So thoughtful of Milwaukee to donate Richard Jefferson to the Spurs. That should make George very happy. Milwaukee got virtually nothing in return, but it got to dump money owed to Jefferson.

Yeah Shaq!!!!

Well I like the move obviously. But I heard some people comparing this to the Gasol get for the Lakers which is a huge stretch. But if they stay healthy it certainly puts the Spurs back in the conversation.

I also think that's a huge stretch.

And speaking of huge, now we have the Cavs paying for a quick whirl with Shaq. I wonder if it isn't time that Shaq starts feeling like a man-whore (to borrow a phrase from Outkast).

Why would the Shaq-to-Cleveland deal work out any better than the Shaq-to-Phoenix deal? He's 37, injury-prone, past his prime...

Dear Joe,

I think that there are a few ways of looking at the Shaquille O'Neal trade. Firstly, he produced last year for Phoenix averaging around 18 points and 8 rebounds per contest. He was healthy. He was agile. He was fun. The Suns had the best record in the NBA when they traded for Shaq but if you recall they traded for Shaq because they had continual regular season success and blew it in the playoffs because Nash is a step slow on defense and Amare is just lazy. (Isn't it cool to be post race so I can call a white guy a step slow and a black guy lazy and no one says anything?) Anyway, the Suns were also bound to implode once they chased the coach who wanted Shaq in the first place to the Knicks. Shaq is also entering a contract year which means better food, better shape, and more yoga in the off-season = more dominance, more Shaq in season!

Meanwhile, back on the Flats. Cleveland did not win a championship this year. In fact they played tough but probably should have been sweep by the Magic. They could not stop Dwight Howard. Standing pat was not an option if they want to beat that team or go against the Laker Bigs. Trading Shaq for Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic is a big upgrade because neither one of those players rose above and beyond last season. In fact since Ben Wallace is retiring it's a straight up Sasha for Shaq which even at 37 is awesome. What did Sasha average? 4.5 ppg? I don't remember. Now the Cavs have another piece. If they go out and sign a Rasheed Wallace who can man up on the big 3/4s, then the Cavs might be talking gold. Plus Shaq's salary comes off the books in time to chase Chris Bosh who I am not impressed with really but he is tall and gives us a shot. Other All-Stars might be tempted to join Lebron because they know otherwise they won't be able to get past the Magic. And the Cavs can Larry Bird Lebron his money and still chase a superstar. I vote for D Wade, but we'll see.

SI is reporting the Nets are in talks to send Vince Carter to the Magic for Rafer Alston, Courtney Lee and Tony Battie.

2005-06: 59 games played; 2006-07, 40 games played; 2007-08, 61 games played; 2008-09, 73 games played. He's missed a lot of games in recent years. Not so much last year, but he's not getting younger.

O'Neal lugging 300+ pounds up and down the court at a pro-basketaball rate at 37 is a little scary. LeBron James can be childish rather than a leader when it comes to his expectations of his teammates and himself. If he starts to criticize O'Neal even in private...

I think the personality match will be most important. If O'Neal can teach James to be a leader rather than a moper it could work. If it turns into a Kobe-O'Neal type conflict Cleveland may just have bought itself a headache worse than the souring economy.

The 32 year old Vince Carter for Courtney Lee, et al exchange is more intriguing for the eye-candy than for what it will do for either team. Carter may develop into the fast-break and swoop-to the-middle threat that the Magic need. But he is injury-prone and his body-type, playing style and position just don't bode well for endurance. Magic will need a lot of luck, or magic, to get what they need from him.

Lee with the Nets, and in New York, may develop more physically and phsychologically. But will he have the group around him to improve the Nets? My bet is no.

But I'll probably be watching both teams more now. And that's what sportertainment is all about.

Can we say, "Let me irritate the frak out of Kobe!"

I go backpacking for 4 days and all hell breaks lose.

I agree with Jay about the Shaq trade. So long as Shaq only loses a little bit from last season (OK, a big assumption), it's a huge upgrade for the Cavs -- no one will even notice that Ben Wallace is gone. Shaq can guard Dwight Howard single coverage.

On the other hand, there are those pick and rolls that Shaq couldn't guard even when he was in his prime. Uh oh. Shaq, we're not talking cinnamon rolls.

As for Orlando, they picked up Vince Carter for next to nothing -- practically grand theft. I don't really think much of Carter as a leader, but as the second best (or possibly even third best, if Turkoglu stays) player on your team he's a real plus.

If I'm Danny Ainge I'm already thinking about rebuilding for the future -- even with Garnett back, I think they are the clear #3 in the East now.

I heard one of the talking heads on Sportscenter talking about possible destinations for some of the free agents when he mentioned Rasheed Wallace. He (sorry can't remember whoit was) said that he thinks Wallace ends up signing with the Spurs. I've been conflicted about Wallace but you can't deny the talent. Imagine a team with Duncan, Ginobili, Parker, Jefferson and Wallace! If they can stay healthy Duncan may get his fifth ring before Shaq or Kobe!

Even with the RJ move, I wonder if the Spurs can keep all their guys healthy. I like the team, but I wonder if they, like the recent Pistons, are on the way down.

I don't see how Turkoglu will want to stay with the Magic after the VC trade. (a) He wants a big money long term deal, which I don't think they'll give him. (b ) Where are the shots? With Howard, Lewis, Carter, Nelson on the floor, where are Turkoglu's shots going to come from? I would love for the Raptors to go after Turkoglu instead of Marion, but again I don't see them offering him the 5 year/$50 million he supposedly wants.

I like the Shaq deal for the Cavs, but they need to address the outside shooting. With Shaq in the paint and LeBron's ability to drive (and finish) and kick, the outside shooters need to be able to hit, something they didn't do in the playoffs. Mo Williams, Daniel Gibson, Wally Sczerbiak, where were you in the playoffs?

They're saying Yao may be out for the season.

It's hard to tell how much Rasheed has left. He's always been an all-star underachiever, so just because his numbers stunk (relatively) last season doesn't necessarily mean he's in the tank. But he might be.

Canmark, I don't think of Turkoglu as being one of those me-first type players, who would pout over shots. If Orlando is willing to match any offer, why wouldn't he want to return to a team that has as good a chance as any to win the championship? No offense, but he's never going to get another whiff of the finals if he signs with the Raptors, for instance.

Yao may be over and out. So sad -- he is definitely one of the "good guys" in sports.

Portland reportedly is actively pursuing Hedo Turkoglu and possibly Andre Miller. There are rumors Toronto is offering Hedo more $ than Portland can. Also rumors that Rudy Fernandez, a huge fan favorite in P-town, is unhappy about Hedo arriving. Not sure why since Hedo would not take his minutes unless Rudy thinks he should be starting small forward.

Also reports that Portland is going to sign Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge to contract extensions as their rookie deals run out after next season. That one is a no-brainer.

If Orlando won't pony up the $10m+ for Turkoglu (and if that's the case, then they chose Vince Carter over Turkoglu, which I don't think will improve them at all), then Portland would be a logical place for him to land. I still don't think the Blazers will contend for the championship next season, but they will soon.

Smokey -- your Grizzlies just picked up your favorite player, Ach Randolph (that was a typo, but I decided to keep it)! If he couldn't even help the Clippers (who dumped him for nothing -- the washed up Q Richardson), why would Memphis want to take on his monstrous contract?

Chris Wallace is an IDIOT! He has turned a team inwhich I loved, into a team I can't cheer for. Z-BO is the straw that broke the camel's back.

Yes, the rumors are that the Raptors and Blazers are both pursuing Turkoglu. The Raptors also have interest in David Lee (restricted free agent), and apparently, Linus Kleiza (Trevor Ariza's name has been mentioned, too). So likely one of Marion, Turkoglu or Lee, I would say, will end up as a Raptor, if things go right (I'm not even going to mention Kleiza).

Interesting move by the Pistons to sign Ben Gordon and Charlie Villaneuva (some Raptor fans, myself included, wouldn't have minded Charlie V. returning to T.O.) to big money deals. Both are offensively minded, and one wonders how Gordon will fit in the back court with Hamilton and Stucky.

I've always thought Dumars was one of the great GMs (Darko notwithstanding), but I think he's lost it. The Pistons are giving up the cap room they could have had in the bonanza 2010 free agent year, for relative mediocrity. Gordon can be a great scorer, but he can also be lazy, especially now that he got paid, and he doesn't play defense. Villaneuva is sort of Rasheed-lite -- another underachiever, but with less talent. So now Detroit has all small forwards (Prince masquerades as a 4 sometimes) and guards. Unless Dumars has a trade lined up for a decent big man, this just makes no sense. If they don't keep McDyess, they'll have Kwame Brown as their starting center.

In other news, the Lakers just picked up Ron Artest (effectively, they traded Ariza to Houston for Artest)! A huge upgrade on paper. It will be interesting; hopefully, Phil and Kobe will be able to keep Artest under control. It could be a great thing for LA -- they get to stick Ron on LeBron in next years finals.

Re: Villanueva, what is Detroit's policy on halftime Twitter activity?

This afternoon it sounded like Turkoglu was going to sign with the Blazers (5-years, $50 mil. was what I read). Now I'm reading that he's backed out of that deal and Toronto is still in the running.

Edit: This morning reports seem to indicate that Hedo will sign with the Raptors. A few years ago the Raps had an agreement with John Salmons, but then he spurned us for Sacramento. Now it looks like Turkoglu may be backing out of an agreement with the Blazers for the Raptors. Chris Bosh tweeted this: IF IT'S TRUE..Let's get it cracking H Turk!!!, so it sounds like he's on board. I'm ready to crack open a box of Turkish delight. When will this deal be finalized?! (Naturally, we are aware of the definciencies this deal will mean for the Raptors. Not addressed is their rebounding, toughness and defensive weaknesses. In fact, they may lose Anthony Parker, a strong defender, in this deal. But Bargnani, Bosh, Turkoglu and Calderon give us a team that can spread the floor and shoot. DeMar DeRozan gives athleticism. Still work to do, though...

ESPN.com article.

Ooops! Sorry...

Hadn't noticed canmark's last post.

Well, Canmark, I'm glad your Raptors are keeping him out of Portland's hands, to be honest. The Blazers already have a scary number of weapons.

But it's seems a sort of curious choice for Toronto. Shawn Marion is a bit of a jerk, but he does offer rebounding and defense which, as you note, is what Toronto needs. It seems like Colangelo is back to building Phoenix-lite (with no Marion and no Raja Bell).

I think this is the first time a significant player has chosen the Raptors BECAUSE OF Toronto - at least as a free agent. The Raps have landed Hedo because Toronto is one of the most multicultural cities in the world - with a growing Turk population now numbering over 15,000 approaching 20,000 according to some sources. We're usually being passed over by most American born free agents because of Toronto being the only non-American based team in the NBA. So no ESPN to watch up here.

And his 'apparent' choice of Toronto is being treated as huge news up here with the headline on the front of the Sunday Star reading 'OUR DIVERSITY HOOKS TURKISH-BORN NBA STAR - AND HIS WIFE' with the subheading ''Toronto factor' seals the deal for new Raptor'

I had heard that the Raptors had a lot of people not renewing their season tickets this year. I suspect once this signing is made official there will be a run on Raptor tickets - particularly from the Turk community.

http://www.thestar.com/Sports/NBA/article/661093
http://www.thestar.com/Article/661091

I read an article that stated that it was Hedo's wife who's wanted to live in Toronto, like forever, so...

I won't be the cynic who notes that Toronto offered him $3m more.

It would seem that locking up players long term is either Bryan Colangelo's pitch to Chris Bosh, or his preparation for the absence of Chris Bosh. Today Andrea Bargnani was signed to a 5-year $50 million deal. Hedo Turkoglu will soon be signed to a 5-year $53 million deal (after a 3-way deal sending Shawn Marion to Dallas with the Raps taking back draft considerations and/or cash). Jose Calderon has a few more years left under contract. So those are the 3 key players for Toronto for the next few years.

========

Sounds like the Shawn Marion deal has gone down. Marion and Kris Humphries (darn, I was a big Hump fan) were shipped to Dallas, and Quincy Douby shipped to Memphis. Raps get Antoine Wright and Devean George, and still have their mid-level exemption to go after another player.

Sometimes it seems these deals are done to butter up the agents. Toronto could have just let Marion walk. Did they really crave Devean George? Somehow, I suspect Marion's agent, seeing this as a way for Marion to get more than the mid-level from Dallas, told Toronto that if they didn't agree to this there would be consequences.

Agents are the worst part of basketball. Actually, all sports. And not that I care about Hollywood, but probably there too.

Well the sports media here in toronto seem to love what Colangelo has pulled off. Suddenly the Raps have money to spend and we may see the return of Carlos Delfino or Rasho Nesterovic or both.

One of the writers is so excited he refers to yesterday this way:

"Yesterday, as the Raptors celebrated one of the most unexpectedly joyous moments in the franchise's sordid history, Bryan Colangelo credited the team's unofficial salary cap expert with proposing the strategy. The Raptors are suddenly the team with practically the most cash available for free agents. So let's get on with the speculation."

In his blog Doug Smith the Toronto Star's NBA reporter breaks it down this way.
****
Know what I would love to tell you? I would love to report that you can take a break and sit back and enjoy the nice fall weather in Toronto or enjoy whatever it’s like wherever you are because the frenzy’s over and things will calm down until training camp. Sorry. With three roster spots and up to $12 million to spend to fill them, I’ve got a feeling the Raptors are going to be in the news for the next little while, too. All of a sudden, they’re the team with practically the most cash available – if they want to spend it and there’s more on that later – and that makes agents drool.

So you’ll hear a lot of names over the next few days and a lot of speculation. You know, just like the last week or so. Be careful, though. Just because there’s a name linked to them doesn’t mean there’s mutual interest. Okay, that said, let’s get on with speculation.

Well, they like Carlos Delfino, for sure. They like Rasho at the right number and when I was talking to him yesterday, I got a feeling if the number makes something remotely close to sense he’ll take it and they like a handful of other guys. There are, as we’ve said all along, going to be some bargains out there. And now that they’ve got the big ones taken care of, they can start specifically looking at holes.

They need help at the four and five. They could use help at the two and three. And if they remain unconvinced that Roko’s the guy and they are more comfortable with Douby not handling the ball an awful lot, there’s a point guard spot, too. Although with Turkoglu sure to initiate offence and if they get Delfino, that’s not a big worry.

Here are a few names I know have been discussed among members of the braintrust, some quite seriously.
They still like Linas Kleiza a little bit and there are those who have at least mentioned guys like Von Wafer and Matt Barnes and, yes, Josh Childress, but I think they’ve got less support than the others.

I have no idea if they’d make a call about Marvin Williams, although I’m not sure where he fits at the moment. Here’s one that’s pretty intriguing given the way things have unfolded. There wasn’t a lot of interest before in him but I think they should absolutely give Jarrett Jack a call and see what it’ll take.

Of course, it may not be a matter of them making calls because they’re going to get hundreds. Especially after this Bryan quote gets in circulation. “I’m going to be looking to possibly do some short-term deals, I would love to sign a couple of guys to one-year deals even if it means paying a premium. That’s something that’s being discus.”

Seriously. You’ve got a GM talking about “paying a premium?” How popular is that going to make him?

Pfft! 3 million dahlahs is chump change for Hedo.

And so let the fun begin as Colangelo tries to add pieces to his Raptor puzzle with his new found cap space. First target - Pacers' guard Jarrett Jack who the Raps have made an offer to. He is the kind of combo guard the Raps would like to add. The added bonus is that he is a former Georgia Tech teammate of Chris Bosh which of course can't hurt as the Raps try to convince Bosh to stay in Toronto when he becomes a free agent after next season.

Jack started 53 games for the Pacers last season and averaged 13.1 points and 4.1 assists for the Pacers last season. The Toronto Star reports that financial details of the pact - which the Pacers have seven days to match from the time Jack officially signs it - were not immediately available. Jack made just over $2 million last season. According to the report in the Star - it is not out of the realm of possibility to think the 4 year offer is for more than $16 million in total, according to league sources.

Do they have more money to spend by signing and trading Marion than if they just let him walk?
(By the way, as to Rasho, be careful what you wish for!)

I don't have a clue how the salary cap and all its rules and exceptions work - but all I know is - the Raptors went from having no money to spend after signing Hedo - to having two players in addition to him and 12 million to spend.

Beat Toronto! Beat Toronto!

And when Bosh leaves, they'll have plenty of money next year too.

Sorry Pat. But I don't like your team's immediate future. I don't know which of the remaining free agents would really even help. Odom is too duplicative of Turkoglu (and his agent is a world class jerk). Paul Milsap, but apparently he's going to Portland or, if Utah matches, staying with the Jazz. David Lee maybe.

Do we (the Raptors) have a two headed point guard again - like we used to with Calderon and Ford. Jarrett Jack is now signed - and Bosh seems happy to have his Georgia Tech teammate and friend on the team.
http://thestar.blogs.com/raptors/

Rasho is back, after signing a 1-year $1.9 million deal with the Raptors.

Rasho's a hottie!

Despite the terrible weather this summer (and the garbage strike, and the Via Rail strike, ahem), Chris Bosh has been doing a lot of hanging around town. He just posted a video on his Twitter account announcing an exclusive Caribana party he is hosting at Lobby next Friday. I expect that means he'll be checking out the Caribana parade next Saturday. I will keep my eyes open for him when I go down there. Glad that CB4 is enjoying some of the perks of living in Toronto.

The Raptors have added another Italian to the roster, acquiring Marco Belinelli for Devean George plus cash. I like this deal. Belinelli is a poor man's Rudy Fernandez, and gives Bargnani an Italian teammate.

Rashard Lewis suspended for failing drug test.

Bryan Colangelo still wheeling and dealing: trades Roko Ukic and Carlos Delfino to the Bucks for Amir Johnson and Sonny Weems.

===========

Apparently, Bryan Colangelo is trying to trade Marcus Banks for Matt Carroll. What a total makeover for the Raptors. Aside from Bosh, Bargnani and Calderon, the majority of the team will be new.

===========

Jason Williams has come out of retirement and signed with the Magic.

Although I admire his immense ability, I've never been a fan of Shaq's character. Here is just one more reason why.

http://www.fannation.com/truth_and_rumors/...ash?eref=fromSI

Michael Beasley checks into rehab.

Dirk Nowitski's ex gets 5 year prison sentence.

I remember last year when everyone was criticizing Riley for agonizing about whether he should select Beasley with the second pick. It seemed like he really wanted to take Mayo instead, but was afraid of being blasted by the press (and, as a result, fans). Turns out Pat should have followed his instincts. The guy is a flake.

Smokey, have you cancelled your season tickets yet?
OJ Mayo, Rudy Gay, Z-Bo and Iverson on the court at one time? With only one ball?

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4425122