SLAM! Sports SLAM! Basketball
  Wed, December 14, 2011


NBA NEWS
TORONTO RAPTORS
MARCH MANIA
NCAA BASKETBALL
COURTSIDE BLOG
COLUMNISTS
COMMENT
PHOTO GALLERY
VIDEO GALLERY
STANDINGS
STATISTICS
PLAYERS
INJURIES
TRANSACTIONS





NFL CANADA





Forbes to Raps deal is done
By RYAN WOLSTAT, QMI Agency


Gary Forbes averaged 5.2 points in 12.6 minutes for Denver last season. (Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images/AFP)


And then there were 15.

It looks like the Raptors roster is now complete.

The Denver Nuggets have declined to match Toronto’s offer sheet on restricted free agent small forward Gary Forbes.

Denver had until midnight to match the two-year deal with a club option for a third.

Forbes, a native of Panama who grew up in Brooklyn, N.Y., will turn 27 in February.

He is a tough competitor who can score the ball. Despite standing about 6-foot-6 in shoes, Forbes has an impressive 6-foot-11 wingspan.

Forbes averaged 5.2 points in 12.6 minutes for Denver last season, including 9.5 points and 4.0 rebounds on 50.6% shooting in 11 starts.

Earlier in the day, the Raptor most familiar with Forbes, long-time Nuggets point guard Anthony Carter said Forbes would be a welcome addition.

“He’d bring a lot of toughness, he can score, he can defend, he’s got a post presence,” Carter said.

“He’s never down, he comes in early and leaves late. It’s always good to have guys like that and I just hope Denver doesn’t match.

Toronto has built some depth at guard and small forward, but head coach Dwane Casey has said there are plenty of minutes to go around due to the compacted schedule.

Casey said he anticipates going with an eight or nine-man rotation.

Leandro Barbosa missed part of practice on Tuesday due to a sore knee.




Which player, past or present, would be your first pick to start a basketball team?
  Bill Russell
  Wilt Chamberlain
  Michael Jordan
  Kobe Bryant
  LeBron James
  Kevin Durant
  Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
  Earvin 'Magic' Johnson
  Someone else


Results | Story