TORONTO - The youth movement continues for the Toronto Raptors.

Toronto president and GM Bryan Colangelo added another young piece to the Raptors puzzle as he continues to rebuild in the post-Chris Bosh era.

He acquired promising guard Jerryd Bayless plus veteran sharp-shooter Peja Stojakovic in a five-player trade with the New Orleans Hornets on Saturday, a move also meant to create future flexibility within the roster.

"If the last four years were about building around Chris Bosh, I think the next four years are about building without Chris Bosh," said Colangelo. "This is a step in that direction."

The Hornets received point guard Jarrett Jack, plus centre David Andersen and guard Marcus Banks.

Colangelo's plan is to rebuild around a young core that includes DeMar DeRozan, Sonny Weems, Amir Johnson, Ed Davis and now the 23-year-old Bayless, who brings athleticism to the squad.

"(Bayless) joins a young core of players we've been working with, developing, bringing along, putting in situations where they can thrive," Colangelo said before the Raptors took the floor against the visiting Boston Celtics. "Combine that with the notion that we've also increased the flexibility of this team with what the future holds in free agency and subsequent trades."

With Saturday's moves, the Raptors now have US$25 million in expiring contracts plus $12 million remaining on the trade exception from the deal that sent Bosh to the Miami Heat in the off-season.

It remains to be seen what the 33-year-old Stojakovic can add as he nears the tail-end of his career.

"It could be mentoring and bringing along some of the young guys, it could be helping us winning a few games here in the process," Colangelo said. "One thing I think is pretty clear, we're not telling these guys to lay down, we're telling them to try to win and compete and lay it out there every night.

"But whether or not we win games is really not the true issue right now, it's how much we're growing as an organization, how much these young kids are coming along."

Once one of the most lethal three-point shooters in the league, Stojakovic lost his starting job in New Orleans this season to former Raptor Marco Belinelli. He was also inactive for several games earlier in the season, and has played in six of the Hornets' 11 games and averaging 7.5 points.

"I just hope he has that touch like he had with the (Sacramento) Kings, not saying he don't got it still," said Raptors forward Reggie Evans. "He can bring some leadership, he's been a winner practically his whole NBA career so hopefully he can bring some experience. And if we can find him open and he can knock it down, that's even more of a plus for us."

Stojakovic, who's averaged 17.3 points a game during his 12-year career, has been frequently injured the past two seasons, and entered this season saying he understood he could be traded because of his expiring US$15.3 million contract.

Bayless and Stojakovic should be in uniform Wednesday when the Raptors (4-9 heading into Sunday's game) host the Philadelphia 76ers.

Sending Jack to New Orleans also makes Jose Calderon the undisputed No. 1 point guard. Having two point guards fighting for minutes, Colangelo said, was a quandary in the off-season, and he attempted to trade away Calderon in a deal that fell through at the last minute.

"I feel comfortable and like I said, I'm just happy to be part of this team," Calderon said before Sunday's game. "I was trying just to forget about (his near-trade), sometimes it happens and organizations go one way or another. I just realize you have to keep working and do your thing and try to get the best of yourself to help the team win. After that, there is nothing else you can control, just be a professional."

The 27-year-old Jack was outspoken with the media, but Colangelo said the guard's leadership role among the team was perhaps overstated. The GM said since Bosh has departed, no one player has taken over as the team's true leader, although Evans is certainly more vocal than most.