THE CANADIAN PRESS
TORONTO — Veteran forward Reggie Evans feels he still has a lot to accomplish after two injury-plagued years in Toronto.
Whether he gets another opportunity with the Raptors is up in the air.
Evans was a locker-room leader on a team loaded with youngsters this past season. When healthy, he gave the team a completely different look with his solid defensive play and rebounding skills.
With his contract expiring, it’s up to the Raptors to decide whether they want to take a chance on a player who has been unable to stay healthy in a Toronto uniform.
"I felt like with the injuries, I owe the fans an 82-plus season," Evans said Thursday as the players cleaned out their lockers.
Evans said there were a lot of "green lights" to re-signing with Toronto, including the close proximity to some family members and the dedication of the team’s fans. The six-foot-eight, 245-pounder averaged 11.5 rebounds this season but only appeared in 30 games due to foot problems.
His future with the team will likely be discussed Monday when general manager Bryan Colangelo holds his season-ending news conference.
Toronto has a lottery pick this year and a bright future ahead with DeMar DeRozan, Amir Johnson and Ed Davis all making strides during a trying 22-60 season. Evans provided a veteran presence and his leadership was an asset.
"I took a lot of pride in it, I just made sure I didn’t abuse it," he said. "(I was) real cautious whenever I said certain things, because you can overdo it sometimes.
"One thing I always try to tell them is, ‘Keep on working hard. Things will get better. Even if things don’t get better, we know we can lift our heads high knowing we worked hard."’
Evans, who was acquired from the Philadelphia 76ers in June 2009 for swingman Jason Kapono, first broke into the NBA in 2002 with Seattle. The 30-year-old Pensacola, Fla., native said he wasn’t expecting to take on a leadership role so early into his career.
"I felt like I would be doing that in my 12th year, my 13th year," Evans said. "It’s kind of ironic, where it ain’t like someone came and talked to me, told me to do that. You look at the environment and I am one of the oldest.
"It was brought in to me and it worked out that way. I’m the type of person where I don’t really hesitate to say what I feel."
When asked what he’s looking for in a new contract, Evans said the length of the deal will be key. It’s hard to predict whether the Raptors will re-sign him given the uncertainty heading into the off-season.
Colangelo is not signed for next season and the team has until June to decide whether to pick up an option on head coach Jay Triano’s contract. There is also the threat of a lockout this summer.
"I would like to see him back," Triano said. "I know that in this business things happen, he could be offered a lot of money to go somewhere else, he could want to play somewhere else.
"I think he likes the city, I thought he really embraced the role of being a leader for our younger players."
The Raptors played with more of an edge when Evans was on the court. He provided the team with some much-needed grit and helped give the team some spark.
Even though the team has struggled since his arrival, Evans is still focused on the positives.
"It was just so fun to look at some of those guys," he said. "Just look at Sonny and DeMar for example. They play the same position almost. Just seeing them two together, they have so much fun, they enjoy each other and they genuinely do want to see each other succeed, and that’s hard in this type of business.
"I admire their relationship as friends so much and respect that. Just being around that has made me a lot looser and have fun and have a smile on my face."
