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Yesterday's post in which I tried to estimate Chris Bosh's trade value seemed to give some people the wrong impression that I think the Raptors should trade their franchise player before the February 19 trade deadline. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth — and now I'm going to give you three good reasons why the Raptors shouldn't trade Chris Bosh this season.
1. Nobody knows what Chris Bosh is going to do in 2010
Many fans, pundits and general shitheads have already made up their minds that Chris Bosh is going to sign with another team after he inevitably opts out of his contract in 2010. While this is certainly within the realm of possibility, anyone who claims that Bosh is definitely leaving Toronto after next season is either engaging in wishful thinking (Hi, Chuck!) or is just a doomsaying douchebag. You don't know what Bosh is going to do and neither does Bryan Colangelo. Do you know who else almost certainly doesn't know? Chris Bosh.
Think about it. What kind of person makes up his mind about something this important a full season-and-a-half before the decision has to be made? And does Chris Bosh strike you as that kind of person? While this franchise is in dire straits at the moment, I have confidence that Colangelo has the ability to turn this team around — and I'm willing to bet that Bosh has that confidence, as well. Colangelo is one of the best general managers in the NBA — regardless of recent missteps and misfortune. I refuse to believe that Bosh is thinking, "This dude doesn't have a clue what he's doing. Eighteen more months and then I'm outta here."
(Side note to the people who think Colangelo is a shitty GM. Do you believe that they hand out NBA Executive of the Year awards like participation trophies in Little League? Colangelo has won two of those awards within the past four seasons. I think it's safe to say that he is perceived among most players as one of the top executives in the league regardless of the Raptors' current state. And to all the haters who insist otherwise, I demand that you tell me which genius they should replace him with — "anyone" is not an acceptable answer, trolls.
2. The Raptors are destined to get the short end of any Chris Bosh trade
Look at any recent trade involving a star player in his prime and the team that received the star player benefitted more from that trade. Think Vince Carter to the Nets, Shaq to the Heat, Pau Gasol to the Lakers, Garnett to the Celtics. Trades involving star players never bring another star player in return — that's just not how those deals work. If the Raptors trade Bosh, they're probably getting an expiring contract, a prospect and two mid-first-round draft picks in return. Is he worth more than that? Of course! But that's all you're likely to get for him. That's just how this kind of trade always pans out.
3. The franchise can't afford to lose Bosh's star power right now
This is a factor that all you fantasy/video game basketball GMs seem to be blissfully ignorant about. Think about the hit this team would take in merchandise and ticket sales if they traded Chris Bosh while this team was more than 10 games under .500. Most of the people reading this blog would continue to follow the team, but what about the casual fans who need a legitimate All-Star on their team to maintain their interest? More than the other two reasons, this one is why the Raptors not only shouldn't trade Chris Bosh — they simply can't afford to trade him.
So there you have it. This should shut down all the Chris Bosh trade talk for the season. Colangelo already knows these three things, and that's why trading Chris Bosh is not even a consideration.
If the Raptors continue to suck like this next season? Well, that's a different story — let's jump off the bridge when we get to it, mmm-kay? 
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