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NBA Playoffs: IND @ MIA


Sebastian Telfair headed to Toronto Raptors
By RYAN WOLSTAT, QMI Agency


Sebastian Telfair is shooting a career-best 38.1% from three for Phoenix this season. (Ralph D. Freso/Reuters/Files)


TORONTO - The Raptors are awaiting a league trade call that will complete a minor deal ahead of Thursday's NBA trade deadline.

No, Andrea Bargnani doesn’t appear to be heading anywhere, but Sebastian Telfair will be joining the Raptors.

Sources said the team will acquire the veteran point guard in exchange for a protected second-round pick, and centre Hamed Haddadi.

The 27-year-old Telfair came to the NBA amidst huge hype, after starring at Lincoln High School in Coney Island, Brooklyn, like his cousin, Stephon Marbury.

But Telfair was never able to live up to expectations after being selected by Portland with the 13th pick of the 2004 NBA draft.

He has played for six teams, averaging 7.5 points, 3.5 assists and 21 minutes per game on 39.2% shooting.

Telfair, in the final year of his contract, is shooting a career-best 38.1% from three for Phoenix this season.

Telfair is tight with Rudy Gay, Kyle Lowry and Alan Anderson, since they have all trained together in recent summers at Impact Basketball in Las Vegas.

Haddadi has visa issues and was never forced to report to the Raptors after being thrown into the Gay for Jose Calderon and Ed Davis deal three weeks ago.

Only about $200,000 U.S. of his salary for 2013/14 was guaranteed, but that will now be cleared from Toronto's cap.

Meanwhile, general manager Bryan Colangelo was unable to secure an acceptable offer for Bargnani, who is struggling through the worst season of his career while drawing increasingly louder boos from the ACC faithful.

A Bargnani deal will now have to wait until the off-season.






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