Raptors’ Andrea Bargnani out for season

The Raptors announced Wednesday that forward Andrea Bargnani will miss the rest of the season with a right elbow injury.

Andrea Bargnani expected to be out for season with right elbow avulsion sprain. Not related to previous right elbow injury from Dec.

— RaptorsMR (@RaptorsMR) March 13, 2013

Bargnani hurt the elbow last Friday against the Lakers. He missed 26 games earlier this season with an elbow injury, but the Raptors say this injury is unconnected.

Bargnani, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft, averaged 12.7 points in his 35 games this year. The once-versatile big man struggled with his long-range shooting. Bargnani made only 31 percent of his three-point attempts, a marked decline from hitting nearly 41 percent in 2008-2009.

The Raptors reportedly tried shopping Bargnani before the trade deadline and could try again this offseason. But he will likely be difficult to move. He is owed $22 million over the next two years — a large amount for someone with Bargnani’s injury history and struggles on the court.