Raptors Make Only Minor Deal At Trade Deadline
Posted February 22, 2007 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The NBA is different from other sports. Just one key addition to your line-up can mean the difference between making – or even winning – the playoffs and winding up in last place.
Just ask Chicago about Michael Jordan or Cleveland about LeBron James.
The division leading Raptors went into Thursday’s NBA trade deadline expecting to stand pat and for the most part they did. The team exchanged one bench player for another, sending Fred Jones to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for backup guard Juan Dixon.
The 6’3″ Dixon is averaging just 8.9 points a game, with 1.5 assists and 1.5 rebounds. He’s 28 and in his fifth year with the league.
Why make such a minor deal at all? It’s all about money. Dixon has two years left in a contract that will pay him US$2.5 million this year and $2.75 million the next.
Jones has three years left and will earn $9.9 million by the time his agreement ends.
But Dixon’s story is the stuff of Hollywood legend.
Both his parents were heroin addicts and both died of AIDS before his 17th birthday.
His police officer brother raised him and kept him from making the wrong choices on the streets of Baltimore and it worked – Dixon became a huge star in the NCAA and led his University of Maryland team to a title in 2002, amassing 2,000 points, 300 steals and 200 three pointers, a league record.
Fans shouldn’t expect he’ll repeat that performance in T.O. He’s more likely to be spending most of his time on the bench.
Jones signed with the Raptors over the summer (top left) but failed to impress after a strong start. He played only six minutes in his last game with Toronto, Wednesday’s night’s tilt against Cleveland.
The Raptors weren’t expected to do much and they didn’t. Team brass feels the current line-up, led by budding superstar Chris Bosh, has what it takes to make an impression in the playoffs. Fans will be watching to see if they’re right.
