Stojakovic Asks Kings to Trade Him

[Big Boy Laroux]

you know i guess this is as good a place to vent as any.

I am SICK AND TIRED of players demanding/asking to be traded. this is running rampant in basketball. it happens sometimes in baseball, but it seems that in the NBA, every star on a bad team wants to be traded to a better team.

hello! maybe you play on a bad team because it's your fault. maybe you are the one that sucks! or it's your HUGE contract's fault, that you signed with that team (i guess if you were traded, that doesn't come into play). whatever happened to sticking with a franchise and helping them to become a winner?

i'm sick of this crap.

this has nothing to do with peja really, as he's on a good team. just venting.

[u2sarajevo]

I cannot believe the revisionisim going on in this thread as it pertains to Peja's game.

I laugh when I hear about Peja being better than Dirk on kingsfans.com. That is ludicrous. Well, unless you prefer a non-clutch performing player.

Peja is not coming here. Sacramento is a "contender", no way they make a trade with us unless it includes our best player. And no thanks on that one.

I wouldn't mind Peja being here if you could promise me two things: 1. Dirk remains and 2. He never plays in a Game 7 of any playoff series.

[dalmations202]

Originally posted by: u2sarajevo
I cannot believe the revisionisim going on in this thread as it pertains to Peja's game.

I laugh when I hear about Peja being better than Dirk on kingsfans.com. That is ludicrous. Well, unless you prefer a non-clutch performing player.

Peja is not coming here. Sacramento is a "contender", no way they make a trade with us unless it includes our best player. And no thanks on that one.

I wouldn't mind Peja being here if you could promise me two things: 1. Dirk remains and 2. He never plays in a Game 7 of any playoff series.

I only need the promise of #1. Dirk and Peja would prove to be a nightmare for any team any day on the offense end.

My #2 Promise needed : Nellie will play a Center for 48 minutes a game, and not call Dirk the Center.

[EricaLubarsky]

Originally posted by: EricaLubarsky
Let's stop all the Dallas-Sacramento trade threads. NO TRADE is going to happen between them. I bet anyone that Sacramento will not trade with Denver, Utah, or Dallas.

just quoting myself, because it needed to be repeated.

[Simon2]

Here's what Kings should do immediately. They should sit down with Peja and ask him what he wants. Then they trade Webber and built around Peja.

[LRB]

Originally posted by: Simon2
Here's what Kings should do immediately. They should sit down with Peja and ask him what he wants. Then they trade Webber and built around Peja.

I couldn't agree more. I have a sneaky feeling that Webber is behind Peja's wanting to leave.

"You could see this year, late in the year, we didn't have good chemistry and didn't play good basketball," Stojakovic said.

Coincidentally that was when SheWebb came back and totally stank things up for the Kings. Hell the Kings would be a better team just cutting Webber and getting nothing in return. Webber is the Kings Antoine Walker.

But if by some chance the Kings were dumb enought to trade Peja and even dumber enough to trade him to the Mavs, I'd love to have him as long as it's not for Dirk. Peja and Dirk would be an absolute nightmare to guard. Peja certainly isn't allworld defending and rebounding, but he is a decent rebounder at the 3 and he's a sizeable improvement over what we had at the 3 defensively last year. Stack, Howard, #1, and $3million for Peja would be stealing form the Kings.

[FilthyFinMavs]

Originally posted by: nowitzki_prophecy
Peja is 6'9,always was,always will be.

Finley shot 16.1 shots a game,Peja shot 17.1 shots a game,the reason he made 5.6 points a game more is because he went more to the line and his percantages were way way better than mikes.

Those shots per game are invalid on this team. On the Mavs if your hot you don't keep being fed the ball. The coach goes to the next person on the court. Being the number 1 option your shots come more routinely.

[FilthyFinMavs]

Originally posted by: V
Were it not for Webber's untimely return Peja might've been MVP of the league last year.

You have to be smoking crack to turn your thumb down on Peja Stojakovic.

Criticizing him is like saying you wouldn't eff Charlize Theron because she's got a funny accent.

He doesn't feed a need man. Just like T-Mac and the others before him in trade rumors. He just doesn't fill a need.

[FilthyFinMavs]

Originally posted by: V2M
It's obviously a moot point as someone pointed out, Maloofs will never trade him to Dallas.

But just for argument sake, Peja (as a combo of both his talent & contract) is easily the best SF in the league that money can buy.
If we can find a way to get him here without trading Dirk, we should do it.

Given Sacramento's roster, they probably wouldn't want Terry, Harris or any of our centers. So, along with some expiring contracts, a future #1, some cash considerations, they can pick any two of the four swingmen: Stack, Fin, Daniels & JHo. I'd do that in a NY minute!

I'd take Shawn Marion, Tayshaun Prince and Ron Artest over Peja any day. Guys who are more defensive minded. Sure Peja is the better shooter between all of those guys but i'd like my power foward to be someone whose committed to the defensive end. Peja is just another player who plays like a 2 guard but is in a 3 or a 4's body. Great shooter though.

[seal614]

You guys that make your arguments for Peja using stats. His stats would be NOWHERE near 24ppg and 6rpg if he came to the mavs.

"He's a great shooter and 'gets some steals' " wtf is that??

Isn't Dirk a good enough shooter for the Mavericks? Finley is also an excellent perimeter shooter, Nash had them all beat but MOVING ON... The Mavericks need DEFENSE and TOUGHNESS. They do not need "some steals".

FilthyFin ^ I'm with you. I'd take Tayshaun in a heartbeat over Peja. Ron would also be an easy nod over Peja. Shawn Marion is an excellent talent, but I don't know if he's a clear nod over Peja... at least for the Mavs.

Peja Stojakovic is a scorer...

That is all! Those 6 rebounds fall into his hands when guys like Chris Webber ride the pine all year. And being 6'10" probably means that 1 offensive board per game SHOWS YOUR LACK OF INSIDE TOUGHNESS. I mean honestly, if it were up to some of the people on this board your starting 5 would consist of any of the following

Ray Allen
Peja Stojakovic
Reggie Miller
Steve Nash
Dirk Nowitzki
Fred Hoiberg

and if they were still playing/alive

Maravich
Bird
Kerr
Mullin

Does anybody see the similarities? Oh yeah and there isn't a center in the mix either hmmm.

The Dallas Mavericks do not need Peja. Personally I wouldn't give up Josh Howard in a deal for him: which some ppl proposed.

And is it just me, or are RealGM's stats a bit dated? Peja 8.6ppg???

- Brian

[FilthyFinMavs]

Originally posted by: seal614
You guys that make your arguments for Peja using stats. His stats would be NOWHERE near 24ppg and 6rpg if he came to the mavs.

"He's a great shooter and 'gets some steals' " wtf is that??

Isn't Dirk a good enough shooter for the Mavericks? Finley is also an excellent perimeter shooter, Nash had them all beat but MOVING ON... The Mavericks need DEFENSE and TOUGHNESS. They do not need "some steals".

FilthyFin ^ I'm with you. I'd take Tayshaun in a heartbeat over Peja. Ron would also be an easy nod over Peja. Shawn Marion is an excellent talent, but I don't know if he's a clear nod over Peja... at least for the Mavs.

Peja Stojakovic is a scorer...

That is all! Those 6 rebounds fall into his hands when guys like Chris Webber ride the pine all year. And being 6'10" probably means that 1 offensive board per game SHOWS YOUR LACK OF INSIDE TOUGHNESS. I mean honestly, if it were up to some of the people on this board your starting 5 would consist of any of the following

Ray Allen
Peja Stojakovic
Reggie Miller
Steve Nash
Dirk Nowitzki
Fred Hoiberg

and if they were still playing/alive

Maravich
Bird
Kerr
Mullin

Does anybody see the similarities? Oh yeah and there isn't a center in the mix either hmmm.

The Dallas Mavericks do not need Peja. Personally I wouldn't give up Josh Howard in a deal for him: which some ppl proposed.

And is it just me, or are RealGM's stats a bit dated? Peja 8.6ppg???

- Brian

Wow. It's funny you brought up Josh Howard because that's a guy I wanted to bring up but I didn't because I didn't think anyone would understand. It's clear that Peja is better than the above but the guys like Josh, Marion, Artest etc. fill needs. They make the Mavs a better team. Peja helps us average more points a game and give up even more.


[img]i/expressions/anim_laugh.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/anim_roller.gif[/img] @ "He's a great shooter and 'gets some steals' "


I missed that earlier but now that I read it I get a good laugh out of it.

[ISmellmyTshirts]

Originally posted by: Big Boy Laroux
you know i guess this is as good a place to vent as any.

I am SICK AND TIRED of players demanding/asking to be traded. this is running rampant in basketball. it happens sometimes in baseball, but it seems that in the NBA, every star on a bad team wants to be traded to a better team.

hello! maybe you play on a bad team because it's your fault. maybe you are the one that sucks! or it's your HUGE contract's fault, that you signed with that team (i guess if you were traded, that doesn't come into play). whatever happened to sticking with a franchise and helping them to become a winner?

i'm sick of this crap.

this has nothing to do with peja really, as he's on a good team. just venting.

Its not just the NBA. I demanded my Real Analysis professor trade me to Elementary Counting for Non-Majors...

back on topic. It'll be interesting to see peja play in a more standard NBA offensive system that emphasizes isos instead of motion/ball movement. Hes got a sweet shot, but can he create his own space? I dunno. Haven't seen do it yet. Which incedently(referring t another thread) is why finely is not soley a jump shooter -- he can get his shot off the dribble.

Would bird and the pacers be interested? Didn't larry say thesame thing about getting his shot off the dribble...

[Epitome22]

If Reggie Miller can exist in this league, so can Peja. Peja can't do a whole lot of things. but he does a few things really well. He moves very well without the ball in his hands and has a very quick release. As long as he is still money from outside and can still get those quick cuts to the basket, he'll do fine. He can average anywhre from 19-25 ppg depending on what kind of offense he ends up in.

[sike]

"is why finely is not soley a jump shooter -- he can get his shot off the dribble."
just barely.....Finley is one of the worst ball handleing guards in the league. yeah he can put his back to you and fade or go around a pick....but he is not a creative offensive force like many guards in this league.

[Kid California]

Originally posted by: EricaLubarsky

just quoting myself, because it needed to be repeated.

Let me help u out EL

Sacramento Kings owner Joe Maloof joined Jeff Rickard on The Jeff Rickard Show on Friday on Sporting News Radio and said the Kings have no intention of granting guard Peja Stojakovic's trade request.

[ISmellmyTshirts]

Thats a good comparison to reggie. Except I wouldn't hand peja the ball 37ft from the basket and expect him to sink a three.

as far as dribbiling -- two dribbles, two dribbles, two dribbles only.

[Hitman]

Originally posted by: FilthyFinMavs

BTW, why are you comparing 6'10 Peja Stojakovic to 6'7 shooting guard Michael Finley? I'm glad to see Peja averaged 5 more points than Finley. He should've because for the majority of the season he was the Kings offensive weapon. He was the Kings Dirk Nowitzki. Finley was at times the number 2-4 offensive option.

Why am I comparing them? Because Peja is a small forward, and the Mavs small forward is....Michael Finley.

And guess what? Finley, being option #2-4, only shot one less shot per game than Peja, and would up averaging 5 less points, so your argument is really fruitless

[FilthyFinMavs]

Originally posted by: Hitman

Why am I comparing them? Because Peja is a small forward, and the Mavs small forward is....Michael Finley.

And guess what? Finley, being option #2-4, only shot one less shot per game than Peja, and would up averaging 5 less points, so your argument is really fruitless

Oh okay I get it. So I guess I can sit here and compare Dirk and Walker to Shaq. Hell Walker and Dirk both played the 5 on the Mavericks so I guess their 5's in this league.[img]i/expressions/anim_roller.gif[/img] Look's like your argument is the one fruitless. Once again I don't care how many shots Finley took. I don't care if he took 10 more shots than Peja it matters when you are getting your shots. Peja got his more routinely because he was their number 1 option. You can't even compare Dirk to Peja statistically because even Dirk whose the number 1 option didn't get his shots in the type of sequence a number 1 option should. The difference between the Mavs and the Kings is that the Mavs had 5 guys who need more than 10 shots a game. Kings need what? Peja? Maybe Bibby. Webber was injured for most of the year.

[MavsFanFinley]

Peja should stand his ground against Webber, stay a King

By Ailene Voisin -- Bee Columnist
August 8, 2004

BELGRADE, Serbia and Montenegro - This trade request by Peja Stojakovic seems like a perfectly civil maneuver in an altogether uncivil business. He is merely asking to be traded. He is willing to go anywhere. He is unwilling to engage in a street brawl with the teammate whose repeated inferences and innuendos - and downright refusal to share the ball or set the picks - is the root cause of this unseemly situation.

So, OK, Peja pleads a strong case. Give him that.

With Geoff Petrie having zero success in his ongoing attempts to trade Chris Webber, both because of the power forward's bloated (and lengthy) contract and his damaged knee, and Vlade Divac no longer around to function as peacemaker between the two NBA All-Stars, a logical alternative indeed might be to trade the marketable, amenable Stojakovic before his contract expires after the 2005-2006 season.

But this is why I disapprove of Peja's latest move.

He is backing down again, deferring to an overbearing teammate.

He is replaying the 2003-2004 playoffs all over again, refusing to lead, refusing to reply, refusing to do anything except take the easy way out. And for a player with his abilities, this is an absolutely unnecessary concession speech. What he needs to do is ditch the business suit, throw on a pair of sweaty boxing shorts, and challenge Webber to a spirited game of one-on-one.

Peja instead offers little resistance, a familiar character trait that might ultimately preclude him from being mentioned in the same sentence with the NBA greats. In essence, he is allowing someone else to dictate the terms of his career, much as he did during the closing weeks of last season.

While Webber recovered from knee surgery, and the Kings' offense flowed like the nearby Danube through Divac and Brad Miller, Stojakovic capitalized with backdoor cuts, open jumpers from the corners and from the wings, from almost anywhere on the court. The game's best deep shooter, he still clearly relies heavily on muscular screens from his big men to create spacing for his jumper and remains dependent on exceptional, unselfish passes from Doug Christie, Bobby Jackson, Mike Bibby. Yet when the Kings were at their best - passing, cutting, rebounding, sprinting - Peja donned the costume of a legitimate MVP candidate.

But the rules of the game changed when Webber returned March 2. The ball movement ceased. The fluidity stopped. The chemistry and camaraderie evaporated. Although his mobility was hampered and his effectiveness limited, Webber promptly reclaimed ownership - "This is still my team," he insisted - and proceeded to act accordingly, dominating the ball, forcing Divac out of the high post and Miller to the bench, and, most damaging of all, treating Peja like poison.

Webber's disdain was evident in feeble, half-hearted screens that allowed defenders to swarm before Peja could release a shot. His passes were reluctant, ill-timed offerings, another seemingly inexplicable development given Stojakovic's constant movement.

"Peja isn't getting the looks he normally gets," Petrie said at the time, carefully choosing his words.

Yes, Peja needs to expand his repertoire with some low post and dribble moves.

Yes, Peja should have been wounded by Webber's pointed proclamations, by Webber's actions.

But Peja is 27 years old, and if he is truly determined to become one of the game's classic closers, not merely a competent setup man, he should have demanded the ball, pursued the ball, dictated the tenor of the offense. At the very least, he should have urged Rick Adelman to end the nonsense that was destroying one of the Kings' most impressive, improbable seasons.

"Again I will say that this is only about me," the easy-going Stojakovic said Friday night, as his agent, David Bauman, stood nearby. "The Kings have to make changes. There is no question about that. The chemistry just isn't there. Since I am probably easier to trade (than Webber), it is probably best for me to go."

In another almost eerie aside, Stojakovic discussed his plans in his native homeland, a few hundred yards from a high-rise still scarred from NATO airstrikes in 1999. Webber can talk all he wants about toughness and "being from the 'hood," but Peja, a Serb, witnessed shootings and lost his home when his hometown of Slavonska Pozega became part of Croatia. His brother, Nenad, also almost died in Sacramento before undergoing a kidney transplant. And who can forget how Peja, at age 20, went against his father's wishes and signed with the Kings instead of remaining in Greece?

Where is that mettle now?

Why give up so easily?

"I am going to talk to Joe and Gavin (Maloof) Monday," said Stojakovic, with apparent resolve, "so they can hear this from me. You know ... I love Sacramento. The people there have been incredible to me and my family. But I think this is best."

Maybe, maybe not. Reputations are hard to overcome.

[Hitman]

Great article. I see the author's point, but when you view Webber from that light, how would Peja want to play with him?

Webber is such a jackass, and a loser. It would be funny for him to demand a trade, only to find out that nobody wanted him.

[Hitman]

Originally posted by: FilthyFinMavs

Oh okay I get it. So I guess I can sit here and compare Dirk and Walker to Shaq. Hell Walker and Dirk both played the 5 on the Mavericks so I guess their 5's in this league.[img]i/expressions/anim_roller.gif[/img] Look's like your argument is the one fruitless. Once again I don't care how many shots Finley took. I don't care if he took 10 more shots than Peja it matters when you are getting your shots. Peja got his more routinely because he was their number 1 option. You can't even compare Dirk to Peja statistically because even Dirk whose the number 1 option didn't get his shots in the type of sequence a number 1 option should. The difference between the Mavs and the Kings is that the Mavs had 5 guys who need more than 10 shots a game. Kings need what? Peja? Maybe Bibby. Webber was injured for most of the year.

You are such a complete idiot,

and your posts are so unreadable due to,

in equal parts,

lack of punctuation and utter stupidity. You can compare whoever the hell you want to compare. Finley and Peja are both swingmen type guard/forwards.

You don't care how many shots Finley took? He could have taken 10 more shots than Peja and it wouldn't have mattered?

What the hell are you talking about?

Actually...I take that back. Don't answer. I can't deal with another post that lacks both

A) Any form of punctuation

and

B) Any form of logic, common sense or actual knowledge

[FilthyFinMavs]

Originally posted by: Hitman

You are such a complete idiot,

and your posts are so unreadable due to,

in equal parts,

lack of punctuation and utter stupidity. You can compare whoever the hell you want to compare. Finley and Peja are both swingmen type guard/forwards.

You don't care how many shots Finley took? He could have taken 10 more shots than Peja and it wouldn't have mattered?

What the hell are you talking about?

Actually...I take that back. Don't answer. I can't deal with another post that lacks both

A) Any form of punctuation

and

B) Any form of logic, common sense or actual knowledge

Don't get upset because I exposed your ignorant as posts to the board. If you can't take the heat then get the hell out of the kitchen. As if it's my fault you can't understand my posts. That makes you the idiot. I question are you even a Mavs fan or a Finley hater because it seems every post you make is insulting the guy. Whether it be comparing him to Manu Ginobilli or Peja Stojakovic. I can't wait to see you compare him to Shaq.

[Hitman]

"Don't get upset because I exposed your ignorant as posts to the board."

Don't worry FFM, I won't get upset about something as unintelligable as that statement.

And as for your statements, how many GMs in the leauge would take Finley over Peja or Manu?

My guess?

None.

[FilthyFinMavs]

Originally posted by: Hitman
"Don't get upset because I exposed your ignorant as posts to the board."

Don't worry FFM, I won't get upset about something as unintelligable as that statement.

And as for your statements, how many GMs in the leauge would take Finley over Peja or Manu?

My guess?

None.

Okay and that helps your debate how? I'm sure every GM in the league would take a younger Peja or even an older Peja over Finley. I won't even comment on Ginobilli. He got beat out of his starting spot by Hedo Turkoglu and that's all that needs to be said.

[Drbio]

I'm laughing at the lack of comprehension and awareness here.....

[rakesh.s]

Originally posted by: FilthyFinMavs

Okay and that helps your debate how? I'm sure every GM in the league would take a younger Peja or even an older Peja over Finley. I won't even comment on Ginobilli. He got beat out of his starting spot by Hedo Turkoglu and that's all that needs to be said.

wtf?!..turkoglu beat ginobilli out of his starting job? is that a joke? they moved ginobilli back to the bench because they had no spark and he provided the energy off the bench

why on earth would they sign him for 7-8 mill/year and let hedo walk for the mle if hedo was the better player?

[Stressboy]

Only read the last 6 posts or so, but I want to say that if the salaries/term are all the same 7mil and 3 years, people would want Peja, then Fin, then Ginobli. The only reason to take Ginobli is his youth and his marketing clout. Fin is the better player and will be for a couple more years at least. Ginobli is too loose, he is a lot like our Josh Howard. He plays with abandon that will spark your team, but it will cost you a game or two also. Fin will be very consistent, but does not provide that spark, so if you want a 6th man, then I guess you'd pick Ginobli, but if you were on the playground and you had to play 10 games in a row with the 4 other guys you picked, then you go with Fin.

Stressboy

[aexchange]

i love finley as much as the next mavs fan, but at this stage of his career, he's headed quickly to mitch richmond ville and steve smith town. he's a nice spot up shooter who doesn't do much of anything else.

if you poll all the GM's in the league, finley is clearly 3rd behind peja and ginobili. to say that peja doesnt play D, and that he chokes in the playoffs is laughable at best, and pure stupidity at worst. finley is a terrible ball handler, a great team leader, and an average defender at best. peja has the best stroke in the league, is a push with finley on the defensive end, and would fit great as the 3 here in the mavs system.

1. peja
2. ginobili
3. finley

[mary]

Can we put a legal limit on how many time you can triple-quote a post ? [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

If I could just offer my 2 cents in the middle of all the chest thumping here, Peja is obviously an amazing talent. Last year I thought he was the best pure shooter in the league and his defense is NOT THAT BAD. He was 3-0 in defending the Mav's potentially game winning/tieing shots [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img] .

But Peja's game clearly suffered when Webber came in and became the focus of the offense. I don't think anyone can argue that. Peja's most effective when he's the number one option and struggles when's he's not. We already have our number one option and we need to build around him by surrounding him with solid role players - not other on-the cusp superstars. We've already seen what happens when Dirk is not the focal point of our offense. I've had enough of that.

[FilthyFinMavs]

Originally posted by: aexchange
i love finley as much as the next mavs fan, but at this stage of his career, he's headed quickly to mitch richmond ville and steve smith town. he's a nice spot up shooter who doesn't do much of anything else.

if you poll all the GM's in the league, finley is clearly 3rd behind peja and ginobili. to say that peja doesnt play D, and that he chokes in the playoffs is laughable at best, and pure stupidity at worst. finley is a terrible ball handler, a great team leader, and an average defender at best. peja has the best stroke in the league, is a push with finley on the defensive end, and would fit great as the 3 here in the mavs system.

1. peja
2. ginobili
3. finley

IMO, Smith and Mitch were never as athletic as Fin is. Even Fin at 31 is better than Ginobilli. This won't be for long however. I guess everyone thinks Ginobilli is better than Fin is because he drives to the rack and he has had some success doing so. He's also a good defender. Not a shutdown guy but he can play average defense consistenly. But that's it when it comes to things he does better than Finley. I don't think anyone is saying Finley is better than Peja. I think at this point you can debate whether Peja is better than Dirk or vice versa.

[FilthyFinMavs]

Originally posted by: rakesh.s

wtf?!..turkoglu beat ginobilli out of his starting job? is that a joke? they moved ginobilli back to the bench because they had no spark and he provided the energy off the bench

why on earth would they sign him for 7-8 mill/year and let hedo walk for the mle if hedo was the better player?

Probably because they didn't want to give Hedo that same contract the Jazz did. Ginobilli was put on the bench because that's what he does well. He comes off the bench and can provide a spark as you stated. Also, at the time he was sat on the bench he was struggling. He was struggling at the beginning of last season and when he was sat on the bench that's when he started having success.

[NYCdog]

This is from Chicago.....

Eye on Peja: If the Bulls plan to accrue salary-cap room to use in 2006 - thanks to the money-saving Jamal Crawford trade - one potential target is Sacramento small forward Peja Stojakovic.

Stojakovic, one of the league's best outside shooters, actually played for Bulls coach Scott Skiles during Skiles' brief stint as head coach of PAOK in the Greek League in 1996.

Now, Stojakovic is demanding to be traded from the Kings, citing bad team chemistry. He also is upset that the Kings didn't re-sign Vlade Divac

"They're going to realize Peja is dead set on this," his agent, David Bauman, said. "It's probably better to make the best trade you can make now. We're putting a ton of pressure on the Kings and the Kings' owners."

Bauman mentioned that Indiana is interested in swapping former Bulls forward Ron Artest for Stojakovic. It would be tough for the Bulls to match that offer, especially since their rookies cannot be traded until Dec. 15.

But Stojakovic has an option in his contract that allows him to become a free agent in 2006 at age 29.

"If he was a free agent right now, he wouldn't re-sign with the Kings," Baumann said.

Chicago Daily Herald...scroll to bottom

[NYCdog]

Form the Indy Star........

Stojakovic appears good fit for Pacers

Peja Stojakovic is one of the league's best shooters with a .398 mark from 3-point range in six NBA seasons. -- Garrett Ellwood / Getty Images

By Mark Montieth
mark.montieth@indystar.com
August 7, 2004


The tremors from Sacramento Kings forward Peja Stojakovic's trade demand have rolled straight to Indiana, where he's already the focus of rampant speculation in a deal involving Ron Artest.

Stojakovic, the NBA's second-leading scorer last season with a 24.2 average, revealed Thursday he told the Kings on July 23 he wanted to be traded.

The Pacers qualify as a logical destination, given president Larry Bird's public admiration for Stojakovic and the fact his contract closely matches that of Artest.

Stojakovic's agent, David Bauman, told the Sacramento Bee that Bird had inquired about an Artest-Stojakovic deal in June. Friday, Bauman confirmed the Pacers' interest and Stojakovic's desire to leave the Kings.

"Larry Bird is a very tenacious general manager and he's going to do everything he can to make something happen," Bauman said in a telephone interview from Serbia and Montenegro, where Stojakovic has been making promotional appearances for the Serbian national team.

"I dealt with him in the draft. He's calling and pushing and coming up with ideas all the time."

Bauman said Stojakovic put his Sacramento home up for sale Friday and plans to reiterate his demand in a telephone conversation with Kings co-owner Joe Maloof tonight.

"They're going to realize Peja is deadset on this," Bauman said. "It's probably better to make the best trade you can make now.

"We're putting a ton of pressure on the Kings and the Kings' owners."

Bird and Pacers CEO Donnie Walsh were out of the office and unavailable for comment Friday. Artest and Kings general manager Geoff Petrie did not return calls.

Artest's agent, Mark Bartelstein, would not confirm trade discussions.

"I don't think there's anything imminent or anything like that," Bartelstein said.

A straight-up deal involving the two players would qualify under NBA salary cap rules because their salaries match closely enough, or the Pacers could include a minimum salary player. Stojakovic will be paid $6.875 million next season, while Artest will receive $6.2 million.

Artest played in the All-Star game and was named Defensive Player of the Year last season. He averaged 18.3 points during the regular season, but his production fell off sharply as the playoffs progressed. He averaged 14.5 points in the conference finals loss to Detroit, shooting .298 from the field and .194 from 3-point range.

Stojakovic played in the All-Star game for the third consecutive season and had a career-high regular-season scoring average, but also struggled in the postseason. He averaged 17.5 points in 12 playoff games, shooting .384 from the field and .315 from 3-point range. He hit 3-of-12 shots in the Kings' Game 7 loss to Minnesota and was criticized by the Sacramento media for becoming passive.

"I wasn't able to find my game the whole playoffs," he said.

Stojakovic's regular-season production fell off after Kings forward Chris Webber returned from a knee injury for the final 23 games. The lack of on-court chemistry between the two was exacerbated after Webber criticized the effort of some teammates after the Game 7 loss to Minnesota.

Stojakovic also is said to be upset by the loss of Kings center Vlade Divac, his closest friend on the team. Divac had been the Kings' most powerful locker room presence, a role Webber will likely inherit.

"Now that Vlade is gone, this team is going to take my tone," Webber said in an interview published in the Sacramento Bee on Sunday.

Asked what changes he'd like to see Kings management make in the offseason, Webber asked for a player fitting Artest's description.

"I'd just like to see an aggressive defender at the three (small forward) spot," he said.

Bird, meanwhile, has stated the Pacers need more scoring and improved outside shooting to take pressure off Jermaine O'Neal around the basket. Bird has called Stojakovic "the best shooter in the NBA by far."

Stojakovic, 27, has hit .398 from 3-point range and .885 from the foul line in his six NBA seasons.

Stojakovic, whose girlfriend is due to give birth to their first child Aug. 15, has not stated a preference to play for a specific team, but Bauman said he would be happy with a trade to the Pacers.

"He's looking for a team that's successful and has a chance to win," Bauman said. "We did look at Indiana and Indiana does fit his parameters."

[birdsanctuary]

Mavs slowing moving up by default.

Bye Bye LA
Soon to say Bye Sacramento

SACRAMENTO TRADE WEBBER, HE'S INEFFECTIVE. GET WHAT YOU CAN AND MOVE ON!

[FilthyFinMavs]

Originally posted by: birdsanctuary
Mavs slowing moving up by default.

Bye Bye LA
Soon to say Bye Sacramento

SACRAMENTO TRADE WEBBER, HE'S INEFFECTIVE. GET WHAT YOU CAN AND MOVE ON!

That's just it they aren't going to get a thing. I think Kings are better just keeping him at this point. Don't say bye to Kings just yet. Imagine night in and night out having to see Artest and Doug Christie on the court at the same time? Talk about hell.

[rakesh.s]

Originally posted by: FilthyFinMavs

Probably because they didn't want to give Hedo that same contract the Jazz did. Ginobilli was put on the bench because that's what he does well. He comes off the bench and can provide a spark as you stated. Also, at the time he was sat on the bench he was struggling. He was struggling at the beginning of last season and when he was sat on the bench that's when he started having success.

hedo signed with the magic

i don't understand what you're saying in the next part of your post..basically, manu had to come off the bench because the spurs didn't have a bench if he was the starter..turkoglu is a spare that they thought they could get by with in the starting lineup....with ginobilli starting, they could never ever afford to bring turkoglu off the bench to be a spark..like i said, he is a spare

you might see ginobilli starting this year with brent barry coming off the bench at either pg,sg,sf if not all three positions within the same game..the spurs wanted either a shooter or slasher off the bench at the beginning of last season..they obviously didn't have a shooter but they had ginobilli the slasher...this year they have ~50% from the field in barry and seeing how they lacked shooting last year off the bench, he will be the answer

[mcsluggo]

Originally posted by: V

It's subtle. She's from South Africa.

If Webber were healthy he would be a perfect fit next to Dirk.

is THAT why she was talking funny?
I thought it was because of my balls on her chin.