Heh.

ESPN.com

 

It appears that the first two shocks in NBA free agency will emanate from Serbia.

 

Indiana forward Peja Stojakovic, widely considered a lock to re-sign with the Pacers, is on the verge of a jump to the upstart New Orleans Hornets, ESPN.com has learned. NBA front-office sources indicate that the Hornets are offering Stojakovic a five-year deal in the $60 million range.

 

"The Hornets are setting their cap room aside for Peja, and Peja is taking himself off the market," Stojakovic's agent David Bauman told the Associated Press.

 

Sources also tell ESPN.com that the Los Angeles Lakers are close to swiping a player from their co-tenants in the Staples Center, but it's not Clippers guard Sam Cassell. The Lakers, sources said, were inching closer Saturday night to a verbal agreement with Clippers sharpshooter Vladimir Radmanovic on a five-year deal starting at the $5 million mid-level exception and worth in excess of $30 million.

 

 

The Hornets have never been known as offseason spenders with George Shinn in charge, but the owner has hinted recently that he was chasing "a big-name free agent," and his club does possess two crucial advantages in their bid to tempt Stojakovic away from the Pacers -- more than $15 million in available salary-cap space and a coach who knows the player well. Byron Scott, who received a three-year contract extension from the Hornets earlier this week, played against Stojakovic in Greece before the 29-year-old made the jump to the NBA in 1999 and later worked with him in Sacramento as a Kings assistant coach.

 

"This was not just a money deal," Bauman said of Stojakovic's decision. "He chose this deal because he thinks the team has a chance to win."

 

The Lakers' cause is also undoubtedly helped by a Serbian connection in attempting to convince Radmanovic to switch locker rooms at Staples. Serbian legend Vlade Divac, a former national-team colleague of Stojakovic and Radmanovic and now a member of the Lakers' front office, can explain to Radmanovic better than anyone how badly they need a dependable shooter to help space the floor for Kobe Bryant.

 

Divac has been hoping to bring Stojakovic to the Lakers ever since leaving Sacramento in the summer of 2004, but that would require a complicated sign-and-trade arrangement because L.A. can't offer more than the $5 million mid-level exception. Radmanovic, like Stojakovic a 6-foot-10 perimeter specialist, is a more realistic mid-level target after averaging 10.7 points (on 41.8 percent shooting from 3-point range) and 5.7 rebounds in 30 games with the Clippers.

 

"The decision was obviously a tough one for Vlade," said Bauman, who is also the agent for Radmanovic. "On the one hand, he had strong interest from the Clippers to entice him to remain. (Coach) Mike Dunleavy, (general manager) Elgin Baylor and (executive) Andy Roeser did everything conceivable to make Vladimir feel comfortable and convince him to return.

 

"At the same time, the Lakers and numerous other teams called just after 12 midnight Eastern time to express to Vladimir their strong interest in getting his services."

 

Bauman, who is also the agent for Stojakovic, added: "When Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson call your number at 6 o'clock on the morning of free agency, and you've got Vlade Divac, who's one of his idols, and Magic Johnson on standby, you tend to perk up and listen real hard and clear."

 

The Clips, craving a big forward who could stretch the floor for Elton Brand, dealt Chris Wilcox to Seattle on Feb. 14 for Radmanovic. The Clippers, according to multiple newspaper reports, have completed terms with Phoenix Suns forward Tim Thomas, who would replace Radmanovic, on a four-year deal in the $24 million range.

 

Re-signing Cassell and Radmanovic were the Clippers' top two offseason priorities and Cassell, in an ESPNEWS appearance Saturday, indicated that the Clips still have the inside track on retaining the 36-year-old point guard.

 

"It's looking pretty good for them," said Cassell, who recently hired high-powered NBA agent David Falk to secure him a two-year deal.

 

Stojakovic averaged 19.5 points and 6.2 rebounds in 40 games with Indiana after the Kings sent him to the Pacers on Jan. 25 in exchange for the mercurial Ron Artest. But a knee problem limited Stojakovic to two games in the Pacers' six-game, first-round series with New Jersey, and his departure would leave Indiana without anything to show for the Artest trade.

 

NBA signings and trades can't advance past the stage of verbal agreement until July 12.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2507013

The Hornets are going to be last year's Clippers.

Bad idea to give Peja that large of a contract, but yeah, the Hornets are going to be pretty solid next year. Big three in Paul-West-Peja with solid support staff in PJ and Mason.

sucks for the Pacers.

They have a huge cornucopia of young young talent too: J.R Smith, Kirk Snyder, Brandon Bass, Cedric Simmons, and Hilton Armstrong.

 

Things are definitely going in the right direction there.

More weapons for Chris Paul.

 

Always nice to see a team like the Pacers lose a player like Peja.

 

Get to see what UNM product Danny Granger can do.

As a bulls fan, thats good to see.

Is Radmanovic good?

Is Radmanovic good?

 

 

he is marginal.

 

 

 

The JR Smith for Brent Barry trade makes more and more sense by the day for the Hornets and Spurs both.

Melo seems like a good guy

 

then again, it's kind of hard to turn down 80 million

Villanova's Randy Foye also had his Wade comparisons after landing with the Timberwolves. "I see some similarities," he said, "but I see a lot of things I can do better. I guess I'm like a younger version of him."

 

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/basketb...7.column?page=2

 

Big talk lets see if he can back it up.

That Villanova education really helping out the little punk

A wag of the finger to Mister Foye:

 

How dare you lie about how reporters and others in the media say you compare to Dwayne Wade I am sure you never heard that ever.

 

And then to go on to say there are things you can do better. No, NO Mister Foye there is nothing you can do better than you already do. You are perfect already. You can't do anything better than you already do.

 

And to Mister Ira Winderman:

 

Villanova's Randy Foye also had his Wade comparisons

 

Quit saying there are people who compare the two it is wrong to do that because then you make a liar out of me calling Mister Foye a liar and make the people who posted above me look like a bunch of dumb commies.

 

And for those of you who say but Stephen what Randy is saying is that he can do better than he is right now as in he believes he has to improve himself and can before those comparisions are true, STFU this thread has spoken.