The future of the longest-serving Raptor remains cloudy as president and GM Bryan Colangelo will not rule out further changes to a roster he says he’s satisfied with now that the NBA is fully back in business.
Veteran point guard Jose Calderon, who will enter his seventh season in Toronto if he’s still with the team when training camp begins in October, was “not thrilled” by the acquisition of point guard Kyle Lowry from the Houston Rockets, the team formally announced Wednesday afternoon.
But that doesn’t mean a move is imminent; Colangelo said he’s had a handful of calls about Calderon and could hold off any move until he sees how the season progresses.
“Kyle represents the future of the position,” Colangelo said on a conference call after the deal with Houston for a protected first-round draft pick and Gary Forbes was finalized.
“He is a terrific player for great value (two years and less than $12 million (all figures U.S.) left on his contract) with a chance to be a piece growing into the future of the position with the Toronto Raptors.”
And if he grows in the role — Colangelo said it’d be up to Dwane Casey to decide who starts once training camp begins — alongside, Calderon, so be it.
“I would say it’s a luxury to have two starting-calibre point guards and at this stage, there’s been nothing predetermined.
“Jose has been a true professional in everything he’s done for the organization.”
Colangelo said it’s “unlikely but not impossible” that the Raptors would use the NBA’s amnesty provision to get out of one of its existing contracts.
Aside from his value on the court, Calderon’s deal — just over $10 million and expiring at the end of the 2012-13 season — could make him a valuable trading chip; “we’ve had multiple inquiries,” Colangelo said.
“For now Jose is part of the team and we will welcome him back. … We will continue to process things (but) we do like the composition of our roster.”
But whatever the fate of Calderon, and it could very well be he spends the season sharing the role with Lowry in a position of strength on the roster, Colangelo said he accomplished his goal during the first 10 days of the NBA’s free agency period.
The acquisition of the 26-year-old Lowry, the possibility Toronto will get third-year swingman Landry Fields from New York — the Knicks have three days to match the Raptors’ three-year, $19-million offer — and the arrival of centre Jonas Valanciunas takes care of some of the more pressing needs.
“We feel we’ve added athleticism, we’ve added grit … we’ve added physical and mental toughness,” he said. “All of these players fit a certain mould.”
The Fields situation is still up in the air, though.
Colangelo said his latest intelligence put it at a “50-50 proposition” that the Knicks would match the offer and retain the 6-7 swingman, that Colangelo said could play both the shooting guard and small forward positions.
The GM admitted part of the reason for the three-year offer sheet to Landry was to take him out of the mix in New York’s pursuit of Steve Nash (the Knicks could not have put Fields in a sign-and-trade deal for Nash) and that the Raptors may have overpaid a bit because that’s the nature of doing business with restricted free agents.
“I think I get criticized for every contract that I sign,” he said. “I take it as part of the territory. … We put a value on a player based on a lot of thought.”
Meanwhile, Jerryd Bayless has agreed to a contract with the Memphis Grizzlies. Bayless, the Raps’ backup point guard last season, became an unrestricted free agent after Toronto withdrew its qualifying offer last week.
Quindi solite cosette già riportate:
- Calderon non ha preso bene l'arrivo di Lowry e c'è la possibilità di una sua trade anche a stagione in corso
- a Fields è stato offerto quel tipo di contratto per fermare i Knicks per la corsa a Nash (fallita anche la nostra...) ma c'è ancora la possibilità di un "pareggio" dei NYK
