FanHouse Roko Ukic

Follow the logic train on this one.

Toronto needs defense and rebounding, since Andrea Bargnani, as talented as he is, lacks the toughness of say, an ostrich. They also need to clear 2010 space since The Big Twittermental, Chris Bosh, is going to have his share of offers. The Bucks have Amir Johnson, with $3.6 million expiring contract.

Milwaukee needs some flexibility at the wing, since Michael Redd spends more time on the shelf than Gigli. They also need some cheap backup point options, in case this whole Ramon Sessions thing doesn't go down. Toronto has Carlos Delfino (in a sign-and-trade possibility), and Roko Ukic.

Let's make a deal! Eventually!

During our NBA Most Likely series, I talked about how European guard Sasha Vujacic's lack of respect around the NBA causes him to get in a lot of confrontations.

Some have hypothesized that it is Sasha's pretty boy Euro look that causes him to be disrespected by some of the players throughout the league. Well, Sasha might have another European guard joining his club of disrespect.

Raptors rookie Roko Ukic is already feeling disrespected. After his first NBA game, he's already become well aware what most NBA players think of young European guards.

For most NBA teams, traveling to Europe for an exhibition is a novelty at best and an annoyance at worst. For the Raptors? It's just a great big team-building exercise. Jose Calderon explains in the Toronto Star:

"We [Calderon and Jorge Garbajosa ] want to get all the team together to go to some Spanish restaurants and show how Spain is our country," Calderon said. "And the same in Italy with Andrea (Bargnani).

"We are going to be a better team because sometimes you play better with your teammates once you know them outside, personally. In this kind of situation, we can make more family, more of a group."

By now, many (most?) teams have at least one or two foreign players, but the Raptors have five non-Americans under contract, not to mention three European training camp invitees (Roko Ukic, Uros Slokar and Girogos Printezis) and two Americans (Anthony Parker and Maceo Baston) who have played the majority of their professional career overseas. For most of these guys, taking a trip to Europe is literally no different than taking a trip to Indiana -- it just takes a little longer.