FINALLY!!! The Raps finally make a good decision. :)Quote:
All Rap-ped up
The Raptors' offer of more money and authority was a little more than Bryan Colangelo could pass up.
TORONTO (CP) -- Bryan Colangelo says it was simply time to "jump off the ledge."
When Colangelo accepted the job of president and general manager of the Toronto Raptors, he left behind a Phoenix Suns franchise for which he'd worked nearly half his life.
Building on the foundation laid in Phoenix by his father and former Suns owner Jerry, Colangelo had cobbled together one of the most successful teams in the NBA in one of the league's biggest success stories last season.
The brilliant turnabout in Phoenix earned him 2005 NBA executive of the year honours.
So when Colangelo was formally introduced as the Raptors' new president and GM at a news conference Tuesday, it's no surprise he spent a good chunk of his time answering: Why Toronto?
With his future in Phoenix unclear, Colangelo said the Raptors are a perfect fit -- a young team with a lot of flexibility on which to put his stamp.
COLANGELO MOVES:
A few of the high-profile draft picks, signings and trades completed in Phoenix under Bryan Colangelo:
Draft picks: Steve Nash, Amare Stoudemire, Shawn Marion, Michael Finley
Signings: Steve Nash, Quentin Richardson
Trades: Stephon Marbury & Penny Hardaway to the New York Knicks for two first-round picks, Joe Johnson to Atlanta for Boris Diaw
"This is a great opportunity for me to take the next step, turn a page in my life. At the tender age of 40 I'm ready to branch out," said Colangelo.
Plus, his future in Phoenix had been uncertain, his relationship with managing partner Robert Sarver souring over the last couple of weeks as they tried to negotiate a contract extension.
"Given that the franchise sold a couple of years ago, and you've got a new ownership group in place that ultimately would perhaps want to carve their own niche in the market, it's a natural time."
Jerry Colangelo, the team's first GM when it was founded in 1968, supported the move.
"We talked a lot about the ways things unfolded in Phoenix the last couple of weeks," said Bryan Colangelo. "He encouraged me to explore the opportunity based on perhaps what we both looked into the future and saw."
He's excited about his future in Toronto. He steps into a enviable situation, with salary cap room, a good draft pick and a budding young star to build around in Chris Bosh.
"There's just so many positive things about the opportunity that Wayne (interim GM and senior adviser Wayne Embry) has established in terms of the cap flexibility and the ability to look at free agency in a different light and perhaps explore trade opportunities to acquire the necessary pieces," said Colangelo. "It's not unlike a team we had in Phoenix a couple years ago."
It helped that Embry, who was not interested in the GM's job long term, is a longtime friend of the Colangelo family. Colangelo said he wouldn't have considered the job had Embry not been in the mix.
"Wayne has been a big part of my life in that my father Jerry had a great relationship (with Embry)," said Colangelo. "He will serve as a mentor for me. We can never lose sight of the fact that there's people in your lives who guide you."
Colangelo says he has no plans for sweeping changes. He won't be bringing in his own staff.
"Sam (Mitchell) is the coach of this team, he's got an absolutely clean slate," said Colangelo. "I had no predisposed position on who he is as a coach and what type of basketball he should play."
Mitchell is excited about working with Colangelo.
"You know that when we sit down and talk about players and trying to get better, you know he's done that," said Mitchell. "He made some moves that people didn't really notice that were on the back pages, and look where they are now.
"When you talk about the Colangelo family and basketball throughout the NBA, it's well-respected as far as knowledge of the game and how to run an organization."
Colangelo's contract with the Suns was reportedly worth $1 million US per year and expired at the end of next season. He also has an ownership stake in the Suns that he'll have to sell.
The Raptors reportedly offered Colangelo a multiyear deal worth $3 million per year.
"I can truthfully tell you, this was not a decision about money," Colangelo said.
Colangelo replaces Rob Babcock, who was fired Jan. 26 by the Raptors after their 14-29 start.
Among his priorities are signing Bosh to a contract extension.
"I think it's pretty obvious that that's a priority of this organization," said Colangelo.
Bosh was pleased with the hiring.
"You look at all the teams around the league, people that are in the playoffs year after year after year, they have the same people, it's always the same guys, getting better around each other. To get a high profile guy like that, shows how eager everyone is to get better."
Colangelo isn't worried about luring free agents, saying Toronto is a desirable destination -- it's a multicultural city that international players in particular can feel comfortable in.
"Toronto is a world-class city, very cosmopolitan, it's got a lot of attributes that Phoenix doesn't have," he said.
Colangelo spent 17 years with the Suns, the past 11 as general manager. In the 2004 off-season, he lured Canadian guard Steve Nash away from Dallas, and Nash went on to earn Most Valuable Player honours that season. The retooled Phoenix Suns won a league-high 62 games last season.
Toronto has been competitive since a 1-15 start but is still fourth in the Atlantic Division.
