Sasha Vujacic may leave Lakers to play in Europe

[SO PRUP]

July 25, 2008

Lakers reserve guard Sasha Vujacic, a restricted free agent, is prepared to leave the team and accept an offer from a European team in the next few days if the Lakers don’t make him an offer he deems fair, according to a source in the Vujacic camp who spoke only on the condition of anonymity.

The source said Vujacic is seeking a multiyear deal from the Lakers averaging about $5 million a year. Vujacic was hoping for a six-year deal, but anticipated it could be a shorter contract.

Vujacic, who earned $1.76 million last season, was given a $2.6-million qualifying offer by the Lakers after the season to make him a restricted free agent.

He has not received an offer sheet from another NBA team. Teams were hesitant to make Vujacic an offer because they anticipate the Lakers would match it, the source said.

The Lakers made a qualifying offer to another of their free agents, forward Ronny Turiaf, but when Turiaf received a four-year, $17-million offer sheet from the Golden State Warriors, the Lakers declined to match it.

Because the Lakers are over the luxury tax, they would be assessed an amount equal to any sum they spend over it.

Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak has been negotiating with Vujacic’s agent, Rob Pelinka.

"We are very aware of the global market as it has changed over the years. It was our desire to bring Sasha and Ronny back. It continues to be our desire to bring Sasha back," Kupchak said Thursday after hearing of Vujacic’s ultimatum. "However, with the ever-changing marketplace that Europe has become, a player, in order to cover his bases, can negotiate with his NBA team and, at the same time, have a plan that allows him to have the possibility of going overseas."

Jumping from the NBA to Europe has become a viable option for several players, the latest being Josh Childress, who Wednesday revealed that he is leaving the Atlanta Hawks to play for Olympiakos, a Greek club, for a three-year deal worth about $20 million after taxes.

The 24-year-old Vujacic, a native of Maribor, Slovenia, just completed his fourth and best season with the Lakers. Vujacic averaged 8.8 points in 17.2 minutes this past season, shooting 45.4% from the floor, including 43.7% from three-point range. In the postseason, Vujacic averaged 21.7 minutes, 8.1 points and shot 39.9% from the floor, including 39.2% from beyond the three-point arc.

Kupchak, while refusing to discuss numbers, said of the negotiations with Pelinka, "It’s our intention to have a happy ending."

Kupchak agrees that the situation should be resolved in the next few days.

"When the free agency period rolled around," he said, "Sasha needed to get a feel of what the market would be like. After 20-something days, he’s had enough time to get a feel. It’s time this came to a conclusion."

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The Clippers lost a chance to bolster their backcourt Thursday when the Warriors matched their three-year, $9-million deal for restricted free agent Kelenna Azubuike. Azubuike, 24, has played two seasons for the Warriors. Last year, the 6-foot-5 guard averaged 8.5 points and four rebounds in 81 games.

The London-born Azubuike, who played for Kentucky, joined the Warriors after playing in the NBA Development League. "He’s a young and talented player who has continued to improve during his two seasons with our team. His versatility, athleticism and ability to shoot the three-pointer certainly fit our style of play," said Chris Mullin, the Warriors’ executive vice president of basketball operations.

[Don Jacob]

you know what? FUCK EUROPE.

[eS El Duque]

lol at sasha and 5

[Antonio]

you know what? FUCK EUROPE.

I told ya.. Euroleague is gonna be big this year.

[GangstaBoogy]

I see the cba and salary caps flying out of the window real soon.

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

^Yeah rigggght...


Sasha wont go to Europe...he'll end up signing with LA for 3-4 million. Or at least I hope so.

[Lunatic]

first this off season it became somewhat of a trend in NHL to head to europe (Jagr, Emery, etc) and now the NBA is even bigger, wow (Childress, Delfino, Garbajosa, etc.) and possibly Vujacic and Carl Landry, wow.

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

first this off season it became somewhat of a trend in NHL to head to europe (Jagr, Emery, etc) and now the NBA is even bigger, wow (Childress, Delfino, Garbajosa, etc.) and possibly Vujacic and Carl Landry, wow.

Juan Carlos Navarro, Nenad Krstic, Bostjan Nachbar, Sasha Jasikevicius, Brandon Jennings, Primo Brezec...shit is getting crazy.

[Lunatic]

first this off season it became somewhat of a trend in NHL to head to europe (Jagr, Emery, etc) and now the NBA is even bigger, wow (Childress, Delfino, Garbajosa, etc.) and possibly Vujacic and Carl Landry, wow.

Juan Carlos Navarro, Nenad Krstic, Bostjan Nachbar, Sasha Jasikevicius, Brandon Jennings, Primo Brezec...shit is getting crazy.

I forgot about Navarro, Nachbar and Brezec - didn't even know about the other three, surprised Kristic went by w.o me hearin bout it. Wait, Jennings is the high school kid, right?

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

first this off season it became somewhat of a trend in NHL to head to europe (Jagr, Emery, etc) and now the NBA is even bigger, wow (Childress, Delfino, Garbajosa, etc.) and possibly Vujacic and Carl Landry, wow.

Juan Carlos Navarro, Nenad Krstic, Bostjan Nachbar, Sasha Jasikevicius, Brandon Jennings, Primo Brezec...shit is getting crazy.

I forgot about Navarro, Nachbar and Brezec - didn't even know about the other three, surprised Kristic went by w.o me hearin bout it. Wait, Jennings is the high school kid, right?

yup

[Antonio]

All this noise is basically coming from Russia. And it's all about the benjamins. There is an unknown team called Khimki BC who has a lot of money to spend, and offered Carlos Delfino a 3 years $30 millions contract and they offered a 2 years $9-10 millions contract to Jorge Garbajosa. Since they won't even play in Euroleague, it's clear the reason why the two former NBA players accepted the deal. $$$$$$$$$$. Plus there's this other team from Moscow called Dinamo who offered Boštjan Nachbar a 3 years $14 millions contract, and they offered Delonte West a 2 years $10 millions contract too (i dunno if Delonte accepted, tho). Another unknown team with money to spend.

The other offers are "normal". I mean Rome is a big team, and acquired Brezec and Brandon Jennings. It's not an unknown team, so it's not a surprise. Barcelona, another superstar team, signed Juan Carlos Navarro back, to a 5 years contract. Again, not a big surprise. Olympiakos is one of the best european teams ever, and they signed Josh Childress to a 3 years $20 million tax-free contract. Big contract, but big team too. Real Madrid is proposing italian rookie Bellinelli a contract to return to Europe. Not a big surprise. Šarūnas Jasikevičius left the NBA to sign a 2 years $7 millions deal with Panathinaikos, a very very big and glorious team, no surprise. I mean, it's not a surprise those teams now have big money to spend. Every european player knows playing for teams like CSKA Moscow, Maccabi Tel-Aviv, Siena, Rome, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Olympiakos, Panatinaikos means playing for the best teams in Europe, with 25-30.000 fans attending each game, big stadiums, big games, big money. Euroleague is better than ever, like i said. And big teams are starting to get (and spend) money.

The surprise, i repeat, is coming from them two Russian teams who are not elite clubs and who won't even play Euroleague.

[7even]

^First Chelsea and now this; the Russians are fucking sports up, word?

LOOL@Sasha seeking a 5 mil contract with LA.

[Turf Hitta]

I see the cba and salary caps flying out of the window real soon.

The NBA is gonna have to lose some impact players before that happens.

[elmizzy]

"Maybe" he'll learn how to play "defense" over there

[Man On The Moon]

I hope he leaves.