Not South of the border, but North; to Toronto. The ex-Heat sharpshooter became the first NBA player to officially agree to sign with a new team this Summer. The deal is rumored to be worth about $24 million over 4 years. This will be the fourth team for Jason Kapono; he was previously a member of the Cavaliers and the Bobcats. Kapono was a fantastic threat from behind the arc for the Heat this past season (shooting 51.4%) and he will be sorely missed.
The Heat had made it fairly obvious for some time now that they would let Kapono go (and Posey as well), because of luxury tax concerns. However, Jason seems to be happy with his new home. “Jason is excited about this opportunity and intends to sign with the Raptors when the moratorium period ends,” said Kapono’s agent, Bob Myers.
Toronto was supposedly in the market for a wily veteran; perhaps someone like Grant Hill. But they too are happy with this acquisition. Not only did Kapono lead the league in 3-point shooting this past year, but he also won the All-Star Game’s 3 point shooting competition. Besides, Hill really wants to sign with a championship contender, and while Toronto is a good young team, they are not quite at a championship level yet. In fact, Grant Hill might even end up with the Heat, although he will most likely go to Phoenix. No one can be signed just yet, but teams can negotiate with free agents through July 11. After that, the official salary-cap figure and luxury-tax threshold for next season will be released, so after that, teams can actually sign players.
Jason Kapono with the Heat
Jason had his moments with the Heat; this past year, he was a phenomenal threat from deep. It seemed that almost every shot he put up was bound to be a make, except for of course during the playoffs. Unfortunately, like most of the team, he vanished for the series against the Bulls. But other than that, he was a great Heat player. And while he did not play a very significant role during the championship season, he was still a valuable member of this team and he will be missed.
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