The Raptors are going to be a very good team next season. I can see them winning the Eastern Conference next year. They can really challenge the Celtics.
Jose Calderon and Anthony Parker make up a very good backcourt.
Jermaine O'Neal, Chris Bosh and Kapono or Moon to make up the frontcourt.
That is a very good starting 5-Calderon,Paker,O'Neal,Bosh and Kapono or Moon

The Raptors have acheived alot in the past few years mainly behind Chris Bosh, so imagine what they are going to do this year with the support from O'Neal
Jawai might be an Eastern Conference champion.

EC champions? that's a big call.

They really need to step up from being playoff also-rans.

Regardless, this is awesome if its true. Good to see them putting faith in what Jawai can currently do and what he's capable of with some top quality coaching and mentoring.

Here's the link to the story: http://linky.com.au/a8q37

That is great news for Nathan. I still think the raps would be happy to make the play-offs this year.

You look at the teams that made it this year and none of them will be slipping and some are getting stronger...

76ers will be a 10-15 better winning side this year, and the wizards have a healthy Agent zero for the year...
Celts, pistons, cavs, magic, hawks.... all improving.

Then you add miami and chicago with their talented rookies....

Will the Knicks come together under the new coach?
(Probably not...but stranger things...)

Again- Raps would be wrapped to make the play-offs this year.

I'm looking forward to seeing how the pacers go with Ford and Granger and the rookies Rush and Hibbert...good coach too...

any idea what the contract is worth? i'm interested to see how it compares to the first-rounders and their guaranteed contracts. is Jawai limited by NBA controls on rookie contracts, or could he actually be making more than somwfirst rounders?

I think the overall standard of the East will be higher than it was last season.

Based on the moves so far, the Magic, 76ers, Bulls, Heat, Bucks, Pacers and Raptors should all be better than they were last season.

Jawai should do well for the Raps. Despite the press releases Jermaine O'Neal isn't really a Center. Should he get injured or they need a bigger matchup I can see Nate getting some play.

Raptors have the whole Canada supporting them, although basketball is not that big in Canada .. but if the NBA wants Canada support and make inroads it would serve well for the NBA to have a successful team in Canada. Raptors may yet be a player in the NBA scheme of things

Interesting question doc - I have no idea. It also made me think of David Anderson. He would be a rookie too - does that mean that the Hawks CAN'T make a big offer? Or is their some sort of time period that lapses and the Hawks just don't want to cough up the cash?

2nd rounders are free to sign for whatever amount their agent can get them. A rookie (obviously has zero years in the NBA) would recieve $442,114 in 2008/09 season as the league minimum.

A veteran with 10+ years on a minimum salary gets $1,262,275 which a large chuck paid by the NBA.

The interesting thing with 1st rounders is that they do have a scale, but a team can choose to offer as little as 80% of that scale or as much as 120% of that scale.

There is no second round rookie scale... so they can sign him for as little or as much as possible under NBA rules. So basically anywhere from half a mil this year and 750,000 next to 13 mil a year. My guess is its for close to minimum, so about 1.5 mil over two years.

Lots of good salary cap info here:
http://members.cox.net/lmcoon/salarycap.htm

This is why a lot of euro players in the first round aren't coming over as their first 4 years of pay are capped on the scale. If they are second round, they can get bigger contracts.

I think they should amend the rules to allow Euros to have their contracts at least matched or plus 10%. Might encourage them to come over earlier

Canada might not be the biggest basketball fans, but Toronto, that beautiful city supports the Raptors. I was there in April on a trip with my parents those fans were amazing. Filling the streets close to the Arena all wearing red. It was good stuff, scalper tried to sell me upper arena tickets for 300 dollars!

Good luck Nate, hope you make the NBL proud.

you might say, Jawai would be 'rapt' that hes been signed

I just slapped myself - ELG actually made a joke. There is life inside that cold, hard outer shell.

i'm gonna grow me a 7.0 son so's he can earn millions playin bball !! but den again i'm only '5.2' so wats de chances of dat?

mayb dey hav some of dat gentic enginerrin happening or i find me a good 6.0ft lady bballer !!

shits on everyone who doughted he would get signed.

was gonna to happen all alone.

Good Luck to him.

the doctor - hahahahaha

playa - hahahahaha. Keep em kumin homes

sweet... good on him... can see him gettin some decent minutes, and if he comes out like he did in the nbl he wont dissapoint... can see him being just like Moon last year... a complete surprise to all

by the way this news made the ticker on NBA.com which is fairly good publicity for the bloke

I'm one of the few who weren't that happy to see NJ traded to Raptors

I just hope he doesn't get buried on the bench under the 4 players mentioned earlier where i think in IND he would have had decent playing time from the start

He;s going to be going up against Jamaine Oneal( one of the best defenders in the game) and Chris Bosh(one of the most gifted offensive bigman in the game today). hes gonig to improve a hell of alot behind these 2 big men. i wouldnt neccaceraly be worried if he didnt get many minutes this season but having said that he probably will get some since Bargnani plays like a SF sometimes and Roy Hibbert well hes a solid contributor but i can see the potential for him to get that much better as a player. So they are very light on bigmen which is why the trade is a good one for Jawia

Here's the link on NBA.com: http://linky.com.au/z7a0g