TORONTO - Bryan Colangelo is getting on with life in the post-Chris Bosh era.

The Toronto GM was busy retooling his club Thursday, a day after Bosh announced he was leaving the Raptors after seven seasons to sign with Miami as a free agent. Bosh will join Dwyane Wade in Florida after the veteran guard decided to re-sign with the Heat.

Colangelo signed restricted free-agent forward Linas Kleiza to a reported US$18.8-million, four-year offer sheet the Denver Nuggets now have seven days to match. He also re-signed free-agent forward Amir Johnson to a reported five-year deal worth $34 million, then came to terms rookie Solomon Alabi, a seven-foot-one, 250-pound centre from Florida State who was the club's second-round pick in last month NBA draft.

But Colangelo admitted the moves didn't fully diminish the feelings of loss created by Bosh's departure.

"To say we're disappointed, sure," he said. "It is disappointing when you lose that type of player, an all-star player.

"But you move forward and do what you can to get things moving in the right direction."

Toronto selected the six-foot-10, 230-pound Bosh fourth overall in the 2003 NBA draft. The Dallas native quickly developed into one of the league's top players, being named to the all-rookie team before garnering five league all-star berths and winning Olympic gold in 2008.

But that didn't translate into playoff success as Bosh participated in just 11 post-season contests during his time in Toronto. However, Bosh certainly left his mark on the Raptors franchise, leaving as its all-time leader in scoring, rebounds, blocks, double-doubles, free throws made and attempted and minutes played.

The Raptors missed the NBA playoffs last season for the second straight year and fifth time in seven years, compiling a 40-42 record.

Toronto had a team record-tying 29 wins heading into the all-star break and appeared poised to contend for a top-four finish in the Eastern Conference. However, the team struggled with injuries down the stretch -- including Bosh missing 12 of the club's final 30 games -- and the Chicago Bulls (41-41) snapped up the eighth and final playoff spot, finishing one game ahead of the Raptors.

Despite the club's dismal finish, Bosh averaged career bests of 24 points, 10.8 rebounds and 51.8 per cent shooting.

"It was just a perfect storm with respect to how the season ended and it was an even more perfect storm with respect to the options that were out there for Chris Bosh," Colangelo said.

Bosh was eligible for a six-year contract worth $128 million if he stayed in Toronto compared to a five-year contract worth $96 million if he signed elsewhere. But the Raptors could sign Bosh to a six-year deal, then trade him to Miami in order to get something back for him.

Colangelo wouldn't say whether the Raptors will work a sign-and-trade with Miami.

"There are a lot of things still under consideration," Colangelo said. "I don't think it's over yet."

And that's because megastar Lebron James' future remains up in the air. The two-time NBA MVP will announce which team he'll sign with during an hour-long television special Thursday night (TSN, 9 p.m. ET). There are some basketball pundits who believe James will join both Wade and Bosh in Miami.

"If he (James) had made his decision (Wednesday night) I probably would be sitting here today with more finality on what that situation might look like," Colangelo said. "We'll know more but things are under consideration right now."

Colangelo admitted losing Bosh and getting nothing in return would be a big blow to the franchise.

"You lose an all-star, you lose a player that has been pretty meaningful here in the community and in the minds and hearts of the fans," he said. "It's difficult to overcome but I've said often we will evolve with or without Chris.

"This is not a surprise, this is not big news today other than it's final. We've kind of sensed that it's likely he was going to going to be leaving, now it's final. We will be evolving as a team and as an organization and we'll see how it affects everybody in the long run. Whether or not there's an outcome that's favourable for us in a potential sign-and-trade, we'll know the results of that later."

And part of Toronto's evolution, Colangelo said, is realizing the potential in new faces like Kleiza, first-round pick Ed Davis and returnee Johnson along with the added maturation of veteran Andrea Bargnani. Colangelo also left the door wide open to the return of disgruntled Hedo Turkoglu, who has publicly expressed his desire not to return to Toronto after just one season with the club.

"Points and rebounds are something you've got to replace with Chris departing," Colangelo said. "But there is a lot of pieces that we've talked about have been missing and we're addressing that and moving forward and letting some of these other young players emerge thus the evolution of this team.

"You could argue immediately that Andrea Bargnani will have much more of a platform to become the dominant scorer on the team. You're going to have the ball in Hedo Turkoglu's hands if he comes back, which we've talked about, and I think his role will be much more important and critical to the way we're going to play."

Bosh's departure is another setback for a Raptors franchise that has also lost top stars Tracy McGrady and Vince Carter. But while McGrady and Carter both couldn't wait to leave, Bosh at least stuck around, signing a $65-million, four-year contract in 2006 after the completion of his rookie deal.

"We're losing Chris Bosh not because of this city, this organization or where we found ourselves," Colangelo said. "We're losing Chris Bosh because he's got an opportunity to go play in completely unknown, unforeseen and unheard of circumstances and the possibility of three guys joining forces is unique and somewhat of a revolution for our league.

"He's part of the revolution."

Bosh's departure leaves a major void in Toronto's lineup and creates a big challenge for Colangelo, who became Toronto's president and general manager May 23, 2006 and was named the NBA's executive of the year in 2007. But Colangelo says he remains the right man for the job.

"There's going to be highs and lows," he said. "I am absolutely confident in myself, the management team and coaching staff that we are moving in the right direction and will continue to move in the right direction. When you have a setback like this, a loss of talent, you find other ways to emerge from that."