BlogsJul 29, 2009Colangelo pulls another rabbit from hat, acquires Bellinelli for George
I know Golden State has about 15 guards on their roster, but they traded Marco Belinelli for Devean George? No idea why the Warriors do that deal, and it's nothing earth-shattering, but another strong move for Colangelo and the Raptors.
Chris Bosh got a buddy earlier this month when Jarrett Jack was signed, now Andrea Bargnani gets a close pal and the Raptors corner the market on Italian fans with this deal. Belinelli, 23, most likely makes the return of Carlos Delfino highly unlikely. The team now appears to need a backup small forward and that likely will be how they fill their final roster spot. Belinelli averaged 8.9 points and 2.1 assists in 21 minutes last season. He has shot about 39% from three each of his two seasons in the NBA, and gives the team another outside shooter and some extra scoring punch off of the bench. He needs work defensively, but isn't awful and tends to be good at reaching in and getting steals. He is a work in progress, but George, 31, wasn't going to be a factor as his best days are long behind him. Always useful to add a cheap young piece. Will be interesting to see how the shooting guard minutes are divvied up now with DeMar DeRozan, Jack, Belinelli and Antoine Wright all capable of holding the fort there. This move makes both Roko Ukic and Quincy Douby more expendable, but GM's aren't exactly falling over themselves to acquire either player. It is also possible Wright could go for a small forward or he could find time there, though he's a little short for the position. Free agents capable of filling the void as the backup three to Hedo Turkoglu include: Gerald Green Darius Miles Both unlikely due to character issues Rodney Carney Desmond Mason Ime Udoka Wally Sczcerbiak Someone from the D-League Or Joey Graham of course. Since the Raptors spent most of their money on Jack though, they will only have relative peanuts to offer a potential backup three. Still, there will be options come September, since there are more players available than money in the current economic climate. The Raptors might even be able to convince Linas Kleiza to sign for cheap for a year, with the promise of more money down the line, but that's how the Minnesota Timberwolves got themselves into a heap of trouble with Joe Smith years ago. Under the table promises are frowned upon by the NBA. Comments:No comments for this post yet... Leave a comment:
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![]() A passionate hoops observer for 20+ years, Ryan Wolstat has covered a variety of sports for Sun Media over the years, but none get the juices flowing quite like basketball. Full Bio Last 10 posts
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Tuesday, February 9, 2010

