By RaptorTalk


With the All-Star Game in Dallas this weekend and the trade deadline around the corner, the speculation surrounding this summer’s crop of prized NBA free agents will certainly heat up.

In Toronto, the focus is on Chris Bosh. Will he or won’t he re-sign with the Raptors?


           


If you believe the sports media south of the border, Bosh is as good as gone. On the flip side, most Toronto-based observers believe that there is a strong possibility that Bosh will remain in Toronto based on five compelling factors.


    1. The Money: Toronto can pay Chris Bosh $30 million more than any other team – all guaranteed cash through to the age of 32.

    2. The Core: The Raptors have a strong core locked in long term. The core includes Bargnani, Jack, Calderon, Turkoglu and DeRozan.

    3. The Record: Now sitting at 29 wins and in firm control of the 5th seed, Toronto is playing winning basketball which is important to Bosh.

    4. The Man: Chris Bosh has said he welcomes the challenges of being ‘the man’. No doubt, in Toronto – Bosh is ‘the man’.

    5. The Options: Teams with cap space are not necessarily better options than Toronto. The Knicks, Nets, and Heat still have some work to do to compete for a title – even with Bosh.

Many in the US media continue to maintain that Bosh will flee Canada at season’s end, even though logically it seems more likely he will stay in Toronto.  


The honest truth

I’ve spent the last week chatting with a few Raptor insiders, trying to get a feel for what is really going on in Raptorland vis a vis Chris Bosh.  It seems there is one point the insiders agree on:


         "NO ONE REALLY KNOWS WHAT CHRIS BOSH WILL DO THIS SUMMER".


I'm not sure even Chris Bosh knows for certain what he will do. Bosh and his people have said virtually NOTHING to anyone this year. While there was chatter last season, Bosh’s inner circle has all kept it zipped tight all season.

Anyone who's saying they know for a fact that Chris Bosh is leaving Toronto is simply speculating or in more blunt terms - they're making stuff up.



Bryan Colangelo's plan

As I read the tea leaves, it’s fair to assume that Bryan Colangelo does not know what Chris' plan is, either. So, Bryan has decided to proceed in a positive direction – even though he is not sure what Bosh will do with his pending free agency.

Colangelo is moving forward on the assumption that Toronto has a very good chance to re-sign CB4 in the off-season if (1) the Raps remain competitive and (2) because Bosh won't leave $30 million on the table.

On the flip side, assuming Bryan is dead wrong and Bosh really wants to leave Toronto this summer, Colangelo likely has a couple of sign and trade scenarios that would deliver value back to Toronto.

It makes sense that Colangelo can find Bosh a better new home (if it comes to that) via S&T than if Chris were to simply leave for one of the teams with cap space. None of those teams are going to be much better than Toronto is now.
 
Would Bosh rather sign with the Knicks and be part of a rebuilding project or would he rather be dealt to the Lakers or back home to Dallas? The destinations most attractive to Bosh are ones that he can only go to in a sign and trade engineered by Colangelo.

Bosh remains a Raptor after the deadline

Based on all the signs and what I've been told, I would be shocked if Bryan trades Bosh before the deadline. Instead, it is more likely that Bryan will take steps to improve the Raptors in the next week so the Men in Red can make some serious noise in the 2010 playoffs. I fully expect Bryan to at least tweak the roster in the next week.

If that happens and if the Raptors continue to win - the chances of Bosh remaining a Raptor long term are much improved.

Other than that, Raptor fans will have to wait until July 1st for Chris Bosh to let his intentions be known.

That's just the way it is.