Raptors Ship Hedo Turkoglu

In the busiest day of the Raptors offseason, the Raptors dumped their two worst contracts.

Hedo Turkoglu is headed to the Phoenix Suns. Jose Calderon is headed to the Charlotte Bobcats. Another unknown player will also be sent to Charlotte.

In return, the Raptors will receive Leandro Barbosa, Dwayne Jones, Boris Diaw, and Tyson Chandler.

Overall, this was great because the Raptors are using little or none of their TPE received from the Heat. They are also dumping huge salaries for expiring contracts and good role-players.

It hurts to see Calderon go. He was such a classy guy and put his heart into the Raptors. He will be missed by most fans, I'm sure. On the other hand, I'm sure most fans are ecstatic that the lazy Hedo Turkoglu is out the door.

Good riddance.

What puzzled me most about this deal is that both players are playmakers, but couldn't play together. Now the team is left with no playmakers, and if we had traded one, the other would have been more effective.

Calderon had great chemistry with Amir Johnson and DeMar DeRozan. His playmaking ability will be  missed by the team.

When Turkoglu put his heart into the game, he was an effective playmaker as well, capable of scoring in bunches.

Leandro Barbosa is a good acquisition because the Raptors are in need of a good 6th man. He can provide a great spark off the bench, or start if needed. He's a great scorer, extremely quick, and he can play either guard position, which is what makes him so great.

Boris Diaw is a great defensive-minded player. He can play defense, grab rebounds, and works hard. He's the anti-Turkoglu. His offense isn't bad; it comes in bunches. He will likely be the starting small forward.

Tyson Chandler is a great defender. He's finally a legitimate center, which is what the Raptors have been looking for.

Dwayne Jones will likely be a non factor.

Another great thing about these deals is the salary dump. Turkoglu's contract had 4 more years, and Calderon's had 3. Chandler's is expiring next summer, and Barbosa and Diaw the year after.

Overall, this was a great deal, and don't be surprised if Bryan Colangelo pulls off another deal before the season starts. 

The Raptors' future looks brighter already.

*EDIT*

The Jose Calderon deal is unlikely to go through now, it seems as though the Bobcats are reluctant to trade Chandler.