Basketball NBA
Nesterovic traded to Raptors
The Toronto Raptors acquired seven-foot centre Rasho Nesterovic from San Antonio on Wednesday for Matt Bonner, Eric Williams and a 2009 second-round draft pick. Lately, the 30-year old native of Ljubljana mostly played backup to the Spurs' other big men Tim Duncan and Nazr Mohammed.
"Acquiring Rasho brings us an experienced presence at the centre position while not affecting our cap situation," said Raptors president and general manager Bryan Colangelo on the team's website.
"He's a smart basketball player who will help address our needs, particularly on the defensive end of the floor."
A first-round selection (17th overall) by the Minnesota Timberwolves in 1998, the Spurs signed Nesterovic as a free agent in 2003 hoping he could take over from retiring David Robinson.
But Nesterovic was never able to fill those big shoes averaging just 6.4 points and 6.0 rebounds in three seasons in San Antonio.
The eight-year veteran has averaged 7.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.3 blocks and 24.1 minutes in 548 career games, 456 of them as a starter.
Williams, who came to the Raptors as part of the deal that sent Vince Carter to New Jersey, had been unhappy with his diminishing playing time in Toronto and had last season asked to be traded.
He had averaged 4.0 points, 2.1 rebounds and 15.1 minutes in two seasons in Toronto.
Raptors fans will be sad to say goodbye to the popular Bonner.
The 'Red Rocket', as Bonner was known in Toronto for his red hair and taking the city's famous Red Rocket street cars to the games, averaged 7.3 points, 3.6 rebounds and 20.4 minutes in 160 games as a Raptor.
Reuters - & fp - 25/06/2006 01:15
