Bucks sign traded Spurs' pick Markota to Multi-year deal

[Solid D]

http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/41659/20060725/bucks_sign_markota_to_multiyear_deal/

http://www.realgm.com/images/nba/4.2/profiles/photos/2006/Markota_Damir_san.jpg

Milwaukee locks up Croatian F Damir Markota to multiyear deal
July 25, 2006

MILWAUKEE -- The Milwaukee Bucks signed Croatian forward Damir Markota to a multiyear contract on Tuesday.

The Bucks acquired the draft rights to 6-foot-10 (2.09-meter) Markota from the San Antonio Spurs in exchange for the better of Milwaukee's two second-round draft picks in 2007.

Markota, selected 59th overall by the Spurs in June, averaged 8.3 points and 4.4 rebounds last season for Cibona Zagreb of the Adriatic League. The 20-year-old made his professional debut with Cibona during the 2001-02 season at the age of 16.

General manager Larry Harris said Markota might be sent to the Bucks' developmental league affiliate in Tulsa, Oklahoma to gain additional experience.

AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service

Copyright 2005-2006, The Associated Press, All Rights Reserved

[Solid D]

Interesting they sign the 59th pick to a multi-year deal. I wonder if that is a make-good deal or if they really think they need to have him on the 15-man roster getting D-League experience.

[ChumpDumper]

They must be happy with the experience they had with Illyasova last season in Tulsa, although he still needs another year there too.

The conspiracy theorist in me says they are sending players down to the D-League in exchange for some of the revenue-sharing funds I think they get from the NBA.

[Brutalis]

Watch this turn into another Barbosa deal.

[ChumpDumper]

You mean where we pretend the Spurs had any interest in the guy at all?

[Beer is Good]

This guy won't amount to much - 95% chance he'll barely sniff NBA playing time.

[furry_spurry]

They must be happy with the experience they had with Illyasova last season in Tulsa, although he still needs another year there too.

The conspiracy theorist in me says they are sending players down to the D-League in exchange for some of the revenue-sharing funds I think they get from the NBA.
It would be nice to see the Spurs take that chance and go that route with just ONE player. The theorist in me says they don't do it because they don't want to "waste" those cheap years of the contract in the D-League. They would rather they develop on the payroll of some European team and then the Spurs benefit with the cheap years in the NBA.

[timvp]

It would be nice to see the Spurs take that chance and go that route with just ONE player. The theorist in me says they don't do it because they don't want to "waste" those cheap years of the contract in the D-League. They would rather they develop on the payroll of some European team and then the Spurs benefit with the cheap years in the NBA.

There are no cheap years for second round picks. The Spurs probably lose money by not bringing them over before they become Euro stars.

I like myself a good ol' Holt tractor joke but this one doesn't fly.

[ChumpDumper]

I suspect they don't have a great deal of faith the Toros will use players the way they want them to, there are pretty glaring examples of this like Bracey Wright in Florida and I'm sure the Nuggets didn't want Julius Hodge playing backup point guard in Austin. If they really thought the D-League was the way to go and thought it wouldn't be too much of a drain, they would probably buy their own franchise like the Lakers.

As for the cheapness angle, your dig at the Spurs makes some short-term sense, but doesn't it make more sense to get those small contract years out of the way and re-sign a player before he REALLY blows up?

[Mr. Body]

Best thing to happen to this guy was getting traded from the Spurs.

[furry_spurry]

There are no cheap years for second round picks.
Of course there are. Plenty of second-round picks sign cheap deals.

Spurs expect there to be, as well. The Spurs EXPECT players to develop in Europe on somebody else's payroll and then still come to the NBA cheap- ask Robertas. They could instead sign them cheap-- paying the player themselves- develop them in the D-League- but soon their contract would be up and if they improved, someone would pay them better and the Spurs would never get that chance to have them in the NBA for cheap. Either they would have to pay them that amount or lose them to another team. By leaving them in Europe,they don't pay for their development and they control if they ever get to come- thus keeping the rights to that player longer and attempting to keep their price down.

As to the Toros, I will admit that I don't know much about their team. I do know the Spurs have worked more and more to get the players they hold rights to onto certain teams in Europe with whom they have connections and thus seem to have more input and control. That was one of the things that stood out about Robertas- I believe he went from a team with closer ties to the Spurs and to a team with which I don't recall any mentions of any connections to SA.

[ChumpDumper]

I'll use Viktor as an example.

Last season he would've been a power forward on the Toros, without a doubt.

Is that what the Spurs want him to play?

Ian? He wouldn't have started and would've lost alot of time to the more disciplined players because that's what DJ favored.

[ca®lo]

man were getting stacked with picks.

too bad its all in the 2nd round still.

[timvp]

Of course there are. Plenty of second-round picks sign cheap deals.


:lol

Way to take my quote out of context.

Bottomline is that the Spurs aren't going to overpay for players they hold exclusive rights to. And I agree with them on that. No reason to give a player like Javtokas more than LLE money.

In fact, the Rockets just gave Vassilis Spanoulis the richest contract ever for a second round pick.

3-years, $5M.

Still less than LLE money, still less than what Scola wanted and probably less than Javtokas wanted.

[Mr. Body]

Was the Spanoulis a Rockets franchise record for a 2nd rounder, or a league record?

[ChumpDumper]

League.

[furry_spurry]

Still less than LLE money, still less than what Scola wanted and probably less than Javtokas wanted.
Not when Robertas was drafted... Although, of course, the system didn't exist then. Anyway...

My original point-- I would like to see the Spurs attempt this route just once- to see how it would work. They could use a second round pick for someone to try to develop in this way-- and also because I believe in a sense that the NBA teams "owe" it to the league to make efforts to contribute to the development of this developmental league. I think it is a good thing the NBA is trying to do and I would like to see the Spurs "participate," especially as one of the top teams in the NBA.

[ShoogarBear]

Watch this turn into another Barbosa deal.
You think he's going to break his leg?



Oh, sorry, my bad.

[ChumpDumper]

I wanted them to send Beno down last season. It would've been perfect.

[Mr. Body]

The Spanoulis contract isn't really that bad, all things considered. Look at the deal Garbajosa just received from Toronto. It's hard to gauge what a 2nd rounder really is, years after he got selected. Comparing Spanoulis to a 2006 2nd rounder isn't quite the same.

[timvp]

The Spanoulis contract isn't really that bad, all things considered. Look at the deal Garbajosa just received from Toronto. It's hard to gauge what a 2nd rounder really is, years after he got selected. Comparing Spanoulis to a 2006 2nd rounder isn't quite the same.

I'm comparing Vassilis to Javtokas and Scola. If a contract worth more less than the LLE was the richest contract ever given to a second round pick, I don't know how Spurs fans can be mad about the Spurs not going higher.

The Rockets were desperate because they lost out on Mike James. The Spurs don't act out of desperation.

[Mr. Body]

It's a crazy market for established European veterans. Toronto was hell-bent to overpay for Garbajosa, and the Vassilator might be overpaid, too. I'll be interested to see what happens next summer divesting ourselves of the Scola and Javtokas rights.

[Solid D]

Watch this turn into another Barbosa deal.


You think he's going to break his leg?



Oh, sorry, my bad.

Barbosa? He's back? I thought Capt'n was dead me hearties.

http://jack.cha-otical.net/gallery/albums/uploads/normal_GROUP10.gif

[T Park]

always gotta love when a thread goes down the Pirate road.