SPORTS: Do the Raptors have a clue?

The Toronto Raptors are to the NBA Draft Lottery as current North American leaders are to good politicians. In other words, lousy participants.

Unless the Raptors have a Phil Jackson signing to announce a month from now (as President/GM/Coach), then I despair over what is going to be a missed chance. We all know Bernie Bickerstaff is anxious about trading the fourth overall pick, although most of the conversation is about moving up right now. The Raptors don't have ANYBODY to talk to Bernie about a trade. And if they did, would they have the guts to trade Vince Carter in a convoluted expansion draft deal that would net the Raptors much cap relief and another top eight draft pick?

Here's the way the dream plays out. The Bobcats draft Jalen Rose on Expansion Draft Day and then deal Rose AND the fourth overall pick right back to Toronto for Vince Carter and Lamond Murray. There's 40 per cent of the opening night Bobcat line-up and Charlotte gets a (relatively) local son who's still leading All-Star voting annually to put a face on the roster. Wouldn't that look better than waiting for some high-schooler to learn enough basketball to contribute three years hence?

What do the Raptors get? Picks four and eight could land a startling booty. The way the draft breaks right now, there's no guarantee that Dwight Howard goes any HIGHER than fourth, given the unlikely drafting of a young front-courter by either Chicago or the Clippers. Trades could happen (and will happen in all likelyhood) but the Raptors could sit there fourth and grab Chris Bosh's running mate for the next decade. Or ... if Howard DOES go earlier, than assuredly Bosh gets the hulking Russian Andris Biedrins to actually play centre. Then, with the eighth pick, the Raptors take Devin Harris out of Wisconsin or Ben Gordon from UConn.

This is only part of the Toronto transformation since unburdening the team of Murray's stipend and Carter's max contract means enough in the kitty to really go shopping. The first instinct is offer Steve Nash the max and appeal to him to save basketball in Canada. Nash and Harris/Gordon team up with combo guards Rose and Alvin Williams to offer up a combination of abilities and experience that should work quite nicely. But, if you are going to commit to a young gun at the throttle, then you go shopping for shooting guards and small forwards. And there's PLENTY of them available out there. Whether trades or free-agent signings, the easiest position in the NBA to fill right now is an athletic wing. The shooters are a little harder to find, especially if you like them to play defence the odd time or two. But it's a buyer's market.

And there should be enough in the kitty to go get an Adonal Foyle type to pair with Biedrins, Bosh and Donyell Marshall. Can that group contend in the hardly awesome new East Division? You betchum Red Ryder!!!

But the Raptors don't have the man in charge to make the deal. I wonder if they are still accepting resumes?