Raptors waive guard Anthony Carter

Anthony Carter

The Toronto Raptors announced Thursday they have waived guard Anthony Carter.

Carter was signed as a free agent December 12. The 13-year NBA veteran appeared in 24 games, averaging 2.0 points, 1.4 assists and 8.4 minutes.

The roster now stands at 13 players heading into Friday’s game at Memphis (Sportsnet ONE/Sportsnet’s 590 The FAN).

Andrea Bargnani not returning anytime soon

Andrea Bargnani
Andrea Bargnani
Not a rebounder

The Toronto Raptors will be without Andrea Bargnani for the foreseeable future.

Having already missed 14 games this year because of a strained calf — six in mid-January and eight more since re-injuring the left leg on Jan. 25 in Utah — Bargnani is poised to miss much more action. It would not be a surprise if he sat out until the all-star break, two weeks from now, although that is just an extrapolation of head coach Dwane Casey’s comments.

“His timeframe is extended, whether it is two weeks or three weeks, whatever it is,” Casey said Thursday afternoon after the team’s practice. “We’re not putting a day on it. Extended is beyond day to day, I think.”

— Reported by Eric Koreen of the National Post

Andrea Bargnani out indefinitely with strained left calf

Andrea Bargnani

Raptors forward-center Andrea Bargnani reinjured his strained left calf in the first overtime of Wednesday’s double-overtime victory at Utah. Tests done Thursday in Denver revealed no significant damage to the calf. Bargnani will be treated symptomatically and is expected to be sidelined for an indefinite period of time.

Bargnani originally injured his calf January 11 against Sacramento. He missed six games from January 13-22.

In 13 games this season, Bargnani has averaged a team-leading 23.5 points with 6.4 rebounds, second on the team, in a team-high 36.1 minutes. He has scored 30 or more points in four contests, including 36 in his return to the lineup Tuesday in Phoenix.

Raptors center Aaron Gray out after heart procedure

aaron gray

The Toronto Raptors announced Monday centre Aaron Gray underwent an ablation procedure today to correct his reoccurring episodes of a rapid heart rate. The procedure was performed at Toronto’s Sunnybrook Hospital by Dr. Jaspal Singh and Dr. Eugene Crystal.

It is anticipated Gray will be able to return to the court within two weeks.

Gray, a four-year NBA veteran, was signed December 11 as a free-agent. He appeared in two preseason games, totaling nine rebounds in 32 minutes.

The Raptors face the Minnesota Timberwolves tonight at Air Canada Centre. Game time is 7 p.m. (TSN2/Sportsnet 590 The FAN).

Raptors sign Gary Forbes. Nuggets declined to match offer sheet

gary forbes

The Toronto Raptors announced Wednesday they have signed forward Gary Forbes after the Denver Nuggets chose to not match Toronto’s offer sheet for the restricted free agent. It is reportedly a three-year deal, with a team option on the third year.

The Raptors signed Forbes to an offer sheet Saturday. Under the terms of the NBA’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement, beginning Sunday the Nuggets had three days to match the Raptors’ offer.

Forbes, 6-foot-7, 220 pounds, averaged 5.2 points, 1.8 rebounds and 12.6 minutes in 63 games during his rookie campaign last season with the Nuggets. He started 11 contests, where he averaged 9.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 22.8 minutes.

Forbes scored in double figures on 12 occasions, with a career-best 19 points at Phoenix on November 15, 2010. He also grabbed a season-best nine boards in the contest against the Suns. He had 15 points, six rebounds and two steals in a career high-tying 24 minutes December 10 in Toronto.

Forbes played his junior and senior seasons at the University of Massachusetts. He averaged 16.3 points per game in his two campaigns with the Minutemen, joining Julius Erving as the only players in school history to score more than 1,000 points over two seasons.

A native of Panama, Forbes scored 39 points to lead his country to a victory over Canada in this summer’s FIBA Americas Championship tournament.

Dallas Mavericks sign guard Vince Carter

Vince Carter

The Dallas Mavericks announced today they have signed free agent guard Vince Carter. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Carter (6-6, 220) is an eight-time NBA All-Star who currently ranks 35th on the NBA’s all-time scoring list (eighth among active players) with 20,250 career points. The former Rookie of the Year (1998-99) and Slam Dunk Contest winner (2000) holds career averages of 22.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists in 925 games (907 starts) with Toronto, New Jersey, Orlando and Phoenix.

Originally the fifth overall selection in the 1998 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors, Carter was traded on draft day to the Toronto Raptors where he would help lead that franchise to its first Playoff appearance in 2000. In December of 2004, Carter was traded to the New Jersey Nets where he would team with current-Maverick Jason Kidd. Carter spent five seasons in New Jersey and is still ranked in the franchise’s Top 10 in 19 statistical categories.

The native of Daytona Beach, Fla., was traded to the Orlando Magic on draft day in 2009. Carter would play in his home state for a little more than a season, but in his short time there he helped take the Magic to the 2010 Eastern Conference Finals where they lost in six games to the Boston Celtics. In December of 2010, Carter was traded to the Phoenix Suns where he finished out last season and scored his 20,000th point becoming just the 37th NBA player to accomplish that feat.

Carter was a standout at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he led the Tarheels to two consecutive Final Four berths (1997, 1998). Carter declared himself eligible for the 1998 NBA Draft after his junior season in Chapel Hill.

Raptors sign guard Anthony Carter

Anthony Carter

The Toronto Raptors announced Monday they have signed free-agent guard Anthony Carter. Per team policy, financial details were not disclosed. InsideHoops.com assumes but has not confirmed that it’s a short deal, for the league minimum.

Carter, a veteran of 12 NBA campaigns, split last season between Denver and New York. He has averaged 4.9 points, 3.9 assists and 20.0 minutes in 599 regular season games. He has started 181 contests, recording averages of 5.6 points, 7.3 assists and 27.6 minutes. He has averaged better than 15 minutes per game in nine of his 12 seasons.

In 39 playoff outings, Carter has averaged 4.5 points, 3.2 assists and 18.0 minutes. He contributed 7.7 points, 4.0 rebounds and 5.6 assists in 27.5 minutes in 10 postseason contests with Miami in 2000.

The 6-foot-2, 195 pounder posted his best career statistical regular season in the 2007-08 campaign as a member of the Nuggets. He averaged 7.8 points, 5.5 assists and 22.9 minutes in 70 games, with a career-best 67 starts.

Carter has posted career highs of 21 points (last: vs. Orlando, 1/11/08) and 15 assists (last: vs. Philadelphia, 1/6/08). He has appeared with Miami, Sacramento, Denver and New York in his NBA career.

Carter attended the University of Hawaii for his junior and senior seasons, where he averaged 18.4 points, 7.0 assists and 4.5 rebounds.

Raptors sign center Aaron Gray

aaron gray

The Toronto Raptors announced Sunday they have signed free-agent centre Aaron Gray. Per team policy, financial details were not disclosed.

Gray played for the New Orleans Hornets in the 2010-11 season, averaging 3.1 points, 4.2 rebounds and a career-high 13.0 minutes. He shot .566 (56-99) from the field in his 41 appearances, including six in a starting role. He posted two double-doubles on the season, with 11 points and 10 rebounds at New Jersey on February 9 and 10 points and 10 rebounds versus Minnesota on February 5. He started six consecutive games from February 5-15, averaging 6.1 points, 8.0 rebounds and 25.8 minutes.

Gray, 7-foot, 270 pounds, was a second-round selection (49th overall) by Chicago in the 2007 NBA Draft. He was dealt by the Bulls to the Hornets in January 2010. He has seen action in 190 career games with 25 starts, averaging 3.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and 11.4 minutes. He posted his career highs against the Raptors on April 16, 2008 with a 19-point/22-rebound performance.

Gray has totaled 21 points, 22 rebounds and 96 minutes in eight career postseason games. He shot 9-13 (.692) from the field during last season’s first-round series against the Los Angeles Lakers, including five-for-five en route to 12 points in a Game 1 victory.

Gray played four seasons collegiately at the University of Pittsburgh. He was named Big East Most Improved Player in 2005-06, upping his scoring and rebound averages from 4.3 points and 2.8 rebounds as a sophomore to 13.9 points and 10.5 rebounds in his junior season. He was an All-Big East First Team selection as a senior, posting averages of 13.9 points and 9.5 rebounds.

Raptors sign Gary Forbes to offer sheet. Nuggets can match.

Gary Forbes

The Toronto Raptors announced Saturday they have signed restricted free-agent forward Gary Forbes to an offer sheet. Per team policy, financial details were not disclosed.

The Denver Nuggets are expected to receive the offer sheet today. Under the terms of the NBA’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement, beginning Sunday the Nuggets will have three days to match the Raptors’ offer.

Forbes averaged 5.2 points and 1.8 rebounds in 12.6 minutes during his rookie campaign last season with the Nuggets. He started 11 contests, where he averaged 9.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 22.8 minutes.

Forbes scored in double figures on 12 occasions, with a career-best 19 points at Phoenix on November 15, 2010. He also grabbed a season-best nine boards in the contest against the Suns. He had 15 points, six rebounds and two steals in a career high-tying 24 minutes on December 10 in Toronto.

Forbes played his junior and senior seasons at the University of Massachusetts. He averaged 16.3 points per game in his two campaigns with the Minutemen, joining Julius Erving as the only players in school history to score more than 1,000 points over two seasons.

A native of Panama, Forbes scored 39 points to lead his country to a victory over Canada in this summer’s  FIBA Americas Championship tournament.

Raptors sign forward Rasual Butler

Rasual Butler

The Toronto Raptors announced Saturday they have signed veteran free-agent forward Rasual Butler. Per team policy, financial details were not disclosed.

Butler is a veteran of nine NBA campaigns where he has averaged 8.5 points, 2.6 rebounds and 23.9 minutes in 604 regular season outings. He has shot at a .361 per cent clip from three-point range (758-2097). Butler has also made 30 appearances in the playoffs, averaging 4.4 points, 1.5 rebounds and 13.4 minutes. He has connected on 25 of 59 three-pointers (.424) in postseason play.

Butler, 6-foot-7, 215 pounds split last season between the Los Angeles Clippers and Chicago Bulls. His best statistical season came in 2009-10 with the Clippers when he averaged career bests of 11.9 points and 33.0 minutes in 82 games (64 starts). He set a club record for made three-pointers in a season with 145. He tallied 20-plus points five times, including two games with 30 or more points. In 2008-09 with New Orleans, he averaged 11.2 points and 31.9 minutes in 82 games, with a career-best 74 starts. He also averaged a career playoff-best 10.6 points and 31.6 minutes in five postseason outings with the Hornets. In 2005, he helped Miami reach the Eastern Conference Finals.

A second-round selection by Miami (53rd overall) in the 2002 NBA Draft, Butler has seen action with the Heat, Hornets, Clippers and Bulls. He has scored a career-high 33 points on two occasions (last: vs. Cleveland, 1/16/10) and grabbed a personal-best 11 rebounds twice (last: vs. Orlando, 1/16/07).

Butler saw action in 110 games with LaSalle University, averaging 19.1 points and 5.0 rebounds in his four years with the Explorers. He was a two-time first-team All-Atlantic 10 selection, as well as a two-time first-team All-Big Five choice.