Kapono agrees to four-year, $24 million deal with Raptors
By Marc Stein
ESPN.com
(Archive)
Updated: July 1, 2007, 4:06 PM ET
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Jason Kapono

Guard-Forward
Miami Heat

Profile

2007 Season Stats GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
67 10.9 2.7 1.2 .494 .892

Free agent sharpshooter Jason Kapono has quickly reached an agreement Sunday to leave the Miami Heat and sign a four-year deal believed to be worth $24 million with the Toronto Raptors.a

The NBA's free agent period commenced at 12:01 Sunday morning, with free agents unable to formally sign contracts before July 11.

"Jason is excited about this opportunity and intends to sign with the Raptors when the moratorium period ends," said Kapono's agent, Bob Myers.

Kapono, a second-round draft pick of the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003, led the NBA in 3-point percentage, and posted career-highs in points (10.9) and rebounds (2.7) this season.

CHEMISTRY IS THE ONLY THING TORONO IS FOCUSING ON.

Calangelo and other quality GM's like him continue to show how ignorant I SAY UGH is.

[Edited by - TrueBlue on 07-01-2007 5:36 PM]

Posted by VDesai:

I think its a lot for Kapono, but then again it isn't much more than what we paid for Jefferies. And Kapono actually does one thing well...

And it was a deal with 1 less yr on the table for a player that does things better than Mo Pete, and it allows them to work a S&T for Mo Pete. So say Pete decides to sign in Det or Clev but the Raptors want to match their offers. Pete will get a similar deal somewhere else. Det could send Murray and Cash and 2 2nd rounders or Cleveland could send Newble, Cash and 2 2nd rounders for him. Delfino + Kapono>>>>>>Mo Pete.



[Edited by - TrueBlue on 07-01-2007 5:36 PM]

Nice signing. They went right ahead and signed the player that we needed.

Posted by Solace:

Nice signing. They went right ahead and signed the player that we needed.

I like Kapono's shooting, but I believe Isiah was thinking higher than that. He wants a player that can do more than Kapono does. He already said he didn't plan on signing any of the MLE level FA's and I suspect that Chandler and Nichols may be part of the reason. He may feel he has players that are more versatile and with bigger upside. You have to look further down the road and not just at this year. I believe Isiah felt we could do better than Kapono. We'll see in time if he was right.

Posted by TrueBlue:

The Knicks have yet to address their needs....

Shooting
Interior Defense
Perimeter Defender(S)
High IQ point gaurd(Backup or Starter)

Says you! We have shooting and he's added more. We have perimeter defenders already, they just needed more experience. We don't NEED another PG. Teams have won with far less than what we have at PG. This team is going to be right in the thick of it along with the other good teams in the East. We've improved the talent and we should see some growth from within. Who knows we may not even be done yet.

Toronto has a plan. 'Nuff said.

Posted by Masterplan:

Posted by Rich:

Toronto has a plan. 'Nuff said.

they probably also have a budget

So do we it's just an unlimited no holds barr one. Thank goodness Dolan isn't their Owner because Calangelo would have the Atlantic on Lock for Eternity.

he fits with their team but it's too much money. thankfully, it's only 4 years.

they need to increase the athleticism and defense out of the 3 spot. this move did not accomplish that.

but they are letting mo pete walk so kapono slots right in.

i don't expect to see dixon or graham on the roster next season. unless...there's another deal on the table of a bigger magnitude involving calderon (which i doubt).

05/06: 45 fg%, 40 3fg%
06/07: 50 fg%, 52 3fg%

in an offense where jumpshooting is essential (especially from the 3), you can not find a better jumpshooter in the league. the raptors offense will totally spread out the floor for forderon and bosh to operate in the paint. bosh was double teamed and collapsed upon vs. the nets...this will help make that tougher to do.


[Edited by - djsunyc on 07-01-2007 6:35 PM]

Posted by Masterplan:

Posted by Rich:

Toronto has a plan. 'Nuff said.

they probably also have a budget

Which is part of having a plan as long as a salary cap is part of the CBA.

Posted by djsunyc:

he fits with their team but it's too much money. thankfully, it's only 4 years.

they need to increase the athleticism and defense out of the 3 spot. this move did not accomplish that.

but they are letting mo pete walk so kapono slots right in.

i don't expect to see dixon or graham on the roster next season. unless...there's another deal on the table of a bigger magnitude involving calderon (which i doubt).

05/06: 45 fg%, 40 3fg%
06/07: 50 fg%, 52 3fg%

in an offense where jumpshooting is essential (especially from the 3), you can not find a better jumpshooter in the league. the raptors offense will totally spread out the floor for forderon and bosh to operate in the paint. bosh was double teamed and collapsed upon vs. the nets...this will help make that tougher to do.


[Edited by - djsunyc on 07-01-2007 6:35 PM]

Every team over the cap has the MLE at their disposal to sign a FA whose market is at that range. In order to sign a FA who specializes in doing one thing extremely well you have to shell out more than what is the norm. They go over that by less than $500,000. I think the guy was making $2.1mil last yr and was automatically in line to make double that this next contract. Is $500,000-$1.5mil/yr a reason to panic over overspending when the deal isn't that long, player fits the system, and doesn't limit what they can do to make further changes?

[Edited by - TrueBlue on 07-01-2007 5:46 PM]