Let’s Make a Deal

The Toronto Raptors need to make a trade.

Those words may surprise you, especially after Friday night’s hard-fought 83-73 victory in San Antonio, the defending champions’ second loss on home court in 17 games this season. The words might come as a shock to some, considering the club is surviving without its starting point guard. But with the uncertainty surrounding T.J. Ford’s health and as his basketball future hangs in the balance, the reigning NBA Executive of the Year will soon be in the spotlight. The trading deadline is approaching, and it has become apparent that this club will make a move before the clock strikes 3 p.m. on February 21.

“But why?” you ask. “Things seem to be going pretty well, right?”

Toronto is now 16-15 after 31 games, good enough for sixth spot in the Eastern Conference. This was a team that was supposed to build upon last season’s playoff berth and rise to new heights. They lost Jorge Garbajosa for the season and haven’t gotten consistent production from 2007 first-overall pick Andrea Bargnani. The biggest problem the Raptors have, however, is at the point guard position. Not because Jose Calderon hasn’t done his job. He’s filled in exceptionally for Ford as a starter. The Colangelo-era Raptors pride themselves on their depth, but look at the roster. There’s one position that may have been overlooked.

Now, granted. No one saw this coming. It was an unlucky (read: freak) injury that could never have been foreseen. But combine Ford’s history of injuries and the nature of his spinal stenosis and his career is now in jeopardy.

As The Star’s Doug Smith writes, he should take all the time he needs to decide what’s best for himself and his family. In the meantime, though, it’s time to start looking forward and planning for the worst.

So, let’s do it.

Darrick Martin is not a serviceable back-up. Juan Dixon is not a serviceable backup, nor is he a natural point guard but rather a shooting guard playing out of position because of Sam Mitchell’s lack of options.

What makes this interesting is the fact that Calderon, Dixon and Martin all have deals scheduled to expire after this season. Martin is a valuable asset to keep because he’s cheap ($770,610), great for team chemistry and is basically an assistant coach wearing a uniform. More importantly, he has two trade restrictions in his contract by virtue of a. being signed less than three months ago (the league prohibits a player from being dealt until he’s been with his new club for at least three months) and b. being a one-year “bird”, or having a one-year deal with the option to become an ‘early-bird free agent’ at season’s end. In other words, he’s un-trade-able.

Dixon, on the other hand (who you’ll recall was brought in from Portland for Fred Jones at last year’s trade deadline) is expendable and should be considered to be up for grabs.

Calderon is a team player, an efficient playmaker with a flair for the dramatic but a cool head in crunch time. Teams want this type of player, especially one with his international resume. These teams will make him offers in the off-season and force Toronto to decide on his future.

We’ll assume the Raptors hang on to him for the balance of the season (given Ford’s murky status). Toronto’s current payroll sits at $67,052,973, which puts them $11,422,973 over the salary cap. This ties Colangelo’s hands a little, but there’s still plenty of room for creativity.

With all of this in mind, let’s fire up ESPN.com’s Trade Machine to look at a few potential deals.

Idea #1:

Toronto sends Juan Dixon ($2.5m), Joey Graham ($1.6m) and cash considerations to Orlando for Carlos Arroyo ($4m) and the rights to Fran Vasquez.

Financially, this deal works out perfectly. The contracts are balanced and Toronto accomplishes its goal of getting a solid point guard (and former Raptor) in Arroyo, who’s been playing well lately, averaging around 9 points, 4 assists, 4 rebounds and less than 1 turnover per game this week. His recent run includes Friday’s 13 point, 5 assist, 7 rebound, 0 turnover effort against Miami.

Toronto also picks up a prospect with upside in Fran Vasquez. The Spaniard would fit well into Colangelo’s vision for the club and add to the international flavour. He’d give them a post presence with solid fundamentals and basketball IQ. Vasquez ticked off Magic brass when he decided to stay in Europe this season rather than joining the club which drafted him 11th overall in 2005, so it wouldn’t be a heartbreaking loss from Orlando’s perspective. His NBA future is unclear, making him easy to let go.

Orlando adds Dixon and Graham. They have a dearth of shooters (Hedo Turkoglu, J.J. Reddick, Pat Garrity, Keith Bogans, Keyon Dooling) and would be looking to acquire athleticism and add depth at small forward. Graham gets this done for them. Dixon is a nice throw-in who gets a second third chance to display his skill set in a system that benefits combo-guards with the desire to shoot such as himself.

The Verdict: This deal would likely never happen, because Arroyo is a valuable part of Orlando’s present and future, and they’re just not getting enough in Graham and Dixon. Vasquez is an interesting piece, but he has decent upside and the Magic would want more for him. Plus, the questions surrounding his jump to the NBA may scare Colangelo away. Too bad, really, because on paper, this deal works.

Idea #2:

Toronto sends Kris Humphries ($2.5m) and Joey Graham ($1.6m) to Memphis for Damon Stoudamire ($4.35m).

Oh, how times have changed. He may have held ill feelings toward Toronto back then, but Stoudamire, Toronto’s first-ever draft pick (seventh overall in 1995), might have a different feeling about the franchise now, given that the Raptors are a contending team. He’d welcome a move to the Eastern Conference on a club destined for the playoffs, and would be a veteran presence and mentor for the younger players. He’d be coming full circle and finishing his career where it all began. He’s on the books for two more years and is still productive at age 34, averaging 3.9 assists in 21 minutes per game with Memphis this season. This could be a nice fit.

Humphries has really been a pleasant surprise for Toronto, giving them the strong rebounder off the bench they sorely needed. But, the fact is, his trade value is at a decent level right now. Looking at the Grizzlies’ roster, this is exactly what they need; a young, energetic rebounding force. Sure, he’s locked in for another four years, but given his production (10 points, five rebounds per game in only 15 minutes per night over the last month) and potential, this is a good move for Memphis. They dump Stoudamire and get younger. Plus, they get Graham, who’s a tad overpaid but could benefit from the change of scenery and perhaps an increase in minutes.

The Verdict: (In fine Marv Albert form) “YES!” The Raptors get exactly what they need in a veteran point guard who won’t log heavy minutes, and the Grizzlies get the likeable Humphries. It will be tough to part with Humph from a defensive standpoint, but it frees up time and space in the post for Bargnani, who’s begun to get lost in the rotation. Graham is a throw-in, but they’ll take him. This trade works well for both parties, and they’d be fools not to shake on it.

By the way, have you noticed both of the proposed deals so far include former Raptors coming back to Toronto? Coincidence? Yes.

Idea #3:

Toronto sends Kris Humphries ($2.5m) and Juan Dixon ($2.5m) to Los Angeles for Sam Cassell ($6.15m).

The Clippers get rid of their wily veteran/ageless wonder in exchange for younger talent. With Shaun Livingston (ailing but still in the fold), Brevin Knight and Dan Dickau at the point guard position, the Clippers can afford to part with the geriatric Cassell in favour of a shooting combo-guard in Dixon and an energetic glass cleaner in Humphries. The deal passes the NBA’s financial litmus test, and satisfies both sides. It’s another 2-for-1, but I don’t think Colangelo flinches at the prospect of getting a proven playoff-tested veteran point guard. He gives up Humphries, whose value is higher than it may ever be right now (despite really only possessing value in one category), but Bosh, Nesterovic, Baston and Bargnani can handle the rebounding duties until season’s end.

The Verdict: It’s the Clippers and Donald Sterling, so you never know. But throw this one on the table and it gets done. The Raptors get more playoff experience and add the point guard they so desperately need. Los Angeles sheds a million bucks, gets younger and improves their rebounding and mid-range shooting. Humphries’ long-term deal is the only thing stopping this deal from being stamped. Cassell and Dixon are free agents after this year.

So there are three possible trade scenarios, and you can interpret them as you may. The Raptors don’t have a lot of tradeable commodities at this point, making any other deal unlikely. As many in the media have eluded to before, most NBA GMs would rather sit back and decline a deal than accept one and risk making the wrong move.

That being said, however, anything’s possible. Especially when the league’s top executive is sitting in the general manager’s office.

There Is No Joy in Glanville

Those of you who frequent ESPN.com on your daily tour of the interweb may have came across former Major League Baseball player Doug Glanville’s stirring guest column on the website today.

If you haven’t, it’s certainly worth your time. Why?

For one, this is one of, if not the first example of a clean pedestrian player speaking out and lamenting the now public dishonest nature of the league he played an integral part in for nearly a decade. Sure, we’ve seen Curt Schilling’s thoughts on the issue, but he’s in the spotlight on a regular basis.

Glanville’s voice is unique and we identify with it because he isn’t superhuman. He describes himself as “a singles hitter with a good glove”, which is accurate. He wasn’t a flashy player or a slugging demigod. Doug Glanville, by all accounts (including his own), was an honest, hard-working, average Major League Baseball player. He also happens to be an Ivy League graduate, and his column is what one might expect from someone of his educational background.

With eloquence, passion and remorse, he provides a perspective that all members of society can understand.

Glanville served as the union representative for the Philadelphia Phillies and often volunteered his time to such charitable causes as the Corporate Alliance for Drug Education. But as he points out, he was never one to preach or villify a teammate for their choice. He points the finger not at the individual but at society as a whole.

So what can you take from it? Well, in the wake of the Mitchell Report, and with many of the game’s fallen heroes clutching to the “mistake” copout and clinging to nervous denials, it’s refreshing to hear a new point of view. One that doesn’t necessarily represent that of the common man (these are still millionaire professional athletes, remember), but that of an average baseball player questioning not just his former co-workers, but the culture in which he lives. While many of his peers resorted to banned substances and other equally unethical performance aids, Glanville stood by what he believed in. His message may come off as preachy or self-indulgent, but guess what? He has the right to be.

He says he played clean, and unlike all those fallen folk heroes who have fed you the same old party line, there’s something different about this voice.

You believe him.

Joey Graham Knows His Civies

“Now, Chris, is this the first time you’ve ever been blindfolded?”

Ahem.

“Well, there was that time in Vegas last year at All-Star Weekend…oh, and in Rome, we…umm…yeah. Then, there was that time during my recruiting trip to Georgia Tech…let’s just say there’s a reason I chose to go there.”

And another thing. There’s a piece of hidden genius here. Graham is forced to draw…a white t-shirt. Which, if you think about it, is probably how he’ll be remembered.

“I like the way he even drew the back of the t-shirt there,” quips VJ Matte Babel. Well, that’s not too surprising, Matte, considering he’s so familiar with wearing civilian clothing. During NBA games.

Next time on “Raptors Play Pictionary”, head coach Sam Mitchell draws up a play with the game on the line, and the team has twenty seconds to figure out what it is. Oh wait, that’s just the final timeout from tonight’s game against the Hawks.

Anderson Varejao 360

This isn’t CNN, and the subject of this post isn’t a Vanderbilt who drives the ladies wild. Yet another Anderson has come full circle, far from the comforts of a television studio in Atlanta.

Anderson Varejao, the energetic Brazilian power forward who had been embroiled in a bitter contract squabble with the Cleveland Cavaliers, will reportedly be re-joining the club. In case you missed it, here’s a quick blow-by-blow recap of the saga:

- During the 2006-07 season, his third in the NBA, he averages 6.8 points and 6.7 rebounds in 24 minutes per game. The year culminates with Cleveland’s improbable run to the Finals, during which Varejao proves to be a valuable post presence off the bench. His salary for this campaign? $945,600. When the final whistle sounds, he officially becomes a restricted free agent. Let the games begin.

- Along with agent Dan Fegan, Team Varejao decides to ride the wave of the Cavs’ success (and his newfound national exposure) in an attempt to parlay them into a contract extension [read: raise].

- Throughout the summer, Cleveland brass and Varejao’s camp sling offers back and forth, with nothing close to a compromise reached. At first, the contention is over the dollar amount (Varejao’s people propose $8-9 million at one point), but it then becomes a battle over the length of the contract. Fegan wants the team to cave and allow his client to become a free agent sooner (a short deal but a high per-year amount), but the club wants to lock him up for more years at a lower rate per season. Back and forth we go. Cleveland and Charlotte discuss a sign-and-trade that would send the forward to the Bobcats, but it falls through. The months drag on, and as training camp approaches, it becomes clear that Varejao won’t be on the Cavs’ opening day roster.

- The season begins, and sure enough, he isn’t a Cavalier. In fact, he even considers playing in Europe for a year.

- The two sides effectively arrive at a standstill, and all is relatively quiet on the Varejao front…

- But fast forward to this week. On Tuesday, word comes down the wire that those very same Charlotte Bobcats have signed him to an offer sheet worth $17.4 million over three years. The key, of course, is the player option in the final year of the deal. Cleveland is now on the clock, with a week to match the offer or let him walk.

- The next day, Brian Windhorst of the Akron Beacon-Journal reports the Cavs intend to match, but because they’re currently sitting at the roster maximum of 15 players, another move must be executed before he can re-join the club and begin mending a rift that has now reached chasm proportions.

So here we are. He is now scheduled to make $5.3, $5.7 and $6.2 million over the next three years. If indeed the club bites its tongue and swallows the contract, the two sides have some serious damage control to do. Varejao’s bitter words about the Cleveland organization were recently made public, and you can bet they’re still fresh in the minds of their intended targets. So what now? After all is said and done, one thing’s for sure. This could be awkward.

Oh, to be in the Cavs’ locker room when Varejao comes strolling in. Perhaps he should call Stephon Marbury and ask him how he handled re-joining the Knicks after abandoning them in mid-season.

In light of everything that’s gone down in this bizarre, unreasonable, ridiculous series of events, was it worth it? He clearly got lucky after Charlotte showed their desperate need for a big man, forcing Cleveland (who aren’t loving life without LeBron James) to retain him. Fegan got what he wanted. Varejao gets to return to the NBA. But what was really going on here? Did Cleveland want him all along, despite occasionally hinting at the contrary?

What we’re left with, finally, is a compromise. They just took a perplexing path to get there.

So welcome back, Andy. Oh, and if any Cavs’ equipment managers/cheerleaders/medical staffers are reading this, please remember to cue up your HandiCams the moment he steps into that locker room and do us a favour by posting it on YouTube. This could be the most awkward reunion since The Police announced they were going back on tour.

In the end, after months of bickering and nit-picking, they’ve got him. Or, they’re stuck with him. Any way you slice it, Anderson Varejao is reportedly soon to be a Cleveland Cavalier again.

I think I speak for everyone in NBA circles when I say I never thought I’d be typing those words.

Stop the Presses! Wade Belak Comes Alive.

Every four years, the calendar takes a leap. Every four years, the Olympic Summer Games are held. Every four years, we see something so unique that we’re able to sit back and appreciate it for what it really is. Well, ladies and gentlemen, it’s time to get out the anti-eclipse eyewear because tonight, Wade Belak entered rarified air.

For the first time since December 20, 2003, Belak accomplished the unfathomable. The one-man punchline scored a goal.

Belak looked as surprised as anyone this evening after his shot at 2:48 of the third period found its way through Nashville Predators goaltender Chris Mason.

Nobody saw this coming. To say that the 31-year old was expected to join the offensive resurgence currently being enjoyed by Mats Sundin and Nik Antropov would be foolish. But interestingly, this qualifies as an offensive explosion for Belak, who now has just two goals fewer than $20 million free-agent signee Jason Blake. Belak will earn the monumental sum of $625,000 this season. Talk about getting bang for your buck.

The winger known for his penchant for the sin bin was grinning from ear to ear on the bench following his oh-so-improbable flash of offensive prowess, and for good reason. His career-high in the goal-scoring department came in 2004-05 with the Conventry Blaze in jolly old England, where he somehow managed to erupt for seven goals. Belak has never scored more than three goals in an NHL season. The next time he lights the lamp, we could be living in a very different world.

Of course, the Maple Leafs will still be searching for their first Stanley Cup since 1967. John Ferguson, Jr.? He’ll have joined the ranks of Leaf infamy that include such unsavoury figures as Harold Ballard, Mike Murphy and Rob Ramage.

But wait a minute. Belak is 31. His goals come about as often as an airborne swine. There’s a good chance we may never see this again. So savour the moment, people. Bask in the glow of a Leafs club that’s been temporarily spared from the guillotine. Because that may have been the eighth and final goal of Wade Belak’s career.

Remember where you were.