Bryan Colangelo was considered a can’t miss GM when the Raptors hired him, coming from the Suns who he helped build into a playoffs, if not championship, juggernaut. But things haven’t gone so well north of the border, as the team actually seems to have regressed significantly since losing to the Magic in 2008.
And with Chris Bosh making noise about leaving on Twitter, after an 11-19 finish, and with little hope of attracting free agents and little cap room thanks to big, long term contracts to Andrea Bargnani and Hedo Turkoglu, who both failed to live up to expecations, the heat is on in Toronto.
The Globe and Mail reports that Colangelo is feeling the pressure from his ownership conglomerate bosses, and is entering the last year of his contract.
With the money left on Colangelo’s deal limited to this year, it provides Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment Ltd. an out from a costly buyout. Which means that if they want to part ways with Colangelo, now would be an excellent time to do so before granting an extension to him.
Colangelo brought the offense from Phoenix, bringing in versatile players that can play multiple positions and hit from anywhere on the floor. But he also brought together a roster and coaching staff under Jay Triano that had one of the worst defenses in the NBA, and only seemed to get worse as the season went along. Now it faces the prospect of losing its best player and All-Star and being left with the incomplete pieces, which could spell an even further drop down the standings.
Colangelo’s going to need to pull a rabbit out of his hat in the next 12 months if he wants to keep his Italian wardrobe in good condition.