By Walter Dubowec

Its not thinking outside the box as much as its thinking beyond the arc.

Last season, Raptor fans learned Bryan Colangelo is an unconventional thinker and even moreso – an unconventional doer.

The cynics said his off-season moves were risky and lateral at best. The Executive of the Year award he received from David Stern proved that Colangelo’s moves were the right ones. Colangelo has given us a glimpse of his plan for improving the Raptors next year. It is part conventional and part unconventional. Clearly, Bryan is showing some of his risk taker side.

           
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The Raptor GM's blueprint has three basic parts (or possibly more accurately called a Redprint in light of the Raptors’ marketing department’s penchant for making everything red):

1. Improve from Within: With a core of Bosh, Bargnani, TJ Ford and Jose Calderon – Colangelo anticipates the natural maturation process will continue for a group in their early to mid-twenties.

2. Acquire a Draft Pick: In a year where the Raptors do not have a draft pick, Bryan is looking to acquire one if the price is right. Word is that teams like Philadelphia and Phoenix may be willing to part with a pick. Knowing Bryan, if he finds a dance partner on draft day, it very likely may be with a team we don’t expect.

3. Sign a Restricted Free Agent: This is a strategy that former GM Rob Babcock tried unsuccessfully with an offer he tendered to Chicago Bulls point guard, Chris Duhon. Yesterday, Colangelo announced he too has some RFA’s in his sights.

He may be searching for a player who is an under-the-radar guy who Bryan believes has a significant upside or a player from a team which is unwilling to match the Raptors offer due to luxury tax implications.

Colangelo told a group of reporters, "You need to structure the deal in some cases that makes it difficult for the team that needs to make that decision to match or not to match. There are several players that I would say are targeted by us, at least on a white board now that are restricted free agents that may address specifically what we need. If you're looking at the free agent class, you might say the majority of the talent is in that restricted category. It's a chess game."

The Raptors’ GM has made it clear that he has his eyes on a small forward to replace the likely departing Mo Pete. If that new SF is acquired via the Restricted Free Agent route, the Raptors may consider taking a run at names like:

Sasha Pavlovic, Cleveland Cavaliers,
Andres Nocioni, Chicago Bulls
Mikael Pietrus, Golden State Warriors.
Hedo Turkoglu, Orlando Magic
James Posey, Miami Heat
Ruben Patterson, Milwaukee Bucks

The top three names above may be worth pursuing. The rest are not likely to be donning Raptor Red anytime soon.

No doubt, Bryan Colangelo is part risk taker and part chess player. The question is whether Bryan is in a risk taking mood or if he’s playing a chess game where his next moves are still unknown.

No one could have accurately predicted Colangelo's moves last year and there is no reason to expect anything other than the unexpected again this off season.