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Leandro Barbosa

Colangelo On Raptors’ Moves

March 15th, 2012 at 10:33pm CST by Sean Highkin

Raptors President and General Manager Bryan Colangelo spoke with HoopsWorld's Stephen Brotherston about the reasoning behind today's trade that sent Leandro Barbosa to the Pacers for cash and a second-round pick.

“I viewed this as a great opportunity for Leandro to go to a playoff team, a young upstart team that really does need some scoring punch off the bench right now. It is an Eastern Conference team and that would normally not be something that I’d like to do, take care of a team like that, but this is really a positive situation, not only for Leandro but positive for us.”

Colangelo touted the draft pick the Raptors received and the cap room Barbosa freed up as incentives for making the deal. Barbosa will make $7.6MM this season and become an unrestricted free agent this summer.

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Hollinger On Deadline Deals

March 15th, 2012 at 8:35pm CST by Sean Highkin

ESPN.com's John Hollinger has posted grades for every trade that took place today. The post is only available to ESPN Insider subscribers, but here are the highlights:

  • The Nuggets were smart to shed Nene's contract, even if trading for JaVale McGee is a risk.
  • However, Hollinger views the Wizards' acquisition of Nene is an overreaction to McGee's contract demands.
  • For the Clippers, Hollinger doesn't believe Nick Young is a perfect solution, but that he's worth the risk since they didn't have to give up any significant assets.
  • Hollinger praises the Blazers' rebuilding effort in the Gerald Wallace trade, although he has reservations about the players they got back from Houston for Marcus Camby.
  • He doesn't think the Nets made a smart move giving up a lottery pick for short-term help when they risk losing Deron Williams at the end of the season.
  • Hollinger likes the Rockets' acquisition of Camby as a short-term pick-up to help them make a playoff run.
  • The Warriors' acquisition of Richard Jefferson is counterproductive to their efforts to tank for a draft pick, Hollinger writes. However, he praises the Spurs for shedding Jefferson's contract for Stephen Jackson's shorter one.
  • Hollinger questions the Cavaliers for taking on Luke Walton's expensive contract while giving up Ramon Sessions, but loves the deal for the Lakers, as Sessions is a massive upgrade at point guard over Derek Fisher and Steve Blake.
  • Hollinger likes the Sam Young acquisition for the 76ers, and while he doesn't believe losing him will shift the Grizzlies' playoff hopes one way or another, he questions whether it was necessary to shed him simply for cap reasons.
  • He sees the Leandro Barbosa trade as a low-risk deal for both the Raptors and Pacers, giving Indiana immediate help at shooting guard while freeing up room for other players to get more minutes in Toronto.
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Recap Of Trade Deadline Deals

March 15th, 2012 at 5:33pm CST by Sean Highkin

Here's the complete list of trades that took place this week leading up to the trade deadline earlier today:

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Pacers Acquire Leandro Barbosa

March 15th, 2012 at 2:52pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pacers and Raptors have completed a trade that will send Leandro Barbosa to Indiana in exchange for a second-round draft pick and cash considerations, both teams announced today.

While recent reports suggested the Raptors likely wouldn't make any major moves at the deadline, GM Bryan Colangelo said last month that Barbosa was drawing interest. When I examined the shooting guard as a trade candidate, I suggested that the Pacers could acquire him without compromising the team's long-term plans. Indiana has the cap space to absorb Barbosa's 2011/12 $7.6MM cap figure, and can simply let his contract expire at season's end.

Acquiring Barbosa will leave the Pacers about $6.7MM under the cap this season, taking them out of the running for players like Chris Kaman. The Raptors, meanwhile, should receive a traded player exception worth $7.6MM, which they'll have a year to use.

Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (on Twitter) first reported the deal, with TNT's David Aldridge (via Twitter), ESPN.com's Chris Broussard (via Twitter), and Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star adding details along the way.

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Stein On Lakers, Raptors, Marion, Hickson, Kaman

March 2nd, 2012 at 1:18pm CST by Luke Adams

It's Friday afternoon, which means another installment of Marc Stein's Weekend Dime at ESPN.com. In addition to writing about the 50th anniversary of Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game, Stein shares a few trade rumors. Let's check them out….

  • If the Lakers were to acquire Kirk Hinrich or Leandro Barbosa, they would want the Hawks or Raptors, respectively, to take on salary. However, neither Atlanta or Toronto is interested in doing so. The Lakers would have to use their $8.9MM trade exception and accept the luxury-tax consequences if they were to deal for either player.
  • The Raptors are also unwilling to take on salary in a deal for Jose Calderon.
  • The Mavericks aren't currently shopping Shawn Marion, and don't intend to start clearing out the necessary cap space to make a run at top free agents until after the season. One source told Stein there's "no chance" the Mavs trade Marion this month, even though there may be potential suitors.
  • J.J. Hickson is being aggressively shopped by the Kings.
  • The Hornets have been telling teams that Chris Kaman won't be bought out after March 15th if the club can't find a trade partner. Since New Orleans is still owned by the league, that may not be an idle threat. A number of teams, including the Heat, are hoping Kaman is bought out, since they don't have the trade assets necessary to acquire the big center.
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Odds & Ends: Barbosa, Heat, Mavericks, Maloofs

February 29th, 2012 at 4:08pm CST by Luke Adams

Odds and ends for Wednesday afternoon….

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Raptors Looking To Move Barbosa?

February 27th, 2012 at 12:20pm CST by Luke Adams

The Raptors are looking to trade Leandro Barbosa so they can make a "big offer" to restricted free agent Wilson Chandler, according to Sam Smith of Bulls.com.

There's still no word on whether Chandler, recently returned from China, has received FIBA clearance from the CBA. A report this weekend suggested that the process may be delayed, since the forward had been cleared to return to America by his team, but not by the league, which has control over his clearance. However, with Chandler's Chinese team now eliminated from the CBA playoffs, there shouldn't be a holdup.

When he's cleared, Chandler will be free to sign an offer sheet with any team, which the Nuggets would then have the option to match. However, teams aren't permitted to sign restricted free agents to offer sheets after March 1st, so if the Raptors hope to make a play for the 24-year-old, they'll have to move quickly.

The Raptors currently have about $4.3MM in cap space, which likely won't be enough to pose a serious threat to the Nuggets. Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld wrote last week that Toronto could try clearing salary to make a bigger offer to Chandler, but suggested Jose Calderon was a more realistic trade chip than Barbosa. I'm inclined to agree that it'll be tough to move Barbosa and his $7.6MM salary — trading him on March 15th would be doable, but if teams know that Toronto's hand is forced, they won't offer much this week.

I looked at Barbosa's trade candidacy earlier this month.

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Trade Candidate: Leandro Barbosa

February 14th, 2012 at 4:41pm CST by Luke Adams

While he's not putting up the same overall numbers he did during his years under Mike D'Antoni in Phoenix, Leandro Barbosa has produced solidly and consistently during the last two seasons with the Raptors. In 86 total games in Toronto, Barbosa has provided the Raps with a scoring spark off the bench, recording 12.8 points and 14.9 PER in 23.3 minutes per game.

With Barbosa playing for a non-contending Raptors team in the final year of his contract, it stands to reason that a playoff team in need of bench scoring could have interest in acquiring him. Toronto GM Bryan Colangelo confirmed as much during a team broadcast earlier this month, admitting he's "had a few calls" inquiring on the 29-year-old.

Colangelo stressed that for the club to consider a deal involving Barbosa, it would need to maintain its cap flexibility going forward. So, like most rebuilding teams, the Raptors will likely be seeking some combination of draft picks, expiring contracts, and young, inexpensive talent.

A few of the teams who miss out on signing J.R. Smith when he returns from China may decide to turn their attentions to Barbosa as the trade deadline approaches. Barbosa lacks Smith's size, but both players are capable of scoring baskets in bunches, and stretching the floor with their outside shooting.

The Lakers have a pair of first-round picks and a trade exception that could be used to absorb Barbosa's contract, though there are likely a handful of cheaper players they're considering, including Gilbert Arenas. The Pacers are well below the cap and could acquire Barbosa without compromising their long-term plans. Barbosa could also be a fit with the Timberwolves, Knicks, Clippers, Spurs, or Bulls, among others.

Colangelo will continue to receive calls on Barbosa over the next month, but shouldn't feel pressured to move the 6'3" guard. With Barbosa's $7.6MM salary set to be wiped off the books this summer, the Raptors can afford to hang on to him and clear some cap space if they don't receive a trade offer they like.

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Raptors Rumors: Chandler, Kirilenko, Barbosa

February 5th, 2012 at 12:33pm CST by Daniel Seco

Toronto Raptors general manager Bryan Colangelo spoke candidly about a potential roster shake-up during Friday's game against the Washington Wizards, writes Hasan Alanam of Canada.com. With the team currently hovering near the bottom of the Atlantic Division, Colangelo expressed a desire to consider any and every move that may help the Raptors move closer to their goal of becoming a championship-caliber squad. In his mind, the path toward success may become a bit clearer once the future for three particular players becomes more evident.

  • Colangelo discussed what adding former Utah Jazz sharpshooter Andrei Kirilenko could do for the Raptors especially considering the success AK-47 has enjoyed this season while playing in Russia. Averaging 13 PPG and nearly 8 RPG, Kirilenko, 30, has led CSKA Moscow to an undefeated regular season thus far and looks to be an early favorite for MVP. As Kirilenko announced his intentions to stay in Russia for the entire season, the Raptors would be looking to sign the former first-round draft pick this summer.
  • While the Raptors will have to wait a few months to begin courting Kirilenko, Colangelo can add an important piece to his roster once small forward Wilson Chandler is released from his contract with the CBA's Zhejiang Guangsha. The fifth-year player out of DePaul is a restricted free agent which will allow for the Denver Nuggets to match any contract that the Raptors might offer Chandler. Given Chandler's upward trending career numbers and youth (24), the Raptors' bid must be overly aggressive if they have any hope of Chandler heading across the border to Toronto.
  • During his concluding remarks in an interview with the Raptors broadcast team, Colangelo mentioned how he viewed Leandro Barbosa as a valuable trade chip moving forward. Colangelo expressed Barbosa's importance to the team but pondered what nearly 13 PPG from a 29-year-old veteran guard could land the Raptors in a trade with a contending team. While Barbosa remains a valuable addition for any team, his most attractive asset may be his contract which expires at the end of the season.
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Kyler On Rockets, Nets, Augustin, Chandler

January 30th, 2012 at 3:05pm CST by Luke Adams

Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld took a look this morning at a few names he expects to be discussed in the weeks leading up to March's trade deadline. Here are a few highlights from the piece:

  • The Jazz and Grizzlies are among the many teams that have some interest in Chris Kaman.
  • The Rockets have been active, but are seeking a significant return for players like Jordan Hill, Chase Budinger, and Luis Scola.
  • With just over $34MM committed in 2012/13 salaries, the Nets wouldn't mind clearing some future cap room by moving Anthony Morrow or Jordan Farmar prior to the trade deadline.
  • If the Cavaliers are still in the mix for a playoff spot as the deadline approaches, don't expect them to become sellers.
  • Although the Bobcats aren't shopping D.J. Augustin, Kyler hears from sources close to the team that they'll listen to offers if they can obtain draft picks and gain financial flexibility.
  • When Wilson Chandler returns to the NBA from China, the Raptors plan to "make life hard" for the Nuggets. Denver has the rights to Chandler as a restricted free agent, but Toronto may try to move Jose Calderon or Leandro Barbosa to gather assets for a sign-and-trade offer for Chandler.
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