Let’s be blunt: the Toronto Raptors are a sorry bunch, in real life and in fantasy terms. Sure, there are a decent number of potential breakout candidates on this squad whenever the next NBA season begins, but there are also timeshares awaiting a few positions. There’s no true stud here, but when you’re in the latter rounds of your draft, keep some of these Canadian dinosaurs in mind. Read More »

So while Kevin Durant is killing at the Goodman League in D.C., watch DeMar DeRozan going off in one half of a Drew League game in L.A. Oh yeah, and joining him on the court is Michael Beasley, Sonny Weems, Austin Daye, Game, Ed Davis, Joey Dorsey, Joe Smith and Gerard Anderson.

Coming off a 20-point piecing of the Cavs on Friday, Toronto seems to be doing just fine in the Post-Bosh era. The captain and unofficial spokesman for the team, Jarrett Jack, looks to lead the Raptors in a more balanced attack. Sharing time with Jose Calderon, this fifth-year guard out of Georgia Tech has shown flashes of brilliance in his time with the Raps and makes a good case for a permanent spot in the starting rotation. We caught up with Jarrett to discuss new opportunities, home cooking and NBA great Dave DeBusschere. Read More »

While the Phoenix Suns are largely being written off as serious contenders now that Amar’e Stoudemire is gone, the fact that they have an ’09 Lottery pick who could potentially replace STAT has been overlooked. Earl Clark has the raw talent and size to make his mark in Stoudemire’s absence, but his preseason didn’t get off to a good start. During Phoenix’s 51-point flogging at the hands of the Raptors, Clark got his first baptism of the new year courtesy Joey Dorsey…

For at least two of this summer’s marquee free agents, there wasn’t really a question of where they’d end up. After a brief flirtation with the Knicks, Dirk Nowitzki joined Paul Pierce on the least-suspenseful superstar signings list, re-upping with the Mavs for a reported $80 million over four years. (Throw in Germany’s World Cup blowout over Argentina, and Dirk was probably grinning like Homey D. Clown all day yesterday.) Like Pierce, Dirk could have taken a max deal, but decided to take less so the Mavs have some money to keep putting a solid team around him. Dirk’s deal also reportedly has a no-trade clause, making him and Kobe the only two players in the League with that kind of power … Read More »

A whole lot of things didn’t make sense about last night’s Grizzlies/Hornets game. It didn’t make sense that Mike Conley (26 pts, 7 asts, 5 stls) was sticking jumpers like Mark Price. It didn’t make sense that Darren Collison (17 pts, 14 asts, 5 stls) and Marcus Thornton (24 pts) kept playing like the best backcourt in the League. It didn’t make sense that Emeka Okafor had one whole rebound. It didn’t make sense that Aaron Gray and Hamed Haddadi guarded each other for about 10 minutes and the sport of basketball wasn’t set back 30 years. But most improbable thing, according to one Hornets’ announcer, was the shot that eventually won Memphis the game … Read More »

Tracy McGrady is finally a Knick, Nate Robinson is a Celtic and Tyrus Thomas has transformed from a sulky Bull into a brooding Bobcat. There were also a few odds and ends to note as the trade deadline passed, and it’s clear that fantasy owners have some work to do if they want to sort through the debris to separate the gems from the rubble. Let’s take a look at the notable fantasy implications. Read More »

So much for the Knicks not being able to land Tracy McGrady’s expiring contract, according to ESPN.com’s Marc Stein, the Rockets, Kings and Knicks have agreed to terms that will expand the Houston-Sacramento deal into a three-way trade that lands Tracy McGrady and Sergio Rodriguez in New York, Kevin Martin, Jordan Hill, Jared Jeffries and Hilton Armstrong in Houston and Carl Landry, Joey Dorsey and Larry Hughes in Sacramento. Read More »

The Cavs are locked and loaded for a solid run at the championship, a disgruntled former superstar finds a new home (and maybe another one before the day’s up), the Bulls are in an even better position to make a splash this summer and a perennial lump of dead weight now finds himself with 10,000 lakes to drown in. That pretty much sums up all the NBA trade action from Wednesday night into Thursday morning, in what has shaped up to be a trade season that has lived up to expectations so far. Here’s a quick rundown of the fantasy implications. Read More »

Friday night, Dime’s Aron Phillips spoke to an unnamed source who works in the NBA and said that Allen Iverson has worked out the details of a contract with the Charlotte Bobcats, but the deal won’t be official until next week. The general consensus surrounding A.I. is that the 34-year-old is too stubborn to blend into a contender’s system, and at the same time, will stunt the development of any up-and-coming young team. But Iverson in Charlotte could be a win-win for both sides: Read More »