<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">The Toronto Raptors did most of their work early in the free agent process when they reached an agreement with small forward Jason Kapono on July 1, but indications are there is more to come. According to two league sources the team is expected to make an offer to Indiana Pacers big man Maceo Baston, a restricted free agent who could help Toronto shore up their rebounding and shot-blocking. "They're working hard towards getting that done," a source said. "There's a connection with Baston and Anthony Parker [who played together for Maccabi Tel Aviv] and I think they'll be successful in signing him to an offer sheet at least." Having used their mid-level exception to sign Kapono - a three-point shooting specialist from the Miami Heat - to a four-year contract worth about $24-million (all figures U.S.), the Raptors have only the biennial exception to add to a frontcourt rotation behind incumbents Chris Bosh, Andrea Bargnani, Rasho Nesterovic, Jorge Garbajosa and Kris Humphries. The Raptors are hopeful a two-year deal for about $3.8-million will be enough to pry Baston away from the Pacers, who would have 15 days to match any offer. According to Mark Bartelstein, Baston's agent, the Raptors are one of several teams that have expressed interest in the player, who appeared in only 47 games for the Pacers last season. The New Jersey Nets and Seattle SuperSonics have also made calls. Baston averaged 2.9 points, 1.6 rebounds and 0.4 blocked shots while playing only 8.6 minutes a game for Indiana after returning to the NBA following a successful seven-year stint in Europe, which included consecutive Euroleague titles in 2004 and 2005. In his last season with Maccabi in 2005-06, Baston averaged 13.1 points, 6.4 rebounds and one block while shooting 66.1 per cent from the floor in Euroleague play. He turned down big money to try his luck in the NBA again, signing a deal with the Pacers for the NBA minimum of $744,551. "We talked to several teams and we'll make a decision by the middle of the week," Bartelstein said. "The Raptors are doing a great job turning around the franchise."</div> <div align="center">Source: The Globe and Mail</div> I'd like this move, if we can get him. He's cheap and fills a need. The only question is if Indiana would match the offer sheet.
This guy should fill our needs to a point. For cheap this is good, and another international player, makes me happy. I highly doubt the Pacers will match, they need more then this guy to become good again, so it looks like it is down to the Raptors and other teams who want this guy.
We already had Maceo Baston. 6.6 MPG for 16 games in 02-03. He's 31 years old now, he's gotten older and less athletic. I don't get what his role on this team would be, he's a 6'9, small PF, he's not going to get many minutes. He's nothing special on offense, yes, he can finish inside, and he took 16 jumpshots this past season and made 7, not enough shooting to impress me. He hit 3 of his 7 3PT attempts, but again, a small sample. He doesn't give major shot blocking or man to man defense, and is a well below average big man rebounder (about 7-8 rebounds PER 40). Yea he's a better shot blocker than Bosh, but Rasho is better than him, a better rebounder, and much better man to man defender. What lineup would we expect Maceo Baston to be playing in? Would he be on with Bosh or something? I don't like that interior defensive lineup. The only thing I see is that he would be cheap.
Baston a Raptor after Pacers don't match <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">TORONTO (CP) - The wait is over for Maceo Baston and the Toronto Raptors. The 31-year-old restricted free agent can now report to Toronto for a physical and to sign the deal he agreed to last week. The Indiana Pacers declined Thursday to match the offer, reportedly for roughly US$3.8 million over two years. "We're happy to get another piece falling into place," Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo told The Canadian Press. "We feel he should be another key ingredient in the mix we already have." The six-foot-10, 230-pound forward averaged 2.9 points and 1.6 rebounds in 47 games with Indiana last season. He also played sparingly in 16 games with the Raptors in 2002-03, averaging 2.6 points. </div> TSN I'm happy this went throught. My thought is, he is better then Sow, so it's an upgrade.
Baston brings his bounce back to Raptors <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">He was born in Texas so he knows Chris Bosh, he lives in Michigan so he knows southern Ontario and he'll have a familiar face from Israel as one of his teammates so the whole joining-a-new-NBA-team thing isn't all that daunting to Maceo Baston. The 31-year-old forward, who officially signed a two-year contract with Toronto this week, will feel pretty much at home when he tries to work his way into the playing rotation come training camp in October. </div> The Star
I haven't heard great reviews about him from people who followed him in Maccabi and Indiana. But honestly, if Baston is our last frontcourt off the bench, that just shows how deep this team will be next season. This is a solid signing.
I dont think baston will do anything spectacular. No big deal he is just a filler. Maybe add a little shot blocking
