Needing to pare his roster by one before 6 P.M. Monday, Bryan Colangelo would like nothing better than to pull off some kind of trade ? either a player for a draft pick or a two-for-one deal ? to make things easier.

But with the NBA's complex salary-cap issues to deal with and most teams wanting to divest themselves of guaranteed contracts for players at the end of the bench instead of adding them, Colangelo is not finding too many willing trade partners in his frequent discussions.

He admits 'a couple' of things are still alive, but "It's so hard to make deals that when you end up making one, you're kind of surprised," he said before the Raptors beat the Wizards last night.

Is Jamario Moon, a 27-year-old rookie with mesmerizing athletic skills but zero NBA experience, worth keeping?

If the answer is yes, and Colangelo can't work a deal then Toronto will have to eat the salary of someone with a guaranteed contract. The fact Luke Jackson hasn't played a significant minute all pre-season would have him at the top of the list.