TORONTO | The Toronto Raptors have agreed in principle to acquire forward Jermaine O'Neal from Indiana for point guard T.J. Ford, center Rasho Nesterovic, the 17th pick in the draft and a player to be named, The Canadian Press reported.
While The Canadian Press reported the deal Wednesday, citing an unidentified person close to the negotiations, Raptors general manager Bryan Colangelo said he was in the midst of "four or five" conversations with teams involving Ford and a combination of Toronto's No. 17 pick and/or other Raptors players.
A deal can't be finalized until July 1, when Ford's base-year compensation tag comes off the books.
O'Neal is a six-time All-Star. He averaged 13.6 points and 6.7 rebounds in 42 games last season.
