Let The Drama Summer Begin.

So just your average day as the NBA Finals are about to get started. Chris Bosh makes an appearance at Woodbine race track and he answers a few questions and all hell breaks loose. Why you ask? Well because Chris Bosh said that he plans to do what everyone expected him to do. Bosh confirmed that he will likely opt out of his contract at the end of the 09/10 season. He will not sign an extension with the Raptors. But a newsflash I am pretty sure Lebron James and D-Wade will do the same. The difference is both those teams made the playoffs. Raptors as we all know did not.

But if you put down your pitch forks and calm down for just a second. If you are the agent for Chris Bosh. Why would you not take this course of action. What happened today is not a ticket out of town for Chris Bosh. In fact in his interview on Hoops he said he likes Toronto and he said that the city has been good to him for 6 years he has been here. Why there is this massive panic to trade Chris Bosh before he leaves has never made any sense to me. It makes even less sense than the stories and comments that T.J Ford was this bad dude that was the problem with the Toronto Raptors. When are people going to chill out and relax about these things. I have read little to nothing positive about the Toronto Raptors since the season ended. A guy that was one of only 3 players in the NBA to record a 20 and 10 season is suddenly not worth having out of fear he is going to walk away? It is crazy.

People who are Raptor fans would all agree, that when Vince Carter declared his intentions about not be happy in Toronto which lead to a panic trade of him to the New Jersey Nets, may have been one of the worst in NBA History. Chris Bosh has only said that he is going to play out his contract and explore his options. Which include the fact the Raptors can offer him more money than anyone else. Also an extra year on a deal which with a CBA about to expire could be a very attractive thing. People seem to feel it will take a max offer to keep Bosh in town. When was that said? The recent actions of Bosh might just suggest that unlike other stars that have been in T.O he might have figured out something. He can market himself in this country and stand alone. I guess in a sense Chris Bosh is the Lebron James of Canada. That is not a bad deal. Not comparing the two as players. But where would Bosh stand in the U.S market going head to head with Lebron. Think that answer is clear. CB4 puppet in a Nike ad is not likely coming even if he was a star player on any of the other 29 teams in the NBA. I think Chris Bosh is one of the smartest athletes in sports when it comes to his own marketing. If Bosh stays he may be able to capitalize on being the face of a nation for basketball.

The one thing that needs to happen is that this team needs to win. So Bryan Colangelo needs to build a team around Chris Bosh. It is on Bryan to build a solid team around him and give him a reason to take advantage of the money opportunities that are out there for him. But at the end of the day Chris Bosh wants to win. That is a good thing is it not? Vince Carter was accused of lack of effort and lack of caring. Bosh has never shown that in his 6 years here in Toronto. All this talk of trading Bosh makes no sense to me. You are never going to get equal value in return so why bother. The focus should be making this team good and giving them a chance to win. If the Raptors do that Chris Bosh is more likely than not staying right where he is. In answering a question of the odds of him remaining with the Raptors was? He said they are good. For 6 years of being on heck of a basketball player and an all star I am willing to take that gamble. If things do not go well and you sense that Bosh will not return fine make a move if you must or look and see what is out there. But really if he does walk is it really much different than if you traded him? With the value of his contract could you not bring in an equal or greater amount of talent? I think the answer to that is yes.

Yet so many people that were supporters of this guy are now saying ship him out of town. Raptors have an ugly history with guys leaving and we all know that. Stoudamire, McGrady and Carter all left on bad terms. But let me put it in human terms. If you dated 3 girls and let's say one dumped you. the second you asked the second to marry you and said no. The 3rd actually cheated on you with your best friend. Does that mean you never go look for number 4.(Un-intended Irony) Do you go out with number 4 and are always waiting for doom to happen? You can not live like that. Sure learn from what happened in the past but do not let it screw your future.

I dread the summer that lies ahead. It will be filled with stupid rumours of Bosh trades and people throwing a guy under the bus that has done nothing that if they were in his spot 99% of them would not do the same. All those same people calling out for trades and wanting Chris Bosh to be on the next bus or plane out of town. They will be the first people to say this team sucks we never should have let Bosh go. Actually they will be the second because I will be first telling them how stupid they were. I to this day think the Raptors gave up far to soon on the entire Ford and Claderon situation. I refuse to sit silent and endorse an idea that this team will be better off by getting rid of Chris Bosh. The reality is they will not be. Bryan Colangelo may be very good at what he does but he can not perform miracles last I checked. I hope his focus is to build a team around Bosh that makes the chances of him returning greater.

One last thought. Why is it when anyone says something negative Raptor fans choose to believe it as fact? Be it Jalen Rose, Stephen A. Smith or are local guy to stir things up Dave Feschuk. You choose to believe them. Yet when people say, well wait a second maybe not. You call them homers and worse. If Bosh himself says he has not made up his mind you say it is B.S. Well if some of you want to not believe in that how bout the guy himself? He says he likes Toronto and he says the odds of him returning are good. But what does he know he is only Chris Bosh. Oh it is going to be a long and probably not that fun summer I can feel it. Not happy thoughts as I get set to watch game 1 of the finals.