The Toronto Raptors have been fairly quiet this summer apart from trading Andrea Bargnani to the Knicks and after pulling off that deal, general manager Masai Ujiri is ready for more maneuvering, as one player could be amnestied to make way for the Tyler Hansbrough deal.
According to ESPN.com, the Raptors are planning on using the amnesty clause on Linas Kleiza before the deadline is over, which would help bring the team under the luxury tax line enough to sign Tyler Hansbrough. The former Pacers star came to the Raptors on a two-year, $6-million deal and now the European star is likely gone along with the $4.6 million that still is on his contract. The report says that general manager Masai Ujiri made the move after Kleiza picked up his 2013 option and now he is forced to use the amnesty clause.
Kleiza previously played in Greece with Olympiacos before signing a contract with the Denver Nuggets and before coming to the NBA, he led the Euroleague in scoring. He signed a 4-year, $20 million deal with the Raptors, but due to the team's style and the lockout, he never got the chance to play consistently. The move was made to bring in Hansbrough and now he will team with Kyle Lowry and Rudy Gay to help bring the Raptors back to respectability.
Hansbrough is a tough player and he can get under the skin of the opposition at time, much like he did with Chris Andersen in the NBA Eastern conference finals against the Heat. The former Pacers star has averaged 8.9 points, 4.7 rebounds and 19.7 minutes in nearly 250 career games and he had his best season in 2010 and 2011 when he averaged 11.0 points, 5.2 rebounds and 21.9 minutes in 70 games.
Hansbrough was a first round pick by the team and the Pacers let him go so that they could sign David West to a deal. The star had his best game of his career after dropping 30 against the Knicks in 2011 and grabbing 14 rebounds against the Magic in 2013 and now he will bring that intensity North of the border. Ujiri wanted the roster to be tougher for head coach Dwane Casey and now Hansbrough can provide that style of rebounding and defense to a team that needs it badly.
Marcus Camby could have been part of that, but once he came over in the Andrea Bargnani with the Knicks, he made it clear that he wanted to play elsewhere for a contender, and that could mean teams like the Miami Heat, Chicago Bulls, Clippers or LA Lakers among others, according to ESPN.com and Pro Basketball Talk. Camby is a banger and while he is much older than back when he was drafted by the Raptors, he still can give solid and meaningful minutes to a contending team.