Matt Bonner wants more cash

Red Rocket seeking boost from Raps

Free agent Bonner in talks for big raise
Toronto closer to deal with guard Ukic

MINNEAPOLIS—Money is the central issue in negotiations between the Raptors and two of their youngest players, but the differences far outweigh the similarities as talks continue with the representatives of Matt Bonner and Roko Ukic.

And GM Rob Babcock, here for a summer league season that begins this afternoon, may be facing a difficult decision in at least one of the cases.

Bonner endeared himself to Raptor fans with hustle and a personality perfectly suited to curry favour with the paying customers who admire effort as much as they do athleticism. But he remains unsigned and may stay that way for a while as Babcock and Bonner's agent try to figure out exactly what the young forward is worth.

"We really want Matt back, there's no doubt about that," Babcock said yesterday.

And then he let the other shoe drop: "But there's a dollar figure and you can't go over that."

Bonner, a former Chicago Bulls second-round pick acquired by then general manager Glen Grunwald, made about $385,000 (all figures U.S.) last season, the minimum that can be paid to an NBA player.

While it's obvious that Bonner is in line for a substantial pay increase, the amount of his raise — and the length of his new contract — are the current sticking points in chats between Babcock and Kenny Grant, Bonner's agent.

"It's a situation where the agent is doing the best job he can for him," said Babcock.

`There's a dollar figure and you can't go over that.'

Rob Babcock, on free agent Matt Bonner

While some circumstances are the same in the Ukic talks, the Raptors appear to be much further along in trying to get the rookie point guard under contract.

Babcock denied a report out of Ukic's native Croatia yesterday that a deal had been struck but did say he understood Ukic is close to being contractually free to sign with Toronto.

"It's looking favourable," the general manager said of negotiations on an NBA deal for the 6-foot-5 guard. "I think the buyout (required with Ukic's European team) is pretty much worked out over there; the rest is negotiating a deal that works for him."

The Raptors can contribute only $350,000 towards the buyout under NBA rules and Ukic, depending on how much more he had to pay, would likely be seeking a rich enough contract from Toronto to at least make up part of the difference.

There is no indication how much of a raise Bonner would want, or how much Babcock is offering. Considering ex-New Jersey Net Brian Scalabrine scored a free-agent contract with Boston that starts him at a reported $2.5 million per season, some NBA officials see the free-agent market as being way out of whack at the moment.

Toss in the deals signed by Larry Hughes in Cleveland (he'll start at about $12 million a year despite missing nearly a quarter of every season he's played because of injury) and the contract of Bobby Simmons in Milwaukee (five years, $47 million) and there is plenty of cash being thrown around.

Babcock may also be considering throwing some money around just to make one of his excess players disappear and to clear up a roster spot that could be used for a youngster.

Veteran Lamond Murray, scheduled to make more than $5 million this coming season and in no way a part of Toronto's long-term future, could be simply waived and paid off in an effort to ease a roster logjam.

Babcock had no comment on that possibility but if Murray does stick around and Bonner, Ukic and Pape Sow are signed, Toronto will have 15 guaranteed contracts and no room to sign a third point guard, which is a must going into next season.

Another over paid wannabe

Raptors should take Ukic please

Ukic RULES man...

I just saw footage of him play, and he's awesome.

My knowledge of English is somewhat limited: isn't 'bonner'=erection ?

^^boner.
red rocket makes sense though.

Bonner should stfu and stop complaining. He doesnt even own a car yet.. he runs to the games. Buy a car first then you can complain.

Bonner should stfu and stop complaining. He doesnt even own a car yet.. he runs to the games. Buy a car first then you can complain.

how does that have anything to do with bonner asking for more money?

Read... "Stop Complaining" he shouldnt be asking for more money... until he puts up bigger numbers.

Buy a car first then you can complain.

that's what i read

Buy a car first then you can complain.

Cause if things get nasty during negoatiations, you always should have an escape vehicle ready.

maybe the guy should play well, actually do things on the court, actually get known by people outside of the usa and then he can ask for more money. sounds like an idiot to me and he doesnt know how anything works!

maybe the guy should play well, actually do things on the court, actually get known by people outside of the usa and then he can ask for more money. sounds like an idiot to me and he doesnt know how anything works!

sounds like you don't know who he is. seems like you've never seen him play, he's a hustle guy, and a fan favourite in Toronto. He's a PF, who's got nice outsides shots. He got drafted in the second round, and i dont know how much the raptors are offering him, but he certainly deserves a lot more for what he got paid last year.

he'll be third string anyways. i am a fan of him but asking for alot of money is for his caliber of play is a no no. here is what the lineup looks like without bonner.

C : Araujo - Sow - Woods
PF: Bosh - Villanueva - Williams - Slokar
SF: Rose - Graham - Williams
SG: Peterson - Murray
PG: Alston - Ukic

No change am i right ?

maybe the guy should play well, actually do things on the court, actually get known by people outside of the usa and then he can ask for more money. sounds like an idiot to me and he doesnt know how anything works!

sounds like you don't know who he is. seems like you've never seen him play, he's a hustle guy, and a fan favourite in Toronto. He's a PF, who's got nice outsides shots. He got drafted in the second round, and i dont know how much the raptors are offering him, but he certainly deserves a lot more for what he got paid last year.

lol, ur right i havent seen him play although i have heard of him, but what i have heard isn't good other than what you just said.

yea, the raptors are overloaded with PFs. Now that CV is on the roster, Bonner will play less. Though, i would say, he should be the 2nd back up next to CV, not Eric Williams, Aaron Williams, or Sow. I really hope the raps find a spot for him.

sounds like you don't know who he is. seems like you've never seen him play, he's a hustle guy, and a fan favourite in Toronto. He's a PF, who's got nice outsides shots. He got drafted in the second round, and i dont know how much the raptors are offering him, but he certainly deserves a lot more for what he got paid last year.

Actually I've watched him play numerous times. He sucks. Works hard, yes. But sucks... fan favourite yea.. so was Popeye Jones at one time.. look at him..

sounds like you don't know who he is. seems like you've never seen him play, he's a hustle guy, and a fan favourite in Toronto. He's a PF, who's got nice outsides shots. He got drafted in the second round, and i dont know how much the raptors are offering him, but he certainly deserves a lot more for what he got paid last year.

Actually I've watched him play numerous times. He sucks. Works hard, yes. But sucks... fan favourite yea.. so was Popeye Jones at one time.. look at him..

first of all, i wasn't talking to you if you've read the a couple post before that. Second of all Bonner averaged 7.2ppg, 3.5rpg with 18.9 Mpg. He was drafted 45th. How can you say he sucks? How many second rounders can produce such numbers? I'm not saying he's gonna be the next big thing for the Raps, i'm just saying he's a decent player who can do good thing for the raps organization and that's why they should keep him.

sounds like you don't know who he is. seems like you've never seen him play, he's a hustle guy, and a fan favourite in Toronto. He's a PF, who's got nice outsides shots. He got drafted in the second round, and i dont know how much the raptors are offering him, but he certainly deserves a lot more for what he got paid last year.

Actually I've watched him play numerous times. He sucks. Works hard, yes. But sucks... fan favourite yea.. so was Popeye Jones at one time.. look at him..

first of all, i wasn't talking to you if you've read the a couple post before that. Second of all Bonner averaged 7.2ppg, 3.5rpg with 18.9 Mpg. He was drafted 45th. How can you say he sucks? How many second rounders can produce such numbers? I'm not saying he's gonna be the next big thing for the Raps, i'm just saying he's a decent player who can do good thing for the raps organization and that's why they should keep him.

He sucks. He sucks. He sucks. Get that in your head.. he's a Todd Mcullogh type player.. won't last too long.. and if he does he's gonna be shipped all over the league atleast 5 times...

I say he sucks mostly to piss you off Bonner won't get that much more than he was last year.. he needs to gain some credibility before he does..

Don't diss T-Mac

Don't diss T-Mac

I actually know his cousin.. I went to High School with him and College

The Red Rocket is complaining just because he's erected?

It shows how badly an organisation is doing when someone on the level of Matt Bonner asks for more cash to play for that team. Its time the Raptors franchise moves, probably to Vegas so that they can actually become an NBA organisation.

Of course with Babcock's brains he might end up giving more than Bonner wants, I say he ends up getting a similar contract to his twin brother Brian Scalabriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine.

Las Vegas Raptors, hmm I think a name change will be needed unfortunately. Maybe its time cananda forgets about basketball, first Vancouver and Im sure very soon it'll be Toronto of course Stern wants the image to be intact so he'll push for a team to be located in Montreal or Edmonton next time. They'll draft Jeffrey Jordan, he'll turn into a star and then they'll trade him for Brian Scalabrine and a filler.

Its time the Raptors franchise moves, probably to Vegas so that they can actually become an NBA organisation.

. Beware, Canadians could crucify you. But still, .

Don't diss T-Mac

I actually know his cousin.. I went to High School with him and College

Too bad it's not Vince Carter

of course Stern wants the image to be intact so he'll push for a team to be located in Montreal or Edmonton next time

That'd be really, really nice... but I don't think it would work since we have a smaller population than those other major cities. We're all about the Oilers anyway.