Here are the poll results from: Who would you rather have at SF? – a selection of small forwards from the 2009 free agent crop for your Toronto Raptors. (Thanks for all the votes.) I’ve also added their ‘08/’09 salaries, just for the heck of it, and some analysis.

1. Hedo Turkoglu (25%) – $6,864,200; player’s option for ‘09-’10
2. Ron Artest (22%) – $7,400,000 expiring
3. Shawn Marion (17%) – $17,810,000 expiring
4. Lamar Odom (16%) – $14,148,596 expiring
5. Al Harrington (5%) – $9,226,250; player’s option for ‘09-’10
6. Marvin Williams (5%) – $5,636,142; restricted free agent
7. Walter Herrmann (4%) – $2,000,000 expiring
8. Matt Barnes (2%) – $797,581 expiring?
9. Ricky Davis & Kyle Korver (zippo) – who cares?

Seems like there are a lot of Hedo Turkoglu fans out there! Guess you guys are impressed by all the Magic/Raptors encounters, eh? However, Brendan and I respectfully disagree with this choice.

The Raptors need an athletic defender and/or a scorer who can create his own shot. Hedo, as talented as he is, is neither. And let me get out my giant paintbrush and say that Al Harrington, Marvin Williams and Walter Herrmann fall into that category, too. Feel free to correct me in the comments.

Ron Artest is the defender type we need. However, he’s also crazy – we want Chris Bosh to stay, remember? No, thanks.

I’d like to see Shawn Marion return to Suns form with the Raptors – a Phoenix-like resurrection, if you will. Athletic, defends like mad, and will benefit offensively from Jose’s passes. He likely won’t see a big payday in Toronto (where might he?), but he may have the best fit here, and hopefully not the temper-tantrum kind.

Surprising fact about Lamar Odom: He’s younger than Marion by a year and a half. With all the injuries and games missed over the years, I thought he was older. So, missed games – strike one. Strike two: “he is making the same mental mistakes in clutch moments as he did upon joining the Lakers 4 1/2 years ago.” Joey Graham got that covered, thank-you-very-much. Strike three: … um … he’s way too sweaty. No, thanks.

Finally, Matt Barnes. I haven’t seen him play much, so have to rely on this pre-Suns scouting report:

When he isn’t spotting up for 3s, Barnes basically plays as an energy guy who can come in at either forward spot. Though he’s dramatically undersized for power forward at 6-7, 235 pounds, he’s very tough and manages to hold his own on the glass. His problem is size mismatches in the post, which is why he tends to play in the frontcourt only in small-ball lineups; that was every day in Golden State, but is likely to be less often with his new employers.

Barnes handles the ball very well for his size and can be used as a point forward. He’ll get out of control on drives to the basket at times and doesn’t have the strength to post up or muscle his way to the hoop off the dribble, which is why he’s mostly used as a spot-up shooter.

2008-09 Outlook: Barnes signed a one-year deal with Phoenix for the veteran’s minimum — a solid value signing by the Suns. Even if Barnes’ shot doesn’t recover, he’s good enough in the other phases of the game to be a reasonably good backup for 10 to 15 minutes a night, and if the shooting stroke bounces back he could prove even more valuable. He may not have a major role on opening night, but given Grant Hill’s injury history, there’s a chance he’ll be a fairly vital player by the end of the season.

While useful, Barnes doesn’t sound like the starter we’re looking for.

So that leaves us – if we had to choose from free agents – with Marion. Let’s say we can get the Jermaine O’Neal trade done. (“We can get the Jermaine O’Neal trade done.”) And let’s say Marion in Toronto works and we re-sign him in the summer. (“Marion in Toronto works and we re-sign him in the summer.”) The roster becomes:

C: Bargnani, Jawai
PF: Bosh, Humphries, Graham
SF: Marion, Kapono
SG: Parker
PG: Calderon, Marcus Banks, ‘Pištolj’ Roko Leni Uki?

Let’s say Parker will re-sign for $5 mil’, and Marion for $18 mil’. (”Parker will re-sign for…” ah, forget it.) That means the grand total for ‘09-’10 player salaries is – pull out the ol’ calculator – $73,020,689.

Hmm. That’s above both the 2008 cap ($58.680 million) and tax levels ($71.150 million), leaving no cash to fill in the blanks: a starting shooting guard, centre depth, etc.

Think Marion will be willing to accept a $10 18 mil’ pay cut?