Raptors make a small trade and it's done
The Raptors have acquired James Johnson from the Chicago Bulls for a first-round pick in June's NBA draft.
After KC Johnson in Chicago reported the Raptors were going to acquire 6-9 forward James Johnson from the Bulls, Toronto officials confirmed the transaction.
The price is Miami's first round pick, the one acquired in the departure of Chris Bosh last summer, not a high price to pay since the pick is excepted to be lower than 26th or 27th in the draft and would carry with it three guaranteed years of salary for whoever was selected.
Johnson is under contract through the 2011-12 season with a team option for 2012-13.
The Raptors did have some interest in Johnson in the weeks leading up his draft; the one in which they selected DeMar DeRozan with the ninth pick.
Toronto general manager Bryan Colangelo had told me the other day he had some "minor" stuff percolating and that's precisely what this would be.
Am off in search of confirmation and comment; will be back with a full story later.
Doug, espn reports it as a future second rounder. Which is true?
Blogger's note: It's Miami's first in 2011; currently 28th overall
Posted by: Ben | February 22, 2011 at 06:24 PM
I'm a Chicago fan - you're going to like James Johnson. I've been rooting for him to get more minutes in Chicago since he absolutely shut down LeBron one playoff game last year. Not sure why he didn't make it to Thib's A list, but I believe it may be consistency. You're getting an athletic player that - paired with DeRozan - could make things exciting.
PS, played golf with James by coincidence one day, and he's also a very nice young man. No silly ego or posturing there.
Posted by: NotBenny | February 22, 2011 at 06:33 PM
bryan colangelo just keeps making these small time trades.....for no reason....guess sonny weems aint coming back....
Posted by: Aditya | February 22, 2011 at 06:37 PM
Sadly I think it affects Julian Wright more than it does Sonny Weems since Wright isn't as much a scorer as the other forwards. Either way I'm sick of Colangelo's endless minor deals and constant rebuilding.
Posted by: J | February 22, 2011 at 06:52 PM
Hi Doug,
I read somewhere that Denver was interested in moving Nene. I think he'd be a great fit with the Raps. He's always impressed me when I've seen him play. I think he would help the team in the rebounding department. Also, and this is purely on the patriotic side, I'd love to see Steve Nash move to a contender. If not, then maybe a swap of PG's between Toronto and Phoenix. Calderon and say ,Weems, would do quite well in a Phoenix's offence and Nash could come in and finish off his career at home and be a solid mentor to the young guys on the team.
Posted by: coachd | February 22, 2011 at 07:01 PM
Doug, Don't get me wrong we appreciate the hard work. But tonight's family night, take a night off whydontcha?
Posted by: Rob H | February 22, 2011 at 07:03 PM
wait, raps gave up a late first round pick for a guy averaging 3.8 pts and 1.9 rebounds.....wow......an undrafted stephen graham can average that......
doug, do you now understand why denver insisted on the inclusion of mozgov in the melo trade? i really hope u do.....
Posted by: Aditya | February 22, 2011 at 07:06 PM
What a snore.
Giving away first round picks that we got for giving away our only good players.
Next thing you know, he'll be giving away our sharpshooters with huge, enticing expiring contracts..
OH WAIT! He already did.
Bryan Colangelo inherited the benefits of his first two years. He screwed them up. And the next two. He screwed them up.
Posted by: Mark | February 22, 2011 at 07:22 PM
this is a good trade, people need to stop complaining this isn't colangelo's problem he's very good at pulling off the small deals, its the free agent signings where he strikes out....
Posted by: pran | February 22, 2011 at 07:22 PM
1000% that technical on jose calderon gonna be rescinded....worst call of the season
Posted by: Aditya | February 22, 2011 at 08:08 PM
Terrible trade by BC for 3 reasons:
JJ's potential is the same as Kleiza and Wright.
JJ has proven nothing and never earned any PT with Chicago.
We could have made this EXACT SAME TRADE next summer where we could have at least seen the value of the draft pick.
I've been thinking for a while that BC has lost his swagger/confidence in Toronto. The only way for him to regain it is to move on. He's a great GM but his time in Toronto should be over especially seeing how good of a yield Masai got for Carmelo.
Anyways, Doug, I saw your writer's award picks. Some really good stories in there. When I hear the Toronto Star's editors picked the stories does that really mean you just picked the stories or did serious thought go into the process from all The Star's editors?
Posted by: vank | February 22, 2011 at 08:17 PM
@ aditya, not that Doug needs anyone defending his statements but I feel his whole point about Mozgov was this....why would you allow a player of marginal NBA talent to hold up what I don't know a 10 player trade and draft picks to get one of the top players in the NBA...that was his point, if Mozgov was the reason that trade never went thru then there is something drastically wrong with that picture....he's a dime a dozen player plain and simple....plus what do people want for a 27,28th overall pick in a weak draft year or even in a strong year...what do people actually think that pick is worth???...they got a potential role player as Weems is out of the picture in the picture, as may be Wright...he's signed serves the same purpose....pretty clear, it's a minor deal but when there are only 15 spots on a roster, no deal is that minor...look at the rookie salary cap structure, with a new CBA impending, BC has saved himself money and given the raps flexibility for a player that wouldn't make a difference one way or another....James Jones has more of a upside then the other option...plus we have 2 guys that are getting extensive playing time now that are 2 year or less men, then a high draft in this years draft..where would this other low first round draft pick get minutes???..he wouldn't, hence it was expendable...
Posted by: doug | February 22, 2011 at 08:25 PM
I meant Johnson was thinking of James Jones the 3 point shooting champ...
Posted by: doug | February 22, 2011 at 08:28 PM
I like your analysis Doug - teams often do whatever they can to dump late first rounders because of the guaranteed contracts - and with a pick as late as Miami's is expected to be could get a similar player buying an early 2nd round pick. Here's hoping he is as smooth as the chicago poster above says!
Posted by: Paul | February 22, 2011 at 09:19 PM
A better way to think of it is that they traded a late first rounder to get a guy drafted 16th making just under $2 mil per season and his stats are that low because he's been averaging 11 mins. I wonder how this affects their rumored pursuit for Gallinari.
Posted by: J | February 22, 2011 at 09:51 PM
Small deals for prospects is how you rebuild. No doubt these nattering nabobs of negativism would find fault in a major deal, too.
Posted by: GM | February 22, 2011 at 10:26 PM
Kinda ridiculous how a "minor" deal can make some people so mad. There's no need to wait to see the value of that late 1st round pick. As it is, it's a weak draft year, combined with the CBA uncertainty.
Oh, and it seems my name has been hijacked by some angry person!
Posted by: J | February 22, 2011 at 11:20 PM
this was a bad deal... they could have gotten more for that first rounder... please this is stupid... what direction is this team going ?
Blogger's note: Please tell me what they could have gotten?
Posted by: Andre | February 22, 2011 at 11:50 PM
watched the raps play the bobcats tonight...came to the conclusion that jay triano, although he is playing the young guys major minutes, is no longer holding them accountable....earlier on in the season, with a couple of bad defensive possessions by bargnani, bargnani would be taken out soon after..... from the starting of the game, bargnani had numerous defensive lapses (it shouldn't even be called defensive lapses no more.... bargnani just doesn't understand any defensive rotations......i am not joking, but guys at the YMCA playing pick up ball know where to go and understand angles)......i am actually not even blaming jay triano for this, he can't do anything about this, bargnani just doesn't get it defensively.....i am not talking about his one-on-one defense at all.....
Posted by: Aditya | February 23, 2011 at 02:19 AM
Played basketball with James in High School and have followed his career since hs and Toronto is getting a great player. He will produce if he just gets the minutes.
Posted by: A | February 23, 2011 at 02:19 AM
A guy who was picked 16th over all - with just over a year left on his deal - over a the 27th, or 28th pick that you are locked into for three years - It looks like a good deal on the surface - late picks are a crap shoot at best.
I read somewhere last night that James Johnson is an athletic guy with a pretty good upside, and not afraid to go to the basket, although he is prone to fouls.....Sounds a little like Amir - That seemed to work out so far
Posted by: sam | February 23, 2011 at 06:13 AM
The Raps history of getting good late first round picks begins and ends with Mo Pete. Regardless of who the GM was that's the best we've done. So, in a weak draft year I look at James Johnson and remember him torching the Raps (I know, who doesn't torch the Raps) and think that if he had the opportunity to play and grow with a team, which he couldn't do on a title contender in Chicago, he could develop and easily surpass Julian Wright's production and eventually Weems as well.
Posted by: O.J. | February 23, 2011 at 07:58 AM
Good trade for all the reason stated.. but he sounds like he could be compared to Joey Graham.
Posted by: AT | February 23, 2011 at 08:35 AM
Good Morning
I would say the GM made a trade for the sake of a trade. So do the Raptors cut a Johnson to make room for Johnson.
Posted by: JHP | February 23, 2011 at 08:39 AM
@vank: You're not implying that Doug's incapable of "serious thought" I would hope. You're probably wondering about the numbers of serious-minded scribes that studied the nominees??? Good. That's what I surmised. And, Doug, it's becoming part of my favourite events of All-Star Weekend: the announcement of the basketball writing awards. Thanks for your work on that, as well.
Posted by: Lorie | February 23, 2011 at 08:45 AM