"With new head coach Dwane Casey's staff in place, Bryan Colangelo is getting serious about beefing up his front office.

For a number of months, the word has been that Colangelo, the Raptors president and general manager, was considering, if the right candidate came along, dropping the GM portion of his portfolio – at least in title – and handing it to somebody else.

That wouldn't mean the new addition would have final say though. While a fan of a consensus, brainstorming approach, Colangelo has always been an executive who gets the final word and that would not change.

But with the Maple Leafs building up a front office group around Brian Burke that is the envy of the NHL, Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, Ltd. appears set to see the Raptors follow suit.

Whether they made that a condition when they re-upped Colangelo for two years with an option or whether it was his call is unclear at this point.

Maurizio Gherardini, formerly the assistant GM to Colangelo and currently senior vice-president of basketball operations has been extended through the 2011-12 season, though his role, like the rest of the current staff's, could be shuffled if a GM is brought in."