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The Toronto Raptors' point guard of the future is the man who has been in the position the longest.
Jose Calderon announced that he had accepted an offer from the Raptors on his website earlier Tuesday. The deal will likely keep him in Toronto for the next five years
NBA teams are prevented from commenting on pending free agent signings until July 9th, but a team source confirmed that the framework of a deal was in place.
Calderon's blog entry does the rest:
"Early this morning, through my agents, I reached a preliminary agreement with the Toronto Raptors. I want to thank Bryan Colangelo, Maurizio Gherardini, Sam Mitchell and all of the Raptors family for the confidence that they have placed in me. I am sure that together we are going to achieve big things in the future."
The pending trade of T.J. Ford to the Indiana Pacers and the deal with Calderon brings clarity to the point guard position after two seasons of often heated debate among fans and elsewhere about who was more fit to start, Ford or Calderon.
Calderon averaged 11.2 points and 8.3 assists in all 82 games last season. The Spain native has averaged 8.7 points, 6.1 assists and 25 minutes in 223 regular-season games with the Raptors.
According to league sources the Raptors also reached an agreement with Roko Ukic, a 24-year-old Croatian who has played in Europe since he was chosen in the second round of the 2005 draft. He will be given the back-up job behind Calderon.
"They want him to come over and play," said one source. "It will give him a chance to cut his teeth the way Calderon did in his rookie year."
The Raptors also signed former New Jersey Net Hassan Adams to be a back-up at the wing position. A noted defender and spectacular dunker, Adams was cut in New Jersey because the Nets were up against the luxury tax threshhold after the 2006-07 season and spent last season playing in Europe.
He wowed the Raptors at a recent free agent camp and earned himself a one-year league minimum contract with a team option for a second year, much like Jamario Moon did last season.
"It's a great fit for Hassan," said David Lee, Adams's agent. "He can lock down ones, twos and threes and will bring the Raptors the kind of toughness they haven't seen in a while."
Signing Adams almost certainly means Carlos Delfino, a restricted free agent, won't be back with Toronto. It's expected he may return to Europe to play.
