Raptors Trade Araujo to Jazz for Humphries, Whaley

[fordronken]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2475953

Raptors trade bust Araujo to Jazz for two
Associated Press

TORONTO -- The Toronto Raptors traded former first-round draft pick Rafael Araujo to the Utah Jazz on Thursday for forward Kris Humphries and center Robert Whaley.

Toronto drafted Araujo with the eighth overall pick in the 2004 draft, but he ended up a bust -- averaging just 2.9 points and 3.0 rebounds in 111 career games.

Former general manager Rob Babcock was fired in part because of Araujo's struggles. Fans often booed the 6-foot-10 center.

"We wish Rafael well and feel this will be a positive move for both teams," new general manager Bryan Colangelo said.

Humphries averaged 3.6 points and 2.7 rebounds in 129 career games with Utah. The 6-foot-9 Humphries was the 14th overall pick in the 2004 draft.

Whaley averaged 2.1 points and 1.9 rebounds in 23 games with Utah this past season.

Araujo played two seasons at BYU in Provo, Utah -- 40 miles down the road from where the Jazz play.

In his last season with the Cougars, the Brazilian center was the Mountain West Conference's co-player of the year. He led BYU in scoring and rebounding with an average of 18.4 points and 10.1 rebounds. He shot 57 percent from the field and made 72 percent of his free throws.

 

[fordronken]

I think Colangelo was excited by that one good game Humphries had against us either last year, or the year before.

 

[sunsfn]

Toronto took Araujo too early in the draft, but I thought he would be better than he is.
Maybe the change will help him. Big men need some time to develop.
B.C. had to trade this guy, the fans were on him all the time.

 

[Mainstreet]

IMO, Kris Humphries is a good acquisition for Toronto. I'm not quite sure why he never worked out in Utah. He just never seemed to fit in Sloan's system. I'm don't know much about Whaley.

However, on the surface, I think Toronto got the better end of the deal.

 

[George O'Brien]

If Jerry Sloan could turn Greg Ostertag into an NBA player, he might be the only coach who would want Araujo.

As for Humprhries... My read on him is that he's too undisciplineded for Sloan.

 

[Errntknght]

Whaley is aptly named... he's a wide body

 

[thegrahamcrackr]

I like the move for Toronto. They need a backup big that can bang people around some - and Humphries can do that.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

After watching Humphries torch us a couple of times, I could see why he would want him.

Didnt he have a couple 20/15 games against us? I dont know if the stats were that good, but he was looking pretty sharp. Minus injuries, the Jazz are a pretty deep team.

 

[F-Dog]

Humphries is a good player. His problem is attitude, but the Jazz dumped Kirk Snyder for the same reason, and Snyder is working out pretty well for New Orleans.


Araujo was intriguing on draft day (as a late-first-rounder) because he's brutally physical; all of his skills vanished when he hit the pros, though. I think he'd do best in a system like Rick Adelman's, where he'd get enough touches that he might be comfortable at some point.

The Jazz run through lousy centers like nobody's business, and I doubt Araujo will buck the odds there.

 

[blillyl]

No big deal, but Robert Whaley's sister (Quacy Barnes) played for the Phoenix Mercury a couple of years ago, hence
Colangelo, knows a little about him.

 

[hcsilla]

I always thought that Humphries was a much better prospect than Araujo.

Good move by the Raptors.

 

[Mainstreet]

Anyone beside me, think Kris Humphries would have looked good in a Suns uniform?

I know his stats were not that good in Utah, but I project he would have at least been a good bench player in Phoenix. I believe his play will only improve with maturity and the right system.

I wonder what it would have taken to get the job done? Phoenix and Utah do have a history of trading with each other.

I guess it depends on how one views Humphries as a player. I view him as a diamond in the rough. I'm beginning to think that BC has already started to shape this Toronto franchise in a positive way.