Shawn Marion traded to the Toronto Raptors

In a season where four elite teams are dominating Championship talk and the economy is in turmoil, it’s no wonder that the majority of trades, both large and small, were made primarily for financial reasons. Teams were either preparing for the impending drop in the salary cap or the much ballyhooed 2010 draft class.

New York Knicks Trade Tim Thomas and Malik Rose in Separate Deals

The Knicks made two trades that had the following net impact:

New York received guard Larry Hughes and Forward Chris Wilcox

Chicago received forward Tim Thomas, guard Anthony Robertson, and center Jerome James

Oklahoma City received forward Malik Rose

The last remaining players from the Isiah Thomas era are now gone. The Chicago deal which saw Larry Hughes arrive for Tim Thomas, Anthony Robertson, and Jerome James had minimal impact on the Knick’s 2010 flexibility, but did free up two roster spots – roster flexibility seems to be the predominant theme in New York.

Malik Rose’s expiring contract for a good solid power forward in Chris Wilcox is a nice pick up for the Knicks. That Wilcox’s contract is up in time for the 2010 free agency is probably just a coincidence, right?

Deal Analysis

The Knicks got what they wanted by freeing up roster spots, maintaining their 2010 flexibility, while wiping out any remnants of Isiah Thomas. Not a bad outing.

Oklahoma City Thunder traded a solid player for an unusable expiring contract. On the plus side, they freed up about $900k in 2009 cap space. I certainly hope the nominal gain is worth putting an even weaker line up on the floor for your fans.

Is Chicago really this desperate for big men? On the other hand, with guards like Derrick Rose, Kirk Heinrich, and Ben Gordan, the Bulls were short on minutes for the perennially underachieving Hughes.

Kings Cut Costs by Dealing Miller and Salmons

Sacramento receives forward Andres Nocioni, foward Drew Gooden, forward Michael Ruffin, and forward Cedric Simmons

Chicago receives center Brad Miller and forward John Salmons

Portland receives forward Michael Ruffin and forward Ike Diogu

The Kings save $12.3 million in next year by dealing away Brad Miller and another John Salmons and another $11.3 million over the next two years since Salmon’s contract extends into 2010. In return they get the front loaded contract of solid forward Andres Nocioni and the expiring contracts of Drew Gooden, Michael Ruffin, and Cedric Simmons.

Deal Analysis

Sacramento loses two major contributors to ensure they stay far from the luxury tax next season. On the plus side, there’s more room for the up and coming Spencer Hawes. Unfortunately, even with the addition of Nocioni, it seems the Kings are going to get worse before they ever get better.

Chicago finally has a solid center with an insurance policy – 2010 cap space. Even better, they get a steal of a player in John Salmons. The Bulls are definitely the winners of this deal.

Portland was obviously the third wheel required to make this deal happen, unless of course someone still thinks Ike Diogu is going to reach his “potential” soon.

Raptors Trade O’Neal for Marion to Buy More Time

Toronto received forward Shawn Marion, guard Marcus Banks, and cash considerations

Miami received center Jermaine O’Neal, forward Jamario Moon, and a lottery-protected future first round draft pick

Long discussed, the Raptors finally relented on the draft pick and pulled the trigger. With the experiment between Chris Bosh and Jermaine O’Neal a decided failure, the Raptors couldn’t keep O’Neal and risk yet another year of a team with no chemistry especially since Bosh is one of the most coveted 2010 free agents.

The deal gives the Raptors one more season to show Bosh that they can build a winner while the Heat get the post-presence they’ve been missing since the previous O’Neal was dealt to Phoenix.

Deal Analysis

The winner of this deal is up in the air. If the Heat can keep O’Neal healthy, they’ll most likely come away with the edge. Unfortunately a healthy O’Neal is about as likely as Shawn Marion being the antidote to all the Raptor’s ailments this season.

Other Trades

There were also a number of smaller deals that were made primarily for financial reasons:

Boston Celtics trade backup center Patrick O’Bryant to the Raptors and guard Sam Cassell to the Kings for future draft picks. The Raptors send guard Will Solomon to the Kings.

Los Angeles Lakers trade backup center Chris Mihm to Grizzlies for a future draft pick.

Detroit Pistons trade Alex Acker to the Los Angeles Clippers for two future second round picks.

In a season where such a small number of teams are legitimately in the running to win it all, it isn’t surprising to see that the majority of trades were made for financial reasons rather than to get better in the present. That being said, with all this positioning and cap room play, there are going to be a number of very disappointed teams and fans when the 2010 free agency separates the haves from the have-nots.

Image by Keith Allison.

Between the two main beat writers for the Toronto Raptors, you either get unbridled optimism or doom and gloom. Usually reality – and hopefully this article – falls somewhere in between.

With the recent trade that saw Toronto’s Jermaine O’Neal, Jamario Moon, and a lottery-protected draft pick sent to Miami for the Heat’s Shawn Marion, Marcus Banks, and cash considerations, the Raptors have a new look and new pieces that give them a real shot at making the playoffs this year – even if it’s a half-court buzzer beater.

Adding Shawn Marion does a number of things for the Raptors. He is a shut down perimeter defender in a conference and league filled with scoring small forwards. Marion also adds a slasher, rebounder, and shot blocker who is comfortable setting up on the three point line. With a potential starting line up including Jose Calderon, Anthony Parker, Shawn Marion and Andrea Bargnani; Chris Bosh is going to have a lot of space to work with in the paint.

Addition by subtraction is also at work here. Andrea Bagnani is now the clear starting center for the Raptors, which will allow him to continue his strong development this season without having to look over his shoulder. This deal also sends Jamario Moon to the Heat. While Moon had the athletic gifts to provide a similar impact of a player like Marion, his unwillingness to play in the paint and his often questionable shot selection made him a liability on the offensive end; his penchant for jumping on pump fakes making him a liability on the defensive end.

Losing Jermaine O’Neal is significant on the defensive end. His ability to draw charges, block shots, rebound, and in general, intimidate in the paint, will be difficult to make up. That being said, the offense is likely to flow more with the inclusion of Marion who can run and slash, which was one of Toronto’s major deficiencies prior to the All-Star break.

The acquisition of Marcus Banks may give the Raptors a combo guard who can defend the one, but with Jose Calderon and the recent improvement of Roko Ukic, minutes may be difficult to find for the veteran guard.

Improved perimeter defense and a better offensive flow sound good on paper, but so did the remaking of the twin towers with Jermaine O’Neal and Chris Bosh. So why is the Raptor’s season still worth watching? For that, we need to look at their upcoming schedule.

The Toronto Raptors have 27 games remaining. Of those 27 games, 16 are at home. Only 11 of those games are against teams with a winning record: Cleveland, Phoenix, Dallas, Houston, Miami, Utah, Philadelphia (twice), Detroit, Orlando, and Atlanta.

Looking at the last 30 days of the season, the Raptors definitely have a chance to put a major run together. Of the final 16 games of the regular season, the Raptors will play only 6 away games and will face only two teams with records currently above .500: Orlando, now without Jameer Nelson, and Atlanta.

The Raptors have a history of season-changing runs. In the 2001/2002 season, the Raptors had lost 17 of 18 games, which left their playoff hopes so few that Vince Carter opted to have season-ending knee surgery. After the announcement, the Raptors went 12 of 14 to close the season and make the playoffs. With the run, the Raptors made history by being one of only three teams across the NBA, NHL, and MLB to have gone through a 13-game losing streak during the season and still advance to the postseason.

By no means is making the playoffs going to be a given for a Raptor squad that has struggled to find its identity this season, but the recent trade and favorable schedule to close out the season leaves the possibility for some late-season heroics from the Toronto Raptors. Stay tuned.

Image by Daniele Sartori

He’s the youngest player to have ever played in the Spanish ACB League at 14, an Olympian – winning a silver medal with the Spanish national team in 2008, and a guaranteed top 10 pick in the 2009 NBA draft. Ricky Rubio is touted as being the best basketball player outside the NBA and he’s just 18.

What may be more amazing than all his accomplishments is how relatively unknown he still is. Rubio’s family, until recently, have carefully protected the young phenom from the media. He was only made available for interviews when he was selected to the Spanish national team to play in the 2008 Olympics. Three years after he began his professional basketball career.

With his Olympic play and the upcoming 2009 NBA draft, Ricky’s name has begun to circulate more and more in North America’s basketball circles.

So what makes Ricky Rubio so special? Pepe Sanchez, former NBA guard, may have said it best:

“I think he’s a freak of nature – being so young and being so skilled and also so cool all the time… he knows the game and he can only improve. I think he’ll be a great player.”

Youth and skill aside, Ricky brings a very refreshing view of basketball to the court. In his first press conference he criticized the NBA’s current emphasis on individual play, “basketball isn’t one-on-one. It’s five-on-five, plus the bench.” For a predestined star still too young to be eligible for the NBA draft to have such a holistic view of the game is something that immediately sets him apart.

His game? While many see his long, lean build, and on-court flair and compare Ricky to Pistol Pete Maravich, Lang Whitaker, editor of SLAM magazine, sees more of Magic Johnson in the young point guard, “Maravich was a scorer first, while Ricky seems suited to being a distributor first and scorer second.” Rubio has a tremendously high basketball IQ, quick hands, coordination, patience, and lightning quick reaction time. He’s going to be a constant triple-double threat when he enters the league and will end his career with at least a few quadruple doubles to his name.

Ricky also brings intangibles to the table and a competitive nature one would expect in someone who has accomplished so much so quickly, “If I’m losing, I’m going to do everything possible to win. I do the same thing on the court.” His hustle on both ends of the court was also one of the highlights of the Spanish national team’s Olympic performance.

His awareness of space on offense and his ability to see plays unfold before anyone else is only surpassed by his even better understanding of defense: Ricky averaged 3.1 steals a game in his first year in the Euroleague in just 18 minutes and at just 14 years old.

Whether because of the NBA fine for commenting on underage prospects or in a futile attempt to keep Ricky a secret, NBA insiders have been hesitant to talk at much length about the young prospect. From Eastern Conference to Western, GM’s are talking:

“He’s the European LeBron James. He’s not so crazy strong, but he does other things: the creativity, the Maravich-type stuff. He brings people out of their chairs and he’ll put them in your stands. He’s a top-three pick.”

“A tremendous talent,” described one Eastern Conference GM before ensuring the rest of his accolades were off the record.

With comments like that, suffice it to say the secret’s out: Ricky Rubio is on his way to the NBA.

Image by Aitor Arrizabalaga.

Rumor and speculation swirl around the upcoming 2010 NBA free agency, where franchise fortunes and titles have the potential to be made or lost. One of the names at the center of it all is the Toronto Raptors’ All-Star Chris Bosh. Whether due to his club’s disappointing season or his breakout Olympic performance, teams have not been discreet in their praise for the young power forward.

With the stakes so high, there’s no wonder that there is an endless stream of opinions and reports. All of which culminated in a recent incident where an NBA insider alleged that Chris Bosh had spoken to Brian Colangelo, general manager of the Toronto Raptors, about his decision not to re-sign.

Looking past the speculation, the facts surrounding this historic free agency shed a great deal of light on how this situation is likely to proceed. Throughout, Chris Bosh’s stance on the 2010 free agency has been consistent:

“I can’t make a decision right now. It would be crazy and absurd to do that, to make up my mind now … as opposed to a year and a half from now. My focus right now is playing basketball and trying to help the Toronto Raptors be the best team they can be.”

A fair statement from a 24 year old who has a very important decision to make – eventually. His statement is also in line with the way the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) is designed.

An extension to his current contract is very unlikely given the current CBA. If Chris Bosh were to extend his current contract, he stands to lose as many as two years of guaranteed money versus waiting for free agency.

Waiting for free agency also allows Bosh to play the open market and make a decision with the maximum amount of information possible. Which teams are interested? For how much and how long are these contract offers? With whom will I be playing? What are my chances to win a championship?

A lot can happen in a year and a half, both for the Raptors and the rest of the league. It’s anyone’s guess where Chris Bosh and the other stars of his draft class will end up. One thing, however, is certain:

Chris Bosh will be a free agent in 2010.

Image by LexnGer.