<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>With the uncertainty of free agency looming, Toronto Raptors point guard Jose Calderon has made one thing clear: he doesn't favour a return to the bench. "I want to be a starter," Calderon wrote in a blog entry on his official website. "I will not be on a team in which I cannot be an important contributor." Calderon's contract expires in June, allowing the Spanish guard to become a restricted free agent. The Toronto Raptors will have the right to match any offer Calderon gets, something GM Bryan Colangelo has made clear the team will do. Nevertheless, current starting point guard T.J. Ford is just one year into a three-year contract that plays him approximately $8 million annually and with plenty of other holes on the team; it is unclear if the Raptors can afford to keep both. In his blog, Calderon made it clear that his decision this summer will not necessarily hinge on money. "If I have to choose between a sports offer versus an economic offer, I will opt for the first," Calderon wrote. Calderon truly came into his own after filling in admirably for Ford following Ford's injury in December. Calderon even garnered some All-Star talk. Calderon eventually volunteered to return to the bench down the stretch, as it was clear Ford was struggling as a sub. "The main thing is the team; therefore I have sacrificed many things for the Raptors." NBA teams can begin making offers July 1st.</div> http://www.tsn.ca/nba/story/?id=237144&...os=topStory_nba
Jose's Agent: "Say *this*" Jose: "S'okay" BC says he will match any offer. That discourages other teams from pursuing. Jose's agent telling him to come out and say he wants to be a starter (when in Toronto that seemingly isn't possible) makes it seem like he isn't happy with his current situation and gives other teams incentive to chase him. C.R.E.A.M.
