The Raptors haven't made a secret of their desire to move Andrea Bargnani and his sizable contract by this week's trade deadline, having been linked to potential deals with the Bulls and Bobcats, among others. However, a source tells Doug Smith of the Toronto Star that it seems as if Toronto may ultimately not trade Bargnani until the summer.
According to Smith, there isn't a ton of trade talk ongoing for the Raptors, though he cautions that can change quickly. The Toronto Star scribe wouldn't be surprised if Bryan Colangelo and the Raptors pulled off a smaller deal by Thursday, but says there's nothing serious in the works at the moment.
Bargnani wouldn't be on an expiring deal next season, since he has a player option worth $11.5MM for 2014/15. Still, the closer his contract gets to ending, the more palatable it will be in a trade. If the Raptors fail to find an acceptable deal at the deadline or this summer, amnestying Bargnani in July to clear his cap hit from the books would also be an option. Of the three Raptors still eligible to be amnestied though, Linas Kleiza would appear to be a likelier candidate.