Cavs eyeing Jaric

[Kori Ellis]

Cavs eyeing Jaric
BY BRIAN WINDHORST
Knight Ridder Newspapers


(KRT) - The Cleveland Cavaliers' search for a point guard is focusing.

Los Angeles Clippers restricted free agent Marko Jaric is scheduled to visit the team Thursday. If things go well, it is possible the Cavaliers could sign Jaric to an offer sheet Friday, the end of the NBA's moratorium period.

The 6-foot-7 Serbian averaged 9.9 points and 6.1 assists for the Clippers last season, his third year in the NBA. He was also one of the NBA's best in assist-to- turnover and steal-to-turnover ratios.

Jaric, 26, isn't known as a great shooter, but he has a reputation for being a solid defender.

He shot 42 percent from the field and 37 percent from 3-point range last season.

He missed 30 games with foot and hip injuries last season but was healthy by the end of the year.

``I think Cleveland is a perfect place for him,'' Jaric's agent, Bill Duffy, said Monday. ``He's a good decision-maker, a spot-up shooter, and an on-ball defender, and that's the last piece the Cavaliers need.''

Conceivably, Jaric would match up well. His size and quickness combined with the 6-5 Larry Hughes and the 6-8 LeBron James would give the Cavaliers one of the NBA's biggest and most agile backcourts. All three can handle the ball and play multiple positions, giving the team extreme flexibility.

The Cavaliers have about $6 million left to spend in free agency. If they choose to go after Jaric, the Clippers would have seven days to match and retain him. In each of the past two years, the Clippers have not matched offer sheets, letting Andre Miller leave for the Denver Nuggets in 2003 and Quentin Richardson go to the Phoenix Suns last summer.

With Shaun Livingston designated as the point guard of the future and wings Corey Maggette and soon to-be-signed Cuttino Mobley under long-term contracts, there's a chance that the Clippers wouldn't match a substantial offer to Jaric.

Duffy insists that Jaric's interest in the Cavaliers is real and that he's not just looking to get an offer matched.

``Marko sees this as a very appealing situation,'' Duffy said. ``He wants to be a starter, and he matches up well with what they have in place.''

Duffy hinted Monday that it might take the rest of the Cavaliers' cap space to get Jaric, a deal that might be worth $40 million over five years. Several other teams, believed to include the Nuggets and, possibly, the Minnesota Timberwolves, have shown interest in Jaric and might visit him this week in Los Angeles. They could offer him a deal starting at $6 million per year.

The market on point guards might be set by Antonio Daniels, the Seattle SuperSonics free agent who is eyeing several offers this week.

Rumors have been flying for days that the Cavaliers had been targeting Lithuanian point guard Sarunas Jasikevicius, who is perhaps the best shooter on the market. He is still in the running to sign with the Cavaliers even though they are looking at other options.

Jasikevicius turned down an offer from the Boston Celtics, and his other major suitor, the Indiana Pacers, are believed to be backing off as well.

The Cavaliers are also believed to be interested in Washington Wizards restricted free-agent point guard Steve Blake, who is another combo guard who can shoot.

[Kori Ellis]

``I think Cleveland is a perfect place for him,'' Jaric's agent, Bill Duffy, said Monday. ``He's a good decision-maker, a spot-up shooter, and an on-ball defender, and that's the last piece the Cavaliers need.''

Sounds like his agent is leaning toward the Cavs.

[Spursdaone]

Or he is using Cleveland as a way to get more money out of other teams.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

I wish we could get Jasikevicius to come :( He'd be awesome coming off the bench.

[Mr. Body]

Um, we don't need a back-up point guard.

I'm glad Jasikevicius is going to a non-contender. He could be a tough match, though he'll get killed on defense by quicker guards.

[Kori Ellis]

Cavaliers pointing to Jaric at guard

TOM WITHERS

Associated Press


CLEVELAND - The Cavaliers' low-speed pursuit of a much needed point guard has taken a sudden turn.

With free agent Sarunas Jasikevicius agreeing to a three-year contract with the Indiana Pacers, Cavaliers general manager Danny Ferry has one less option to choose from in his search to fill the Cavaliers' most problematic position the past few years.

But restricted free agent Marko Jaric could resolve Cleveland's pressing backcourt needs.

Jaric, who has played the past three seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers, will visit with Cavaliers officials on Wednesday, his agent Bill Duffy said Monday.

Jaric had been expected in town last week, but his stopover was delayed - perhaps because of the club's interest in Jasikevicius, a European superstar who was also the best man at the wedding of Cavs center Zydrunas Ilgauskas.

"Marko would be a nice fit in Cleveland," Duffy said. "Danny Ferry has been very assertive in his interest. We'll see what happens."

Duffy said there are several other teams courting the 6-foot-7 Jaric, who will reportedly visit Denver on Tuesday. Utah, too, is believed to be after Jaric after losing out on Jasikevicius.

The Cavaliers, who started the summer with $28 million to spend on free agents, have already agreed to deals with guard Larry Hughes (five years, $60 million) Ilgauskas (five years, $50 million) and forward Donyell Marshall (four years, $22 million).

With the possibility of next season's salary cap going as high as $52 million - the league will announce the final number later this week - the Cavs could have more money to offer Jaric, who is thought to be seeking a deal worth $5 million per year.

The Cavaliers also could make a trade, and the addition of Marshall would seem to indicate the team has considered dealing forward Drew Gooden. Ferry also has assets in small forwards Luke Jackson and Sasha Pavlovic to use in any possible deal.

Ferry, who took over the Cavs last month, had to resort to Plan B to get Hughes after Michael Redd decided to stay with the Milwaukee Bucks. And while Jasikevicius is a better outside shooter than Jaric, the Serbian would bring the Cavs more versatility, and along with the 6-foot-5 Hughes, give Cleveland one of NBA's biggest backcourts.

The 26-year-old Jaric averaged 9.9 points, 6.1 assists and 3.2 rebounds last season. He missed 30 games with foot and hip injuries.

If Jaric signs elsewhere, the Cavs could go after Damon Jones or Damon Stoudamire.

It seemed as if Jasikevicius would become the Cavs' third Lithuanian player, joining Ilgauskas and 19-year-old Martynas Andriuskevicius, acquired in a draft night trade with Orlando.

But Jasikevicius, who scored 28 points to lead Lithuania's upset of the United States at the Athens Olympics last summer, decided to sign with the Pacers. He thinks Indiana is closer to winning an NBA title than Cleveland.

"It was an extremely tough decision and one he labored over for several days," said his agent, Dough Neustadt. "He saw Cleveland as an up-and-coming team and it would have been great to play with 'Z.' But he sees Indiana as a tested playoff team and one that can win an NBA championship in the next few years."

[spur219]

With Jaric,Hughes,Lebron,and Big Z and Donny Marshall the Cavs may be up to something. They are really getting James some help. Ferry knows what he is doing and Jaric can play.

[Joesteds]

I watched Jaric play as a rookie and he was quite impressive. There is nothing about him that screamed at me as a great point guard, but as a combo guard, like the cavs can do, he is a very solid player to fill a role.

[Kori Ellis]

Jaric completes visits with Cavs, Nuggets
By Tim Buckley
Deseret Morning News
http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,600151683,00.html

Los Angeles Clippers restricted free agent guard Marko Jaric has completed trips to Denver and Cleveland, but he has no known plans to visit Utah.

Jaric met with officials from the Nuggets on Monday and Tuesday in Denver and with the Cavaliers on Tuesday and Wednesday in Cleveland. He reportedly left both cities, however, with no actual contract offers — and, at least for now, an uncertain future.

The Clippers have the right to match any offer Jaric gets, which seems to be cooling the interest of some teams. The Cavs, meanwhile, must wait to see what the NBA's team payroll salary cap will be for next season before determining if they can make a competitive bid. That should be known late this week or by early next week.

The Jazz also are known to have at least some degree of interest in Jaric, who can play either the point or shooting guard. On Wednesday, though, his agent indicated the 26-year-old from Belgrade had no other visits currently planned.

Utah's best bet for acquiring Jaric would be through a sign-and-trade, but that would require cooperation from the Clippers. They apparently want to re-sign him but might be willing to deal if the offer was enticing enough.

The Jazz have pursued other combo guards in the NBA's summer free-agency market but lost out on Maccabi Tel-Aviv's Sarunas Jasikevicius to Indiana and Seattle's Antonio Daniels to Washington. They continue to talk with other teams, basketball operations senior vice president Kevin O'Connor has said.

[Mr. Body]

I'm glad Jasikevicius is going to a non-contender. He could be a tough match, though he'll get killed on defense by quicker guards.

Ouch on what I said. He goes to a contender, Indiana. Will push Tinsley, possibly out of the way.

Surprised he didn't got to Cleveland with his buddy, Zydrunas. Indianapolis isn't a great city for foreign players; there's hardly an immigrant population of any kind there at all.