Leandro Barbosa signs with Toronto Raptors for the next season – NBA Update
Toronto Raptors general manager Bryan Colangelo has confirmed that Leandro Barbosa will be staying at the franchise for at least another year, barring a trade, after the player took up his one year option. Leandro Barbosa left
the decision to the 11th hour and made the call after much deliberation and speculation on his future.
Barbosa was reported to have considered quitting NBA after 8 years in the league. He came over from Brazil when he was drafted by the San Antonio Spurs as the 28th overall pick in 2003. The player however was immediately
traded to the Phoenix Suns and that is where he started his NBA journey.
Barbosa quickly established himself as an important player for the Suns and became renowned for his lightning speed and silky shooting. He put up high numbers in his time at the Suns and won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award
in 2007.
The 6-foot-3 guard was traded to the Toronto Raptors last summer, but his time at the franchise has been marred by inconsistency and niggling injuries. The physical wear and tear of playing in the NBA seems to have taken its toll
on the player and there were strong indications that Barbosa will head back to Brazil this summer.
In fact his brother Arturo Barbosa even spoke to this effect some time earlier,
“The situation is this: it would not be responsible of me as his brother to not consider the Brazil option,” said Arturo Barbosa.
He added that Leandro stood to make a lot of money in Brazil considering his hero status in the country and the upcoming international events,
“An athlete’s career is short and there are a lot of sponsorship opportunities [in Brazil] especially with the World Cup in 2014 and the Olympics in 2016.”
However, now it has been confirmed that Brazil will have to wait for a year. The decision of extending his contract will see Barbosa make $7.6 million dollars over the next season. It appears that Barbosa is willing to stay despite
the threat of a lockout as he wants to recover from injuries that have bothered him recently.
In any case the World Cup and the Olympics are still some time off and Barbosa can go to Brazil before the events. His decision would also have delighted the Toronto Raptors fans who have grown fond of the player in his short time
at the franchise.
With his contract expiring next season Barbosa could also be used by the Raptors for a trade although the other team would likely want assurances on Barbosa staying in the NBA for a longer amount of time.
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