Mr.Bottomtooth
08-06-2006, 09:04 PM
Maccabi Tel Aviv wants to lure Jasikevicius back to town
By Vered Cohen
Several top players have turned Maccabi Tel Aviv down recently, but the club could be about to bring its former talisman Sarunas Jasikevicius back to Yad Eliahu.
"We'll do everything we can to bring in any player the coach wants," Maccabi co-owner Ra'anan Katz said in a reference to the Lithuanian guard who led the club to back-to-back Euroleague titles before leaving for the NBA's Indiana Pacers. "We haven't spoken with Jasikevicius, but if the coach asks us to, we will."
Maccabi coach Neven Spahija spoke with Jasikevicius two days ago and has made no secret of his desire to see the Lithunian back at Yad Eliahu. Jasikevicius is unsettled at Indiana and the club is trying to trade him off.
"If there's even a tiny chance that he would move from Indiana to Maccabi, then I want him," Spahija said. "Which coach wouldn't want Jasikevicius on his team? I spoke to him two days ago and we discussed his situation at Indiana. Obviously, he's not happy; everyone knows that. But it isn't only up to us, because he isn't a free agent."
Given the security situation, now was not the time to try and sign foreign players, Katz added.
"My opinion is that we need to take a time-out and not to chase after anyone. Now isn't the right time - players will refuse to come here or will demand exorbitant wage packages. We need to get hold of two foreign signings when the time is right."
By Vered Cohen
Several top players have turned Maccabi Tel Aviv down recently, but the club could be about to bring its former talisman Sarunas Jasikevicius back to Yad Eliahu.
"We'll do everything we can to bring in any player the coach wants," Maccabi co-owner Ra'anan Katz said in a reference to the Lithuanian guard who led the club to back-to-back Euroleague titles before leaving for the NBA's Indiana Pacers. "We haven't spoken with Jasikevicius, but if the coach asks us to, we will."
Maccabi coach Neven Spahija spoke with Jasikevicius two days ago and has made no secret of his desire to see the Lithunian back at Yad Eliahu. Jasikevicius is unsettled at Indiana and the club is trying to trade him off.
"If there's even a tiny chance that he would move from Indiana to Maccabi, then I want him," Spahija said. "Which coach wouldn't want Jasikevicius on his team? I spoke to him two days ago and we discussed his situation at Indiana. Obviously, he's not happy; everyone knows that. But it isn't only up to us, because he isn't a free agent."
Given the security situation, now was not the time to try and sign foreign players, Katz added.
"My opinion is that we need to take a time-out and not to chase after anyone. Now isn't the right time - players will refuse to come here or will demand exorbitant wage packages. We need to get hold of two foreign signings when the time is right."