02.22
It wasn’t a matter of one or two games that convinced Colangelo that Delfino could handle the role.
"We feel we’re a versatile team all around," Colangelo said, "and you’re talking about a player in Carlos Delfino who has played that position in his lifetime.
"We feel comfortable moving forward and Juan was being asked to do something that wasn’t natural to him anyway."
Dixon’s role had changed with the makeup of this year’s team — and his representatives had expressed dissatisfaction with that.
"Not that he was handling himself in an unprofessional way," Colangelo said, "but I want to very clear, I only want players here that want to be here and want to be part of this culture and we’re all about making this a winning organization."
Juan Dixon for Primoz Brezec
Scientific From Deep rating: No stars (literally)
What’s to like: Not much really. I guess this deal works because it accommodates Dixon, who was a good soldier here but was frustrated by his lack of playing time. Not sure he’ll get more in Detroit, but who knows. Can’t say I know much about Brezec, other than he wears a headband, which is a terrible move for any Euro, in my opinion. The Raptors have a reasonable comfort level with him given Gherardini’s European connections, the fact that he and Rasho Nesterovic played together on the Slovenian national team and Mitchell – who was the first assistant in Charlotte briefly – may well have been involved in scouting him when the Bobcats made Brezec one of their picks in the expansion draft. He’s got one solid season of good numbers on a bad team, and then a lot of pine time since.
What’s not to like: Personally I liked Dixon because he’s one player who you could throw into the second quarter of a playoff game, down 10, and at least have a chance that he’d catch fire and turn the game. He’s a miserable point guard but can catch lightning in a bottle if he’s got a green light. And though he was disappointed with his role here he was an unfailingly decent guy to deal with and seemed popular with his teammates.
You want excitement? You want trade deadline intrigue?
You would like the Toronto Raptors to be the centre of the online rumour mill?
Come back, oh, in about a year or so.
You can start the rumours now. Scan the club’s salary commitments for next season for yourself and fire up that trade machine.
You want expiring contracts? The Raptors will have expiring contracts. And in the NBA, salaries that are coming off the books are as sexy as a hotel lobby full of small dresses at all-star weekend.
Anthony Parker will be in the last year of his deal. So will Jorge Garbajosa. Rasho Nesterovic, too. Throw in Jamario Moon and Maceo Baston and Raptors president and general manager Bryan Colangelo will have roughly $12-million (all currency U.S.) in expiring contracts to barter with.
Depending on what happens with Carlos Delfino, who will be a restricted free agent next summer, there could be even more room to wiggle. Joey Graham will have just one year remaining on his deal. Kris Humphries will have two more, but at a fairly modest total of $5.9-million over the two seasons.
Kind of makes you all funny inside just thinking about it.
A creative basketball executive who likes to work the phones can have a lot of fun with some tools like that to play with.
But the more important message was that there’s a time to make big, bold and even dangerous moves and, for Toronto, this isn’t it.
First of all they didn’t have the pieces — only Dixon and Darrick Martin had deals expiring this season — and Colangelo didn’t want to tie his hands for the future.
Not to be overlooked is the Raptors’ luxury of not really having to do anything, thanks to their Eastern Conference address.
With a 29-23 record, the Raptors were holding down the No. 4 seed in the East before play last night.
With a bit of luck, and the return of guard T.J. Ford, it’s conceivable the Raptors could reel in the Orlando Magic and hold off the reconfigured Cleveland Cavaliers and finish with the third-best record in the East.
As long as that means missing a first-round playoff date with the Cavaliers — who, as a strong offensive rebounding team with an elite wing, represent the mother of all match-up problems for the Raptors — they have a chance of winning a playoff round before running into Boston, Detroit or Cleveland.
Making it to the second round with a young team? That’s the kind of progress that agents notice when they’re trying to find interesting (read: winning) situations for veteran clients in the off-season or the trade deadline.
In order to make the swap work under the salary cap, Detroit sent some cash to Toronto, as Brezec earns about US$125,000 more than Dixon. Both players’ deals expire at season’s end.
Despite the added size Brezec brings, Colangelo’s primary reason for the deal was likely off the court. Dixon has been playing primarily at the point, in place of the frequently injured T.J. Ford.
He is more of a shooting guard, and has been learning on the fly. Thus, the chances that he could increase his value for next season were not stellar.
With the Raptors, Brezec’s most important role will be defensive. Toronto’s two most-likely first-round opponents are Orlando and Cleveland. Both the Magic’s Dwight Howard and the Cavaliers’ Zydrunas Ilgauskas would be tough matchups for the Raptors’ offensive-oriented big men, Chris Bosh and Andrea Bargnani.
Along with his countryman, Rasho Nesterovic, Brezec provides the Raptors another option to slow those players down.
The deal, however, does leave the Raptors in a bit of a hole if Ford cannot recover from his bevy of injuries, the most recent of which is an abdominal strain.
However, the team has been gaining confidence in swingman Delfino to run the show in recent weeks. Along with veteran Darrick Martin, he will be in charge of ball-handling duties behind Jose Calderon if Ford cannot get back to his old self.
Colangelo stated that re-signing restricted free agent Jose Calderon is priority No. 1 for this off-season, so taking on more money past this year was not something he was looking to do.
There is the possibility, however, that the past few days’ discussions will lead to a bigger deal in the summer.
"I would like to have sustained growth toward a championship," Colangelo said. "If the right deal presents itself that allows us to get there quicker, we’ll strike."
There was no big move to be had, so Toronto picked up a big guy who could help deal with Howard, whose new nickname is Superman. Hey, it’s not like the Raptors are in the Western Conference, where Golden State woke up Thursday at 12 games over .500, five games back of the No. 1 seed, and in ninth place.
"We’re not in that same so-called arms race that teams in the West are," said Colangelo before racing off to join the Raptors on their flight to New York. "They’re making trades that are obviously highly touted, widely-discussed trades that are considered to be impactful. But you’re talking about teams that are really competing for the same thing. It’s wide-open in the West, and one move could put you over the top.
"We’re in a little different position in our growth as a franchise right now … we don’t think we’re too far away from the top of the East. Now, it does pale in comparison with what’s happening out West. So it’s a different scenario and landscape in the East."
For Toronto, moving out of the first round was always pretty much the realistic goal, and a natural progression. The Raptors are on pace for 46 wins, one short of last year’s 47. The big leap is still on the horizon.
"I’m going to stress that flexibility is very vital to us," said Colangelo. "Next year we’re going to have a lot of expiring contracts."
So this year – though again, everything could change – the Raptors seem destined to try and topple Superman. In the years to come, they’ll try to become heroes themselves.
"It’s important to have players who want to be here (and) Juan and his representatives made it pretty clear that he wasn’t content with his role," Colangelo said.
Raptors all-star forward Chris Bosh said the players were not going to be disappointed if Colangelo didn’t pull off a blockbuster trade.
"I don’t think we’re that desperate for improvement right now," Bosh said. "I think all the teams in the West were making moves to improve now, (but) we’re not trying to improve right now by adding other players. We’re trying to improve by working with what we have, continue to develop our guys and continue to work with our coaching staff and try to be a better team.
"We’re at a pretty good position right now," Bosh said.
Third or fourth would give the Raptors home-court advantage for the playoffs. But securing third would make it much easier for the Raptors to advance. Finishing fourth would probably mean a matchup against LeBron James and the dangerous Cleveland Cavaliers — a very difficult series to win, even with home-court advantage.
If the Raptors moved to third, they would likely play Washington, New Jersey or Philadelphia, three clubs Toronto could definitely beat in a playoff series.
Needless to say, the Raptors, who have won two in a row, are looking ahead to finishing ahead of Orlando.
Ford, who has missed the past two games with an abdominal strain, worked out yesterday at the ACC, but did not practice with the team. Ford, who missed 24 games because of an arm stinger before returning to action on Feb. 4 against Miami, travelled with the team yesterday to New York, but likely will not play. He may be able to play on Sunday when the Knicks visit the ACC.
Colangelo also said he resisted any urge to make a blockbuster trade because he thinks his team is on the right path.
"Last year, I think we finished with the third seed (in the playoffs) and winners of the Atlantic (Division)," he said. "This year, we find ourselves currently in the fourth seed and not far behind where we were. Obviously not first in the Atlantic because of Boston’s success but we don’t think we’re too far way from the top of the East."
Both Brezec and Dixon have expiring deals, so this was purely about shifting assets. The move is slightly curious, though, considering the backcourt wasn’t considered a position of need for the Pistons, especially with Lindsey Hunter and Flip Murray not even active these days.
Dixon is probably upgrade over Murray, though, so I wouldn’t be surprised if Murray was soon released. If that happens, the Pistons would have an extra roster spot to play with. Might we see yet another return of Ronald Dupree? Here’s my vote: sign D-League blog-star Rod Benson, just because.
That move also will likely mean the end of guard Ronald (Flip) Murray’s stay in Detroit. Murray hasn’t played since Dec. 12 and was stuck behind the two starting guards as well as rookies Rodney Stuckey and Arron Afflalo and veteran Lindsey Hunter.
With Dixon now in the mix, a team official indicated Thursday that it might be time to cut ties with Murray. They’ll have to buy out the rest of his $1.89-million contract, making him an unrestricted free agent free to sign with any team.
The team’s hope was to get something back for Murray, but they never got close to finding the right trade partner.
With Brezec gone, the move also gives the Pistons a need for a fifth, insurance-type big man. After clearing Murray, the Pistons will move to fill their open roster spot by adding a veteran big man for the veteran’s minimum.
A likely candidate to take that job is Dale Davis, who is not playing but was on the Pistons roster in 2005-06 and 2006-07. Davis was recently seen hanging with his old teammates and chatting with Dumars after the team played in Atlanta on Feb. 12.
The Raptors had fielded offers for Jason Kapono in an effort to clear cap room to help them re-sign Jose Calderon and Carlos Delfino this summer. Here’s all you need to know why Toronto made the move: “It’s important we have players that want to be here,” Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo said. “Dixon and his representatives made it clear that he didn’t.”
Grade: B.
C: Pistons. (They acquired Juan Dixon from Toronto for Primoz Brezec.)
Dixon is a tough little guard, but is he going to see a lot of time with Chauncey Billups and Rip Hamilton logging big minutes in the backcourt?
C: Raptors. (See above.)
Toronto was looking to find a defensive-oriented small forward and didn’t get it done. But Brezec might be able to help a little on the boards.
4. TORONTO RAPTORS
Positive Spin: The team needed size and two years ago Brezec looked like he was going to have a decent career.
Negative Spin: Not sure how the addition of Brezec makes the Raptors that much better. The team is good, but not good enough to get out of the second round of the playoffs.
“We are pleased to add Juan Dixon to our roster,” Pistons president Joe Dumars said. “We feel Juan will add quality depth at the guard position both offensively and defensively. We also appreciate the hard work and professionalism that Primoz Brezec displayed during his time with our club.”
Both Dixon and Brezec are on the final seasons of their contracts, so the trade will not affect the Pistons’ financial flexibility in the off-season.
That was the primary motivation behind the trade that brought Brezec, along with Walter Herrmann to the Pistons on Dec. 14 in exchange for Nazr Mohammed, whose contract had three years beyond this season at nearly $20 million total. In 17 games with the Pistons, Brezec averaged 1.6 points and 1.1 rebounds in 5.8 minutes a game. He had fallen to the bottom of the big man rotation behind Amir Johnson and Herrmann.
The Raptors send Juan Dixon to the Pistons for Primo Brezec. Another Slovenian (Rasho) center who may not get much more than the 1.7 minutes he averaged in Detroit. In all fairness to Primo, he was playing behind some solid forwards (Wallace, McDyess, Maxiel). I am really interested to see how this pans out for the Raptors. Always good to trade small unused guy for a big unused guy. I would rather have Hermann given the choice, hopefully Colangelo didn’t have that choice, or I would be pissed.
On the Toronto Raptors sending Juan Dixon to Detroit for Primoz Brezec
When you look at what they wanted to do, they couldn’t make any major changes. Bryan Colangelo is very happy with Primoz Brezec. With him, you get a 7-footer who will be comfortbale with the Euro factor on the Toronto Raptors. It was a good move for them.
The Raps spent about an extra hour on the ground on Thursday – at Lester B. Pearson – waiting for Bryan Colangelo to join the club after finalizing the details of a trade that sent Juan Dixon to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for Primoz Brezec.
Dixon had told me on Tuesday that he had not requested a trade from Toronto but there was no disguising the fact that he would’ve preferred to move to a team that would play him more. Whether that opportunity comes in the Motor City remains to be seen.
In Brezec the Raptors are getting some much-needed front court help. While this deal isn’t a blockbuster by any means, it should help T.O. with their depth if nothing else. Brezec has more offensive upside than people may give him credit for and he can go after it on the glass as well with his 7′1, 255-pound frame.
Obviously Colangelo is hoping Brezec can find that talent and touch that led him to a career-year in Charlotte in 2004-05 when he averaged 13.0 points, and 7.4 rebounds.
Personally, I’m sad to see Dixon go. He was always a good guy to deal with – both on and off the floor – and I got a chance to know him a little bit, personally, as well … as he and his wife (who is expecting) lived in the same condominium as me.
There is little chance that Brezec will be in uniform for the Raptors tonight when they play the Knicks. Word was that Brezec – who chatted with fellow countrymen Rasho Nesterovic after the deal went down – was going to drive from Detroit to Toronto on Thursday night and hook up with some of the Raptors staff. There is an outside chance that the Slovenian center could still get on a plane to NYC this afternoon … but it would probably be a long shot to think that Brezec would be able to suit-up against New York.
Toronto Raptors: They got Primoz Brezec. Fear the Dinos!
The Raptors‘ minor move yesterday of sending Juan Dixon to Detroit for Primoz Brezec didn’t make many waves, especially with 11-teams deals going down at the same time. But Toronto fans should know that this move, along with not pulling the trigger on any larger moves just for the sake of being part of Deadline Day, are great (non) moves by GM Bryan Colangelo.
But then I got thinking about the motivation for BC to pull the trigger on this one. Was it to clear cap space? Was it to make Juan a happy guy even though he won’t play much more for the Pistons? Was it to get the Raptors name on ESPN yesterday?
All could be true and very easy to point out but I came up with an angle that most may of missed. BC wanted to keep his sleeping giant happy. That is right, BC did his best to put a rare smile on the man known as Rasho and to spur the big guy on to lead the Raptors to the promised land this spring.
Toronto Raptors acquire Primoz Brezec from the Detroit Pistons for Juan Dixon
- Good trade for both teams here. Both guys were misplaced in their current situations but are now headed for perfect situations. Brezec gets to join Team Europe in Toronto while Dixon joins Team Thug in Detroit. I think both guys will place vital roles coming off the bench as the playoffs approach.
The trade deadline is over and the Raptors continue to remain a very easy team to prepare a game-plan against. If you stop Chris Bosh, half the job is done. If Calderon continues to play at such a high level, he might be able to give us an outside chance in a series. However, in a playoff setting when the opposing coach has had time to devise a plan to slow down our offense, it’s up to our defense and rebounding to hold down the fort and I just don’t feel confident that we can step up to the challenge. I suppose a lot depends on whether Jorge Garbajosa can come back and spark our defense, maybe Colangelo is relying on Bargnani to have a strong finish to the campaign and doesn’t want to hinder his progress by acquiring a player who might bite into his playing time. Whatever the key to playoff success is, it’ll have to come from within. There’s no help coming anytime soon.
So much for retiring a Piston. I’m kinda sad to see the borderline out of control hot chocolate craving accessory whoring Slovenian gangsta go. I wish him well, also, it looks as if all the connections between us and Toronto has led to a new trading partner, poor scorned Orlando.
Of some importance was that Colangelo talked in his press conference about his attempts to secure a third string point guard. But Colangelo was unwilling to take on a heavy contract, nor was he willing to part with a draft pick. To all this, I say good job, as any third string point guard will not be worth it when next year starts and the Raps have Roko Ukic inthe lineup. Also, as it turns out, there just weren’t any good free throw shooting big men available on the market, and while Brezec has shot 70% from the line, his stats in just about every other category have dropped significantly. Nevertheless, with an expiring contract, the Raptors retain their flexibility for this off season in the case that Jose Calderon asks for the moon come free agency.
So ya, let’s talk about what they did this year. Not much. They traded the unhappy Juan Dixon for Primoz Brezec. This trade is fine by me. You get rid of a guy who is a distraction while he sits on the bench for a guy. That’s about all Brezec is these days after a few decent years in Charlotte were derailed by a bad back, achilles tendon, and dehydration, yup dehydration. Both contracts expire at the end of this year, so really this was a chemistry move. The Raptors are only a couple moves away from being contenders for Eastern Conference champs, and I think next year could be the year Colangelo makes those necessary adjustments. So Raptor fans will have to wait at least another year, but trust in Colangelo, he is one of the smartest minds in the NBA right now.
What if everyone looked like Chris Bosh?
But before you break out the black armbands for Juan, remember: he sucked (whether playing out of position or not). During his time with the Raps, Dixon was so inaccurate he’ll probably miss his plane to Detroit. And while placing Jose’s Gatorade on Juan’s bench seat would have been an upgrade, at least we got something for him – and another big body in the frontcourt can’t hurt. Wish it wasn’t another big, soft body, but hey – he’s got six fouls, right?
Regardless, he gets a clean slate when he crosses the border. We’ll lay off him…for now. So welcome to Toronto, Primoz. Have Rasho show you around.
let’s move bargnani to the 3 while we’re at it.
Raps Fan > I actually like this idea, sort of like how the Lakers will look with Bynum back. Try it out for short periods of time.
* with the exception of course that Odom CAN rebound . #@#$-sake, I wonder if Bargs will ever even begin to come close to the level of Gasol or Nowitzki.