No one associated with the Raptors is happy about it, but Eric Montross might have to retire this summer.

The whispers in basketball circles have grown louder in the past week or so that Montross, a 7-foot centre and one of the most likable players in the NBA, is edging closer to calling it quits because of his badly injured left foot.

"Very sadly, that's definitely a possibility," Raptors general manager Glen Grunwald said yesterday. "But it's something we'll deal with when the time is right."

Montross, 31, injured his foot in the spring of 2002 when he was stepping over a baby gate at home, and he has not played since.

Countless doctors have been consulted and countless treatments have been tried, but Montross' foot stubbornly refuses to heal. He has been diagnosed as having a stress reaction to a micro-fracture in his talus bone, but there have been differences of opinion even on that basic front among medical personnel.

Montross has two years remaining on his contract, which will pay him $2.96 million US next season and $3.2 million in 2004-05. An insurance policy would help the Raptors pay the remainder of Montross' pact if he retires, as is occurring with another injured Raptors centre, the unofficially but unequivocally retired Hakeem Olajuwon.

Vince Carter is joining the United States Olympic basketball team with the full blessing of his employers.

"I think it's great," Raptors general manager Glen Grunwald said yesterday after Carter was named as a replacement for Kobe Bryant on the U.S. team for an Olympic qualification tournament in Puerto Rico next month. "I think it'll be really good for him."

Carter, a star on the American team that won the 2000 Olympic gold medal, joins a dozen high-profile NBA all-stars on the team expected to easily grab one of three Games berths at the 10-country qualification tournament Aug. 20-31 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. It's been expected for weeks that Bryant would not be able to play this summer because of off-season operations on his shoulder and knee ? and he's also got an Aug. 6 court date in Colorado to deal with felony sexual assault charges.

Carter was unavailable yesterday but said he's "honoured" to rejoin the American team in a statement released by USA Basketball.

He will be with the team for an Aug. 10-18 training camp in New York and an exhibition game Aug. 15 against Puerto Rico before the qualifying tournament. The United States and Argentina, world championship silver medallists, are heavy favourites for two of the spots in the tournament, which includes Canada.

The Raptors are seriously considering signing free-agent guard Anthony Peeler in a move that would hasten the departure of Lindsey Hunter from Toronto.

Team and NBA sources told the Star yesterday that Peeler, 32, could be signed as early as today or tomorrow. Hunter would be bought out of the final year of his contract so the Raptors could make the move.

Peeler, 6-foot-4, 210 pounds and an 11-year NBA veteran, played in all 82 games for the Minnesota Timberwolves last year, starting 39 and averaging 7.7 points, 3.0 assists and 2.5 rebounds per game. He also played in all six of Minnesota's playoff contests, averaging 4.8 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists.

The acquisitions of Sam Cassell and, to a lesser extent, Latrell Sprewell, means much less opportunity for Peeler to play in Minnesota.

League sources say he is also coveted by the New Jersey Nets, who could use a shooter, albeit streaky in Peeler's case, to come off the bench.

Vince Carter's return to high-level basketball will come sooner than anyone expected.

The 26-year-old Raptor all-star will replace Kobe Bryant on the U.S. team that will play next month at the 2004 Olympic qualifier, sources told the Star last night.

Bryant, facing sexual assault charges, is withdrawing from the Aug. 20-31 tournament in San Juan, Puerto Rico, because of recent surgeries on his shoulder and knee.

Even though Carter missed nearly half of last season with two knee injuries and a seriously sprained ankle, the Raptors have no problem with him playing for his country, a source close to the team said.

The Knicks will take a look at a 7-foot free-agent center when the Utah portion of their summer-league begins today vs. Denver.
Mamadou N'diaye, a 2000 first-round pick, joined the Knicks in Salt Lake City yesterday. N'diaye spent three seasons with the Raptors, playing 22 games - eight of them starts- last year.

Knicks assistant GM Jeff Nix said N'diaye could be invited to veteran's training camp in October.

"He's a center, so we have to take a look at him," Nix said.

Since the Raptors are embarking on what they hope is a fresh start, it makes sense they would sign free agent Jerome Moiso.

He's a guy whose career could use a boost as well after seeing enough strangeness and controversy to last a career.

Moiso, signed by the Raptors on Wednesday, began his career in the bleakest part of the Rick Pitino era in Boston, an 11th overall draft pick in 2000 who became a Yogi Stewart-like Celtic poster boy for management mistakes.

Then he spent a year in purgatory with the Charlotte Hornets, watching as the team played out the string before moving to New Orleans.

With the Hornets, Moiso was buried on the bench behind Jamaal Magloire, the centre of the future, veteran Elden Campbell, who was around until February, and the imposing presence of Robert Traylor. And coach Paul Silas wanted to go with everyone other than an unproven kid in a last-ditch effort to save his job.

So when the Raptors came calling, it didn't take long for Moiso to agree to terms, eschewing offers from both the Hornets and Cleveland Cavaliers, where the new coach, the aforementioned Silas, wanted him.

"It's been an up-and-down situation," the 6-10 Moiso said on a conference call from Los Angeles yesterday. "Being traded (from Boston to Charlotte), not knowing what's going on, not knowing how to act or react to it, it was tough."

The Raptors have filled two glaring holes in their roster and will dip into the NBA free agent pool for another big man as early as today.

As expected, Toronto signed forward-centre Jerome Moiso and point guard Milt Palacio to contracts yesterday and is expected to add Mengke Bateer to the roster this afternoon, according to several NBA sources.

General manager Glen Grunwald, facing a season with a dearth of big men and only Alvin Williams and aging Lindsey Hunter at point guard, said he expects both Moiso and Palacio to contribute immediately.

Moiso got a two-year deal at a starting salary expected to be near $1 million (all figures U.S.) while Palacio gets the same length deal and will make just under $800,000 to start. Bateer's deal will also be for two years and worth about $650,000 per season.

Moiso, entering his third NBA season after being with two other teams, spent last season with New Orleans. Grunwald raved about his potential.

"I really like his physical ability," the GM said after Toronto outbid the Hornets and Cleveland Cavaliers for the 6-foot-10, 230-pound native of France. "Physically, he's as gifted as any player we've had in here at one of the big-man positions."

The Toronto Raptors announced Wednesday they have signed free-agent forward Jerome Moiso (mo-EE-so) and guard Milt Palacio (pa-LA-see-o). Per team policy, terms of the deals were not disclosed.

Moiso, 6-foot-10, 235 pounds, has played for the Celtics and Hornets in his three seasons in the NBA after being the 11th overall pick by Boston in the 2000 NBA Draft. In 90 career games, he has averaged 2.8 points and 2.7 rebounds. He played in a career-high 51 games last season with New Orleans where he averaged personal bests of 4.0 points and 3.5 rebounds.

Moiso posted his first career double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds March 28 in Toronto. In the postseason, he averaged 5.8 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.8 blocks while shooting .625 (10-16) from the field in a first-round series defeat to Philadelphia. He totaled 10 points and seven rebounds in a Game Three victory.

Glen Grunwald will be watching NBA player movement intently tomorrow, more concerned about who doesn't sign free-agent contracts than who does.

In much the same manner as he got Voshon Lenard and Jelani McCoy a year ago, the Raptor general manager will wait out the initial signing frenzy hoping to find some bargains as training camp approaches.

However, the one name being linked to the Raptors by NBA sources is New Orleans forward Jerome Moiso, a 6-foot-10, 230-pounder who played sparingly with the Hornets last season.

Entering his fourth year in the league, Moiso, the 11th pick by Boston in the 2000 draft, did not have the fourth year of his contract picked up by the Hornets this year.

The Raptors also had Los Angeles Clippers free agent Sean Rooks in for a talk last week and he could be someone they'd be interested in inviting to training camp.

"They've run a lot of names by me, we've talked about many, many players, obviously," coach Kevin O'Neill said yesterday.

Agent Andy Miller described discussions between Washington Wizards free-agent point guard Tyronn Lue and the Nuggets as "extensive conversation." Lue also is receiving interest from Detroit, Orlando and Miami, but has said Denver is his top choice.

"We like him very much as a player," Vandeweghe said. "He understands what we want to do. We know there will be a lot of competition."

The Nuggets also have interest in signing a former player, Toronto free-agent guard Voshon Lenard.