TORONTO - Regardless of where all-star forward Chris Bosh ends up playing next season, Toronto Raptors general manager Bryan Colangelo is confident the team is set for the future with Ed Davis and Solomon Alabi.
Toronto selected Davis, a six-foot-10 forward from North Carolina, in the first round, 13th overall, in last month's NBA draft. The Raptors then acquired the draft rights (second round, 50th overall) to Alabi, a seven-foot-one Florida State centre, from the Dallas Mavericks for a 2013 conditional second-round pick and cash considerations.
The six-foot-10 Bosh became a free agent July 1 and is one of the league's marquee players on the market right now, along with superstars LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.
Colangelo said Bosh's uncertain future wasn't the sole reason Toronto decided to take Davis and Alabi in the draft.
"We said all along regardless of what happens we're going to take the best players available," Colangelo said. "We landed the guy (in Davis) that perfectly fits our roster and our needs right now as we speak with all the uncertainty there.
"I would say with both players we were a little bit surprised to see on the board."
The overwhelming sentiment is Bosh will leave Toronto this summer but Colangelo said he hasn't ruled out Bosh returning to the Raptors.
"I never rule anything out," he said. "I can't get too deep into the free-agent discussion other than to say we're monitoring the situation, we are evaluating the various scenarios that we might be involved in with a sign-and-trade scenario if that comes to pass.
"I think we're three or four days away from knowing with more clarity what's going to happen with the big free agents. Once we know where that goes we'll have a much better feel of how it's going to impact us."
A sign-and-trade deal would ensure Toronto receives something in exchange for Bosh. But Colangelo said such a deal would have to make sense for the Raptors.
"I would say there are multiple options that could play themselves out and we're prepared for multiple options," he said. "But at the end of the day things have to make sense for all sides . . . that's the part that ultimately needs to be decided.
"He might decide on a franchise and we may participate, we may not and that's kind of where things are."
In Davis, the Raptors have a player who led the Tar Heels in rebounding (9.6 per game), blocked shots (2.8), and was second in scoring (13.4) in his sophomore season. He suffered a season-ending injury Feb. 10 in a game against Duke when he broke a bone in his left -- shooting -- wrist.
Davis, the son of former NBA player Terry Davis, was a member of North Carolina's NCAA championship team in 2008-'09 as a freshman. He's confident the key elements of his game -- rebounding and blocking shots -- will allow him to make a successful transition into the NBA.
"That is something I know I can bring to the table every night," he said.
Alabi, 22, a native of Nigeria, led the Seminoles in his sophomore season with 11.7 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. All that despite having been diagnosed with Hepatitis B.
"I'm aware of it . . . I've had it since birth," Alabi said. "It's curable . . . I can play for a long time."
Colangelo said the Raptors have received assurances from both Alabi's doctors as well as the NBA club's medical staff that the player's condition shouldn't be a problem.
"We'll obviously deal with the treatments as required and everything should be fine," he said. "It should not affect his playing career."
