NBA Trade Deadline: Whirlwind Ends, Luke Ridnour Released By Toronto Raptors

The NBA summer travels of former Oregon Ducks basketball player Luke Ridnour came to something of a halt when the Toronto Raptors released him on Thursday.

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As documented here, Ridnour was traded an amazing four times in the last week of June. It’s not because the teams don’t like him as a player, but because of how the salary cap works. By getting Ridnour’s $2.75 million dollar contract and then getting rid of it, those teams were able to increase the amount of money they can use in free agency.

Ridnour’s contract was doubly valuable because it wasn’t guaranteed until Saturday. That meant whichever team wound up with Ridnour could release him before that date and, like in the trading scenarios, his contract would help a team’s salary cap number.

He knew that, but didn’t think it would get this nutty. He told David Aldridge, “I knew with my contract, there was a chance I would get traded once or twice. It’s been a little more than anyone expected.”

When the Raptors signed Luis Scola for $3 million on the first day of free agency, Ridnour’s days in Toronto were numbered.

While some people might get frustrated, the 34-year-old Ridnour laughs about his new-found notoriety. His wife showed him a photoshopped picture of him wearing a jacket with the logos of every NBA team, and another with “my face across the United States.” They enjoyed it, shrugged, and waited for the next move. The release by the Raptors means there are now different basketball questions to ask.

Ridnour: “It’s been a little more than anyone expected.”

In his immediate basketball future, he’s going to host some middle school camps this summer in his hometown of Blaine, Washington.

But as for playing in the NBA next season, Ridnour’s not quite sure. He and his wife have four boys- a six-year-old, four-year-old twins, and a newborn.

“I’ll look at the situation and see if it’s something that’s worth my family and me moving to and see if I’m going to keep playing or not,” he told USA Today.

He told David Aldridge that if he does decide to play again and finds a team, “You’re going to get consistency in what I do, and I can run a team. I can still do all that stuff, and I still enjoy playing.”

Consistency hasn’t been the buzzword of Ridnour’s NBA summer, that’s for sure. But he’s enjoyed the ride, and Duck fans would like to see him get another chance somewhere.

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