http://www.thestar.com/Sports/article/227778<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>DOUG SMITH SPORTS REPORTERThe Raptors have no picks in next week's NBA draft, and it's unlikely they are going to secure one so they are combing through the ranks of unemployed players to help fill out a roster that's almost at capacity now.In what can be termed as a basketball equivalent of a cattle call, the team is holding a free-agent camp here this weekend in hopes of finding one gem who might one day be good enough to be the 14th or 15th man on the roster.The camp ? which will include the requisite Canadian content from Toronto's Denham Brown and Newfoundland's Carl English ? will give general manager Bryan Colangelo and his brain trust a group of players to follow through the summer in case some situation opens up with the Raptors."It's a way to assess a group of players who've either been in the league or been close to making it," Colangelo said yesterday."You want to make sure you exhaust every opportunity to see them."The list, which Colangelo said is "still fluid" includes a handful of players that will make hard-core fans say, "Oh, yeah, I remember him."Stephen Graham, brother of current Raptor Joey Graham, Matt Freije, Richie Frahm, Frank Williams, Dijon Thompson and Donta Smith have had a cup of coffee in the NBA and have been invited to the three-day session. Australian Sam Mackinnon, who has been a fixture on the scene Down Under, is on the list to provide some international content.The Raptors could only invite players who are true free agents ? and no one who was on an NBA roster at the end of last season ? which limits the talent pool available.The best anyone hope for out of the weekend is a chance to, perhaps, get invited to the team's main camp next October ? no one is coming out of the weekend with any kind of guaranteed contract.The Raptors already have 12 players with guaranteed deals ? not counting the soon-to-be-departed Morris Peterson, the free-agent small forward Colangelo will be shopping for in the summer or a bonafide third point guard.Facing those kinds of roster limits ? and knowing that obtaining a first-round draft pick next week would mean a guaranteed contract of at least two years to add to pay roll that's going to balloon with contract extensions for Chris Bosh and T.J. Ford factored in ? it's unlikely Colangelo will trade into the first round of the draft.He said he's had some offers ? it's no secret teams covet point guard Jose Calderon ? but none that make sense."We've been given the chance (to move into the draft) but not for the right element," he said.</div>Im glad to see because is getting to work already knowing he cant do anything with the draft. It just makes sense to get out to the Free Agent market to see his options (though exploring Canadian and Australian players are not worth it) But I am concerned that Jose Calderon is even on the trading block. The Chemistry he brings to the team, hes a true winner, hes helped Garbo gel a little bit, and he gives more than excellent depth at the Point Gaurd spot, maybe the best in the NBA even. Hes not worth trading at all, hes such a valuable asset to this team.
I don't know if all the NBA teams run Free Agent workouts regualy but it's always good a idea to see what teams and when they are doing it because there are a lot of talanted free agents out there that teams can certainly acquire, right now id go for Dijon Thompson, he seems like a talent, wasen't he with the suns when Colangele was in office?
