The Raptors hope to have Chris Bosh under contract as early as this weekend, which means they won't be allowed to trade him any time soon.

This may be bad news for Raptors guard Vince Carter, who said recently he would prefer it if Bosh, the team's top draft choice, were traded for some immediate veteran help. However, once Bosh is signed, NBA rules will prohibit the Raptors from trading him until Dec. 15 at the earliest.

"I don't foresee making any moves with Chris, so we're going to try to get his contract done sooner rather than later," Raptors general manager Glen Grunwald said yesterday. "We've been talking with his agent (Henry Thomas of Chicago) and we hope to get things done, maybe by this weekend."

It has been Grunwald's policy in recent years to delay the signing of first-round picks until autumn, to keep his options open in terms of potential trades.

Once a player signs a contract, he can't be traded for three months or until Dec. 15, whichever is later. The rights to an unsigned draft pick, however, can be traded at any time.

Grunwald's decision to sign Bosh now is indicative of the team's commitment to the 6-foot-10 product of Georgia Tech, who was selected by the Raptors with the fourth overall pick in the NBA draft last week. Grunwald openly admitted he strongly considered trading the pick, but now that the team has Bosh it apparently is going to keep him.