Sabonis/Blazers agree on 1 year deal

[MavsFanFinley]

Sabonis reportedly agrees to $7M contract

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ESPN.com news services


A Lithuanian newspaper reported that Arvydas Sabonis has agreed to a one-year, $7 million contract to play for the Portland Trail Blazers, The Oregonian reported Sunday.

Sabonis, a 7-foot-3 center, is expected to sign the deal as early as Monday, the report said.

"Once I received Portland's offer, everything was very clear," Sabonis told the Lithuanian paper. "It might be one of the last contracts in my career, therefore I have to use this opportunity."

The Blazers and Sabonis' agent, Herb Rudoy, told The Oregonian on Saturday that the contract wasn't finalized, although Sabonis made it sound as if the contract already is in the mail to Lithuania and that the only detail missing from it is his signature.

In other words, it's only a matter of time before Sabonis, 37, rejoins the Blazers, officially.

"We remain optimistic that we will get a deal done with Arvydas," Blazers president Bob Whitsitt said.

Said Rudoy: "We are very close. I expect to have it done early next week. Arvydas is really excited about returning to Portland and he has instructed me to get it done as quickly as possible."

Sabonis was in Portland two weeks ago and worked out for Whitsitt and the Blazers' coaches at the team's practice facility in Tualatin. He said that visit helped convince him to return to the NBA.

"Once I got to Portland, memories came alive," Sabonis told the Oregonian. "Everything is familiar to me there. Needless to say, the NBA is the best league in the world."

Apparently, Sabonis insisted on a one-year contract.

"After one year, we will see if there is sufficient health, desire or any demand for me to continue playing," Sabonis said.

Sabonis turned down an offer to play for a Spanish team, Unicaja, which was prepared to pay him $3 million and provide financial assistance to Sabonis' basketball academy in Lithuania.

Blazers coach Maurice Cheeks said he is intrigued about the prospect of adding Sabonis.

"I hope we get him," Cheeks said as he watched some of the Blazers scrimmage against Team USA at the Rose Garden on Saturday. "It would be a nice upgrade for our team. I know we could have used him last year, because he's big. I mean, he is big."

In six seasons with the Blazers, Sabonis averaged 13.1 points and 7.9 rebounds, while shooting 50.3 percent from the field. He last played for Portland in the 2001 NBA playoffs, when the Blazers were swept by the Lakers in the first round, then sat out last season as a restricted free agent.

"If he came back tomorrow, he'd still have to be one of the top seven or eight centers in the league," Blazers guard Damon Stoudamire said. "You have to respect what he does on the offensive end alone. With the right frame of mind, and the coaches understanding Sabas, there's no reason why he shouldn't be able to help this club."