The 'player to be named later' is very likely to be former Pacer Maceo Baston, and it looks like Indy is including the 41st pick in the deal. http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3461029 The pick could net us a bench player such as Joey Dorsey or Shan Foster, or, in a more perfect world, Bill Walker.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Is he done? Not by a longshot. Even as we were digesting Jermaine O’Neal, there was a flurry of activity in the Raptor offices until late, late last night and there’s every chance Bryan Colangelo’s got a few things up his sleeve. Not a lot of downtime time today, it seems. Word was he’s working on getting another pick – maybe two – in tonight’s draft to find people to groom for the future. There are no details, of course, but it’s obvious around the league (see New Orleans, Denver) that picks are for sale and available. What they’d like to do, I surmise (and surmise is all we’re going to get until tonight, I fear) is find a way to draft a young big man, maybe stash him in Europe for a year or two and hope he’s ready when O’Neal’s contract expires. Not sure what he’s got to offer player-wise (I don’t imagine they’re clamouring for the other of Maceo Baston and Joey Graham) but I could see Hump being in discussions and maybe there’s another GM out there sniffing, too.</div> <div align="center">Source: Toronto Star</div> I wouldn't be surprised at all to see BC buy into the late first round. He's flirted with that possibility the last two years, but there seems to be a lot more sellers this year.
Man the way the draft is going I hope someone from the 1st round (Batum, Greene) drops to us at 41st that would make this trade so much sweeter.
Nathan Jawai http://www.nba.com/draft2008/profiles/NathanJawai.html 6-10, 280lbs, Australian sport factory product, 22 years old, 7'5" wingspan.
I like this pick a lot. We are lacking a back-up center, and he can fill that need. He can score and play very good defense. I see him being used very well.
Wow CDR almost fell to us at 41, anyways I really don't get to serious about the 2nd round so lets just hope this guy turns out to be a good player.
Looks like we plan to bring him in this year. He's not just a stash pick: <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Under NBA league rules any deals can't be announced until after July 9, although the Raptors confirmed on their official website that Indiana had selected Jawai on their behalf. "The Raptors agreed to a trade in principle on the eve of the draft, acquiring six-time all-star Jermaine O'Neal and Indiana's 41st pick in exchange for point guard T.J. Ford, centre Rasho Nesterovic, Maceo Baston, and Toronto's 17th pick. "So when the Pacers selected Australian centre Nathan Jawai at No.41, they did so on behalf of the Raptors," the story said. Raptors president and general manager Bryan Colangelo said he couldn't comment. The website described Jawai as a "bruising big man with a raw, unpolished game. His strengths are his soft touch, strength and explosiveness". Cairns head coach Alan Black said he had spoken to Jawai's agent Mark Fleischer about the likely trade. "Jim Kelly, who is the head scout for Toronto, was in Cairns last year to see Nathan play and we know that the Raptors are very impressed with Nathan," Black said. "After talking with Nathan's agent he has been told by Toronto that they want Nathan to play with the club in the NBA next season, which is fantastic news for Nathan. "The full trade will take about a week to finalise, but it now looks highly probable that Nathan has achieved his dream and will be playing with the Toronto Raptors in the NBA." Jawai, who won the NBL rookie of the year and was named the most valuable player in the league's All Star game, became the 10th Australian ever drafted to the NBA. Bogut was drafted at No.1 by Milwaukee in 2005 with the Bucks today looking to strengthen their roster by selecting small forwards Joe Alexander and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, from Cameroon, with their draft picks. The Bucks also announced that they had acquired Richard Jefferson in a trade with New Jersey before the draft started. Chicago used the first overall pick to choose hometown hero, point guard Derrick Rose. Forward Michael Beasley was the second overall pick by Miami and guard OJ Mayo rounded out the top three by going to Minnesota. The bad news for "Baby Shaq", as Jawai is known in Australia, is that he will not get a guaranteed playing contract. The 21-year-old Boomers squad member was taken outside the crucial top 30 picks. Only those inside the top 30 are guaranteed a three-year NBA contract. As he was taken in the second round, Jawai will have to make his way through training camps to earn a spot on his team's roster. Unfortunately, he suffered a thigh injury, preventing him from conducting pre-draft workouts with several NBA clubs, which could have affected his status.</div> <div align="center">Source: AdelaideNow.com</div>
Awesome, I want Jawai to come now. I also want to know about Giorgos Printezis. It says he's expected to stay in Europe for 1-2 more years (Wiki), but I want to bring him over now. 6-9, 225 pounds and a very good player, I don't see why not. Is there a rule that stops us from talking to him and his team about letting him come over now? Cause, if not, I say BC goes and gets him.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>The teams in question can't comment on the done-but-not-officially-done Raptors deal with the Indiana Pacers, but Jermaine O'Neal has no problem talking about it. O'Neal, who officially will become a Raptor on July 9 did exactly that, confirming the deal with the Associated Press yesterday. But O'Neal will not be the only return in the deal -- T.J. Ford, Rasho Nesterovic, Maceo Baston and Toronto's 17th pick -- for the Raptors. Coming with O'Neal to the Raptors is the Pacers' 41st pick in last night's draft. With that pick, the Pacers, on behalf of Toronto, selected Nathan (Baby Shaq) Jawai, a 6-foot-10, 280-pound behemoth out of Australia. Raptors director of player personnel Jim Kelly was in Australia earlier this season to scout Jawai and came back describing him as an "emerging" player who only has played a couple of years. Don't expect to see him in a Raptors uniform soon. It appeared the Raptors might have had a shot at selecting Chris Douglas-Roberts, the guard from Memphis who excelled in his workout in Toronto, but the New Jersey Nets took him off the board at No. 40, one pick before the Raptors' second-round selection. Of course no one from the Raptors could comment on the Jawai selection until the Pacers' deal is official. With the 17th pick, the Raptors selected Georgetown centre Roy Hibbert on behalf of the Pacers. Colangelo, before he traded the No. 17 pick, felt he had a good shot at Stanford centre Robin Lopez, but Lopez was snapped up by the Phoenix Suns at No. 15. O'Neal, meanwhile, believes his arrival and pairing with Chris Bosh in the front court will give opposing defences fits. "I think playing alongside Chris Bosh gives us a different dynamic," O'Neal said. "You look at teams in the NBA, you look at their low-post players, and they always have one good player, and when that player goes out, you can change your defence a little bit and load up on other areas. Even with us starting out the games together, one of us will always be on the floor. You won't get a chance to adjust your defence."</div> The Toronto Sun
6-10 280 pounds. The dude is heavy. vs Nathan Jawaii vs. his older self (he shrinks 2 inches as he ages) 6-10 287 pounds vs. 6-8 284 pounds. lol but 7'5 wingspan is pretty nice.
well throw another shrimp on the barbie - actually, don't infact put down the fork all together and get your ass into a gym son.
