by MICHAEL GRANGE , The Globe and Mail

But it worked - and all thanks to a mild-mannered accountant from Toronto.

How uncomfortable in the spotlight is Steve Fruitman, the Raptors' so-called salary capologist? When Hedo Turkoglu was at centre stage on the Raptors' practice court yesterday, proud owner of a newly minted $53-million (U.S.) contract, having been ushered in by a hundred or so school children wearing red and black T-shirts with his name on it, Fruitman was hiding in the weight room.

"I'm not officially allowed to talk to the media, seriously," he said.

But he was thrust front and centre when Colangelo offered Fruitman "kudos" from the stage as the back story emerged about the deal landing not only slithery 6-foot-10 forward Turkoglu from the Orlando Magic, but the cap flexibility needed to add more talent around a considerable core including Jose Calderon, Chris Bosh and Andrea Bargnani.

The public thanks was for coming up with a strategy that would allow Toronto to sign Turkoglu, thus preserving a wide range of other options to sign players.

Under the sign-and-trade deal, the Magic sent Turkoglu to the Raptors , who in turn sent Shawn Marion, Kris Humphries, Nathan Jawai and cash to the Dallas Mavericks and a future second-round NBA draft pick to the Memphis Grizzlies, while Dallas sent Jerry Stackhouse and cash to the Grizzlies and Devean George and Antoine Wright to the Raptors , with the Magic getting cash and a valuable $9-million trade exception they can use to add a player at a later date. The Grizzlies also dealt Greg Buckner to Dallas.

Marion is expected to soon sign a five-year contract with the Mavs for about $39-million.

"No, this was not common," Turkoglu's agent, Lon Babby, said. "A four-team trade with two sign-and-trades? That's not common. And it's a credit to this organization and their creativity to find a solution."

Also yesterday, the Raptors signed their top pick in the 2009 draft, 6-foot-7 forward DeMar DeRozan (ninth overall). Financial terms were not released.

Watching it all from a distance was Turkoglu, who was on the verge of signing with the Portland Trail Blazers a week ago, before Colangelo called with a little more money and the lure of playing in Toronto. He has since been cooling his heels while the GM tried to figure out a way the Raptors could have both their most desired free agent and some additional salary cap flexibility.

Colangelo pulled it off after Fruitman showed him a spreadsheet Wednesday afternoon - though even the Queen's University graduate was skeptical it could actually work.

After the league approved the concept, "I said, 'I'm stunned, this is the first time any of my crazy ideas have ever passed muster,' " Fruitman said. "I've had a lot of them over the years and, eventually, they find something wrong with it."

The result is that while Turkoglu, 30, nodded to the benefits of Toronto's cosmopolitan nature in convincing him and his wife to come north, the efforts Colangelo made in the past week confirmed that the Basketball could be special, too.

"It's a great city, a cultural city and I grew up in a big city," Turkoglu said. "[But] I just made a decision that this is team that is good and I want to be part of this organization."

In some ways the best parts of the deal - apart from the matchup nightmares Turkoglu will create running pick-and-roll attacks with the seven-foot Bargnani and 6-foot-11 Chris Bosh - are still to come.

Because Toronto didn't dip into its cap space it can re-sign its own free agents, with possible targets including Anthony Parker and Carlos Delfino. Moreover, Colangelo can still use the mid-level exception and the biannual exception to sign additional free agents to fill out the Raptors' three remaining roster spots.

In a buyer's market, they are potent tools, and player agents are lining up to get Colangelo to spend his new-found money on them.

It didn't come easily.

"He worked the phones like a mad man," Fruitman said. "I swear I thought he had eight of them going."

The roster makeover also enables the Raptors to make a case to Bosh for a contract extension later this summer, but not until the rest of the pieces are in place.

"I don't want [Bosh] to read the book before it's published," Colangelo said.

Having written a better introduction than anyone could have expected - thanks to the brainwave of a previously unsung staffer - Colangelo was as much spent as triumphant.

"I don't know how to describe it, but emotionally, it's stressful, it's a dog fight," he said.

But worth it, in the end.

*****

Raptors FOLLOW THE BOUNCING BALL

It's not just Hedo Turkoglu - Toronto Raptors president and general manager Bryan Colangelo has turned over nearly half his roster since the

disappointing 2008-09 NBA season ended. Here's who's in and who's out:

Out

* Jason Kapono: A free agent signed two summers ago, he was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers last month. The deal also had salary cap benefits that helped the Raptors pursue Turkoglu.

* Joey Graham: The Raptors renounced his rights and will be parting ways with the enigmatic forward.

* Anthony Parker: Veteran free agent expected to sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers as Toronto clear salary, much to the Raptors' regret.

* Shawn Marion: Colangelo facilitated a sign-and-trade to the Dallas Mavericks for the veteran free agent, after he reached an agreement with Turkoglu.

* Nathan Jawai: Unproven big man will sit for a while in Dallas.

* Kris Humphries: Inconsistent big man sent to Dallas as part of Marion deal.

In

* Reggie Evans: Acquired for Kapono for interior toughness and rebounding.

* Hedo Turkoglu: The second playmaker the Raptors desperately needed, and the first top-of-class free agent the Raptors have lured from another organization.

* Antoine Wright: The 6-foot-7 wing started 53 games last year on a 50-win team for coach Rick Carlisle, suggesting he might at least be able to guard a position or two; acquired from Dallas.

* Devean George: Acquired from Dallas, the aging perimeter player earned three NBA championship rings with the Los Angeles Lakers. A mentor for 2009 draft pick DeMar DeRozan?

Still to come?

* Carlos Delfino: It appeared the Raptors weren't going to be able to land the restricted free agent who played in Russia last season, but by doing a sign-and-trade for Turkoglu with Orlando, the Raptors preserved their ability to use the mid-level and biannual exceptions. It's believed Delfino is a target to add depth to the three perimeter positions.

* Rasho Nesterovic: The Slovenian big man never wanted to leave Toronto when he was traded to the Indiana Pacers last summer with T.J. Ford. Now an unrestricted free agent, he may return thanks to the sign-and-trade deal with Orlando that frees up some salary for the veteran who would round out a thin front-court rotation.

Michael Grange

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