The Raptors haven't just been sitting around

So, the Raptors have been busy under the cover of darkness.

This just in after a 45-minute pre-draft session with Bryan Colangelo but they’ve been quite active without too many of us knowing: While they have narrowed their possibilities with the No. 9 draft pick to the usual Gang of Five, they’ve had one back in for a second visit and hope to get another one in to chat in advance of Thursday’s draft.

James Johnson, a small forward from Wake Forest, has been in for a second visit, and Jrue Holiday, a combo guard from UCLA is expected to pay a second visit today or tomorrow.

That was about the extent of the draft news – USC forward Demar DeRozan, Syracuse guard Jonny Flynn and Duke guard Gerald Henderson would round out the five that Toronto expects to choose from in Thursday’s draft.

“I think we have a very good read on this draft right now,” Bryan said in his last full-blown media session before the draft. “All the people we’re talking about can add something to help us improve.”

In other news (and how cliché is that)

-- The chance of Toronto adding a second first-round pick is diminishing.

It sounds like a specific guy they want may not have emerged at any spot they can get him and Bryan isn’t sure taking on the three-year guaranteed salary commitment is worth it.

-- Moving up in the draft? Nope..

“We had a little bit of conversation about it … but didn’t feel like there was anything there that made sense.”

Touched on the coming free agency season, too, and the first priority right now is to bring Shawn Marion back – at the right price. And if that right price can’t be agreed upon, Bryan thinks he can turn him into an asset or two in some sign-and-trade transaction.

Okay, now it’s time to go write for the paper, there’ll be more on this tomorrow

Comments

[Aldomilan]

Noooooo!
Doug, do you think this is the case?...
- Bringing in johnson for a second look means that
marion doesn't wanna sign with us. He'll accept a sign and trade to a team with warmer weather and better champ aspirations. I'll miss him cause i thought he complemented our skilled bigs very well and made us run.
- Bringing in holiday again means the raps are not sold on picking johnson so high and derozan could be off the list when we pick.
Any idea on who we can sign and trade with? A guard from Golden State? Richardson from Phoenix? JR Smith? Gerald Wallace? Redd? My head is exploding.

[Jeremiah]

That Bill Russell article was amazing. I've never read about the big guy before. Astounding. 18 championships in what? 21 years?