PACERS Sign Marco Baston/KNICKS Sign Jarred Jeffries To Offer-Sheet.

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

Pacers Sign Euroleague Standout Baston

By Conrad Brunner
July 28, 2006
Maceo Baston, a 6-9, 215-pound power forward who teamed with Sarunas Jasikevicius at Maccabi Tel Aviv to win consecutive Euroleague titles in 2004 and '05, has signed with the Pacers, the team announced today.
The former Michigan standout averaged 13.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.14 steals and 1.0 blocked shots, shooting .648 from the field and .631 from the free throw line the past three seasons with Maccabi. The last player drafted in 1998 (No. 58 overall by Chicago), Baston was the Big Ten's Defensive Player of the Year his senior season with the Wolverines and earned the same honor in the CBA.
"He's a shot-blocker who can play in a fast-paced game," said franchise CEO & President Donnie Walsh. "He's a veteran player in the sense he's had a lot of experience in Europe and has won championships over there. We think he's a candidate to come in and play right away."
Now 30 and a well-established star in Europe, Baston is taking the opportunity to make his NBA mark.
"I would prefer to be player receiving a few minutes in the NBA than a star in Europe," Baston told Haaretz.com, a prominent news Website in Israel. "Every basketball player has to test himself out against the best. I see players like Boris Diaw or Tayshaun Prince and I feel that I can play in that league. I have no doubt about it."
In 25 Euroleague games last season, Baston averaged 12.8 points and 5.9 rebounds in 24.2 minutes as Maccabi again reached the Final Four, losing in the championship to CSKA Moscow. He's had one previous NBA trial, averaging 2.5 point and 1.4 rebounds with Toronto in 2003.
Baston is regarded as an exceptionally athletic defender and shot-blocker who runs the floor very well. Though his offensive game his limited, he is a strong finisher around the basket, particularly in transition.

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Knicks Sign Jeffries to Offer Sheet

By Ivan Carter
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, July 28, 2006; 6:06 PM
The New York Knicks signed restricted free agent guard/forward Jared Jeffries to an offer sheet this afternoon, according to NBA sources.
The Washington Wizards will have seven days to decide whether to match the offer. Team owner Abe Pollin, president of basketball operations Ernie Grunfeld and coach Eddie Jordan have all indicated a desire to retain Jeffries.
Terms of the offer sheet were not available. Jeffries has long been coveted by Isiah Thomas, New York president of basketball operations and head coach. Like Jeffries, Thomas starred at Indiana University.
The Wizards have 13 players under contract after the recent signing of free agent forward Darius Songaila to a five-year, $21 million contract, and have room under the NBA's luxury tax threshold to match the offer to Jeffries, according to sources.
Pollin has indicated that he is willing to spend up to, but not over, the luxury tax threshold $65.4 million. Teams with payrolls over the threshold pay a dollar-for-dollar penalty to the league on the amount of payroll that exceeds $65.4 million.
The most likely scenario, according to sources, is that the Wizards will use the full seven days before matching the offer sheet to retain Jeffries.
Jeffries was drafted by the Wizards with the 11th overall pick in 2002 and has posted averages of 6.1 points and 4.8 rebounds in four seasons while carving out a role as perhaps the team's best all-around defender.


...Looks like two nice signings to me. Maccabi Tel Aviv is doing an EXCELLENT job producing stars...PeACe

[Spicemuthafuc*in1]

Wow I didnt see this signing coming for the pacers but I am thrilled! We are looking pretty good right now.  I think the Sarunas/Foster for Bonzi deal is done since Marco played with Sarunas before.  I like this move, we have alot if athletes!

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

Wow I didnt see this signing coming for the pacers but I am thrilled! We are looking pretty good right now.  I think the Sarunas/Foster for Bonzi deal is done since Marco played with Sarunas before.  I like this move, we have alot if athletes!

Yea, I'm pretty sure that deal fell through a long time ago...PeACe

[Spicemuthafuc*in1]

Wow I didnt see this signing coming for the pacers but I am thrilled! We are looking pretty good right now.  I think the Sarunas/Foster for Bonzi deal is done since Marco played with Sarunas before.  I like this move, we have alot if athletes!

Yea, I'm pretty sure that deal fell through a long time ago...PeACe

Yeah your right and I guess thats ok, but Bonzi is a beast and I would of loved him on the team but we dont really need him with Jackson, Granger and if we get Harrington which we are gonna.

[TobyTizzle]

All signs pointing to Jared Jeffries coming to NY and bringing us some much needed defence and a guy who doesnt need shots to be happy. Wahooo!

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

Jeffries is officially a Knick after Wizards declined to match the offer and then signed DeShawn Stevenson...

WIZARDS PRESIDENT OF BASKETBALL OPERATIONS ERNIE GRUNFELD

On the decision not to match the offer made to Jared Jeffries:
“We said we were going to explore all of our options when we received the offer sheet and we have decided not to match the offer. As we looked at everything and we explored our options, we saw that there were other opportunities for us.”

On the decision making factors in not matching Jeffries’ offer:
“There were several factors, among them is that we have a lot of players at the perimeter positions -- we added DeShawn (Stevenson), Jarvis (Hayes) is coming back, (Darius) Songaila will take some of those minutes, and we like the development of Andray Blatche. But also, Jared’s representative made it crystal clear that he preferred being in New York. We want players that want to be here and that are excited about the situation, and that’s what all of the players I mentioned are. There is going to be a lot of tough competition for minutes at the two, three and four spots and that is a good way to have it.”

More on the decision making process:
“I met with Mr. Pollin and Eddie Jordan after we got the offer sheet to discuss what our plans should be. We wanted to explore our options. We want players that want to be here and that are committed to this city and to this team. From the statements that we got from his agent, it was very obvious that this is not the team that Jared was committed to. As a free agent he has every right to explore his options. That’s what free agency is all about. But we also have the right to explore our options and we liked what we found.”

On some of the options at the perimeter positions:
“DeShawn Stevenson is an outstanding defensive player on the perimeter, and a tough, hard nosed competitor who started all 82 games for his team last year. We also have Jarvis Hayes coming back healthy, and he was a starter for us last year. We signed Darius Songaila who is a very tough, hard nosed player, who averaged nine points and 4.5 rebounds last year. He gives us a defensive presence and also gives us a player that can move outside and make the 15-foot shot with consistency. We also have a young player that we are very high on in Andray Blatche, who had a great summer for us. We think he has a real good future. With the addition of DeShawn and Darius, Jarvis’ health and Andray’s development, we look at it like we have four solid additions against one departure.”

On the competition for playing time:
“With the depth of talent at the two, three and four positions, playing time for someone would have been diminished. Gilbert, Caron and Antawn are going to play a lot of minutes for us. They are the highest scoring trio in the league and two of them are Olympians. We feel like Caron has the ability to be an All-Star, so we felt like that position was very crowded and we feel it’s very well fortified. We think we have a very deep ball club…with Gilbert and whoever may start of the two between DeShawn (Stevenson), Jarvis (Hayes) and Antonio (Daniels) in the backcourt; and in the front court with Caron (Butler), Antawn (Jamison), Darius Songaila, Michael Ruffin and Andray Blatche; and at our center position with Brendan (Haywood), Etan (Thomas), Calvin Booth, and the versatility to move Michael Ruffin or Darius Songaila there, we think we have a very competitive, very deep ball club, and we are real excited about what the future holds for us.”

On Oleksiy Pecherov:
“We have the option to bring him over here but the situation with his home team will determine what we do with him. We are very high on him -- he had a very good summer for us averaging 13 points and 7.5 rebounds. He is going to be a good rebounder in this league, he can make his outside shot, and he is a tough guy who is not afraid to mix it up, so we think he has a good future ahead of him. But he is only 20 years old so we don’t want to put too much pressure on him.”

More on DeShawn Stevenson:
“He knows what we need and what we expect. We want someone that can defend out on the perimeter, someone who is tough and someone who is very competitive. He has done that in the past and that can be a role that he can fill for us. But he has to come in here and compete and earn the minutes that he gets just like all our other players. DeShawn is a player that we have had our eye on since July 1st when we started this whole free agency process. With DeShawn coming in we feel like we are very well fortified on the perimeter and in the swing positions. I think that we are a very versatile team. We’re always looking for versatility in our players, as well as toughness, competitiveness, and the ability to score the basketball. We were already the third highest scoring team in the league last year and DeShawn and Darius average double figures.”

On the future of the Wizards:
“We are building towards winning the championship. How quickly we get there, only time will tell, but that is our ultimate goal. You have to take steps to achieve that goal. I think we showed last year that we can compete with anybody in the league when we are playing up to our abilities. And I think that we have made some solid additions that are really going to help us in what we are trying to do as far as getting tougher. Last year we added Caron Butler and Antonio Daniels. This year we brought in Darius Songaila and DeShawn Stevenson, and we’re developing our own players as well. We like the direction that we’re headed.”

[GangstaBoogy]

when are the knicks gonna get rid of francis or marbury? or are they both staying now that isaiah took over?

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

when are the knicks gonna get rid of francis or marbury? or are they both staying now that isaiah took over?

Good question...Nobody ever knows what the Knicks are doing these days...

[mrceo]

They need to cut one of those dudes and let Nasty Nate Robinson get some time to shine, he's the shit and can be something special if given the opportunity