John Salmons, one of my free agent gems, has been traded to Toronto as part of a 5-year/$23 M sign-and-trade deal with the Philadelphia 76ers. By most accounts, Salmons is a talented player that struggled fitting in with the Sixers and Allen Iverson, but the guard/forward shined in games that AI missed, averaging better than 14 points per contest. The Sixers will receive a second round pick and $2 M trade exception in return, which seems like a very good deal for Toronto.
Salmons had a choice between the Suns and the Raptors and apparently chose to have a shot at starter’s minutes in Toronto as opposed to playing in a reserve role in Phoenix. I wouldn’t be surprised if he doubled his stats next season, averaging around 15 points, five boards and around five assists per game.
