<font size=""4"">Raps, Blazers swap guards</font> <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">"We think with Dixon's ability to play both guard positions, that versatility that we strive for, he's going to have a chance to come in and participate in the way perhaps we had envisioned Freddy playing," Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo said. A first-round selection (17th overall) by the Washington Wizards in 2002, Dixon has appeared in 307 career regular- season games, averaging 9.3 points, 2.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 20.7 minutes. He averaged 11.4 points, 1.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 10 post-season contests with the Wizards in 2005. He spent his first three seasons with Washington before signing with Portland as a free agent Aug. 4, 2005. This season with the Blazers, the Baltimore native has averaged 8.9 points, 1.5 assists and 22.6 minutes in 55 games. </div> <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Jones said the chance to play in front of his family and friends is "a dream come true." "I have no bitterness at all," Jones told The Score, when asked about his thoughts on the Raptors. "I loved every minute I played here, I loved my teammates, we had a lot of fun together. I believe they're doing a good job ... and they're going to surprise a lot of people in the days to come." </div> <font size=""4"">Raps eyed more deals</font> <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">"There were a couple of players that we quickly targeted (after the Jones trade) and made a few calls to see if there was something that we could do, but it didn't work out," he said. "I did have a couple of live conversation going right up to the wire." Colangelo admitted that he entertained a number of offers for Raptors veteran Morris Peterson over the last few months, but insisted that Toronto never shopped Peterson around. </div> <font size=""4"">Wade contemplating season-ending surgery</font> <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Dwyane Wade is considering season-ending surgery to repair his dislocated left shoulder, which would be the biggest loss yet for the Miami Heat during their rocky reign as NBA champions. </div> <font size=""4"">Teams' GMs put the dead in deadline</font> <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">But the deal that might have changed things most drastically ? the long-rumoured move to bring Pau Gasol to Chicago, therein instantly making the Bulls the favourites to win the East ? didn't happen. The contender in desperate need of a point guard ? and if you watched the Cleveland Cavaliers play the Raptors on Wednesday night you saw, even in victory, how inept an offence without an engine can look ? couldn't swing the much-talked-about deal to land Mike Bibby. And the team most likely to be blown up, the New Jersey Nets, stayed together, perhaps because Jason Kidd has a broken rib and a bad back, and even if Vince Carter can opt out of his deal at season's end and land elsewhere.</div> <font size=""4"">What the Raptors did</font> <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">WHO WINS? This is not a biggie. Jones was out of the rotation in Toronto, appearing in 38 games, and Dixon will be, too, when he joins the Raptors today. Toronto wanted to help Jones out and Dixon's a slightly better outside shooter who'll have to beat out Joey Graham for minutes. Raps win on the financial end; the basketball end is a push.</div> <font size=""4"">Jones pleased to go to Blazers</font> <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">By adding Dixon in place of Jones, the Raptors have saved about $4-million (U.S.) over the life of Dixon's deal, which pays him $2.55-million this year and next. Jones was in the first year of a three-year deal worth $9.9-million. And Jones made it clear he wanted to go home. One of the conditions of the deal was that he forgo the last season of his contract, which he could have exercised by way of a player option, meaning returning to Portland has cost him $3.5-million in guaranteed money. The deal also bumped the Raptors' available cap space for this season up to $2.5-million, but even with that, Colangelo wasn't able to swing any additional moves.</div> <font size=""4"">NBA trade deadline passes with no blockbuster deals</font> <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Amazingly, the Jones-Dixon deal made up exactly a third of deadline day's entire activity. The Dallas Mavericks traded backup point guard Anthony Johnson to the Atlanta Hawks for a second-round pick, and the Philadelphia 76ers sent veteran Alan Henderson to the Utah Jazz in a deal involving draft picks.</div> <font size=""4"">Trail Blazers deal Dixon to Toronto for Fred Jones </font> <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Jones, who went to the University of Oregon and lives in Portland during the offseason, is averaging 7.6 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 39 games. He has made nine starts. "It's always fun to add such a talented player with such strong local connections to our roster," said Trail Blazers President and general manager Steve Patterson. "Fred is a versatile athlete with high character and a great track record of community involvement, and we think he fits perfectly into the culture we've been cultivating here in Portland." Jones agreed not to exercise the player option year of his contract, meaning his current deal will expire at the end of the 2007-08 season.</div> <font size=""4"">Where 's The Beef?</font> <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Toronto Made A Move On Darko- The Raptors had a second deal in mind when they triggered Juan Dixon, and that was sending Morris Peterson to Orlando for Darko Milicic. The Magic passed on the deal, but word is Toronto may make another run at Darko this summer when he hits restricted free agency. </div> <font size=""5""><u>Covers</u></font> <font size=""4"">Indiana at Toronto</font> <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">SPREAD: Toronto -5 TOTAL: 198 </div> <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">One day after two of their players were set free by police after being booked on charges, the Pacers go for a season-high fourth straight win as they visit the Toronto Raptors on Friday. Jamaal Tinsley and Marquis Daniels were indicted Wednesday on charges from a Feb. 6 bar fight. The Pacers' teammates surrendered to police after a 136-129 double-overtime win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night, and were released on their own recognizance early Thursday.</div> <div align="center"><font size=""5""><u>Sunshine Girl - 2/23/07</u></font> </div>
Clearly the Raptors got the better end of this deal. I'm so happy we got Colangelo. Maybe now players will want to go to Toronto. Anyhow, we are a shooting team and the Raptors just added another one. Maybe Juan will get to play... We shall see.
<div class="quote_poster">RapsLuv4Life Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Clearly the Raptors got the better end of this deal. I'm so happy we got Colangelo. Maybe now players will want to go to Toronto. Anyhow, we are a shooting team and the Raptors just added another one. Maybe Juan will get to play... We shall see.</div> I think it's a great deal, but we need to keep in mind what it means in the grand scheme of things. This is really similiar to Hoffa for Humphries on a larger scale. We took two players who are realistically 9th or 10th guys off the bench switched them up to give them some new scenery. Dixon might have the skills to succeed in Toronto, or he might just save us a bit of cap space, either way i think we won. As long as he doesn't go "Mike James" on us off the bench and start chucking up every ball he gets. Welcome to JBB
