# Agent: Peja Wants To Retire As A Pacer



## ZÆ (Aug 1, 2005)

> _USAToday_ - Larry Bird has already called re-signing Peja Stojakovic a priority for the Pacers this off-season; now Peja's side has said that he would like to remain in Indiana as well.


Link


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## JayRedd (Jan 2, 2006)

Please no....Cmon Toronto or Atlanta or some other terribly managed team: Please make this guy an offer we won't match.


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## Gonzo (Oct 14, 2004)

Fantastic. Maybe he'll want to play in the playoffs when we get there next time.


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## PaCeRhOLiC (May 22, 2005)

Horrid, especially if we pay him top cash, which I have a bad feeling we will.


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## JayRedd (Jan 2, 2006)

PaCeRhOLiC said:


> Horrid, especially if we pay him top cash, which I have a bad feeling we will.



Yeah...I'm starting to feel more and more ill by the day. This is the one time I wish our GM wasn't a slow, white, great jump shooting, 6'10" SF. I think his judgment is getting clouded here.


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## #16is#1 (Mar 7, 2006)

Whats wrong with Peja? He can drop 25 almost any given night, and his jumper is still one of the most feared in the league. A one two punch of O'neal and Peja would really be scary. 
True, his defense isn't the greatest, and his rebounding lacks, but he still is a great player. If we can get him for a fair price, I don't see anything wrong with having him back.


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## Gonzo (Oct 14, 2004)

#16is#1 said:


> Whats wrong with Peja? He can drop 25 almost any given night, and his jumper is still one of the most feared in the league. A one two punch of O'neal and Peja would really be scary.
> True, his defense isn't the greatest, and his rebounding lacks, but he still is a great player. If we can get him for a fair price, I don't see anything wrong with having him back.


Did you watch the playoffs? Or did you miss them because your favourite player wasn't playing?


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## #16is#1 (Mar 7, 2006)

Larry Legend said:


> Did you watch the playoffs? Or did you miss them because your favourite player wasn't playing?


No player can help where, when, or how he gets injured.


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## #16is#1 (Mar 7, 2006)

Forgot to mention: Did you notice that everytime we played minus Peja in the playoffs, we choked. Hmm.....what a coincidence.


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## Gonzo (Oct 14, 2004)

#16is#1 said:


> Forgot to mention: Did you notice that everytime we played minus Peja in the playoffs, we choked. Hmm.....what a coincidence.


Uh, yes I did. Which is exactly why Peja should have supported the team by playing... I don't think his injury was too "serious".


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## Pacers Fan (Aug 25, 2002)

#16is#1 said:


> Forgot to mention: Did you notice that everytime we played minus Peja in the playoffs, we choked. Hmm.....what a coincidence.


Peja did nothing the entire playoffs. He wasn't good in even the two games he did play.


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## #16is#1 (Mar 7, 2006)

A swollen knee = a painful knee = under par. Even if Peja didn't score that much, he must've rubbed something off on the other players because we got W's when he played.


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## jermaine7fan (Aug 19, 2005)

I really like Peja here... so long as the contract isn't rediculously large...

He is still fairly young...

He is one of the top shooters in the game...

I would be happier to get him resigned... than see another Brad Miller for Scott Pollard kind of sign-and-trade because the player really wants to take the money and run...

I still feel Peja and JO can become a nice combo...

We've only seen them together for about 2-3 weeks... and I really feel that Peja's absence is what hurt JO in the Playoffs... Peja does so much for floor spacing for us...

While I was upset that Peja didn't show up for the Playoffs... who are we to say whether or not he was actually able to play on that leg?.. We aren't in his shoes... We don't know his pain...

Maybe he felt he would hurt the team by being on the floor playing at less than 100%... I know to me he seemed to be much more of a defensive liability than usual in the few games he tried to play with the injured leg...

Peja has some amazing talent... and he does have the potential to have a great Playoff series... He is a great player... I agree with #16is#1... Peja can easily drop 25 on any given game day... He is a quality player that we can actually obtain this off-season to keep us close to being contenders... I am just worried about what we would get in return if we end up sign-and-trading...

I am happy Peja wants to stay... I like what he can do for us...

And I don't see him screwing up every Playoff season... He's just had bad luck in the past... I think he does have potential to be a good Playoff performer...


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## JayRedd (Jan 2, 2006)

jermaine7fan said:


> He is still fairly young...


True.



jermaine7fan said:


> He is one of the top shooters in the game...


Very True.



jermaine7fan said:


> I still feel Peja and JO can become a *nice* combo...


True.



jermaine7fan said:


> Peja does so much for floor spacing for us...


True.



jermaine7fan said:


> to me he seemed to be much more of a defensive liability than usual in the few games he tried to play with the injured leg...


Hard to believe.



jermaine7fan said:


> He is a great player


Stretching.



jermaine7fan said:


> Peja can easily drop 25 on any given game day...


True.



jermaine7fan said:


> He is a quality player that we can actually obtain this off-season to *keep us close to being contenders*...


Exactly. Should be fun. I can't wait to lose a couple more hard fought Eastern Conference Finals in six games. Let's set our sights on signing a guy that will knowingly ensure us "near-contender" status for the next 5 years. Wooooo-HOooooooo.


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## StephenJackson (Oct 28, 2004)

As long as we don't overpay him, I am more than fine with having Peja around.


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## Scipio (Feb 18, 2004)

JayRedd said:


> Please no....Cmon Toronto or Atlanta or some other terribly managed team: Please make this guy an offer we won't match.


He wouldn't be a bad pickup if the price is right. But neither of those teams are badly managed. You should call Isiah.


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## jermaine7fan (Aug 19, 2005)

JayRedd said:


> Exactly. Should be fun. I can't wait to lose a couple more hard fought Eastern Conference Finals in six games. Let's set our sights on signing a guy that will knowingly ensure us "near-contender" status for the next 5 years. Wooooo-HOooooooo.


IMO - Better than being bottom-feeders for a few seasons... because we have only one all-star calibre player until Danny grows up... if we lose out on Peja...

Are you one of those... win a championship... nothing else matters type fan?.. If so... you are setting yourself up for dissappointment for the rest of your life... Championships are few and far between... for ANY franchise... The fact that we are tied with San Antonio with the most Playoff appearances... is good enough for me... A championship would be wonderful... Supremely wonderful... but you cannot expect a championship from any professional franchise... Nothing is set in stone... There are too many factors involved in a championship run... Mainly good luck... in whatever terms...

Keeping a team in the running to win a championship is really all a GM can do...

And the Pacers franchise has done it as good as anyone else over the last decade... except San An... because they did have the good fortune on their side to make the title runs...

but anyway... A team MUST have at least two really good players to attempt to win a 'ship... Peja could turn out to be even better than expected... or he could continue to be just sub-par all-star... 

Either way... so long as we don't have to break the bank to keep him... he is definately worth a re-sign...


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## StephenJackson (Oct 28, 2004)

jermaine7fan said:


> IMO - Better than being bottom-feeders for a few seasons... because we have only one all-star calibre player until Danny grows up... if we lose out on Peja...
> 
> Are you one of those... win a championship... nothing else matters type fan?.. If so... you are setting yourself up for dissappointment for the rest of your life... Championships are few and far between... for ANY franchise... The fact that we are tied with San Antonio with the most Playoff appearances... is good enough for me... A championship would be wonderful... Supremely wonderful... but you cannot expect a championship from any professional franchise... Nothing is set in stone... There are too many factors involved in a championship run... Mainly good luck... in whatever terms...
> 
> ...


 :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:


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## JayRedd (Jan 2, 2006)

jermaine7fan said:


> IMO - Better than being bottom-feeders for a few seasons... because we have only one all-star calibre player until Danny grows up... if we lose out on Peja...


Fortunately, there are about 8 All Stars that will be free agents after next year. And if we re-sign Peja now, we get none of those guys, and we're stuck with an overpaid guy sub-All Star for the next five years just because he was one of a few good free agents in a bad year. 



jermaine7fan said:


> Are you one of those...win a championship...nothing else matters type fan?.. If so...you are setting yourself up for dissappointment for the rest of your life...Championships are few and far between...for ANY franchise...


The goal is too win it all. We've been right teetering on the edge of that since Jordan ripped out our hearts in 1998, and really since the early 1990s when Reggie started his heroics. Your telling me you're really still satisfied with hoping to get to an ECF? Seriously? A team of JO/Peja is a lock for the playoffs for the next five years. That's super. But it will NEVER be an elite team without a really, really good third player and a bunch of other good role players. I know that sounds like the same story as every other team in the league, but it's just different. And if yall can't see that Peja/JO is not a 1-2 punch that can win a title, I don't know how to explain it to you.



jermaine7fan said:


> The fact that we are tied with San Antonio with the most Playoff appearances... is good enough for me......


Not me



jermaine7fan said:


> *A team MUST have at least two really good players to attempt to win a 'ship*... Peja could turn out to be even better than expected...


PEJA IS NOT ONE OF THOSE 2 GUYS ....PEJA IS NOT ONE OF THOSE 2 GUYS....PEJA IS NOT ONE OF THOSE 2 GUYS



jermaine7fan said:


> or he could continue to be just sub-par all-star...


Bingo



jermaine7fan said:


> Either way... so long as we don't have to break the bank to keep him... he is definately worth a re-sign......


I don't understand why we need another SF who will make 5 times as much when we already have Danny for about $2 mil per season for the next three years. I know I bring up the money constantly, but when you have one guy on the team making $20 mil per season, you really need to be cheap everywhere else.


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## Banjoriddim (Aug 14, 2004)

JayRedd, who is this great all-star who would save us next year? why do yo think he would come here? why do you think we should overpay old FA (since they get overpayed...)? why do you think that sf depth is bad (there is minutes for both Petja and Danny)? And most important why do yo think Petja will be getting something like 10 000 000-12 000 000 dollars? I mean look what Prince got... also he had good season Petja didn't also he is older and has bad reputation... Also if you look at Paul Pierce and hope he won't be traded and Celtics really would give theire only star player over last decade away for nothing and we wouldn't have to pay for him like 2-3 first rounders (K-MArt, Atl-Phx sing and trade?) then we would have to give him max he would be 30 years old but thats fine with me... the problem is that ha has allways played sf. I agree he could play some sg but he is actually sf also if he gets slower then sg won't work that well also 5 year max por him considering he has had problems beeing in shape is not a good sign. And still why on earth would Celtics give him away do they hate him? 
Why am I talking this? Since I have no positive examples about how FA market has saved teams... but I have some bad ones. Remember Utha incident? They had big buck but they couldn't get anybody (small market, offers matched...) next year they didn't have that good options they had **** theire reputation... so they paniced and had to overpay Memo (in the long run he contract seems fair) and Boozer (gess how much he played in hes first 2 years there) and all in all Utha got lucky since they can play we might not get lucky...


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## JayRedd (Jan 2, 2006)

Banjoriddim said:


> JayRedd, who is this great all-star who would save us next year?...



I'm not sure there's a player in this league that can save us next year. Seriously though, this is maybe the worst free-agent summer of all time. The next summer, however, is likely the best ever. Surely, at least one or two of the Big 4 from the '03 draft classes will get an extension by the end of this summer, but as of right now, here's who will be free agents after next season:

Lebron, DWade, Bosh, Anthony, Carmelo, Dirk (opt-out), Pierce (opt-out), Chauncey, Ron Artest (opt out), Vince (opt-out), Hinrich, Josh Howard, Boris Diaw, TJ Ford, Leandro Barbosa, David West, Pietrus, Luke Ridnour, Jalen Rose, Chris Kaman, Darko, Mo Pete, Gerald Wallace (opt-out), Anderson Vareajo, Desmond Mason​
That's a really potent group. And while it may seem that guys like Dirk, Pierce and Vince wouldn't opt out in a year that has so many other power free agents, none of those guys are getting any younger, and the motivation to get one more "top dollar" 4-5 year deal will probably motivate at least Paul and Vince to throw their hat into the free agent pool. (You've also got Antawn Jamison and Rashad Lewis with opt-out options, although I think it's a less than 1% chance either of these guys would opt out of their last years given they'll make $16 and $10 million, respectively.)

Of that list, I'd rather have at least those first 15 guys more than Peja by a long shot. No exageration.




Banjoriddim said:


> why do yo think he would come here? why do you think we should overpay old FA (since they get overpayed...)? ...


Why wouldn't they? By and large, these guys want to go 1.) whereever they can get the best salary (i'm not one that says, "All they care about is the money", but in reality, that's how people choose) and 2) where they can win. If we're enough under the cap, we offer both of those things.

I'm sick of this nonsense that no team in Indianopolis can sign a big-name free agent. When have we tried? Who has turned us down because we're some "one-horse town"? Sure, NYC, LA and ChiTown have the "marquee" advantages, but we're no less off than any one else besides those guys really. If we throw a bag of money at them, they will sign on the dotted line.



Banjoriddim said:


> why do you think we should overpay old FA (since they get overpayed...)? ...


Whose old? Vince will be 30, Pierce and Dirk will be 29. Everyone else I'd want will be like 26 or younger.

And the great part about this free agent class is that they are so many high-talent guys that they're won't be enough cap room to go around. Because of this, a lot of guys will either be forced to sign low-market deals compared to other years, just because of supply-and-demand economics.



Banjoriddim said:


> why do you think that sf depth is bad


Not bad, just unneccesary



Banjoriddim said:


> And most important why do yo think Petja will be getting something like 10 000 000-12 000 000 dollars? I mean look what Prince got... also he had good season Petja didn't also he is older and has bad reputation...


Again, supply and demand economics. Every team wants to improve in an offseason. This offseason, there really aren't that many ways to improve via free agency. So lesser players are going to make more than they should. Unless of course, NBA GMs suddenly start showing some fiscal responsibility. :rotf:

I'm nearly positive someone will offer Peja 48 mill/4 years.


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## jreywind (May 30, 2003)

StephenJackson said:


> As long as we don't overpay him, I am more than fine with having Peja around.


I completely agree. He is a good fit at around 5-6 for 1 or 2 years, but at 8-10 take a walk.


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## JayRedd (Jan 2, 2006)

jreywind said:


> I completely agree. He is a good fit at around 5-6 for 1 or 2 years


:rofl:

There is no way he signs for anything less than four years. And I'd be SHOCKED if it's less than $40/4 years


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## melo4life (Jun 5, 2006)

i wouldnt like to see peja stay in indiana


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## PaCeRhOLiC (May 22, 2005)

melo4life said:


> i wouldnt like to see peja stay in indiana



Me neither...:curse:


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## Mr. Hobbes (Jul 1, 2005)

jermaine7fan said:


> Are you one of those... *win a championship... nothing else matters * type fan?.. If so... you are setting yourself up for dissappointment for the rest of your life... Championships are few and far between... for ANY franchise... The fact that we are tied with San Antonio with the most Playoff appearances... is good enough for me... A championship would be wonderful... Supremely wonderful... but you cannot expect a championship from any professional franchise... Nothing is set in stone... There are too many factors involved in a championship run... Mainly good luck... in whatever terms...


What else matters?



> but anyway... A team MUST have at least two really good players to attempt to win a 'ship... Peja could turn out to be even better than expected... or he could continue to be just sub-par all-star...


Not just that- every championship team needs a great defensive stopper- Bowen, Rip/Prince, Kobe. Jordan/Pippen, Drexler..


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## jermaine7fan (Aug 19, 2005)

WTChan said:


> What else matters?


You missed my point... Championships runs are hard to put together... but you have a better chance when you keep in contention as opposed to spending many years in the dark trying to get a young group to one day become a team that is a contender... The playoffs are as much about luck as skill... one injury to a major player can drastically change things... As long as you have a team that makes the Playoffs... you have a team that has a chance to win a title... And the Pacers have managed to have that chance for the last decade... I am happy with that run... Only San An can say they gave themselves as many chances at a title as we have... Good fortune has given them those 'ships they have now... We weren't so blessed in that span... But it was a hell of a lot more fun than being the Atlanta Hawks... which is the eternal rebuilder...





WTChan said:


> Not just that- every championship team needs a great defensive stopper- Bowen, Rip/Prince, Kobe. Jordan/Pippen, Drexler..


Agreed... and I feel Danny can be that man for us very soon...


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