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When your agent has to say something like this, you know you just sucked your way through a contract year.
By Mike Wells
[email protected]
Indiana Pacers forward Peja Stojakovic opted out the final year of his contract today, making him a free agent.
The three-time All-Star, who said during the regular season he would take that action, was scheduled to make $8.2 million next season.
The free agent negotiating period begins July 1, and teams can start signing players July 12. Pacers officials have said they want to re-sign Stojakovic, who was acquired from Sacramento for Ron Artest on Jan. 25.
"We are going to see what's out there and listen to what other teams have to say, but Peja is the Pacers to lose," Stojakovic's agent, David Bauman, said. "The contract he signed before was done as a restricted free agent, so he didn't really get a chance to test the market."
Stojakovic, 29, who made $7.6 million this past season, hopes to get a raise and lock in a long-term contract. The Pacers can sign him for up to six years, while other teams can only sign him to a five-year deal.
"Anyone that says it's not about money is a liar," Bauman said. "Peja is going to get his big contract. Peja likes the Pacers because they have a base to build off. . . . Peja is a guy that can give a lot more than what he showed last year."
Stojakovic averaged 19.5 points and shot 46 percent from the field in 40 games with the Pacers. He missed four of the six games against the New Jersey Nets in the first round of the playoffs with a right knee injury. The Pacers were 0-4 in those games.
Bauman said Stojakovic's knee is completely healthy.
When your agent has to say something like this, you know you just sucked your way through a contract year.
If his name ends in "vic" Pop will give him a call.
There's a shooter, 46% FG, CAREER.
In stark contrast, SJax shoots 36%, CAREER
A long three he is, but I think it would be like Hedo all over again.
SJax is a career 41.1% shooter.
Comparing Hedo and Peja is like comparing Haslem to Tim Duncan. Haslem has his good moments shooting driving and rebounding but nothing compared to tim duncan. hedo has his good moments shooting but peja is just several steps above him. now, in terms of defense... both players suck hard.
41% correct. I went to http://www.nba.com/playerfile/stephe...son/index.html, and don't know where I got the 36%. sorry.
In the last couple of years, the worst season TEAM FG% has been about 42% - 43%.
Last season: Brent 45%, Bruce 43% Spurs team season FG was 47%.
So SJax with FG 41% still sucks as a pure scorer who does nothing else of note.
I still find it hard to believe that the Kings got a better return investment in dealing Stojakovic (Artest) than they did when they dealt Webber (K.Thomas, Skinner, Williamson = ). Go figure!
Last edited by NBA Junkie; 06-27-2006 at 10:29 AM.
Peja will go to Raptors
Since we're in the NBA forum, I don't mean to make this all about the Spurs, but I'll do it anyway:
Peja is a great shooter, particularly when it doesn't matter. He has a long history, however, of being bothered into horrendous shooting nights by good defenders and by big moments. Neither is a particularly redeeming quality to bring to a team with championship aspirations. As an added bonus, with Peja you're assured of a wing who plays absolutely no defense whatsoever.
And a low-to-mid 90% free throw shooter in San Antonio? Pfft.
No tissue paper ex-kings here please.
Peja will go to Raptors
if he leaves indy i see him going to the bulls
Hey, if Findog is getting $20M next year, you can't blame Peja for trying to get a bump from $8M.
Yeah, Peja is much better than Hedo on the offensive side of the ball. Peja was just hurt most of last season which is most the reason his #'s were down. Spurs won't be able to afford him.
Finley is getting that cuz Cuban was an idiot to give him big contract at his age. He's on the Mav books for $17-18 the next two seasons as well. Good for Mike though. I like him and he deserves the money.
Pass on anyone named Hedo, Beno, Rasho, Bingo, Ringo, or, for that matter, Peja.
are you really this dumb? webber got traded for nothing because he has a bad knee, plays no defense and he makes brad millers jumping ability look like jason richardson. plus hes nothing but a jumpshooter and he even shoots threes. can you understand that? i hope so
If Webber is still so ty, how is he still producing 20 and 10 playing next to AI?
i dont think hes ty im just saying it would have been stupid to keep his HUGE contract when hes doing nothing but declining. not to mention his shooting percentage is horrible.
His huge contract is almost done and would be of tremendous value next offseason. So far, we haven't done with the pieces we acquired.
I agree about his choking, but Peja is a very underrated defender, particularly when he's in a solid team defensive scheme (like he is in Indiana, and would be in San Antonio). He's especially effective against "long threes", and has had some outstanding performances against Dirk in particular. He's also a pretty solid rebounder.
But there is the age, and the choking, and the injury issues, and the contract he's going to be looking for.
i agree. peja was a dirk stopper in the playoffs some years back
yeah but dirk has changed his game since then and i think he would murder peja now.
all the players we traded webber for arent going to be here anyway, and trading webber makes our defense alot better. everyone is complaining about brads defense but webber is a worst defender becuase all he does is stick is hands in the air and gets dunked on or allows a layup. and trading for artest changes everything because in my opinion the kings will win 50+ games next season. if we kept webber we probably wouldnt have artest so obviously the trade makes sense now. if you ask most people they would say the kings got the better end of the deal. now philly wants to get rid of him.
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