Raptors may buy Peja out?

[headliner]

The Raptors continue to explore possible trades for recently acquired Peja Stojakovic and his expiring $15 million salary, but sources close to the situation say with increasingly regularity that Stojakovic is far more likely to be bought out by Toronto than dealt again.

 

Financial flexibility to take into the NBA's new frontier of the next labor agreement would appear to appeal more to the Raps than taking on long-term salary.

 

Stojakovic has played in two games since he was dealt to Toronto in the Jarrett Jack deal on Nov. 20, thanks largely to a troublesome knee, but he's sure to attract interest from multiple contenders if he does make it to the open market as expected.

 

As long as he's released by March 1, Stojakovic will be eligible to play in the playoffs for another team. It is generally assumed in front-office circles that the Raptors will work with the Serbian sharpshooter if they can't find a trade for him, since Stojakovic had to waive $437,470 of his $1.2 million trade kicker for the salary-cap math to work in the New Orleans/Toronto deal and to allow the Raps to shed the contracts of Jack and Marcus Banks.

 

ESPN.com

[Doc]

Peja has been a fav of mine for awhile now. I really wished he got some burn with the team but sadly injuries got in the way. I really wanted him to show off his talent then hopefully a team that is contenting would ask for him.

[*Swish*]

I think it's better for the Raptors to keep him until the summer and make him sign to another team for Toronto to have more cap space and be able to sign potential young players

[Built Ford Tough]

I think it's better for the Raptors to keep him until the summer and make him sign to another team for Toronto to have more cap space and be able to sign potential young players

 

What are you talking about? Whether they buy Stojakovic out or not, it won't have any effect on what the Raptors are able to do in free agency this summer. If anything, this gives them more flexibility because by buying him out, they won't have his entire salary against their cap this season if they want to make a deal at the deadline or something.

 

As for buying him out, does this come as a surprise to anybody? He has missed like 10 games because of a "swollen knee" that didn't seem to hurt him one bit in the two games that he played for the team. It is clear that he isn't going to be dressing for the Raptors again and it was only a matter of time before he was bought out or traded. With expiring contracts not having nearly te same amount of value this year compared to last year, buying him out seems like the much more realistic option.