Raptors Eyeing Nocioni?

January 11th, 2009 by Andrew Wamboldt

According to Marc Stein’s Weekend Dime, the Toronto Raptors might be interested in Andres Nocioni. Here is what he wrote:

Didn’t mean to suggest the Raptors have put the phone down.

They’re still strongly against parting with Andrea Bargnani, but they’re also looking to upgrade on the wing (Chicago’s Andres Nocioni is a possibility) while trying to determine whether the Chris Bosh/Jermaine O’Neal experiment — which hasn’t worked out like a high-post/low-post combo as Toronto imagined — can be salvaged or is best abandoned quickly.

Moving O’Neal certainly won’t be easy. Yet it probably isn’t impossible because O’Neal’s $23 million salary next season is an expiring contract.

The ideal trade for the Bulls would be to use Larry Hughes and Andres Nocioni as the principle in exchange for Jermaine O’neal. Such a trade would allow the Bulls to become players in 2010 free agency while ridding themselves of the cancerous Larry Hughes.

In addition, O’neal would give the Bulls a legitimate center, something the team has sorely needed this season. O’neal is averaging 14.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks in 28 games this season.

If the Bulls have an opportunity to trade a 2010 unfriendly contract or the cancerous Larry Hughes for Jermaine O’neal, they should jump at the opportunity.