For a few days recently, it appeared as if Mickael Pietrus could be headed for the injury-depleted Timberwolves, but Minnesota ended up agreeing to terms with Josh Howard instead. Now, another team ravaged by injuries is eyeing Pietrus, according to ESPN.com's Marc Stein (Twitter link). The Raptors are pondering making a "fresh run" at the veteran wing, reports Stein.
There are a number of obstacles in the way of the Raptors seriously pursuing Pietrus. For one, it appeared that in his talks with the T-Wolves and other teams, Pietrus was unwilling to play for the veteran's minimum. Having used all their cap space and their room exception, the Raptors could only offer the 30-year-old a minimum salary deal. Additionally, as Stein acknowledges in his tweet, Toronto already has 15 guaranteed contracts on its books, meaning the team would have to eat some money if it waived a player to make room for a new addition. As such, the club will likely stand pat.
While they haven't been hit as hard by health problems as the Wolves, the Raptors have seen multiple offseason acquisitions sidelined with injuries already this season. The team announced yesterday that Kyle Lowry will miss an additional week or two with a right foot injury, and that Alan Anderson will be out three to six weeks with a partially torn plantar fascia in his left foot. Landry Fields, meanwhile, has no timetable for his return after undergoing ulnar nerve transposition surgery on his right elbow.