Hardly earth-shattering but another minor Raptors deal is close

It’s another minor deal that won’t shake the team to its core but the Raptors are about to get something else done.

According to sources, the Raptors are planning to move guard Marco Belinelli to the New Orleans Hornets for small forward Julian Wright, hardly a trade of epic proportions.

Wright’s a 6-8 small forward who’s done little with the Hornets, averaging 3.8 points and 2.1 rebounds in 61 games last season. He’s averaging 4.0 point per game in the 179 games he’s played in a career that includes 34 starts and is considered an athletic, average player without outstanding skills in any single category. He’s on the final year of a rookie scale deal and will be paid about $2.8 million this coming season.

Belinelli was ineffective and inconsistent in his one season with the Raptors, unable to fight his way past the likes of DeMar DeRozan and Antoine Wright in the battle for shooting guard minutes.

But as everyone who follows the Raptors closely knows, deals aren’t done until they’re officially done and there has been no official announcement.

And this transaction is separate from the other blockbuster the Hornets were involved in Wednesday. In that four-team deal, they’ll end up with Trevor Ariza from Houston while losing guard Darren Collison and James Posey to Indiana.

The importance of that trade to the Raptors is that the Pacers get a good young point guard in Collison after having several discussions with Toronto about Jose Calderon.

Comments

[bobby]

Hey Doug,
I have question, when u said "The importance of that trade to the Raptors is that the Pacers get a good young point guard in Collison after having several discussions with Toronto about Jose Calderon" does that mean that Jose is staying as a Raptor this season???

Thanks

[brass monk]

The Raptors should have gone after Collison themselves - that guy is going to be an all-star now that he's out of Paul's shadow and getting starter's minutes. He would've looked great leading the Raps young guns era.

[The J]

That's kinda sad. While calling Bellinelli inconsistent would be a major understatement, he was still, at times, very exciting to watch. I had always hoped he could learn to be more consistent and become a very useful and creative member of the team. And I had thought this Young Guns season would be a good make or break season for him to prove himself or crash one last time.
-
Oh, and I guess we'll all miss James Online too.

[d]

So, all posters here:

Stop talking about a trade that involves Jose as there is officially no team out there now that needs him. We have him for good, so deal with it. Indy made a great great move and Collison and Granger will be a wicked combo for years to come !!

Jose is here until his contract runs out. Book it.

Blogger's note: You'll apologize when they move him, right?

[Airyork]

must Google this guy :)

[gdr]

Doug, any idea what teams might look at trading for Jose now?

Blogger's note: Nope.

[Dan W]

That sucks the raptors couldn't have gotten Collison. It also seems odd the Hornets gave him up for just Ariza . Collison would have fit well with the Raptors young players. Calderon is a good passer, just suited more for the half court. Jack can penetrate but is not the best at creating for others.

[patrick]

Will Julian Wright be a defensive upgrade over Antoine Wright?

Blogger's note: No

[Lavi]

Hi Doug,
Just read that the Raptors will take their training camp to Vancouver! Will you be joining them?

Blogger's note: I presume so

[d]

To where Doug ??? What team needs a middle of the pack 10 million a year guard ?? You sound like you KNOW they are moving him? If so, give me 3 teams that would even look at him? Detroit, Portland and New Orleans are about the only ones I can think of who need a starter/backup. Your three?

Blogger's note: You've just given three. Thanks. How about, say, Cleveland. Or one of a handful of teams that may move their starters in other transactions. Seriously, just don't make silly blanket statements like "he's here to his contract runs out. Book it." It diminishes your argument.

[Marques]

Doug i know it's another non-factor trade, but we traded Devean George to get Marco?

and I think this is a great move, a young defensive player from what I hear, is his game similar to Wright with a much rawer offensive game

But great to see a Jayhawk on the Raps.

[Camilo Camilin]

I guess most people will agree that Wright for Bellineli is a nothing for nothing trade.
What's really news today is the Raptors failure to trade Calderon to the most likely team to take on his contract;

And by the way I can't believe how Doug can be so unreasonable and stubborn to admit that Calderon's contract is really tough to trade;

Calderon is nice PG and great teammate but it's a tough economy that we have now and no team wants to take on large, long term contracts; Sure it's not Arenas or Okafor large, but it's large enough.

The only way the Raptors trade Calderon now is if a PG in a contending team has a significative injury that justifies this team to go out there a get a decent replacement.

[CM]

Like the trade. Remeber how much of a 'nothing' piece we all thought Weems was when he came over with Amir. We thought he was just a toss in and he wound up being one of the Raps impact guys. Wright may wind up being a pleasant surprise.

[Joey H]

With Sonny Weems becoming the player he is, was that more a luck-out on BCs part, or do you think he saw something in Sonny? Similar mindset with Julian Wright perhaps?

[philip sy]

Hi, Doug. I always check you out on your raptors news everyday than to those three amigos ( Matt Devlin, Eric Smith and Mike Ulmer who should have said more things cuz they are part of the Raptors . More power to you. Sure missed that guys few years back who invented the Great Salami. Forgot his name. he is a very entertaining and exciting sports reporter than to those three amigos combined.

[Joey H]

@Camilo
Do you really think you know more about basketball, about contracts, about GMs then Doug does? Really?
The guy has spoken with LITERALLY every person in the league at least once, you think you know more about who wants Calderon? Give it a break and stop reading the space if you disagree with the oppinion.
You don't think Hedo's contract was tough to trade? Especially after the worst season of his Career. BC moved him for a contributor.
I'm not sure theres a team out there who doesn't want a PG who can Start when needed, will not turn it over ,and can hit the open 3. Not to many that can do it like Jose.

[Wade T.]

I like the acquisition as it is clear that BC has abandoned the "everybody has to shoot" rule that dominated his previous rosters. Its looks like Wright is a good athlete who rebounds well and can defend a little, exactly the type of guy Toronto hasn't had enough of since BC got here.

These role players are very important, you need guys who are willing to do the little things on the floor to win games. Belinelli was only of use when his shot was falling, otherwise he was pretty useless.

I hope BC loads up the roster with young, hungry athletes and just sees what happens.

[kazbid]

don't the raps have a log jam at the 2/3 with demar, weems, kleiza and now wright?

[Joe]

I liked Marco. Too bad things didn't work out for him here in T.O. but his inconsistent play and the stockpile of guys who play his position made him expendable. On a radio interview this afternoon, Jack Armstrong said that Marco fell out of favour with the Raps due to a poor work ethic and pouting over a lack of playing time as the season went on. Did you see that Doug?

Great move by the Pacers to get Collison. He'll make a great combo with Granger. Jose's contract will make him tough to move unless you find a team who will give you less than fair value for him or who wants to shed a worse contract. Best thing that could happen would be for him to have a good season, hopefully return close to the form he had in the 07-08 season and then look to move him either at the trade deadline or after next season.

[Matthew]

I also wish we could've gotten Collison but guys, the pacers also had to take back TWO YEARS of James Posey at $13.5 mill. no thanks.

[Errol]

Doug,

Don't under-estimate the potential of Julian Wright. In a team that really doesn't have a starting 3, I think Wright can play some minutes at that position. He's long, athletic and can get up and down the court. Could be this year's "under the radar guy". I feel like the same talk went on last year with Amir Johnson and the insignificance of the trade that brought Weems and Johnson here last year.

-E

[Bob]

@ Joey H

I think BC has admitted that Weems was a throw in and he wasn't expecting anything from him, so it sounds like luck.

Doug?

[Mike D.]

Thank goodness.....I thought for a second the Raptors had traded Joey Dorsey. But of course that wouldn't be described as a minor move.

I like this trade....it's become a Colangelo signature move to pick up guys on the cheap who have high potential and good character, but struggled in their first few years in the NBA. Sometimes it works (most recently Sonny and Amir, and before them Carlos Delfino), sometimes it doesn't (Patrick O'Bryant).

[WH]

Well, Wright's young and athletic...so that fits with the trend which is a good thing. Plus he's from Illinois so we can hopefully be spared the "I know it's cold there in Toronto" speachifying.

[SGosse]

" or do you think he saw something in Sonny"... BC has already came out and said that they were close to waiving Sonny when the Amir/Roko/Delfino deal went down... I doubt he "saw something"