The injury came in an unfortunate game, as it was actually Calderon’s most impressive performance so far in these Olympics.  He scored 10 points and dished out a couple of assists while being one of the keys to the 12-0 Spain run in the first quarter that ended up being the distance in an otherwise close contest.

Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo has already stated that Calderon is out of today’s gold medal game because of the risk for further injury, and it appears this time he and the Spanish Basketball Federation are on the same page, as Calderon didn’t play in Spain’s close 91-86 victory over Lithuania in the semi-final round.

This really was Toronto and any other NBA club’s worst nightmare: their player getting hurt in the Olympics, but this doesn’t appear to be a major injury at all- which is a very lucky thing for the Raptors.  Honestly, I’m unsure how I feel about Calderon being forced to sit out the gold medal game for his country.  I know he can be further injured, but even that would only force Calderon to miss the start of training camp and not any regular season NBA action.

The only question I have is whether this is injury has been lingering throughout the whole Olympics, something that could definitely explain Calderon’s poor play throughout.  If this is the case then I would say that Calderon should in fact sit out the finale against Team U.S.A, but otherwise I wouldn’t mind Calderon playing in a gold medal game, risking a slightly further injury, but only if it was a Hollywood-ending and Team Espana were to actually upset Team U.S.A.

But I don’t see that happening, so let’s just have Jose sit out the blowout and get rested and ready for training camp.

Meanwhile, Calderon’s back-up for next season, Roko-Leni Ukic, again struggled shooting from the floor in his team’s loss to Spain, going 2-for-7 from the field, including 0-for-4 from behind the arch, on his way to 7 points, 2 steals and 2 rebounds in 20 minutes of play.  Overall Ukic had a decent tournament beyond shooting- where he struggled mightily, especially from 3-point range, where he went 4-for-20 for the tournament.

Meanwhile, Chris Bosh would have two of his better games in the quarter-and semi-finals, scoring 10 points and grabbing 6 rebounds in 19 minutes in Team U.S.A’s 116-85 victory over Australia in the quarter-final round.  Then, in their 101-81 victory over Argentina to get into the gold medal game, Bosh scored 11 points and grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds in 20 minutes.

Now let’s talk about the former two Raptors, as Jorge Garbajosa added 8 points and not much else in Spain’s two victories to get into the gold medal game.  Meanwhile, Carlos Delfino played his two best games of the Olympics in the quarter- and semi-final rounds, scoring 23 points (on 9/14 shooting) and grabbing 5 rebounds in Argentina’s 80-78 quarterfinal victory over Greece.

Delfino then scored 17 points (albeit on 6/18 shooting) and grabbed 8 rebounds in Argentina’s quarterfinal defeat against Team U.S.A.as Argentina was simply no match for Team Redeem without star Manu Ginobili, who left and didn’t return in the first quarter with an ankle injury.  Argentina did put up a valiant effort behind Luis Scola’s monster game (28 points, 11 rebounds) and gave Team U.S.A. the closest thing to a scare they’ve had in these Olympics.

But now it’s down to the medal round games, with Spain and U.S.A. going at it for gold and Argentina and Lithuania battling it out for bronze, but overall it’s been a pretty successful Olympics for Toronto’s players, as no less than three (and potentially four) of the aforementioned current/former Raptors players will medal.

So now I thought I would give a breakdown of each current and former Toronto player’s Olympics so far through the just completed pool play.

Chris Bosh (Team USA): Bosh is one of the players involved in coach Mike Krzyzewski’s eight-man rotation and is really the only big man other than Dwight Howard getting significant minutes on Team USA.  So far Bosh has posted very solid numbers: as in the just over 15 minutes of playing time Bosh is averaging, he is putting up just under 9 points and just over 5 rebounds a game.  Bosh’s best game was Team USA’s first real test of the tournament against Greece, where Bosh led the team with 18 points, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks, and 2 steals in the 92-69 victory. 

Bosh is an intricate member of Team USA because he is really the back-up center and only other big man on the team other than starter Dwight Howard.  Behind Bosh and Howard, Carlos Boozer and Tayshaun Prince (both 6′9″) are the only other big men on Team USA and they are power forwards at best.  This means that if Howard were to get into foul trouble Bosh would really be the only thing between Team USA and big trouble.

That could come into play in Team USA’s next game, as they face big man Andrew Bogut and a hot Australian team that just throttled the previously undefeated Lithuanian team 106-75, with Bogut leading the way with 23 points.

Jose Calderon (Team Espana): Calderon has had a rather disappointing Olympics so far, as even though his team is 4-1, he has not played that well at all.  The biggest sign of this is the fact that Calderon is averaging just 1 assist/game through pool play.  That’s right, Jose Calderon is averaging an assist so far in Olympic play.  He didn’t even have an assist in Spain’s loss to Team USA and put up only 4 points (1/5 shooting) and 4 rebounds in 22 minutes that game.

Overall, Calderon’s had only two solid games and even those had their downsides.  In Spain’s opening game against Greece Calderon scored 13 points, but turned the ball over 4 times.  Jose also added 15 points against Germany but added only 3 rebounds and a block in that contest.

These are surprisingly poor numbers for Calderon, who is one of the game’s best distributors and was just signed to a 5-year, $45 million extension this off-season by Toronto.  Conventional wisdom would say Calderon must improve for Spain to medal, but so far they have done a good job playing team basketball, with Pau Gasol and Rudy Fernandez both having solid, but not spectacular, Olympics to help lead their team to a solid 4-1 record in pool play.

Spain kicks off the quarterfinals by playing Croatia, which just happens to be the team that the final  current Raptors player is on…

Roko-Leni Ukic (Croatia): Ukic is Toronto’s 2nd round pick (41st overall) in the 2005 NBA Draft who is joining the team this season and is expected to be the team’s back-up point guard behind Calderon.  Ukic is 6′5″ and has played quite well for the surprising Croatian team in this Olympics.

Ukic has led the Croatian team in minutes, averaging just over 27 a game, and averaged 7.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.4 assists through pool play.  The best part of Ukic’s game so far in these Olympics is the fact that he just doesn’t turn the ball over, as he has had just 6 turnovers in 5 games- with 4 of those coming in the opening defeat of Australia.

One hole in Ukic’s game is his shooting, as he has also taken the most shots on the team and shot only 33% from the field (37.9% from 2-point range and 25% from beyond the arch).

The good news is that Ukic’s best two games were his team’s last two in pool play, as in Croatia’s 86-73 loss to Lithuania he led his team with 13 points, with the only flaw being his 1-for-6 shooting from the 3-point line.  Meanwhile, in Croatia’s 91-57 victory over Iran he scored 4 points, dished out 8 assists and had 2 steals.

But Ukic has done a good job leading the surprising Croatian team, ranked 20th in the world according to FIBA, past pool play and into the quarterfinal round, as they were expected by many to not reach pool play, with Russia favored to advance into the round of eight.  Now we will see how far the underdog Croatians can go, as they face the 3rd ranked Spanish team in the opening game of quarterfinal play.

Carlos Delfino (Argentina): Delfino is an intricate part of the 2nd ranked Argentinian team, averaging 10.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.4 steals through pool play.  Delfino averaged 23 minutes/game in pool play and served as the Argentinians’ sharpshooter from the outside, as 26 of his 36 shots have come from behind the arch, where he is shooting 46.2% through pool play.

Delfino is a great sharpshooter and it really is a shame Toronto didn’t resign him, as he was one of the Raptors best bench players all season and one of their best players overall in the playoffs.  But the salary cap really forced Toronto’s hands, as they simply didn’t have the same cash to spend as European teams and Carlos left for Russia to play for Khimki BC, where he signed a 3-year, $30 million deal.

Jorge Garbajosa (Spain): The Raptors actually bought out the final year of Garbajosa’s contract because of the Olympics and the fact that he and the Spanish Basketball Association wanted him to play in them.  That to go along with lingering concerns about Garbajosa’s leg injury led to the buy-out, and if these Olympics are any indication Toronto appears to have made a good decision, as Garbajosa is averaging just 4.2 points and 4.8 rebounds through pool play.

Those numbers have come in just over 17 minutes/game and Garbajosa has shot an abysmal 25.8% overall from the field so far.  Also, these numbers include Garbajosa’s best game, a 10 point, 8 rebound, 4 steal performance in Spain’s blowout of lowly Angola.

I was actually disappointed by the Garbajosa buy-out at the time, as I felt Toronto really missed his energy off the bench at the power forward position last season and a healthy Garbajosa would help bring added depth to the frontcourt.  Besides, I mean who wants to pay a guy to not play for them.

However, Garbajosa’s Olympic performance so far seems to indicate that he still hasn’t gotten over his leg injuries and still isn’t completely healthy.  His performance leads me to believe that Toronto made the right move in letting him go, as even if he would contribute it would be nowhere near the caliber of his rookie season.

Well that’s it for my first report on Toronto players at the Olympics, I’ll be back a little later with reports on their progress as it gets closer to the medal games.

Let’s start off with Joey Graham, who led the team averaging 18 points on 46.2% shooting from the field.  Those are decent numbers, but there are a couple more telling categories he led Toronto in, first being that he averaged 6 personal fouls a game, showing he hasn’t exactly improved his defense.  The other was that Graham averaged 3.8 turnovers, which is not even close to the 1.8 assists he averaged.

Sure, Graham scored the most points but he also fouled and turned the ball over the most, which is not something a player entering his fourth NBA season should do in the summer league.

Graham’s main challenger for playing time next season, newly signed Hassan Adams, didn’t fare that much better, as he averaged a mediocre 10.6 points during his Summer League action.  Adams did have a lot less turnovers and fouls though, and the 2.4 steals he averaged were quite impressive.  My only knock on Adams, other than his limited offense skills, were the fact that he shot only 65% from the free throw line.  I can definitely see Adams being used as a defensive sub off the bench and taking minutes away from Graham.

The only other big name on the team was 2nd round pick C Nathan Jawai, who got into two games during the summer and showed his inexperience.  In the first game, he scored 8 points, grabbed 6 rebounds, and blocked 2 shots.  But Jawai also picked up 4 personal fouls in 24 minutes, and it took him a while to get to those 8 points, as he missed 6 of his 9 shoots from the floor, to go along with 5 of his 7 free throws.

There was really only one pleasant surprise on the Raptors summer league squad, as PG John Lucas III averaged 12.2 points, 4.6 assists, and 2 turnovers.  The only negative was that he shot only 39.6% from the field, but if you take out the first two games- in which he shot 6-for-25 from the field- he actually had much better numbers.

But it appears the Raptors turned elsewhere to fill their PG void, as they signed PG Will Solomon, who played the last two seasons in Istanbul for Fenerbahce Ulker.  Solomon averaged 17.8 points and 4.4 assists in regular season play last season and really picked it up in Euroleague Top 16 play, averaging 20.5 points and 3.5 assists.

Soloman has played the last six seasons overseas, after playing one season with the Vancouver Grizzlies in 2001-02, who selected him 33rd overall in the 2001 NBA Draft.  He averaged 5.2 points in just over 14 minutes a game during that season for the Grizzlies, but he then went overseas and has been there ever since.

Solomon has become one of the better overseas players in this time and he is now a 30-year-old European league veteran who will join the NBA’s international team in the Raptors.  Solomon also was a teammate of Anthony Parker on Tel Aviv during the 2005-06 season.

Solomon has a scouting report of being more of a score-first PG than a pass-first PG, as evidenced by his scoring numbers.  Solomon uses his size and length (6′2″ with a 6′9″ wingspan) to drive to the basket, which is how he gets the majority of his points.  That slashing attitude is certainly something the Raptors could use and really lack on this team, which could make Soloman an ideal back-up PG to the pass-first Calderon.

Solomon’s size and length also could be of great help defensively, as he could guard some of the bigger PGs in the Eastern Conference, such as Chauncey Billups, that have given Toronto trouble in the past.

Honestly, I’d never heard of Solomon, but the more I read about him the more I like him.  Besides, I also trust Toronto’s European scouts, as they have brought us some great players such as Parker and Calderon over the last few seasons.  Besides, his nickname is King Solomon, and that alone is something positive.

While neither of these is surprising, there was an intriguing name also included, that of G/F Hassan Adams, the former Arizona standout who played last season in the Italian League after playing one season with the New Jersey Nets, who drafted him with the 54th overall pick in the 2006 draft.

While Adams didn’t produce much in his one year in the NBA he was a pretty consistent scorer in college for the Arizona Wildcats, averaging 14 points and 5.3 rebounds over his four year college career. I also trust our European scouting department and they must have really seen something they like in Adams’ game to bring him over in a crowded battle for playing time at the SG/SF positions.

Now, having said this I don’t mind the Adams signing, but not at the expense of Carlos Delfino, as this would appear to be yet another sign that Delfino will not be returning to Toronto next season. Delfino was one of the best players off the bench last season for Toronto, averaging 9 points in 23.5 minutes. Delfino was a great sharpshooter off the bench, as he shoot 39.7% from the field and 38.2% from behind the arch. He also was one of a handful of players who actually stepped up their game in the playoff series against Orlando and is really someone I think the Raptors are overlooking, as I don’t see Adams being capable enough to take over Delfino’s role.  Overall, I’m really not liking Toronto’s depth headed into next season, and unless there are a couple of acquisitions of solid bench players, such as Delfino, I don’t see how next year’s team will be any better than this year’s, even with a healthy Jermaine O’Neal.

The oddest thing to me about surrounding the rumors that Delfino is leaving is the fact that they say he will return to Europe. It’s as if they’re implying that Delfino can’t hold a job in the NBA and, other than money or personal preference, I would see no reason why any NBa team couldn’t use Delfino, as he’s a great shooter who can be one of your first players off the bench.

That pick was Georgetown C Roy Hibbert, who will essentially (along with Rasho Nesterovic and Maceo Baston) help replace O’Neal in Indiana. Hibbert at this spot was a little high, as he was projected to go behind the likes of Kosta Koufos, JaVale McGee, Robin Lopez at the center position.

Now, first, let me hypothetically break down how Hibbert would fit in Toronto. He really would be a good fit on the Raptors, as he is NBA-ready now and would be a serviceable back-up center down low.

His biggest asset is his height (7′2″) but he improved every year at Georgetown and put up solid numbers for one of the nation’s top college programs. I think Hibbert doesn’t necessarily have the upside some of the above mentioned centers have, but I think that he is the most NBA-ready and is more of a sure thing than any of those players. Hibbert definitely has the ability to be an above-average NBA center who will have a lengthy NBA career in front of him.

Now, I’ll break it down for the Pacers, as they get pretty much what I described above- a solid back-up for Rasho Nesterovic at the center position. I like this selection for the Pacers, as Hibbert can spend a year learning under a veteran center in Rasho.

Also, a little comment on another proposed trade involving the Pacers, the one that would send PG Jarrett Jack, F/C Josh McRoberts, and (the rights to) Kansas G Brandon Rush to Indiana from Portland, who would receive F Ike Diogu and (the rights to) Arizona PG Jerryd Bayless.

This deal kind of reflects that the Pacers will be getting Ford, as in trading Bayless they get a bigger PG in Jack (6′3″) who can handle the bigger PGs (such as Chauncey Billups) that Ford can’t handle. Jack is a solid back-up to Ford who has been in the league for three years and wouldn’t be hindered as much playing behind Ford as Bayless would be. McRoberts is an interesting addition to the trade though, as it is the fourth big man that Indiana would be bringing in.

41st pick: PF/C Nathan Jawai (Australia)- The Pacers second round pick will be heading Toronto’s way and I was literally drooling at the though of Memphis G Chris Douglas-Roberts falling to this spot, as he was a player that I thought would be a great pick with the 17th pick.  The fact that he fell to into the 2nd round at all was really shocking to me, and as Indiana/Toronto’s pick got closer I was really getting pumped. Alas, those pesky Nets chose Douglas-Roberts with the 40th pick, crushing that dream.

However, I’m still happy with the selection of Jawai who, like Douglas-Roberts, was projected to be a late 1st round pick.  He is pretty much everything that the Raptors need in a big man, as he a load and force inside, running 6′10″ and 270 pounds.  He is strong and surprisingly athletic for his frame.  I’ve also read that he can get angry and emotional, but not to the point where it affects his game in a negative manner.

I think Jawai could possibly challenge for a roster spot this season, as he brings the big body and strength inside to help this team deal with the Pistons, Magic, and any other team with a large front court.  He would be a great complement off the bench to our slender starters in Bosh and O’Neal off the bench, and a real change-up from the only other big man Toronto has under contract in Andrea Bargnani.

It appears that both teams dug deeper into the medical records of the proposed damaged goods they received and felt confident enough that they weren’t getting a lemon to give the trade a thumbs up.

Apparently, other players must still be added to the deal to make the numbers work, with that player most likely being C Maceo Baston and his expiring contract.

It’s also possible that other players could be exchanged, with Toronto possibly sending a larger expiring contract (say, Anthony Parker?) and getting another player in return.

Now, beyond these possibilities there are a lot of interesting things about this trade, mostly being that this trade can’t take place until July 9th. The reason is pure NBA Salary-Cap-ology, but to put it simply Ford can’t be traded until the free agency signing period for next season opens on July 9th.

This basically means that Toronto will be selecting whomever the Pacers tell them to choose with their 17th overall pick in tomorrow night’s draft.

So, it’s basically an arranged trade, two weeks before it can actually happen, with the NBA Draft happening tomorrow, and Toronto choosing a player for Indiana.

Now, I know that all the sources say that it’s a done deal, but so many things can happen between now and July 9th, first and foremost being that Toronto receives an upped offer from another one of the teams in the running because a prospect they coveted fall to Toronto’s 17th overall pick.

Now, whether or not Toronto receives a better offer for both Ford and the 17th overall pick, I don’t know, but if some team is willing to offer up something for just the 17th pick overall, I think Toronto has to listen.

As much as I like this trade for the Raptors, it just gives them even less depth. This is a team whose bench virtually disappeared when they were struggling in the second half, and now they’re trading PG 1B (Ford), one of the only players who played well in the second half (Rasho), AND the 17th pick in this year’s draft (at least a decent bench player) for one player?

Here’s the Raptors’ basic depth chart for next season:

PG: Calderon-Ukic(?- reportedly is coming over, will he stick?)

SG: Parker-Delfino(?- RFA, hopefully resigned)

SF: Moon-Kapono-Graham

PF: Bosh-Humphries-Baston(?- what if included in trade?)

C: O’Neal-Bargnani

The scorecard would be:

Gained: C Jermaine O’Neal

Lost: PG T.J. Ford, C Rasho Nesterovic, PF Jorge Garbajosa, 17th overall pick, PF Maceo Baston(?)

That’s basically five roster players lost, one gained. Now, I’m sure GM Bryan Colangelo is not through wheeling and dealing, I honestly wouldn’t even be surprised to see Toronto pick up an additional draft pick tomorrow night, and free agency hasn’t even started yet, so I’m sure this isn’t the opening night roster we’ll have to open the season.

But, let’s be honest, Toronto doesn’t have a lot of tradeable assets left after this deal (Moon, Kapono, Parker’s expiring contract) and they have even less salary flexibility after this deal, as they still pretty much only have a mid-level exception to snag help via free agency.

But what I do know is that Toronto finally has a solid, All-Star caliber scorer behing Chris Bosh, something they desperately needed, so now I’ll just sit back and watch GM BC continue to work his magic.

If the Raptors were looking to make a big splash in trading Ford this would be it, as they’re getting a player in O’Neal who can be a 20-10 guy and back up Chris Bosh down low, giving Toronto it’s own pair of twin towers.

The cons to O’Neal are that he does have a huge contract ($44 million over next two years- bigger than Chris Bosh’s) and he also has injury concerns, averaging just over 51 games/season over the last four seasons.  But when healthy he is a beast and would give the Raptors two legitimate scoring big men inside.

The only part of this deal is that the Raptors are giving up the 17th pick (again).  I understand Ford and Rasho, and honestly I think this alone should be equal value, as O’Neal has injury concerns just as much as Ford and two years left on a huge contract.

Not many teams would take on a huge a contract as O’Neal’s, and Indiana is getting back the PG they are seeking in Ford, as well as a very adequate center in Rasho.

The 17th pick would put it a little over the top in my opinion, as Toronto has multiple holes and not a lot of attractive pieces to trade.  This is the deal I would love to do:

Toronto gets: C Jermaine O’Neal, 41th overall pick

Indiana gets: PG T.J. Ford, C Rasho Nesterovic, 17th overall pick

This way Toronto still gets a chance to acquire at least an upgrade on the bench with a second round draft pick, and besides, the Pacers would now have the 11th and 17th overall picks, so why would they need the 41st overall (a much riskier pick).

Now, having analyzed all this, here’s a link to tell you that the talks seem to have broken down: http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=Aohi.CqXC.bkoO16QU5Wg3S8vLYF?slug=aw-tradeoff062308&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

Honestly, this sounds like one of the fairer trades out there, as it’s really risk-for-risk in trading O’Neal and Ford, with Ford’s risk being more medical and O’Neal’s risk being more contractual.

I don’t think this or any of the other deals mentioned are dead.  I believe that Ford and the 17th pick will be moved draft night, with a team in the running for Ford possibly seeing their coveted prospect falling to Toronto’s 17th pick and revisiting the offer or making an even more desperate one.

But, it should continue to be a fun couple of days leading up to Thursday’s NBA Draft, as the rumors will continue to swirl.

This certainly is among the most interesting rumors I’ve heard, as when you think of the Suns you think of their PG Steve Nash. I know Nash is not getting any younger, but I don’t know why the Suns would give up Diaw for a mid 1st round pick and an $8 million back-up PG in Ford.

As a Toronto fan, I like that we are getting back Diaw, as he is a versatile player who could possibly shine without a loaded frontcourt of Shaq and Amare. His contract status is not the best though, as he’s under contract for the next 4 years at $9 million/year.

Diaw is a versatile player, who could fill Toronto’s void at SF, but I’m not sure he brings enough offensively to go along with his hefty contract. Plus, the Raptors have multiple holes, and I think they were really counting on their 17th pick to fill another one of those.

Toronto would still have the mid-level exception to address some of these needs, and Diaw certainly would help, but this is a deal I would pass on.

Now, Ford straight up for Diaw? That is a deal I would be much more likely to do, but not Ford + 17th for Diaw.

Qualifying Offers, um, Offered: Also, the Raptors have made qualifying offers to two of their restricted free agents, PG Jose Calderon and SG Carlos Delfino.  No big surprise here, but still thought I would report the news.

This means that Toronto now has the right to match any offer that either Calderon or Delfino get from any of the 29 other NBA teams.  I really hope they bring back both players, now it has been widely speculated that Calderon would return and Ford is on the way out, but I had not heard that much on Delfino.  Delfino was a key part of Toronto’s bench last season and really stepped it up, along with Jason Kapono, in the playoffs last season.  I had really hoped that they would bring him back as well and this is a step in the right direction.

That means there has been widespread speculation about what teams are interested in Ford, and, most importantly, what the Raptors can get back in a trade for Ford.  Honestly, what’s surprised me the most is the interest in Ford, especially given his spinal condition, which, as we witnessed in Atlanta earlier this season, can flair up at anytime and potentially end his career or at least put him out of commission for a large amount of time.

This to go along with the fact that Ford is the one losing his starting job to Calderon would’ve left me to believe that interest in Ford would be very limited.  But with Chris Paul leading a core of great young point guards, it appears that point guards have become the flavor of the month among NBA GMs.

But this can only help the Raptors get something useful in return, and now I’ll break down some of the trade rumors floating out there and propose some of my own:

Clippers-Corey Maggette: I, along with many other Raptors fans, must be drooling over this deal, as it would bring the Raptors exactly what they need: a slashing forward who gets to the basket.  It would involve Maggette opting out of his current contract, which he is expected to anyways, and resigning with the Clippers to be traded to the Raptors for Ford.

Honestly, I don’t see why the Clippers would pull this trade, as I think they could get much better for Maggette than Ford straight up, but it would give the Clippers the veteran point guard they have been looking for while giving the Raptors really exactly what they need.

The Raptors really don’t have many other attractive assets though, other than possibly Andrea Bargnani and draft picks.  I don’t see GM Bryan Colangelo trading the player he selected #1 overall just two years ago, despite his struggles last season.  I would prefer to trade future draft picks (especially second rounders) but would be willing to part with this season’s 17th overall pick if the Clippers would give us at least a decent bench player, such as Nick Fazekas, back.

Portland- This is a team that is looking for a veteran point guard, and Ford certainly fits into that mold.  They also have a glutton of picks (13th, 33rd, 36th, and 55th) in the upcoming draft and the Raptors could certainly use one of those picks, especially seeing as they don’t have a second round pick this season.

Maybe a package that centered around Joel Przybilla, who the Blazers don’t need with a healthy Greg Oden coming back next season.  Add this to go with the fact that Rasho Nesterovic is only under contract for one more season and it could set the Raptors up at the center position for a few more years and give them an excellent center combination this season with Rasho and Przybilla.

The Raptors could also potentially get either the 33rd or 36th pick in this season’s draft or a solid bench player like Jarrett Jack or Sergio Rodriguez.

Either way, I think the Raptors and Trail Blazers are good trade partners, as Portland wants a veteran point guard and have a lot of trade assets with their number of solid young players to go along with several draft picks.

Sacramento-Ron Artest: Another player in the mold of Maggette, only Artest would better fill the defensive stopper role that the Raptors have lacked against the likes of LeBron James.  There’s definitely still question marks surrounding Artest’s character and he could opt out of the final year of his contract, but the word is that the Kings are looking for an upgrade at their point guard position.

Artest would definitely be worth the risk for the Raptors, as he would bring defense to go along with scoring that Toronto really needs.

Miami: The Heat are really the biggest question mark along with any trade for a point guard.  They have a few pieces, including Udonis Haslem and Daequan Cook, that would definitely be very good fits on the Raptors bench.  Honestly, I would take a Haslem and Cook for Ford trade straight up, as it would fill some major holes on Toronto’s bench and give them one of the deeper teams in the East.

Well, those are just a few options that I see that the Raptors have for Ford, and honestly a lot of these trades are for less than others proposed (such as the Maggette-Ford straight up scenario) but I honestly don’t see Ford having a lot of value.

Feel free to post any other scenarios you can think of and comment on these, as it should be a fun 10 days leading up to draft night.

First, I’ll start with the good news, as it is appearing ever more likely that Calderon will stay with the Raptors, as he fired his US-based agent George Bass last week, hiring fellow Spaniard Paco Lopez Costell.  The speculation is that Calderon didn’t want Bass stirring up interest and other offers that would raise his price tag to the Raptors.

The bad news is that it appears Jorge Garbajosa will not return this season, as it appears GM Bryan Colangelo and the Spanish basketball federation are in negotiations for a buyout of the final year of Garbajosa’s contract, worth $4.25 million.

My feeling here is that the Raptors still don’t think Garbajosa is recovered enough from his broken leg in March 2006 and surgery last season to believe that he can actually earn his $4.25 million back.  Plus, it clears up both space and roster for the Raptors, a team in desperate need of both if they’re going to improve.  I believe it also clears up a logjam at PF, while pointing to a clearer sign that the Raptors will draft C Robin Lopez.

The unfortunate thing here is that the Raptors really could of used Garbajosa, as in his rookie season he brought the hustle, energy, and muscle at the PF spot the Raptors lacked last season.

But it appears that egos also may have gotten in the way as well, as Colangelo and the Spanish basketball federation have been at odds ever since the Raptors made them take out a $1 million dollar insurance policy to allow Garbajosa to play for Spain at the World Championships.  To do this, Garbajosa elected not to have surgery on his broken leg, as surgery would have put him out past the World Championships.

Garbajosa played, after Spain bought the insurance, and Garbajosa came back last season but only played in 7 games, and had surgery not a month after the season had started on the same left leg that was broken last season.  Coincidence…I think not.

Add to that the fact that Garbajosa and Spain want him to play in the Olympics this summer and the Raptors don’t and that seems to be the final straw between the Raptors and Spain.

The thing I find funny is that there is so much bad blood between the Spanish basketball federation and the Raptors, yet Calderon wants to resign with Toronto and it appears the Spanish basketball federation has no problem with this.  How is it possible that these two teams are so at odds over Garbajosa that they’re willing to negotiate a buyout, yet there is not even a peep over Calderon resigning there?

It seems very odd that this rift between Toronto and the Spaniards can lead to Garbajosa getting booted out of town and Calderon getting a huge pay raise, as it seems hypocritical at the highest level.

But that seems to be the scenario, and while I’m very glad to hear that it appears that Calderon is pretty much a lock to stay in Toronto next season, I’m also saddened by the news that Garbajosa appears to be on the way out, even if it does give the Raptors some extra dough and a roster spot.