By Andy Charles

Carlos Delfino’s stay in Russia is over after he quickly agreed to join the Milwaukee Bucks in the wake of the trade with Toronto which saw the Raptors acquire two more new players, Amir Johnson and Sonny Weems.

The roster turnover in Toronto has been dramatic with only a handful of players due to start next season who were actually with the Raptors in 2008/9, a couple of those seemingly not wanted as well.

Delfino has signed a three-year deal with the Bucks after managing just one fairly productive season at the Air Canada Center, but he never seemed all that likely to return to Canada anyway.

But what did the Raptors get for him in terms of value?

Amir Johnson was one of the sleepers that Fantasy NBA fans were keen to jump on the bandwagon with last season, but he never got the playing time that seemed likely and was eventually traded to the Bucks in the deal that sent Richard Jefferson to San Antonio.

However, he should fit in perfectly with the Raptors where he has less competition for time among their big men, and he should really be the first man off the bench when Chris Bosh or Andrea Bargnani needs a rest.

But he is another player who seems to have struggled with the curse of being drafted straight out of high school with massive expectations – much the same as someone like Kwame Brown but on a lower level.

Sure, he has never yet averaged more than six points a game in any season, but basketball betting suggests it’s hard to do that when you spend most of your time getting splinters in your backside!

He’s a no-risk shooter, solid rebounder and should block plenty of shots when he gets his court time up above the 14 minutes he managed last season – given the flexibility Bargnani brings, there is a chance that he, Bosh and Johnson could all be on court at the same time next season as well.

It may not have been a flashy trade, but Johnson fills a need and should have his most productive year so far in 2009/10.

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