ITA/CAN - Belinelli traded to Toronto

TORONTO (EuroBasket 2009 / NBA) - Italy internationals Marco Belinelli and Andrea Bargnani have been united at club level after the Toronto Raptors completed a trade to acquire Belinelli from the Golden State Warriors.

The Raptors confirmed the trade late on Thursday.

"Marco fills a void at the wing position where his shooting and scoring strengths will be needed. Marco's versatility and playmaking abilities make him a very valuable piece for us," said Bryan Colangelo, Raptors president and general manager.

Toronto had been trying to land Belinelli for the last year, as Colangelo sought to improve his guard play.

That Belinelli was his chief target was, no doubt, down in large part to the influence of Raptors vice-president Maurizio Gherardini, the former Benetton Treviso general manager who is familar with Belinelli's game from the period when both men were in Lega A. Belinelli spent five years in Italy's top domestic league with Fortitudo Bologna prior to joining the Warriors.

Belinelli will have to wait to meet his new team-mates - with the exception of Bargnani - as he is with Italy at a training camp preparing for the Additional Qualifying Round to EuroBasket 2009 that kicks off on August 5th.

The 23-year-old, who was the 18th overall pick in the NBA draft in 2007, averaged 8.9 points and 2.1 assists for the Warriors last season. His best night came on December 12 when he poured in 27 points against Atlanta.

The highlight of his international career to date was his performance against the United States in the 2006 FIBA World Championship when he poured in 25 points..

In order to land the 1.96m Belinelli, the Raptors gave up forward Devean George, a player they acquired in the deal that brought Turkey international Hedo Turkoglu to Toronto earlier this summer.

Meanwhile, the Raptors have added another international player to their increasingly diverse roster as Rasho Nesterovic returns to the team after one season with the Indiana Pacers.

The veteran Slovenian 7-footer played for Toronto from 2006 to 2008, averaging 6.9 points and 4.6 rebounds in 151 games.

"Rasho brings us back a great veteran presence who has a familiarity with our coaching staff and several players. His leadership and personality will be great assets for this team," said Colangelo.

Nesterovic announced his international retirement after last year's FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

FIBA