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FRANK ZICARELLI, Toronto Sun

A piece to the puzzle that is the Raptors roster will be acquired Thursday night. 

Whether multiple picks can be arranged is unknown, but barring a trade, which is possible, the Raptors will pick 13th overall, a slot that should fetch a rotation player. 

There are about six players the Raptors are said to be eyeing, their identity concealed given the nature of teams withholding information or leaking information to media members to serve a club’s agenda. 

You talk to people and so many names get bandied about, players that are almost ready to play at the next level, players that will take time in developing and players that can be used in a more complex deal. 

Immediate help

At slot No.  13, there’s no one who is going to step in right away and have an immediate impact when fall arrives and the Raptors begin their 2010 season. 

Unless they move up dramatically among the top-five slots, there’s no way players such as John Wall, Evan Turner, Wesley Johnson, Derrick Favors and DeMarcus Cousins will fall to No.  13. 

Throw in names such as Greg Monroe, Ed Davis, Al Farouq Aminu, Ekpe Udoh and you’re left with names that could just as easily be taken at 13 or as low as 20 and perhaps as late at 25. 

At his final media availability in preparation for Thursday, Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo admitted that the last medical information regarding each prospect was being processed. 

He conceded that the team has looked at ways to acquire additional picks, either by contacting teams with multiple selections or teams looking to shed salary. 

Colangelo confided that Thursday’s selection process and the beginning of next week’s free-agent period will be viewed independently, but what the Raptors do or don’t do on draft night may well provide some insight into how the off-season remake will take shape. 

Two bigs, two wings and two guards are what Colangelo is apparently looking at, a group that is so open that any player who falls into any group is a possibility, assuming he’s available at 13. 

Cole Aldrich fits the big category, twice being asked to work out for the Raptors and a name that may or may not be available Thursday night. 

The latest gossip had Detroit, which is keen on a big, eyeing Aldrich. 

Daniel Orton, Solomon Alabi and Patrick Patterson have also been worked out for Toronto, bigs who should be around when Toronto makes its pick. 

Guard-wise, Avery Bradley has visited twice with the Raptors as has Devin Ebanks, a wing who joined Aldrich when Toronto worked out six prospects on Tuesday. 

Eric Bledsoe played in Wall’s shadow at Kentucky, but the guard did work out for Toronto. 

Stanley Robinson is a wing player the Raptors have auditioned as is Gordon Hayward and Paul George. 

It’s anyone’s guess whom the Raptors will take because so much can happen. 

With so many moving pieces, it wouldn’t surprise anyone if the Raptors move down in hopes of acquiring two picks. 

“We’re in the final throes and there’s a lot of uncertainty with the roster, so that leads to a lot of uncertainty with this pick,” Colangelo said. 

All that’s certain is that Colangelo will add to his roster on Thursday night.