https://twitter.com/RealGM/status/304667570412335104

As the Suns dropped to the bottom of the Western Conference, Telfair fell out of the playing rotation as Phoenix started giving rookie Kendall Marshall more minutes. With another young guard in Diante Garrett available for minutes, the Suns would do well to pry a second-round pick from a team that could use Telfair as insurance for the rest of the season. Telfair is making around $1.6 million in the last year of his contract this season.

http://www.sbnation.com/2013/2/21/4010658/sebastian-telfair-traded

The Raptors would move Andrea Bargnani in the right deal, but teams do not detect urgency on Toronto’s part.

— Ken Berger (@KBergCBS) February 19, 2013

http://www.sportsnet.ca/basketball/2013/02/11/nba_trade_rumours_andrea_bargnani/

"If (Toronto) gave me the opportunity, I don’t even think I’d let them finish the question. Yes. I’m in," Carter said, speaking on Cybulski and Company.

"Could I see it? Absolutely," Carter continued. "I’d leave that up to the franchise. It all started in Toronto, I’d be a fool to ever forget that."

Carter also used the opportunity to dispel longstanding rumours that he disliked the city and his time with the Raptors.

"The
one thing I want people to know is that, they think that I care less
about my time there or don’t care about Toronto at all. Not the case at
all.

"I still feel a part of the family. Maybe it’s not
reciprocated, but nevertheless, that’s where it all started for me. You
always remember your first."

Carter spent the first six years of
his career with the Raptors before being traded to the New Jersey Nets
amidst reports that he wanted out of Toronto. During his time with the
team, the former fifth-overall draft pick played in four All-Star Games,
won the Slam Dunk Contest in 2000, and was named the 1998-99 Rookie of
the Year.

http://www.tsn.ca/nba/story/?id=408989

Davis coached Allen Iverson in his rookie season in Philadelphia, but
was fired after one season. He spent parts of two seasons as Orlando’s
head coach, and was interim head coach in Memphis after Marc Iavaroni
was fired two years ago, before the Grizzlies named Lionel Hollins head
coach. Davis, a former teammate of Hollins’ on Portland’s world
championship team in 1976, remained on Hollins’s staff.

Davis will join assistant Scott Roth, who had interviewed for an assistant’s job with the Lakers under new head coach Mike Brown, but will remain in Toronto. Roth had been at Golden State, Memphis and Dallas before joining the Raptors in 2009, and also has extensive international coaching experience. Assistants Eric Hughes and Micah Nori will also remain as holdovers from Jay Triano‘s staff. Triano was fired at the beginning of the month and Casey was officially hired to replace him last week. Toronto is also hiring longtime assistant coach and scout Tom Sterner to the staff. Sterner was with the 76ers last season and has been with the Warriors, Magic and Mavericks in almost three decades as an NBA coach.

http://hangtime.blogs.nba.com/2011/06/28/raptors-coach-casey-completes-staff/

But he won’t come easily after his defensive schemes helped lead the Mavericks to the title on Sunday.

The Detroit Pistons and wealthy new owner Tom Gores are also interested
in Casey and money is likely to be no object if they decide Casey is
their guy.

According to ESPN’s Marc Stein, Casey is the frontrunner for the Toronto job after interviewing with the team earlier this week and could be hired as soon as next week.

That is, if he prefers this job over the Detroit opening.

Lawrence Frank is also in the running in both cities.

The NBA draft takes place next Thursday and the Raptors would prefer to get input from their new head coach before making their selection.

The team will get another look at Czech high flyer Jan Vesely on Sunday and might workout more players in Toronto on Monday.

The Raptors have interviewed both Casey and Frank, the Pistons have had Frank in but reportedly are still waiting on a meeting with Casey, 54.

http://www.torontosun.com/2011/06/17/report-raptors-want-casey

Brazilian veteran Leandro Barbosa is considering opting out of the final
year of a contract scheduled to pay him $7.6-million for 2011-12.

According to his brother Arturo, the shooting guard is receiving feelers
from some top club teams at home who want to bring back the top
Brazilian player of his generation.

“The situation is this: it would not be responsible of me as his brother
to not consider the Brazil option,” said Arturo Barbosa. “Leandro loves
Toronto he loves the fans and the relationships with everybody, but
business is business. An athlete’s career is short and there are a lot
of sponsorship opportunities [in Brazil] especially with the World Cup
in 2014 and the Olympics in 2016.”

The leading candidate for Barbosa’s services, apparently, is Flamengo,
Brazilian basketball champions in 2008 and 2009 who play in Rio de
Janeiro. The club’s soccer side recently brought soccer star Ronaldinho
back to the fold to finish his career after his run in Europe.

Another possibility is the Brazilian club Corinthians.

With a growing economy Brazils national basketball league has grown in
stature and professionalism in recent years and is better positioned to
bring home top players who have typically played in Europe if not the
NBA.

Raptors president Bryan Colangelo said he just learned of the
possibility of Barbosa leaving in recent days: “They are weighing
options,” he said via text message from Europe where he’s scouting draft
prospects. “There is no word from the agents on that yet.”

Should Barbosa leave his option and return to Brazil it could open up
the rebuilding Raptors’ options considerably, both by providing another
roster spot and shaving more money off the Raptors salary obligations,
already slated to drop from $69-million on the books last season to
about $34-million for nine players – though that number will rise as the
team adds a draft pick and fills out its roster.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/basketball/barbosa-considering-brazilian-options/article2055376/

With good reason, it seems. Late in the day, a new wrinkle came about
when ESPN reported Oklahoma City assistant Mo Cheeks was also in the
mix.

With more proven candidates like Jeff Van Gundy, Rick Adelman and Jerry Sloan massive longshots from the start, Frank and Casey always made the most sense, but Cheeks flew under the radar.

Like Frank and Casey, Cheeks fits the bill of what Colangelo is looking for. A defensive-minded veteran with a track record and league-wide respect.

Cheeks has gone 284-286 as coach of the Portland Trail Blazers and Philadelphia 76ers.

Casey, 54, has — along with the arrival of Tyson Chandler and others — helped turn around Dallas’ defence. He coached Minnesota to a 53-69 record as its head coach and also spent a number of seasons as Nate McMillan’s associate head coach in Seattle.

Seattle went an excellent 212-173 with Casey as its associate coach.

Frank, 41, has studied under coaches like Doc Rivers, Byron Scott, Bob Knight and former Raptors coach Kevin O’Neill.

Frank started his coaching career with New Jersey with an NBA record 13 wins in a row and went 225-241 there, leading the team to three playoff appearances, including a series victory over the Raptors in which he out-coached Sam Mitchell and the Raptors, who had homecourt advantage

http://www.torontosun.com/2011/06/09/frank-or-casey-next-raptors-coach

With good reason, it seems. Late in the day, a new wrinkle came about
when ESPN reported Oklahoma City assistant Mo Cheeks was also in the
mix.

With more proven candidates like Jeff Van Gundy, Rick Adelman and Jerry Sloan massive longshots from the start, Frank and Casey always made the most sense, but Cheeks flew under the radar.

Like Frank and Casey, Cheeks fits the bill of what Colangelo is looking for. A defensive-minded veteran with a track record and league-wide respect.

Cheeks has gone 284-286 as coach of the Portland Trail Blazers and Philadelphia 76ers.

Casey, 54, has — along with the arrival of Tyson Chandler and others — helped turn around Dallas’ defence. He coached Minnesota to a 53-69 record as its head coach and also spent a number of seasons as Nate McMillan’s associate head coach in Seattle.

Seattle went an excellent 212-173 with Casey as its associate coach.

Frank, 41, has studied under coaches like Doc Rivers, Byron Scott, Bob Knight and former Raptors coach Kevin O’Neill.

Frank started his coaching career with New Jersey with an NBA record 13 wins in a row and went 225-241 there, leading the team to three playoff appearances, including a series victory over the Raptors in which he out-coached Sam Mitchell and the Raptors, who had homecourt advantage.

http://www.torontosun.com/2011/06/09/frank-or-casey-next-raptors-coach