested in him? How critical is it to him that he get the largest possible contract, which can happen only if he stays in Toronto or leaves via sign-and-trade?
• 2010 NBA free agency: Toronto Raptors losing interest in Chris Bosh deal, source says – ESPN – Bosh’s Twitterization of the courting process, which included several tweets of anticipation leading up to the July 1 commencement of free agency, didn’t sit well with the Raptors either, the source said.
• Anyone sick of this “Bosh-watch” yet? – Raptors HQ – Many of the media are noting that Bosh may actually be the lynch-pin in this whole piece. If he decides to pair up with LeBron as opposed to Dwyane or vice versa, than that may a) determine which teams James or Wade go to and b) may then set the rest of the dominos in motion regarding the likes of Joe Johnson and Carlos Boozer.
• Hidden from Spotlight in Toronto, Chris Bosh Looks to Make a Name, Dynasty for Himself – NBA – NESN.com – No doubt about it — Bosh has a lot of options in front of him. And he really can’t go wrong — no matter where he goes, he’s getting a max contract in a big market from a team that’s committed to winning.
• Former Pistons Darko Milicic, Amir Johnson Win Lottery – Motown Lowdown – SB Nation Detroit – Suddenly those deals Joe Dumars gave Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva a year ago don’t seem so bad when you consider how little Darko and Johnson have done during their careers relative to the payday they both just got. It’s utterly ridiculous how much some players have been overpaid in the last couple of days, and there’s no doubt these two former Pistons are right at the top of the list.
• Chris Bosh done w/ FA visits…for now – NBA- nbcsports.msnbc.com – Chris Bosh wrote on Friday night, “I’m done with my visits. For now at least. I need some rest.”<br />
  <br />
  Bosh has likely been worn out by numerous FA sales pitches, his stream of Tweets, and the documentary film crew that is following him. For now the Bulls seem like his most likely destination but a number of teams, including the Rockets, could pull an upset and acquire him.
• Dino Nation Blog: Young Guns(z) Era Is Here – While Amir is coming back, the long good bye for Chris Bosh goes on. In fact you may be able to watch it all unfold on a DVD at some point. While Bosh has been meeting with potential teams he has had a camera crew along for the ride. They are filming a documentary as Bosh goes through this free agent process. Not sure if the meeting with the Raptors will make the cut. However the 2 sides have apparently met and according to some reports Bryan Colangelo was not even in attendance. That tells you all you need to know. If that is factual it may be sending Bosh a message that Colangelo has not appreciated the cold shoulder Bosh has given the Raptors for the last month. Raptor fans hate of Chris Bosh grows with every tweet he puts out.
• Doug Smith – Is it a question of someone blinking first? – We’ve got Chris Bosh – and if there’s anyone who disputes the contention that he loves the attention he’s getting, let them forever hold their peace – praising everyone he talks to or about and pretty much being omnipresent.
• Garden path intriguing to Wade, Bosh – NYPOST.com – “This is not an easy choice for anybody. They’re going to have their patience and do what’s best for them,” D’Antoni said after the meetings with Wade and Bosh. “It takes a little while, they have a lot of people advising them, so they aren’t going to just jump into it.
• Free agency gone mad – National Post – Now, I like Amir Johnson. Great teammate, plenty of potential. But if you hand US$7-million a year to someone who has averaged 15 minutes per game — and 2.7 fouls in those 15 minutes — in his career, you should perhaps face the possibility that you’ve overpaid.
• NBA free agency: Bosh meets with NY Knicks – thestar.com – After seven seasons in Toronto, Bosh has been one of the busiest players in the free agency bonanza. He met with Rockets in his hometown of Dallas early Thursday, then flew to Chicago for sessions with the Heat and New Jersey Nets.
• NBA free agency: ‘Christmas’ coming soon for Chris Bosh – thestar.com – According to some Raptors sources, Friday was little more than a day of waiting and working the phones. However, with so many moving parts — there were reports Friday night that Wade was seriously considering moving to Chicago from Miami — it’s been virtually impossible for Raptors president and general manager Bryan Colangelo to get a firm grasp on what he’ll eventually need.
• The heck with Hedo | Toronto Sun – As much as you want to believe Turkoglu, you can’t because the damage he created and can’t be repaired by words or by giving assurances that he was somehow misquoted or felt like he was unjustly and inappropriately used in Toronto.

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These are our links for July 1st through July 2nd:

• Toronto Raptors’ Offseason Agenda, Version 2.0 | Bleacher Report – Ultimately I would not be surprised if Turkoglu was moved this summer, but at least publicly supporting the team this gives management more flexibility to negotiate with other teams. Colangelo won’t be forced to except a completely lopsided deal.
• Nets feel LeBron, D-Wade and Bosh were impressed – NBA News – FOX Sports on MSN – It was the concentration that James, Wade and Bosh exhibited as Russian billionaire and new owner Mikhail Prokhorov delivered his global outlook for the Nets down the road.
• Same Faces, New Places (Or not…) – 2010 Edition « Heels on Hardwood – A member of the youth movement — dubbed the Young Guns, Amir flourished in Toronto last season. He is getting paid starter money but its going to be a challenge to get him to stay on the floor for starter minutes. The foul prone forward showed a lot of promise and will have some big shoes to fill with the eminent departure of Chris Bosh. He played well with Jose Calderon at point and fits well with what the team is trying to do. (More in a separate post)
• The Salami & Cheese: Raptors re-sign Amir Johnson – At first glance, it looks like Bryan Colangelo overpaid for talent yet again. But after looking at some expert analysis, as well as crunching my own numbers, this contract isn’t as ridiculous as some may think. For one, Amir made $3.9M last year. Since Bosh will likely be leaving Toronto, Johnson will be playing in a bigger spotlight with more minutes. If Amir played as good as he did in only 19 minutes per game last year, he’ll play even better with more extended minutes. According to 82games.com, Johnson’s per 48 minute production at the power forward position were 19 points and 13 rebounds per game. Eric Smith posted an interesting tweet last night, which also proves this contract isn’t as ridiculous as one might think:
• RaptorBlog.com – Young Gunz Reloaded – There is a misconception about Amir that he only performs well in brief spurts off the bench. In the past two seasons, he played in 12 games where he logged at least 25 minutes. In those games, he averaged 13 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.5 blocks with a .711 FG%. That field goal percentage is not a typo. Amir is ridiculously efficient with his scoring attempts — among players who played at least 1,000 minutes and scored at least 500 points last season, he had the highest true shooting percentage in the NBA (.639). He’ll never be a “go-to guy” on offence, but he’s devastatingly effective on pick-and-rolls, alley-oops and putbacks.
• CTV Toronto – Free agent Bosh says things are ‘going real good’ – CTV News – As he headed into his meeting with the Knicks, Bosh told reporters: “It’s going good, it’s going really good.”
• Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh meet; Heat talks with LeBron James – The fact that Bosh and Wade still held out hope for a Miami Thrice outcome with James spoke volumes.
• Rockets Fans Don’t Want a Diva, We Want Scola | Bleacher Report – I mean could this guy ask for any more attention. He acts like the nerd that became popular in the transition from junior high to high school. Now it has been discovered that Bosh is making a documentary of the whole process. I mean for most people I would say that is pretty cool but from what I know, that just makes him look worse.
• Chris Bosh meets with Knicks – NBA – SI.com – Bosh showed up at the same hotel where Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade met with the Knicks earlier Friday. Bosh tweeted that his “shirt is starched and I’m ready for more business. NY Knicks are next.”
• News and Notes: Suns sign Amar’e's replacement, Amir in T-Dot – Ball Don’t Lie – NBA  – Yahoo! Sports – It’s not that Johnson can’t play. He can, and his per-minute numbers have always been stellar. It’s that the 23-year-old is still averaging nearly 6 1/2 fouls per 36 minutes, up to last year, and those sorts of rates don’t tend to go away easily. Johnson can blossom all he wants offensively, but when you foul this much, you become a bit player no matter how much the front office pushes the coaching staff to run you.
• Rumor: Toronto sending Bosh to Houston for Ariza, Battier, and Scola? – However, if Bosh selects and signs with his next team, he would have to take a shorter term for less money, while the Raptors would get no compensation.
• Chisholm: Johnson deal depends on frontcourt additions – If the Raptors decide, though, to go after a bigger fish like David Lee or Amar’e Stoudemire, then they’re going to need to re-think their whole frontcourt plan because then having a $7-million per-year backup power forward becomes a reckless expenditure.
• NBA Free Agency: Where Bad (Darko, Amir Johnson) or Questionable (Rudy Gay) Contracts Happen | The Big Lead – Toronto: Amir Johnson, 5-years, $32 million. The former D-League star has done nothing to warrant this. Unless fouls count. The Raptors also just drafted PF Ed Davis.
• Basketball Prospectus | Summer 2010 Preview – No change at the top of the class, where Bosh, James and Wade clearly stand out–albeit with an equally clear pecking order among the three of them. Most interesting here might be what these multi-year projections suggest should all three players sign with a Heat team that has otherwise cleared house. Combined, they conservatively project to 38.8 WARP next year. Add in the 10 wins we grant for replacement level and we’re looking at a team near 50 wins and possibly even better depending on whether Miami could sign the three while hanging on to Mario Chalmers. Assume the Heat can convince a couple of quality veterans to sign on for the minimum and you have a championship contender. Still, such a team would clearly be better positioned to compete a year or two down the line when the roster could be filled out via free agency.
• Chris Bosh tips his hand, on Twitter – To correctly illustrate to role Twitter plays in sports media take a look at Toronto Raptors free-agent Chris Bosh’s Twitter timeline. While reporters the world over trying to get a grasp where top-NBA free-agents might sign, Bosh plays the role of clue giver on Twitter.
• Free-agency day 1 winners and losers – CBSSports.com – The Raptors made a signing that was defense-focused , signing young Amir Johnson to a 5-year, $34 million dollar deal. Some will question whether his production warrants such a deal, but look at his per-minute numbers (outside of fouls), and his age, consider the deal Andrew Bynum was rewarded with, and realize that Johnson is only 23. Good move for the Raps who are in for a rocky year.
• 5 Teams That Should Take a Chance on Michael Beasley | Dime Magazine – The odds of the Raptors re-signing Chris Bosh are becoming slimmer by the day, and a sign-and-trade with Miami seems somewhat likely right now. While Toronto took Ed Davis in the draft, a Beasley/Davis tandem could be very good. Like with Atlanta, Memphis, and Phoenix, the Raptors employ an open-court system that would highlight Beasley’s strengths. It seems like Bryan Colangelo is looking to gut the team of guys like Hedo Turkoglu and Jose Calderon and kind of start over. With Beasley having two years left on his deal, why shouldn’t the Raptors take a chance on him when they seem to be going nowhere fast?
• Free Agency Dime: Seller’s market – ESPN – Now we have six players for 10 slots. If LeBron returns to Cleveland, that makes five. And we haven’t discussed the possibility of Boozer, Stoudemire or Bosh being signed-and-traded to a team already over the cap — a real possibility given the lucrative sixth year they can add on their deals in such an arrangement.
• San Antonio is the best place for Chris Bosh | Dime Magazine – Spurs get Bosh, Evans, Belinelli….Raptors get Parkr, McDyess, Blair
• Turkoglu leaving Toronto? Not so fast – CBC – What caused the change, apparently, was a heart-to-heart in the player’s native Turkey with new Raptors assistant coach P.J. Carlesimo.
• Raps re-sign Amir – but at what cost? – Examiner – But to give Colangelo and Co. a pass on the exorbitant contract would be to assume that other teams were prepared to pay at least the mid-level exception (roughly around $5.5 million) to sign Johnson, an assumption I don’t hold. An average of $6.8 million per season over five years for a back-up big who has yet to develop a reliable jump shot is a perplexing expenditure for a franchise currently dealing with the consequences of another big-money contract that blew up in their face (we haven’t forgotten about you, Hedo). I would think that it’s safe to say that Johnson is no Ron Artest, and yet last summer the Lakers signed the unlikely NBA Finals hero to a five-year, $33 million deal, one million less than the Raptors just coughed over.
• Doug Smith – Even for the money, the Johnson deal makes all kinds of sense – Look, Amir Johnson’s a pretty good young player and for fans who want the Raptors to “blow it up and start with kids” he’s one who fits with DeRozan, Weems, Davis and, to some degree, the relatively grey-haired Jack.
• Toronto Keep Amir Johnson « nbaroundtable – This was a very good signing by Bryan Colangelo. Amir Johnson was good value and has considerable areas for improvement. Down the road, this could become an exceptional move.
• A Rundown, What Not To Do…And My Best Case Scenario : The Picket Fence – Colangelo needs to realize that retooling is not going to be the way to go. Sure, it will help reassure some of the ticketholders that only see one season ahead, and aren’t worried about the difference between competing and contending. Bringing in Amare, or some other move like it, will certainly make the Raptors more competitive, but it’s not going to make them contenders. They need to rebuild, not retool. One of the reasons I liked the drafting of Ed Davis was because he can be the symbol of the type of team the Raptors need to turn themselves into. He’s a smart, defensive player who does all the little things that you need to do to win. He’s San Antonio, not Phoenix. I don’t know about you, but I want San Antonio. San Antonio won three Championships and was one of the most dominant teams in the last ten years. Phoenix entertained and did well in the regular season, but never made it to the Finals.
• Colangelo Wants Lee, But Lee Doesn’t Want Toronto – NYPOST.com – Raptors president Bryan Colangelo, according to a source, is hotly pursuing Knicks free agent David Lee and would love to work out a sign-and-trade with the Knicks for Bosh.
• Rockets offering Ariza, Battier, Scola in sign-and-trade deals – Yahoo! Sports – Yahoo! Sports’ Marc J. Spears has learned from his league sources that the Rockets are offering Trevor Ariza(notes), Shane Battier(notes), and free agent Luis Scola(notes) to other teams in hopes of getting such a deal done.
• Rockets in uphill battle to get Bosh’s attention | Houston Chronicle – Bosh met with Rockets general manager Daryl Morey in Dallas late Wednesday night and also had preliminary talks with representatives from the Toronto Raptors, Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls. He then flew to Chicago, where his agent Henry Thomas is based, to begin meetings that Thomas characterized as more substantial than the initial conversations in Dallas.
• Bryan Colangelo doesn’t Get It, Re-Signs Amir Johnson « Basketball Outsider – And by giving Johnson the extension, such a massive one, Colangelo proves he doesn’t have his priorities straight. If we got to such a point where it’s OK to pay a rotation player $34 mil over 5, the lockout isn’t just pendent, it’s necessary, so this decision makers could save themselves from themselves.
• Amir Johnson re-signs with Raptors | National Post – Beyond that, however, Johnson enjoyed his best season as a professional last year with the Raptors. After struggling to find time with the Pistons in the first four years of his career, Johnson found his niche as the first big man off the bench behind Bosh and Bargnani. He played a career-high in minutes, averaging 17:41 per outing.
• Raptors take first step in post-Chris Bosh era – thestar.com – Bosh, who met with the Raptors about 2 a.m. Thursday after hosting representatives of the Houston Rockets, was scheduled to meet with the Chicago Bulls on Friday and, according to reports, should meet with New York Knicks officials as well.
• Opposing Views: Toronto Raptors Resign Amir Johnson – It will be interesting to see what areas of Johnson’s game the two men continue to work on and how that allows the talented big man to continue to grow. Last season Johnson was able to bump his field goal percentage from an impressive 59% his last season in Detroit to a stunning 62% after spending a season working with English.
• Raptors lockup Johnson for five years – The Globe and Mail – Johnson’s statistical production was relatively modest: Averaging 6.2 points and 4.8 rebounds a game while shooting 62.3 per cent from the floor in 2009-10. But he was a genial dressing room presence and consistent, hustling contributor off the bench who showed signs of better things to come (17.8 points and 6.0 rebounds a game, while shooting 69.6 per cent from the floor in five chances as a starter late in the season).
• Turkoglu now playing nice with Raptors | Toronto Sun – “Everybody makes mistakes, that’s a fact. Both parties think that it’s time to correct them. Toronto wants me back and to take the leading role. I’m happy that Carlesimo is here, and we will all see what summer brings. I don’t have any problems with the city of Toronto or the Raptors. I want to be able to perform at the highest level.”
• Lunacy takes over NBA | Toronto Sun – Meanwhile, the Raptors might actually be better off avoiding paying Bosh $17-20 million a year for the next six seasons. Speaking of Bosh, he was wooed by the team favoured to land his services, the Miami Heat and came away lauding the franchise and its president/GM Pat Riley. “Off to a great start. First one went well. Pat Riley is passionate about winning,” Bosh said via his favourite line of communication, Twitter.
• Bosh did his best for Raptors – National Post – But as Bosh departs to apathy and anger, someone should mount a defence of his time in Toronto. So here it is: Chris Bosh never let this city down, not really. He loved it here. But he should leave.
• Amir remains a Raptor | Toronto Sun – The contract is no bargain for the Raptors, especially considering Johnson is one of the most foul-prone players in the league and likely will never be able to stay on the court for 30 minutes a night. But it is not necessarily unfair either. Particularly when Drew Gooden and Darko Milicic managed to nab $6.4 and $5 million a season, respectively, Thursday.
• Like The Guys, Not The Price? | Toronto Sports Media Blog – With the Raptors, I don’t know enough to comment on specifics. He’s a young kid who made $3.9m last year. Given his young age, you knew he was going to make more money not less and the chatter seemed to be that there was some competition for his services. 3.9 to 6.8 (avg) is a hefty raise I do admit. With the Raptors, I’ve decided to reserve all judgment until the Bosh saga ends. I want to see what exactly Colangelo does, what he is left with and how he handles this.
• PBT’s Free Agent Roundup, Day 1: When average players get wildly overpaid – ProBasketballTalk – Basketball – NBC Sports – * Chris Bosh sat down with Miami’s Pat Riley, as well as representatives from the Nets. More meetings including Chicago are to come. But the dark horse in all of this is Houston — Bosh met with Daryl Morey, who gave him a personal iPad that had video testimonials from Yao Ming and others. If Bosh is serious about winning, Houston has to be considered (and they have plenty to offer in a sign and trade, maybe the best of Toronto’s options).
• Bulls set to court Bosh, which could tip LeBron :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Bulls – The best option may be working out a sign-and-trade after convincing Bosh to take less money, which would be a tough sell.
• Tri-City Summer League features NBA players | Richmond Times-Dispatch – First, there is Team Davis, led by former North Carolina, Hanover and Benedictine star Ed Davis, VCU’s Bradford Burgess and former Highland Springs star Jay Threatt. Davis was taken by the Toronto Raptors with the 13th pick in last month’s NBA draft.
• PBN | Strictly business – Amir Johnson wanted to be in Toronto, which was enough for the Raptors to over-spend for his services. Sure, maybe he would’ve gotten a similar offer elsewhere, but the fact Canada’s team wanted to nip any potential departure in the bud suggests it’s spooked. Johnson is only 23 years old and has a fairly bright future, but he’s being put in an awfully tough position, likely being asked to emerge as Bosh’s replacement despite never having played more than 18 minutes per game in a single season. Paid like a starter, better play like a starter.
• The First Day of NBA Free Agency Has Been Packed – Fanway – Johnson is still young (23-years-old), but has been in the league for five years already after being drafted by the Pistons out of high school in 2005. In the beginning of his career, Johnson showed a lot of promise as a shot-blocker and rebounder, but never received the consistent playing time to see his skills come to fruition. The Raptors must have a lot of faith in the 6’9″ power forward as he will likely be the player to benefit most from a Chris Bosh departure from Toronto this summer. However, that’s a lot of faith that a young player can make a big step up in his game with increased minutes, let alone replacing Bosh, one of the better players in the league.
• NBA Free Agency: Top Ten Winners from Day One | Bleacher Report – T<br />
  <br />
  he big question in Toronto will be whether Johnson will able to step up his productivity for the Raptors once Bosh leaves Toronto and he is able to see more playing time.
• Amir Johnson sings, tweets, agrees to $34-million deal | TheScore.com – Money that you would expect to be spent on a starter. With Chris Bosh’s future as a Raptor looking bleaker by the day/meeting/tweet, Bryan Colangelo and the Raptors wasted little time getting Johnson resigned, hardly a surprise after Johnson himself told us that Colangelo was, “100 percent committed” to bringing him back. The amount of the deal was more of a surprise, because if Johnson is going to slide into a starting role he will have to learn how to cut down his fouls — averaging 6.5 personal fouls per 36 minutes of burn over his career isn’t going to cut it.
• Raptors Reportedly Re-Sign Amir Johnson – Raptors HQ – In fact, you have to wonder if Bryan Colangelo didn’t back himself into a corner on this one; it sounds like teams such as Golden State were interested, and by paving the way for Chris Bosh to leave, it doesn’t sound like he had much choice really…unless he wanted to kick off the Ed Davis Era.
• Raptors Digest » Amare to the Raptors? That’s what Bryan Colangelo is trying to find out – Money talks, but still the Raptors would not be his first choice unless we represented one of the only scenarios where he could get the Suns to agree to a sign-and-trade which would allow him to get the extra year and millions. Otherwise I believe other teams can make a more compelling pitch provided they are all ready to offer the max.
• RealGM: From The Rafters – Grading The Deal: Raptors Keep Amir Johnson – The deal is great for Johnson since it is easily fair market value and he is guaranteed a lot of playing time for the foreseeable future regardless of Ed Davis’ development.