Raptors sign Ford to extension
TORONTO (CP) - The Toronto Raptors have secured a key component of their revamped roster.
The Raptors signed point guard T.J. Ford to a contract extension as expected Tuesday.
Ford signed a three-year deal with an option for a fourth year, a contract which could pay the guard as much as US$33 million.
Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo had until midnight Tuesday to make the deal, otherwise the 23-year-old would become a restricted free agent at the end of this season.
''Just knowing that I'll be here some more years, and with a great group of guys we have we just look forward to building a championship team,'' Ford said after Tuesday's practice.
Ford was acquired in an off-season trade with the Milwaukee Bucks for athletic forward Charlie Villanueva, runner-up for rookie of the year honours last season. The speedy Ford was the perfect fit for the fast-paced offence Colangelo wanted the Raptors to play.
''We think T.J. has all the physical tools, he has the mental capacity, he's a tough kid, he's got some tools that a lot of people don't have: speed and quickness,'' said Raptors coach Sam Mitchell.
Despite the lucrative deal, Ford said it won't change how he approaches the game.
''I want to be one of the best point guards in the NBA, and that's my main focus,'' said Ford. ''Whatever my pay may be, my ultimate goal is to continue to have the legacy I've had throughout my career, also in the NBA.
Ford was the No. 8 selection in the 2003 draft. The six-foot, 165-pound Texan averaged 12.2 points and a team-high 6.6 assists in 72 games last season.
Ford suffered a spinal-cord injury in a fall against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Feb. 24, 2004 that could have ended his career. He was sidelined for a season and a half, but bounced back to lead the Bucks last season.
The Raptors also announced they have exercised the fourth year team option on the contract of forward Kris Humphries. Humphries is now guaranteed through the 2007-08 season.
The six-foot-nine, 235 pound player was acquired in an off-season trade that sent forward Rafael Araujo to the Utah Jazz.
