JO to Toronto done deal.

[hiphop1]

It is reported on Yahoo and on the trade board. TJ Ford and the 17th pick. Makes no sense to me to jumpshooting PF. Just another soft team we will beat up in the playoffs.

[GuyClinch]

Nah. That's a good deal for Toronto. They lose almost nothing and gain alot of defense in the interior. I still don't think they are winning a championship but it's an upgrade.

Pete

[Dogen]

Done deal? Wow, that was fast.

Good move for Toronto if it is true.

[Collinto]

So Indy now has two over-paid, injury prone PG's...interesting.

[SonicYouth34]

Nah. That's a good deal for Toronto. They lose almost nothing and gain alot of defense in the interior. I still don't think they are winning a championship but it's an upgrade.

QFT

[Green Menace]

Pacers had better offers over the years

[AlCelticFan]

I like the trade for Toronto too. Trade an extra point guard for a great BIG. Balance their roster and eliminate some of that extra depth that they don't really need They definitely improved their team some this year, so to me that is a success. The 17th pick is not going to get a very great player anyway, most likely.

[Rocky5000]

Why didn't they wait until draft day to do the trade? Doesn't this handicap what Bird can do with next year's pick? If I recall correctly, trading his 2009 pick would now be off limits.

[Scalamental]

I can see this trade going two ways. One is that Jermaine plays as a physical center, while bosh plays a kg type of role, playing on a defensive string (not comparing him to kg as in skill or intensity).

or

This turns into a "formidable front court" just like two other lugs that were put together that looked like they might have done well on paper... did you here that boston? formidable...

[bruno sundov]

So TOR will have JO,CB and Bargs who are all pretty much the same player. Jump shooting bigmen. LOl!!!!

[meatball sub]

They still can't beat us so...yawn.

[MVP16]

Solid trade for both teams. Toronto had to trade one of Calderon/Ford because you can't commit so much to 1 position. Indiana needed to trade O'Neal and start a new era.

Both O'Neal and Ford have big injury concerns so that's pretty much a wash for both teams. If O'Neal is healthy, he and Bosh could make a pretty good front court. JO would provide a much needed defensive presence for Toronto. Even then, I wouldn't say Toronto is a contender in the east. But if they can trade Bargnani + fillers for another impact player at a wing position, then they may become a contender in the eastern conference.

For Indiana, they get a good 25 year pg to build around with Granger. They also get an expiring contract in Nesterovic and another pick in the 1st round...some solid pieces to start rebuilding the team.

[Barry Lird]

I like the trade for Toronto too. Trade an extra point guard for a great BIG. Balance their roster and eliminate some of that extra depth that they don't really need They definitely improved their team some this year, so to me that is a success. The 17th pick is not going to get a very great player anyway, most likely.

Well, two or three years ago JO was regarded as one of the best bigs in the game (not one of my favorites, mind you, but that's how he was regarded).

He had some injury issues, and in my uninformed opinion, I think he's a dog in the way that Carter was a dog in Toronto. I think he'll be miraculously injury free next year, and he'll actually put out (leaving no doubt about the dog theory). So Toronto gives up Ford, a pretty good PG, but they had Calderon, who's just as good. They could come out smelling like a rose with this... maybe. I'll still dislike JO and regard him as a dog. A more talented Blount, but like I said, I think they'll be much improved this year, and like the previous poster said, possibly even formidable.

[Fencer reregistered]

Why didn't they wait until draft day to do the trade?

The story says Toronto has to add filler to make the numbers work.

Well, it's not reported as being THAT done of a deal.

If they wait until after the draft, then the picked guy will count in the numbers, and Toronto will have to include less filler. Since the reporting says that filler is needed, that's what I expect will happen.

[MoBSTa]

Some how if J.O. was not happy in Indiana I sure don't see him being happy in Toronto.

I also don't believe Bird is finished, maybe he already has a home for Tinsley in mind.

[francishsu]

Seems like a reasonable trade for both sides. Because Toronto has Calderon, they sacrifice less in the short term. At the same time, I think the Pacers got the most they could for JO.

[SuperDeluxe]

If this trade goes down, it's a slam dunk for Toronto. The Raptors are going to give some match up troubles in the frontcourt to many a team next year –including maybe the Celtics.

Jamaal Tinsley and T.J. Ford are very similar players in that they are both the injury-riddled type, they both want to start, they have troubles shooting the ball (although both seem to have improved as of late), and they can dish out a lot of assists when they are in the mood.

I assume Larry Bird must have a trade ready to happen to ship Tinsley out of town in exchange for something good. Otherwise, I'm not sure what he's thinking.

[rambo_ortega]

great deal for tor. and i don't believe that JO is just a jump shooting big. he has nice post moves and a wider body than most big men with his skill set.

[Celtics_Champs]

Bird is probably kicking himself for all the offers he passed on, then had to settle for this one. Great deal for toronto.

I know we all hate toronto and all that ****, but you have to admit this is a good deal for them, they gave up basically nothing.

[SuperDeluxe]

I know we all hate toronto and all that ****...

I don't hate Toronto or their fans. I live in Canada, which means that I get to make fun of them to their faces (always in a friendly manner). How great is that?