The AltRaps Blog

Okay, let’s get to this whole mid-level exception obsession that’s running rampant and throw cold water on any of the Corey Maggette, Mickeal Pietrus, Ron Artest, James Posey, I don’t know who else stuff that’s out there.
Every team that’s over the salary cap, as the Raptors are, can make use of the mid-level exception every [...]

According to sources, 2005 second-round pick Roko Ukic, a 24-year-old, 6-foot-5 Croatian who can play either guard spot, will come over from Rome to back up Calderon, while the team will also add hard-nosed swingman Hassan Adams, to back up Anthony Parker and Jamario Moon.
Adams, a 6-foot-4, late second-round selection by the New Jersey Nets [...]

In the wake of a rather uneventful NBA draft day 2008 for your Raptors, we take a closer look at the only addition the day brought to the team.
Down Under they call him Baby Shaq or Aussie Shaq but make no mistake, outside of his size and perhaps slight resemblance to the Phoenix Suns centre, [...]

The Raptors selected Roy Hibbert with their No. 17 pick, but were actually selecting the seven-foot-two centre from Georgetown will head to Indiana as part of a trade agreed to in principle on the eve of the draft.
The Raptors will acquire six-time all-star Jermaine O’Neal and Indiana’s 41st pick in the draft in exchange for [...]

Respected NBA writer Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports let the cat out of the bag late yesterday afternoon, reporting the deal had been completed in principle. Pending physicals, it will send Ford, centre Rasho Nesterovic, the Raptors’ pick in tonight’s draft (17th overall) and another warm body to Indiana (to make the financials work) in [...]

Even members of that Raptors front office admit to being somewhat dazzled by all the bodies that have passed through the Air Canada Centre in the past few weeks of draft prep.
GM Bryan Colangelo, the man who will have the final say, is not talking these days and is not expected to break his silence [...]

According to league sources, Toronto has had talks with the Indiana Pacers about acquiring 29-year-old Jermaine O’Neal for a package that would include T.J. Ford, Rasho Nestervoic and, perhaps, the 17th pick in this week’s draft.
The talks are not the point where any deal is imminent and a deal is certainly not assured but the [...]

The Toronto Raptors extended qualifying offers to restricted free agents Jose Calderon and Carlos Delfino on Friday.
The move allows the Raptors to retain their right to match any offers the guards receive from other teams when free agency opens in July.
- Globe and Mail
Also a few emailers were eager to point out a rumour coming [...]

Jorge Garbajosa and the Raptors have officially parted company.
The Raptors reached an agreement to buy out the contract of Garbajosa, the Spanish forward whose career in Toronto was cut short by a serious leg injury.
“After a long, difficult and sometimes emotional process stemming from a traumatic injury to a key player, it was concluded that [...]

Also, you know what this series showed? It showed the Toronto Raptors, built not on defence or rebounding but on jump-shooting and finesse, are more miles away from the NBA title than can be measured. Boston won because their defence was impregnable, and it conquered LeBron James and Kobe Bryant in the same post-season.
- National [...]