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Andrea Bargnani

Andrea Bargnani Out For Season

March 13th, 2013 at 10:18am CST by Luke Adams

Having suffered an avulsion sprain of his right elbow, Andrea Bargnani will miss the rest of the 2012/13 season, the Raptors announced today in a press release. According to the team, Bargnani's new injury isn't related to the elbow issue that sidelined him for 26 games earlier in the season.

While Bargnani's injury has little to no effect on the Raptors' postseason chances, which are virtually non-existent at this point, it could affect his trade stock this summer. Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun reacted to the news by tweeting that Bargnani has likely played his last game in a Raptors uniform, with the team looking to move him after the season. However, as Doug Smith of the Toronto Star points out (via Twitter), trading Bargnani in the summer will be a tall order, given his poor play in '12/13, along with the fact that teams won't know for sure if he's healthy.

Wolstat rightly points out (via Twitter) that it would be better for the Raps if they could find a taker prior to next season, to provide a fresh start for both the player and the team. Still, I tend to side with Smith, and wonder how Toronto could find anything of value for a player who was struggling even before suffering a season-ending injury. Prior to the trade deadline, Bargnani was being linked in trade rumors to players like Ben Gordon and Carlos Boozer, whose contracts are as bad or worse than Bargnani's. I doubt the offers will improve at all this summer.

Amnestying Bargnani, who is owed $22.25MM beyond this season, is also an option for Toronto, but the club is unlikely to go that route as long as Bryan Colangelo remains in charge, as Wolstat tweets. Linas Kleiza remains the stronger amnesty candidate for the Raptors.

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Raptors Likely To Offer Extension To Rudy Gay

March 6th, 2013 at 5:48pm CST by Chuck Myron

Five weeks into Rudy Gay's tenure with the Raptors, GM Bryan Colangelo already sees him as the face of the franchise, and he's likely to offer Gay an extension when he becomes eligible for one in July, reports Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. The team will also pursue a "proven scoring post player" in return for Andrea Bargnani, Spears writes.

While Raptors management has been quick to embrace him, Gay believes he wasn't given a fair shake by new members of the front office in Memphis who arrived after Robert Pera bought the team at the start of the season. Gay had an inkling he'd be traded, since he felt the new management team, headed by CEO Jason Levien, didn't give him an opportunity to show he was worth his contract, which pays him $82.3MM over five years.

"With [new management], I don't think anybody's comfortable," the ex-Grizzlies forward said. "They're rookie owners. They come in there and they want it their own way, and you can't blame them for that. But it's a player's league." 

Come July, Gay will have played three seasons of his five-year deal, making him extension-eligible. The Raptors would only be able to add two seasons to his contract, since veteran extensions are limited to four years including the remaining years on the existing deal. Still, an extension would likely remove the possibility, however remote, of Gay invoking his player option to decline the $19.3MM he's set to receive in 2014/15.

Veterans have been largely unwilling to sign extensions since they can usually sign for more money and more years in free agency, but Gay may be willing to make an exception, considering how highly the Raptors view his skills and how few teams may be willing to pay him more. Gay isn't thinking long-term, Spears writes, but that could change between now and July, and he seems to have a positive view of his new surroundings.

"Last time I left it up to my agent and it worked for me," he said. "I love the city. I think the team has a lot of potential. The organization is great. [Colangelo] is here and he is watching every step trying to make this team better."

As for a Bargnani trade, I'm not sure whether Toronto will be able to find a top-shelf post option in return for a player whose numbers have declined precipitously this year. The Raptors will also be hard-pressed to avoid the tax next season, so finding an upgrade who costs less or the same amount as Bargnani's $10.75MM salary figure for next season will be a challenge. 

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Atlantic Links: Gay, Bargnani, Curry

February 27th, 2013 at 8:13pm CST by Alex Lee

Today has already been a pretty busy day in the Atlantic division. With the Knicks and Raptors underway, let's continue to monitor all news coming out of the division here:

  • Toronto head coach Dwane Casey says that Rudy Gay is the exactly the weapon that the Raptors were lacking in crunch time of tight games, writes Sam Amico of Fox Sports. Through 11 games in Toronto, Gay is averaging 20.1 points per game, many of which, Casey says, are coming when it matters most. Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld tweets that Gay has been a "great fit" since coming over in the deal from Memphis.
  • In a separate report, Amico adds that the Raptors will trade Andrea Bargnani in the offseason unless they absolutely cannot find a taker for the two years and $23MM remaining on his deal. Amico hears that the Sixers are very interested, and lists the Mavericks, Rockets, Spurs, Bucks, Jazz, Hawks, Suns and Blazers as other potential destinations.
  • Following Doug Collins' rant last night, sources tell Ric Bucher that should Collins resign or be let go, Sixers assistant Michael Curry will not only take over, but be considered a legitimate candidate to coach the team for the long term. Curry was last a head coach in Detroit, where he was fired in June of 2009 after a one-year 39-43 stint with the Pistons.
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Odds & Ends: Lin, Knicks, Lillard, Bargnani

February 23rd, 2013 at 12:38pm CST by Sean Highkin

The latest news and notes from around the NBA on Saturday afternoon:

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Bryan Colangelo Talks Telfair, Bargnani, CBA

February 22nd, 2013 at 4:55pm CST by Luke Adams

Earlier today, we rounded up post-deadline comments made by one general manager, the Thunder's Sam Presti, in the wake of yesterday's moves. Now we'll turn our focus to Toronto, where GM Bryan Colangelo spoke to reporters today about the Raptors' deadline decisions. Eric Koreen of the National Post has the key quotes.

On the Raptors acquiring Sebastian Telfair:

"We feel like we’re getting a player that gives us the necessary depth at that position. [John Lucas III] has done a great job filling in on the short term. The ability to score, the ability to man those minutes, he did an admirable job and I don’t necessarily see him getting supplanted right away. But what I do see is a guy that is capable of playing those minutes if need be and if someone were to go down with injury you’ve got a guy that has started I believe 192 games in the NBA who can come in and play this games if need be."

On trade talks involving Andrea Bargnani:

"Once the [elbow] injury occurred, his return, as late as it was in the process, as near to the trade deadline [as it was], it probably did not leave enough runway with respect to a deal being made now. That didn’t stop us from having dialogue with other teams or teams expressing interest. I believe it did affect some of the deals that we were probably discussing in advance of the injury, and even some that we were maintaining connection or dialogue over the course of the last couple months."

On revisiting a Bargnani trade this summer:

"The summer is the next potential opportunity to engage in trade discussions with respect to our entire roster. And with 27 games left in terms of us looking at where we are and how this group can come together and what the chemistry looks like. Continuity is obviously something nice to look at going forward. I think a lot of the pieces we do have in place are pieces we want to keep and hang onto and we’ll see how it all plays out."

On the impact of the CBA and increasing tax penalties:

"Of course, every team in the league is tax-averse. You do not want to be in the tax for various reasons…. Some people have said different things about the transaction we made yesterday. It not only shored up a point guard position need that we had, but it also took a $200K commitment off of the books for next year with [Hamed] Haddadi’s contract. It sounds like nothing, but $200K over the tax next year is actually a $300K tax with a $1.50-per-dollar principle for the first $5MM over. It was a $500K decision just for next season. … We made a very large transaction and have climbed into the tax for next season prior to three weeks ago. It certainly didn’t affect us in terms of a decision that was made in terms of the acquisition of Rudy Gay."

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Afternoon Rumors: Turner, Bargnani, Rockets, Cavs

February 21st, 2013 at 1:52pm CST by Luke Adams

A few last-minute rumors as the 2:00pm deadline approaches….

  • Evan Turner's name is "all over the place" in trade talks, but the Sixers aren't expected to move him today, tweets Ken Berger of CBSSports.com.
  • There doesn't seem to be any progress on an Andrea Bargnani deal, tweets TNT's David Aldridge, adding that the Raptors seemed to recognize a week ago that they wouldn't be able to move Bargnani.
  • The Rockets likely won't make another deal today, but count on them being active this summer, tweets Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game.
  • As an executive tells Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal, the Cavaliers don't have many options that won't negatively affect their cap flexibility, so they've been relatively quiet (Twitter link).
  • The Knicks are still working to move Ronnie Brewer, tweets Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com.
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Broussard On Gordon, Ellis, Rondo, Crawford

February 19th, 2013 at 9:55pm CST by Ryan Raroque
The Bucks are ready to trade Monta Ellis after he turned down a two-year extension, tweets Chris Broussard of ESPN, also mentioning that Ellis wanted to play out this season first. Earlier, we heard from HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy about the expectation by some around the league for Monta to opt out of his contract this summer and sign with a contender, so it will be interesting to see how Milwaukee handles this situation over the next two days. Broussard had a wave of Twitter updates to share in the past hour, all of which you can find below:
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Odds & Ends: Bargnani, Nets, Jennings, Greene

February 19th, 2013 at 4:28pm CST by Luke Adams

Earlier today, we heard that the Sixers are a good bet to stand pat at this year's deadline, and given how their last trade turned out, perhaps that shouldn't be a surprise. One player acquired by the 76ers in the deal, Jason Richardson, underwent successful surgery on his left knee this morning, according to a team release. Meanwhile, the centerpiece, Andrew Bynum, told reporters today that he still intends to play for Philadelphia this season, though it won't happen until at least March.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the NBA:

  • According to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (via Twitter), while the Raptors would move Andrea Bargnani in the right offer, teams don't sense an urgency on Toronto's part. That falls in line with comments Bryan Colangelo made today.
  • I questioned earlier today whether Nets GM Billy King was being honest when he told reporters there's a 10% chance he makes a trade, but Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News says (via Twitter) that's the same line King has been giving privately to rival teams.
  • Despite his agent change, Brandon Jennings really doesn't have a ton of leverage, and the Bucks should still be expected to match any offer sheet he receives this summer, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
  • Donte Greene, who was set to sign with the Nets last summer before he fractured his ankle, is back to 100% and is drawing interest, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). The Nets, Pacers, Hornets, Spurs, Bulls, Knicks, Magic, Rockets, and Cavaliers have inquired on Greene, says Spears.
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Raptors GM Talks Bargnani, Trades, Future

February 19th, 2013 at 2:40pm CST by Luke Adams

Although the trade deadline is less than 48 hours away, it's possible the biggest trade we'll see during this season already occurred last month when the Raptors acquired Rudy Gay. Even so, general manager Bryan Colangelo is still exploring more deals, as he tells Sam Amick of USA Today. According to Amick, Toronto discussed Andrea Bargnani with the Bulls and with the Lakers, before Pau Gasol's injury, but haven't talked to the Bobcats or Sixers about Bargnani, despite reports suggesting otherwise.

Amick spoke to Colangelo about the possibility of a Bargnani trade, as well as his future with the Raptors once his contract expires this summer. Here are the quotes from the Toronto GM:

On whether the Gay trade changed the team's perception of Bargnani:

"All of a sudden the outlook and the presence of a guy like Andrea is entirely different now. He's not relied on as a No. 1 guy. He has never been paid like a No. 1 option, but people wanted to criticize that he couldn't handle that role. I've always felt like he's been slotted in salary-wise as a No. 2 or No. 3. Maybe he's kind of fitting in nicely now."

On the odds that Bargnani is moved:

"I would say (the situation) is fluid. There may have been an outright cry (to trade him) externally, whether from the media or the bloggers, to make a deal. But internally, we've always said that we recognized that a change of scenery may be helpful for him and may be beneficial for us. But we always recognized the talent, and I believe that – in some of the trade discussions I've had – the market recognizes the talent. And we didn't want to do something just to do it.

"If a deal presents itself that makes sense, we'll go ahead and move. I would say that, had he not injured himself early, it would've been much more likely that something would've happened. By virtue of him getting injured and returning with a handful games left prior to the trade deadline…there just may not have been enough runway prior to the deadline to get something."

On Colangelo's future:

"There's been no discussion. I certainly haven't brought it up. I think that we're, right now, transitioning with an ownership change of our own…. This is somewhat of a getting-to-know-you scenario for everyone involved, myself included. And I would like to think that at the end of the day, they look at my track record and my history and say that I'm the right guy. Time will tell. I have been consistent about one thing: I will always do what's right for the organization. It has nothing to do with me. If there's an opportunity to improve this team, I will do so. There's obviously always a balance in my position between short-term results and long-term results, or short-term outlook and long-term outlook.

On a specific instance when he made the right long-term choice for the team:

"Case in point was drafting [Jonas] Valanciunas knowing that he was not going to be here for a year, and that when he did arrive that he'd be 20 and would still be considered a project. But you have to carry out your job with integrity and do the right thing for the organization. That's what I've been hired to do and that's what I'm doing. Whether or not that pays off for me long-term, with an extension or just even my option year being picked up (for 2013/14), time will tell. But you can't lose sight of what the job is."

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Raptors May Not Move Bargnani Until Summer

February 18th, 2013 at 9:48am CST by Luke Adams

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.

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