This is the same question many Raptors fans have been scratching their heads asking themselves.

David Andersen is a 6’11 30 year old center from Australia, and he was acquired from the Houston Rockets for the Los Angeles Clippers 2015 second round pick and cash, a pick the Raptors acquired the pick via the Hassan Adams trade.  Andersen’s contract, with only one year remaining with a team option, will fit into the trade exception acquired in the Turkoglu-Barbosa deal.

These are Bryan Colangelo’s comments regarding David Andersen:

“David is a skilled big that gives us some insurance at the backup centre position,” said Raptors President and General Manager Bryan Colangelo. “He will also bring a veteran presence and savvy to a relatively young team.”

Andresen projects as nothing more than depth in our lineup unless injuries hit. With that said he is one of only two true centers currently on the Raptors roster, and has showed glimpses in his short NBA carer as he set a career highs with 19 points vs. the Los Angeles Lakers, and 11 rebounds vs the Indiana Pacers.

David Anderson has limited upside but projects as a plus rebounder with a knack for corralling offensive boards.   He has range out to 15 feet and can be disruptive in the paint when he uses his length effectively.

What this move does tell us is that Bryan Colangelo will no longer being going all out to address front court depth and that he will looking for the best player available in future trade discussions.

Raptors Digest has learned via Yahoo Sports’ Marc Spears that the Denver Nuggets will now decline to match the offer sheet restricted free agent forward Linas Kleiza received from the Toronto Raptors.

The Nuggets have outbid the Dallas Mavericks for Al Harrington and no longer have the cap space nor the roster need for Linas Kleiza.

As stated before this is a good signing for the Raptors who get a young player with some upside who has already proven that he is a capable starter and 6th man in the NBA.  And as his 41 point night proves he can also score when called upon.

Welcome to the Raptors Linas Kleiza, I look forward to you changing the perceptions of fans in Toronto regarding European players.  And hopefully you can help bring Bargnani along too.

The Toronto Raptors have done the impossible. With one swoop the Raptors have both got rid of Hedo and his ugly contract and acquired some much needed back court scoring.

The Raptors have traded Hedo Turkoglu for Leandro Barbosa, Dwayne Jones and a portion of the trade exception from the Amare deal.

The Toronto Raptors have landed Leandro Barbosa, 6th man extraordinaire from the Phoenix Suns.  The Suns are perpetually in cost-cutting mode with their thrifty owner and Barbosa became expendable this summer as J-Rich has found his groove and now that Dragic has stepped up his game.

Barbosa was a good investment as a 6th man, but as a pure SG backup playing behind a 30 minute per game player he made little sense to carry into the 10-11 campaign.

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 Raptors had been searching since the draft for a player similar to the Brazilian Blur, a potent back court scorer capable of starting or backing up the 1 or the 2; lucky for us we addressed both needs in one player.

Barbosa is a player who is capable of averaging 17 points per game given the requisite shots and minutes, but as stated above has really thrived in a 6th man role for the Suns where his speed and skill are more accentuated.

Barbosa is a good pickup and he will provide quality minutes backing up the 2 and the 1.

Barbosa is an excellent player who has had some brilliant career highs such spread across different games such as 41 points, 11 free throws made, 8 three-pointers made, 12 assists, 2 blocks, 6 steals and 10 rebounds.

Kudos to Colangelo for landing such a potent back court weapon as Barbosa.

Bobcats deal

The rumoured Bobcats deal is now dead in the water and Jose Calderon is unfortunately still a Raptors as Charlotte Bobcats G.M Michael Jordan had second thoughts about giving up Chandler as the team will sorely lack big men upon the departure of both Diaw and Chandler.

But no worries, Calderon is still a valuable piece and this deal may get revisited after Larry Brown talks to MJ.  Barbosa was the most important piece in any of the rumoured deals, and ridding ourselves of Turkoglu was a top priority.  Colangelo will work with his magic with or without the Bobcats.

Update: Chandler has been traded to the Mavericks and thus the rumoured machination is officially dead with no chance of resuscitation.

According to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel the Chris Bosh to Miami sign and trade has all but been worked out. They have reportedly agreed to the framework of a deal that will land Bosh a 6th year and an extra $18-$20 million and will net the Raptors a massive $16 million dollar trade exception, our 1st round pick we traded to Miami in the Shawn Marion deal, and a the Miami Heat’s 2011 1st round pick.

This gives the Toronto Raptors a lot of options and the ability to go look for a deal now, or to wait until the trade deadline when non-playoff teams will likely be in a salary dump frenzy in lieu of the new collective bargaining agreement.

There are literally tons of players who teams are looking to dump including: Andre Iguodala, Monta Ellis, Gilbert Arenas, Tyson Chandler, Peja Stojakovic, Emeka Okafor, Luol Deng, Michael Redd, Elton Brand and Andre Kirilenko.

Other names that are rumoured to be available include: Josh Smith, Al Jefferson, Darren Collison, Ben Gordon, Tayshaun Prince, Richard Hamilton, Charlie Villanueva, T.J Ford, Hasheem Thabeet, Baron Davis and Andris Biedrins.

It will be interesting to see what Bryan Colangelo will do with this sudden flexibility we have been given.  This deal also ensures we do not lose a high lottery pick like the Toronto Maple Leafs did this year.

If I had to rank a top five list of targets the Raptors should go after the list would look like this:

1. Chris Paul (not available, just call anyways)
2. Josh Smith
3. Darren Collison
4. Monta Ellis
5. Andre Igoudola
6. Al Jefferson
7. Emeka Okafor
8. Gilbert Arenas (no chance Colangelo takes him after refusing Beasley)
9. Elton Brand
10. Ben Gordon

If Josh Smith is really available he would be an ideal fit and would bring the ACC to its feet every night with his presence on both the offensive and defensive ends.  Darren Collison has the tools to be our potential franchise point guard. Monta Ellis is a terrific scorer. Iggy can score, rebound and play D. AJ is a beast down-low and can rebound with the best of them. Okafor is a defensive lynch-pin and can anchor a defense. Arenas has 28 and 6 potential. Brand has 20-10 upside. And Ben Gordon can flat-out score and hit the big shot.    All would be fine additions.

Lets judge Bryan Colangelo after this summer is over and the trade exception put to use, otherwise we are judging and critiquing prematurely.

The Picks

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.
The names to remember are Josh Selby, Kyrie Irving, Brandon Knight, Malcom Lee and Kemba Walker.

As a team that just lost its best player the draft, and a team with many exciting young players the draft is the ideal way to build this team back to contender level.

The pick we get from the Heat is also of great importance, it will likely be the 30th overall pick but a lot of interesting names went in the 2nd round this year including Devin Ebanks, DeSean Butler, Hassan Whiteside, Armon Johnson, Lance Stephenson, Solomon Alabi, Dexter Pittman and Willie Warren….all arguable first-round talents.

I just want to forewarn fans, the pick we acquired from Miami may already be in play in trade discussions, so dont be surprised if the Raptors use it as an asset in one form or another.

According to John Gambadoro of Sports 620 KTAR in Phoenix unrestricted free agent Amare Stoudemire got a call from Bryan Colangelo who was calling to inquire on Amare’s possible interest in joining the Raptors via sign-and-trade.

“Amare to meet with NY Monday, Chicago Tuesday and ding ding ding new team interested after call from Toronto and old pal Bryan Colangelo”

How do we feel about Amare in a Raptors uniform?

Amare is an outstanding and explosive player and is someone that would be a fine addition to our team. He could fill the scoring void left by Bosh and his peripheral numbers are about the same if not better.

Amare, Ed Davis and Amir Johnson would be the type of athletic front-court Raptor fans have only dreamed of. Add DeRozan and Sonny Weems to this mix and you have the makings of a very exciting young basketball team.

I know, some of you are going to complain about his defense, but one has to believe that landing Amare would effectively end the Andrea Bargnani era. There is just no room for him if Amare arrives as he is a power forward and not a center and Raptor fans will have Bryan Colangelo’s head before enduring another season of Andrea at the 5.

Will Amare come to the Raptors?

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.

Ego.  This may come into factor possibly in the Raptors favour; Amare may wish to be the star and number one option and may gravitate towards the team(s) that offer him such an opportunity. One could argue that with or without Bargnani, Amare would become the defacto number one if he landed on the Raptors.

All in all, as asserted above the Raptors chances of landing Amare are slim, especially because any signing would likely have to a multi-team sign and trade scenario where the Raptors use assets gained from a Chris Bosh sign-and-trade to land Amare Stoudemire.

This is one of the better and more exciting names attached to the Raptors in free agency talks, and we would be happy to see Amare don a Raptors uniform.

What do you think Raptor fans? Would you be excited to see Amare in a Raptors uniform?

We want to hear your thoughts, leave us a comment below or send us an email at raptorcity@raptorsdigest.com

Please Bryan Colangelo.

As intimated here, landing Michael Beasley will complete an instant rebuild and propel us into serious contender status.

You may think I am delusional, but as you can probably tell if you are a regular Raptors Digest reader…I am a HUGE Michael Beasley fan.

Of all the names discussed Michael Beasley is the only player besides Bynum that will arguably have a better future than Bosh and he is the only player capable of replacing the scoring we will lose and is also the only player with true #1 ability (26.2 points and 12.4 rebounds as a freshman; also 3rd freshman in history to lead nation in rebounding).

There are the obvious character concerns (in College too) due to all the twitter drama at the beginning of the season, but this guy is an exceptional talent; on talent alone he is a top-10 player in this league, even if it has not been on display yet.

Compared to Carmelo Anthony when coming into the league this is the same player that went to College the year after Kevin Durant and broke almost every freshman record that KD set the year before.

Beasley is an excellent offensive rebounder which is something that will really help us from the small forward position as he can play the pain on offense and take Bargnani’s job of crashing the offensive glass since Bargnani figures to be out near the three point line most of the time.

Beasley is a fit for the Raptors and is a star in the making.

I will leave you with some scouting reports from our two most trusted draft sites:

ESPN:

“Great athlete with long arms. Deep, deep range on his jump shot. Excellent hands. Amazing rebounder. Will score on you inside and out. Uses power in the post combined with excellent leaping ability. Has an excellent jump shot with NBA 3-point range. Has the versatility to play both the 3 and the 4 on virtually every team in the league.”

NBADraft.net

A fabulous athlete with an NBA ready body… Completed one of the most dominant seasons in college basketball history, as a freshman His length, quickness, jumping ability and strength combine to make him one of the most difficult match ups He has range from anywhere on the floor all the way out to NBA three, but is especially effective with his soft touch around the rim, where he uses both hands to finish with a variety of moves His left handed jump shot is a thing of beauty, with a smooth release, he has good arc and is very balanced getting his legs under him to get great elevation Most dangerous out of the mid-post where he can square his man up, and attack with a variety of moves; including strong takes to the hoop, a nice mid-range pull-up, or simply shooting over the top of helpless defenders From the triple threat his jabs and shot fakes are extremely efficient because he not only has a quick first step, but also a very long one that allows him to get by people at will When the defender tries to beat him to the spot, he has a terrific spin move that is virtually unstoppable His post game has progressed nicely, and he has shown a nice touch on a variety of hook-shots and fadeaways … He fights hard to get good position on the block, and even harder when crashing the O glass, as seen by the 4 offensive rebounds that he averaged per game His ability to play the passing lanes and come over weakside to block shots, further adds to his ability to fill the stat sheet A strong personality with great confidence who never gets down on himself. There are few doubts about him becoming a bigtime impact talent at the next level …

Incredibly diverse and refined offensive game Strong inside/outside skills From the block, he can give you a drop step, jump hook, and/or fade-away He can post up 15 feet out and take his man off the dribble, pop a J in the defender’s eye, take a fade-away, or find a cutting teammate He can catch and shoot from anywhere out to 25 feet Has great range on his shot He can bring the ball up the court and go to work on his man or find open teammates Very good on the break. Big time athlete with great explosiveness – a powerful dunker Makes a habit of producing highlight reel dunks Excellent body control Lefty with good length and great body strength Has a definite swagger on the court. Brash. Has a big personality and presence Very aggressive player, who intimidates most players on the high school level. Gets inside the heads of his opponents Has a nastiness to his game, that you like to see Can be a huge intimidator, because he will back-up anything he says

Update: Since the time I wrote this for June 30th on Monday, strong and prevalent rumours state that Bosh has agreed to go to Miami and that the Raptors will receive Beasley, Chalmers, Joel Anthony and a trade exception.
Both sides have and will deny rumours, they have to or risk tampering allegations and penalties.

Now some video:

We will be updating this post over the next 5 days to bring you all the latest chatter regarding Chris Bosh’s possible destinations.

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1:33 PM July 9th

Luckily for us Chris Bosh really wants the 6th year and higher raises.
Reports finally indicate that a sign and trade for picks and a trade exception nearing completion.

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9:00 PM July 8th

All signs point to LeBron choosing Mia.
The Raptors are said to be balking at taking on a unwanted contract in a rumoured 4 team deal between Tor, Mia, Hou, Cha. Colangelo only wants picks and a TPE. Deal might die.

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3:47 PM July 7th

Chris Bosh has agreed to join the Miami Heat. As of now the chances of him signing outright seem to be about 50-50 especially if LeBron James is heading to the Heat as well; in this scenario no player takes the max or 6th year to be fair to LeBron.

Let this be said…., and heard: even if Bosh does not take 6th year and max money the Raptors can still land Michael Beasley……if Bryan Colangelo is willing.

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3:44 P.M July 6th

Two days passed, really nothing new to report besides wayward rumours with no credibility.

Lets start with what is certain:

Amare has agreed to sign with the Knicks which means NY is no longer on the list of potential Bosh destinations.

The list is apparently down to Mia, Chi, NJ….probably in that order. What LeBron does will affect Bosh’s decision.

Now for the rumour that has hit the TV as it was reported by ESPN:

The rumour from Chris Broussard stated that the Cavs and Raps have engaged in sign and trade talks for Bosh and that Bosh was the only one holding up deal as Toronto had agreed to deal.

“Raptors have told Cavs they would do a sign-and-trade with them for Bosh. Cavs and LeBron working to convince Bosh to join them in Cleveland”

I was not going to list it as it was laughable from the start but here is the subsequent debunking:

“Reports of a sign-and-trade agreement with Raptors and Cavs for Bosh very premature. Nothing on table. No players discussed.”

So much for that crazy report from ESPN. Even more laughable were the parts coming back to Toronto, but lets not bother with speculation on inaccurate reports.

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12:17 Sunday July 4th

Yesterday was an uneventful day, both Bosh and Wade finished up their meetings and Bosh returned to Dallas to mull things over.

Bosh’s insistence on a 6 year max deal is the reason we may not see a dream team in Miami.

Yesetrday we heard a bunch of speculation that the Raps may be tiring of Bosh’s twitter act and lack of communication and may be souring on a sign-and-trade. Never believed it so did not discuss, now that is has been debunked here is the rumour and debunking:

It’s long been believed that Chris Bosh, if he leaves Toronto for a new team, will do so via a sign-and-trade.But might the Raptors be thinking otherwise as Bosh’s decision nears?

ESPN’s J.A. Adande reports: “The Toronto Raptors have become increasingly disenchanted with the idea of helping Bosh obtain a maximum contract via a sign-and-trade deal, according to a league source … The Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks, San Antonio Spurs, Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks are believed to have submitted trade proposals for Bosh to the Raptors, and apparently none has impressed Toronto. 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.

“But ESPN The Magazine’s Ric Bucher surmises that such talk by the Raptors might just be to get Bosh’s attention, and a sign-and-trade is still likely:

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10:12 PM Friday

Things got interesting the Chicago Tribune reported when Bulls representatives were at agent Henry Thomas office talking to both Wade and Bosh at the same time.

Wade, however left without committing, which means Bosh probably wont either (even though Chi is best fit for him).

Bosh should commit as with or without another superstar he still has all-star calibre point guard Derrick Rose.

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2:14 AM July 2nd

Rumour has it that the Rockets are preparing to offer Luis Scola, Trevor Ariza and Shane Battier for Chris Bosh in a sign-and-trade, contingent of course of Chris Bosh agreeing to go to Houston.

We feel BC will swap Battier for Patterson and pick up a pick, cash or an exception instead.

I am not a fan of the Battier inclusion as we do not project as a team who can advance in the playoffs and a vet like that would go to waste. Scola and Ariza would be ideal fits. Both are good rebounders and can play D

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11:01 PM July 1st

Very uneventful day, but we were never really expecting Bosh to pick a team today anyways.

Lets recap today’s news:

The Heat offered Bosh a contract hoping he would commit early i.e before seeing other teams, but he indicated he will still listen to other offers

He also physically met with officials from the Nets and Rockets (as discussed below)

Bulls are tomorrow.

No word on Saturday teams, if any, expect Bosh to commit over the weekend.

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7:28 AM July 1st

Chris Bosh has reported that he has already had presentations from Houston, Toronto, Miami and Chicago.

That still leaves Dallas, New York and New Jersey to make their pitches.

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1:11 AM July 1st

Daryl Morey GM of the Rockets tweeted that he just completed his free agent visit with Chris Bosh, following through with his promise to be wherever Chris was at 12:01.

The Rockets are a very interesting trade partner if Bosh chooses to go there as they have numerous pieces to offer such as: coveted rookie and almost Raptor Patrick Patterson, Luis Scola (RFA), Aaron Brooks and Jordan Hill…Kyle Lowry may also be a ‘throw-in’.

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6:56 P.M

The latest scuttlebutt has that Bryan Colangelo has ruled out the possibility of taking on the over-paid Luol Deng.

This is presumably because Bryan Colangelo is angling for a trade exception and taking on Deng at his cap hit makes little sense even if he may be a good fit. Money talks and Deng is just a little too expensive for a Raptors franchise looking to retool.

This is from Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports:

“The Toronto Raptors have talked to six to eight teams willing to do sign-and-trades for Chris Bosh, but front office sources say general manager Bryan Colangelo has ruled out bringing back the expensive contract of Bulls forward Luol Deng.”

So Adrian says 6-8 teams. We have the Heat, Lakers, Bulls, Rockets, Nets, Knicks and Mavericks, not too sure who the 8th is but he said 6-8 anyways.

It is good to hear that BC is doing his due dilligence in case Chris Bosh has a last-minute change of heart and chooses another team interested in his services.

At this point all signs point to Miami, which is what we guessed in January, but LeBron James could change that.

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5:18 PM

Chad Ford of ESPN Insider reports that multiple G.M’s who are after Bosh now believe that Bosh is going to Miami.

“…multiple GMs who are after Bosh think he’s going to Miami now”

This much we agree with.

It is just a matter now do we take the incredibly talented but troubled Beasley or do we pass on his risk/reward and work with a $16 million dollar trade exception which can be used in a subsequent trade to take a player or players a team is looking to dump.

To be honest, there are some interesting scenario’s to fathom with a trade exception that big but Beasley and Chalmers address team needs.

I hope Colangelo doesn’t pass on Beasley and mess this up. Raptor fans will be kicking themselves and cursing Bryan Colangelo for the next 10+ years if he does.

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4:25 PM Wednesday

From Michael Wallace of the Miami Herald:

“Top-level source insists Raptors have no interest in Heat’s Mike Beasley or Mario Chalmers & seek $16 mil trade except.”

I for one hope it is not true, lets take on Chalmers and Beasley and take a $9 million dollar exception instead.

It makes zero sense to turn down a future stud in Michael Beasley and Mario Chalmers, especially when we need a new #1 and a backup point guard once we deal away Calderon or Jack and Banks.

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4:02 PM Wednesday

It seems a lot of people are confused due to the fact that both the Heat and Raptors representatives have denied that a Chris Bosh sign-and-trade is already in place.

They have to.

If they confirm the deal they will be charged with tampering and run the risk of league penalties.

So don’t be worried those of you who have warmed to this deal, it is still going down and this much will be confirmed in the coming hours.

Only 8 hours until the REAL madness kicks off….should be fun.

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11:11 AM Wednesday

Dan LeBatard of Miami 790 The Big Ticket reports that Chris Bosh in a sign-and-trade is a done deal.

He also suggests Joel Anthony was only extended a qualifying offer so he could be used in a sign-and-trade.

“I hear bosh-miami is done ..bosh-wade shared agent avoids tampering…its why beasley, chalmers, anthony still here…raptors get them”

You all know my feeling on Beasley, I think he is a top-10 talent in the NBA, he is just immature and hasn’t realized his potential yet.

Chalmers is a good defensive point guard who comes from a winning college program and will be a nice backup point guard behind either Calderon or Jack.

I am not sure we need Joel Anthony, but Canadians will love his acquisition, not only because he is Canadian, but because he works hard. If we land Anthony fan favourite Reggie Evans and his expiring contract will be traded this summer.

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10:00 AM Wednesday

When asked about playing in Miami with Dwyane Wade and LeBron James, Chris Bosh said he doesn’t think it’s possible.”I don’t see it happening,” Bosh told The Miami Herald.

“I don’t even know how it would work. It sounds pie in the sky. Pat Riley is known as a guy who is like a mastermind-type genius. He’s probably having a vision one day.

But who knows? I don’t see it happening.”As of Wednesday, the Heat don’t have enough cap room to sign three max players.

Bosh refuted reports that he will follow James wherever he signs. “I don’t even know where he wants to go,” Bosh said. “I have to make decisions based on how I feel.”

This is good news for NBA fans and teams in the Eastern conference, this would be a potential dream scenario for the players and some fans but would ruin what parity exists in the league.

As posited yesterday Bosh does not want to wait for LeBron and we expect him by all accounts to end up in Miami. Beasley!!

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9:00 AM Wednesday

This is from ESPN Insider:

“Sources tell the Chicago Sun-Times that the Bulls may try to sign Chris Bosh first as a way to convince LeBron James to come to Chicago and to keep Bosh away from other Eastern Conference teams.”

This is not new news as this has been rumoured, but this is the first official mention we have seen. Every team with space will be courting Bosh in order to woo LeBron James. Whether he like it or not he is being branded as a Robin by NBA executives.

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7:00 AM Wednesday

The New York Knicks are trying to unload the expiring contract of Eddy Curry so they can potentially land LBJ, Bosh and Joe Johnson.

They would have found a taker already if there was one. The problem here is, teams will gladly trade their bad contract for Eddy, but to add that salary to their roster for the season will take incentives which the Knicks haven’t ponied up yet.

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9:43 P.M Teusday

This is from the Miami Sun Sentinel:

The Sun Sentinel has learned that the three star free agents have gone as far as to acknowledge that it might not be possible for the Heat to clear the needed space to start each of the three at the $16.6 million maximum salary that they would be eligible for in the first year of new contracts.

According to the source, the three have agreed to consider to “split the money up,” if need be.

This is bad news for Raptor fans, especially if Bryan Colangelo is really dead set against making Micheal Beasley a Toronto Raptor.

This arrangement seems to be to lure the King who will not be able to work out a sign-and-trade with Cleveland and thus would have to take less money than Wade and Bosh, something his ego likely will not allow him to even fathom.

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7:20 P.M Tuesday

The Heat have extended a qualifying offer to Joel Anthony, a player who may come into play in possible sign-and-trade scenario’s with the Toronto Raptors if Chris Bosh chooses Miami.

Anthony is nothing to be excited about, but this is noteworthy due to the lack of players the Heat currently have on their roster.

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6:45 P.M Tuesday

Derrick Favors may actually be in play in a Chris Bosh sign-and-trade, this would be another ideal scenario.

Here is a quote from ESPN Insider Chad Ford’s latest chat:

[Comment From Ryan (Utah)Ryan (Utah): ]
Please tell me the Nets would be willing to send Favors to Utah as part of a sign and trade for Boozer
Tuesday June 29, 2010 6:18 Ryan (Utah)

6:18	Chad Ford, ESPN Insider: Keep dreaming. They’ll only use that chip if they need it to secure LeBron or Bosh.

Again this is from ESPN Insider Chad Ford’s live chat so take this information for what it is worth, but this would be a home run scenario for the Raptors as Derrick Favors ahs the chance to be something really special in this league and has no character issues (Beasley), seeming chronic knee issues (Bynum) or a bad contract (Deng).

Favors would be an excellent fit and would likely signal the end of the Andrea Bargnani experiment unless Bryan Colangelo was willing to deal Raptors rookie Ed Davis.

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We will be updating this post over the next 5 days to bring you all the latest chatter regarding Chris Bosh’s possible destinations.

Lets start off with what is already out there:

The Raptors want Joakim Noah in a sign-and-trade with the Bulls.
The Bulls will balk and offer Deng and Johnson and possibly a pick.

The Raptors want Andrew Bynum, Lamar Odom and Devin Ebanks.
The Lakers will likely agree.

The Raptors, much to my dismay, do not want Beasley.
The Heat only have Beasley, Chalmers, Varnado, Pittman, Butler and Williams under contract to offer in a sign-and-trade.

There was no free agent summit this weekend as reported by ESPN.

Bryan Colangelo advised us to remember salaries do not have to match if a trade exception is involved.

The latest rumour circulating the net, this time via Bulls.com is the Los Angeles Lakers preparing to offer Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom in a sign-and-trade deal for Chris Bosh and Jarrett Jack.

“The Lakers also are expected to enter the picture with a bid for Bosh as it became clear in the Finals they need more scoring. And you can be sure they don’t want to see a LeBron/Bosh pairing in Chicago with Rose and Noah to go against. The Raptors would like to get something in a sign-and-trade for Bosh, but they likely won’t deal him in the East. The Lakers are expected to offer Andrew Bynum, a legitimate low post center, and Lamar Odom, and take back Jarrett Jack, whom the Raptors would like to move.”

If true, the Los Angeles Lakers have apparently upped the ante in the Bosh chase and may have essentially handcuffed the Toronto Raptors superstar to their team if he wishes to cash in on the extra year and roughly $30 million dollars he will accrue if he chooses to work with the Raptors on a sign-and-trade.

This deal is too good to pass up if you are Bryan Colangelo who may, hypothetically tell Chris Bosh that if he wants maximum years and maximum money his only choice is to go to and join Kobe Bryant and the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers.

Do you think Bosh would say no?

Not likely. He wants to win, and with Kobe, Pau Gasol, and Ron Artest he will be on the most dominant team in the Western conference for years to come. He will also get to play power forward with Pau Gasol playing center.

Remember this is just a hypothetical situation based on a rumour, so lets not make too much out of this; Chris Bosh decides where he plays, not the Raptors.

Would Bynum and Odom fit with the Raptors?

Yes and Yes. Bynum would because despite his scary knee issues he remains a franchise center and being only 22 it is amazing the Lakers are even willing to part with him.

He could man the middle beside Ed Davis and Andrea Bargnani and when Davis is in, form an excellent defensive front court. Re-signing Amir Johnson would still be a priority as he is only 23 and can play the 5 behind Bynum and also provide spot minutes at the 4.

Andrew Bynum represents Bryan Colangelo’s home-run scenario and don’t be surprised to see him make a hard sell to Bosh.

Bynum is ready to come to Toronto as suggested in this clip and would be a welcome addition to our roster.

Bynum says he is prepared to play anywhere and that he just loves to play the game of basketball.

Lamar Odom is a multi-talented swing-man who can play the 2, the 3 and the 4, and his versatility and rebounding would be excellent additions to the Raptors. LO is also a player who can fill up the basket and that may be just what the doctor ordered when Bosh leaves town. If BC does not view him as a fit he can ship him out of town in a subsequent deal.

Overall this would be an amazing coup for the Raptors who, though unlikely, run the risk of losing Bosh for nothing, and instead get two all-star calibre players.

The deal:

The deal sounds good as far as it pertains to the parts coming to Toronto but if we do this deal Jose Calderon is the PG you ship.

Bryan Colangelo will also insist that coveted rookie Devin Ebanks is also included in the deal, and at this point in the conversation I doubt the Lakers pull out because they want Jarrett Jack instead of Pau Gasol’s Spanish national teammate Jose Calderon.

As stated above a sign-and-trade of Chris Bosh to the Lakers represents Bryan Colangelo, and for better or worse the Raptors home-run scenario.

How can the Lakers secure Bosh?

This same question was asked to ESPN Insider Chad Ford in his latest chat:

Woo Bosh. I think he has interest and I think the Raptors are most interested in doing a sign-and-trade with LA.

Lets just hope we can pull this deal off, as this deal, despite my inkling for Beasley, is the best one the Raptors can hope for.

According to what we can gather from reports around the net (ESPN, Stephen A. Smith and more) and Bosh’s own words, Miami has emerged as the leader in the Bosh hunt.

Stephen A. Smith’s report:

Teams in consideration

1. Heat
2. Bulls
3. Lakers
4. Nets

These seem to be the 4 teams he is considering if/when he decides he is ready to move on from Toronto.

Miami has emerged as the favourite for a few reasons, one major one being the unloading of Daequan Cook and the 18th pick for future considerations. This gives them enough space for two max free agents and $11 million more for another superstar, or for complementary role players. Their roster is a little bare right now with only Mario Chalmers, Michael Beasley and draft picks DeSean Butler, Latavious Williams, Dexter Pittman and Jarvis Varnado.  The Heat are likely to be forced into a sign-and-trade to have a realistic chance of signing Bosh however and it appears that the Raptors were have limited options. We are not sure what a machination would look like as Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo is said not to be very high on Micheal Beasley despite his immense potential.   A sign and trade with the Heat would likely involve Micheal Beasley and DeSean Butler or Latavious Williams.

Why Would Bosh Choose Miami over Chicago?

One reason, he does not want to be known for following LeBron James.

It stands to reason that Chris Bosh’s ego will allow him to ‘join’ good friend Dwayne Wade in Miami, while somewhat opposing, as mentioned above making a free agent move that would likely confirm the sentiment that he needs to ‘follow’ a big name free agent to be successful. If Dwayne Wade remains in Miami, Bosh does not have to ‘follow’ anyone anywhere and will instead be viewed as one of Miami’s prized free-agent acquisition.

Chicago seems like an ideal landing spot for Bosh as they have the defensive presence and all-star point guard that Chris Bosh needs to maximize his abilities, however this is LeBron’s most likely destination and as posited above Chris Bosh does not want to ‘follow’ anyone.

Bosh will choose Miami, because deep down he knows he has to attach himself to a star to win a championship, if he just wanted to be the ‘man’, Toronto would be an option.

Also one can not overstate the fact that Chris Bosh is better friends with Dwayne Wade than LeBron James and this will be a key factor in his free agency decision, he said in January that he would rather play with Wade than James and there is no reason to believe that preference has changed.

I still find it hard to believe Bosh will choose Miami over Chicago as the Bulls have the superior team but even Chris Bosh’s good friend former Raptor Charlie Villanueva says Chris Bosh is going to Miami:

“Sorry to break Toronto heart, I love that city, but Chris Bosh is heading to Miami”

Yet another reason Bosh would choose Miami over Chicago is that if LeBron also chooses the Bulls than Chris Bosh will be no better than the 3rd best player and biggest star on the team, a far cry from his ‘the man’ status in Toronto, something that he seems hesitant to give up. Wade and Riley will likely look to convince Bosh that it will be Wade and Bosh, a duo, rather than Wade than Bosh, as in Batman and Robin.

Here are Chris Bosh’s comments to the Miami Herald:

“”Miami is in top contention,” Bosh said during a quiet moment at DJ Irie’s charity golf tournament in Miami Beach to the paper. “With the money they have, the cap space they have, the rights on Dwyane [Wade], him possibly staying. And just having a good organization; they are known as a first-class organization. Dwyane is going to be one of the greatest players in the history of the game when it’s said and done.”"

With his latest comments and his latest over the last month it stands to reason that Bosh will choose Miami unless LeBron chooses New York, in which case things become a little more wide open. The Knicks now realize they have little chance at the ‘big 3′ and have scheduled to meet with Joe Johnson and Amare on July 1st.

Lets also remember the Heat have the space like Stephen A. Smith suggested to sign LeBron James as well and if they dont will have the space to add players like Ray Allen and Raja Bell likely coming in at the ‘championship contenders discount’ so there team is not as barren as Chicago fans may like to point out.

How do we feel about a Michael Beasley acquisition?

I would be absolutely thrilled with Micheal Beasley despite his character concerns. He can smoke all the good kush he wants if he can come to the Raptors and realize his immense potential.

I am salivating just at the thought of a starting lineup of Ed Davis, Andrea Bargnani, Michael Beasley, DeMar DeRozan and Jarrett Jack. Michael Beasley is a perfect fit at the small forward position because he can play both small forward and power forward.

Micheal Beasley’s rebounding skills would help to compensate for Andrea’s inability to rebound at a high clip and would bring some semblance of balance to our team because of this.

I am sure I do not have to convince any of you that Michael Beasley is an immense, if troubled talent and that he would instantly become our teams top scorer and most talented player.

I believe with the addition of Beasley we will have completed a virtual instant rebuild and that we may actually be a better team than we were last year.  Next to Bynum, Beasley is the only player discussed as a sign-and-trade option that, arguably, has more long-term potential than Bosh, and he is the only player with the potential to be a true #1 option.

Character issues do exist with this outstanding talent but the same can be said with some of professional sports’ brightest talents, Beasley is still a young man and will mature with age. The fact he may or may not smoke a little ‘weed’ should not stop the Raptors from acquiring Michael Beasley if Pat Riley makes him available.

Beasley is too good to say no to.

I am not sure what you think of Beasley Toronto, leave us a comment below and let us know if you would be happy with this sign-and-trade deal.

Who is Ed Davis?

This is a question many fans have been wondering following the 2010 NBA Draft as he was not heavily linked to the Raptors in the media, and was actually only linked to the Raptors in one or two mock drafts.

Ed Davis sliding to the Toronto Raptors is a monumental coup for Raptors fans and we have every right to be jumping for joy.

To begin the season Ed Davis was the #2 ranked NBA prospect in the country and was expected to have a terrific year with Tyler Hansbrough gone for the NBA. However it quickly became apparent that the loss of Ty Lawson and the lack of an adequate replacement would affect his stock. Add to that the fact that he injured his wrist and missed the rest of his sophomore campaign and you can understand why this highly touted prospect slipped to the Raptors. The two other correlative factors in Davis’ draft slide were Ekpe Udoh going to the Warriors which caused Greg Monroe to slip to the Pistons and the Pacers selecting Paul George instead of a big.

We are thrilled here at Raptors Digest that the Raptors were able to land Ed Davis and think that his drop to the Raptors is storybook-esque with Chris Bosh likely on his way out of Toronto.

Bryan Colangelo was “quite surprised” that Ed Davis was still available and knew from before the draft that if a name like Davis dropped that he would indeed be the Raptors choice at #13, and said that Ed Davis “…looks to be the right piece”.

Here is his entire presser:

Jay Triano said in his address to the media that Ed Davis is a “perfect fit” and lauded his defensive presence and rebounding and said “he fits the void for what we are trying to overcome here”.

Ed Davis has a solid and explosive post game and will also be an immediate factor on the defensive end and will form a nice trio with Amir Johnson and Andrea Bargnani. Davis jas been compared favourably to Al Horford and if he can make the same type of jump after putting on some muscle we will be thanking our lucky stars that we were able to land Ed Davis so late.

He will be able to play the C position but will excel if he gets to play the 4, the beauty is that he complements both Andrea and Amir well; he will be a nice defensive complement to Bargnani and will form an super-athletic defensive front court with Amir Johnson. Some readers are concerned as to what this means for our chances of signing Amir Johnson but this actually helps as he now knows he has some blue-chip prospect help in Ed Davis.

Here are Chad Ford’s thoughts on the Raptors pick:

“Raptors president Bryan Colangelo really lucked out here. With Chris Bosh quite possibly on the way out, Davis is a good get here. He’s no Bosh on the offensive end, but he’s a good rebounder and an active shot blocker. I’m not sure he’s ready to be a starter, but as he develops he could be a nice complement to Andrea Bargnani in the frontcourt.”

Ed Davis may not be ready to be a starter but should start for the Raptors even though he may not. We are likely to see a starting front court of Amir and Andrea with Ed Davis earning a bigger role and perhaps one of their starting jobs before mid-season. Ideally we would bring Ed Davis along like DeMar and start him right away but that doesn’t seem like a possibility unless we move Andrea to the 3 or the bench.

A starting lineup of Johnson-Davis-Weems-DeRozan and Jack will be a very exciting lineup that will elicit plenty of ‘oohs and ahhs’ from the Raptor faithful.

Lets hear what others around the net had to say about the Raptors selection of Ed Davis:

Via HoopsHype:

“The Raptors get a steal of the draft candidate. Davis has a nice frame, excellent length and athleticism. Good hands, a high basketball IQ and tremendous touch around the basket.”

Now for some post-draft video/comments from the newest Toronto Raptor Ed Davis: