KoriEllis
09-12-2004, 01:28 PM
Other than Argentine bulldog Andres Nocioni (Chicago), it appears there won't be any notable Olympians leaving foreign teams to crack NBA rosters this season. (Why the Rockets don't sign Pepe Sanchez, who'd be ideal for them, is a mystery to me.) Nocioni signed with the Bulls prior to Athens and has a three-year deal worth around $2.7 million per year. That will help, considering his buyout clause from his Spanish contract was a reported $2 million. Lithuanian sharpshooter Arvydas Macijauskus had been negotiating with a handful of NBA teams, including the Bulls, but his window to opt out expired before Athens. "He can't go until next year," said his agent, Marc Fleisher. "We were negotiating, but things came up and we were running out of time." Macijauskus has only a $200,000 buyout in his deal with his Spanish team . . .
Nocioni's Olympic teammate, Luis Scola, is the property of the Spurs (gee, does San Antonio ever make a bad draft pick?) He is expected to join FIBA poster boy Tim Duncan next season. "For the first time in a long time, we will be over the cap next summer," said San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich. "That means we'll have the mid-level exception and we'll use that to bring him in." Scola will be reunited with Spurs guard Manu Ginobili (the Olympics MVP) . . .
www.boston.com/sports/bas...arris?pg=2 (http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/articles/2004/09/12/olympics_were_hardly_a_total_loss_for_harris?pg=2)
Nocioni's Olympic teammate, Luis Scola, is the property of the Spurs (gee, does San Antonio ever make a bad draft pick?) He is expected to join FIBA poster boy Tim Duncan next season. "For the first time in a long time, we will be over the cap next summer," said San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich. "That means we'll have the mid-level exception and we'll use that to bring him in." Scola will be reunited with Spurs guard Manu Ginobili (the Olympics MVP) . . .
www.boston.com/sports/bas...arris?pg=2 (http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/articles/2004/09/12/olympics_were_hardly_a_total_loss_for_harris?pg=2)