# Vujanic to Barcelona, not Real Madrid



## J-MAC (Jan 26, 2003)

According to eurobasket.com, the Knicks' second round pick from 02, Milos Vujanic will sign a 2 year deal with FC Barcelona, not Real Madrid as had been rumored. Wow! That team is stocked now:

Bodiroga
Fu--a
Vajerao
Navarro
Vujanic


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## Tenshi25 (Nov 27, 2002)

I am assuming he's gonna be the replacement for Jasikevicius, who is (I guess) leaving. Anybody knows where he might be going? My guess is that he'll probably go to Real Madrid just like Georgevic did. :upset:


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## JGKoblenz (Jul 19, 2002)

Varejao will leave too. :yes: 

He is going to the NBA.

PS: Zelena, your PM box is full.


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## Tenshi25 (Nov 27, 2002)

Yeah, Varejao will probably be drafted this year. I don't care that much about that, honestly, I don't see him being an NBA player unless he has improved dramatically this season. I used to watch him play last year when I was in Spain and I never was very impressed, he was a good rebounder and played some good defense but his offense was very unpolished. I don't know, maybe he plays a lot better now but still I can't see why he is supposed to be a top 10 draft pick.


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## H2O (Jul 10, 2002)

After the aftermath, and putting together all the information that has eventually come out about Vujanic and his deal with Barcelona, I was wondering if anyone here could explain something for me?

Vujanic has negotiated a contract with Barcelona, which he will sign upon the conclusion of the Yugo league season he is currently in. This deal is for 2 years, at $1 million a year, with an opt out after the first year.

The New York Knicks offered him a deal using the Veterans Exception, paying him $1.5 million the first year and $5 million over three years.

The Coach of the the Knicks, Don Chaney, personally called Milos and assured him that he would get playing time, and actually would have a pretty good chance to start.

So, Vujanic was offered more money, and assured a significant role to play for the Knicks. And this is not meant to be a knock on the European leagues, but the competition over there is not near the NBA, right? So could someone please explain to me what Vujanic's motivations for wanting to sign with Barcelona are? I'm a sincerely puzzled Knicks fan here.


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## Tenshi25 (Nov 27, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>dice'man</b>!
> After the aftermath, and putting together all the information that has eventually come out about Vujanic and his deal with Barcelona, I was wondering if anyone here could explain something for me?
> 
> Vujanic has negotiated a contract with Barcelona, which he will sign upon the conclusion of the Yugo league season he is currently in. This deal is for 2 years, at $1 million a year, with an opt out after the first year.
> ...


Well, at first the answer that came to my mind was that he's still young and he prefered to be an important player on a European top team rather than go to the NBA and be a nobody with no playing time. Some players in Europe seem to like better the easy way of staying there being the stars rather than trying hard to play with the best. But now, after reading your post when you say that the Knicks coach actually promised him he would get some playing time and he would be an important player I don't know what to think. Maybe he's just scared of failure, maybe he already signed with Barcelona some time ago before he knew he would be getting playing time on the Knicks, maybe he just feels he's not ready for the NBA and want to improve his game playing a couple more seasons in Europe, I don't know.


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## qwertyu (Dec 29, 2002)

He probably doesn't feel ready to join the Knicks yet and wants to play for a top team in Europe toimprove his game.
Either that or Layden told him that it might be better for him to stay in Europe for one more year, until Charlie Ward's contract ends, beacuse the Knicks already have 3 point guards and they can't get rid of any of them.


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## H2O (Jul 10, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>qwertyu</b>!
> He probably doesn't feel ready to join the Knicks yet and wants to play for a top team in Europe toimprove his game.
> Either that or Layden told him that it might be better for him to stay in Europe for one more year, until Charlie Ward's contract ends, beacuse the Knicks already have 3 point guards and they can't get rid of any of them.


Charlie Ward can be bought out for $2million this season. That was the plan if Vujanic came over. NY wanted him here. I don't get it.


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## qwertyu (Dec 29, 2002)

Maybe they don't want to show disrespect towards Charlie.
I guess they thought it's better to keep Ward until his contract runs out and get Vujanic next year.


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## H2O (Jul 10, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>qwertyu</b>!
> Maybe they don't want to show disrespect towards Charlie.
> I guess they thought it's better to keep Ward until his contract runs out and get Vujanic next year.


No, that is not the reason! The Knicks were fully prepared to buy out Ward's contract. The only reason they aren't now is because Vujanic isn't coming over. It doesn't figure into reasons as to why that happened then. 

I can see few or no discernable reasons.

Few people in hte NBA are concerned with respect these days, a noble, but invalid sentiment.


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## Genjuro (Jul 17, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>dice'man</b>!
> The New York Knicks offered him a deal using the Veterans Exception, paying him $1.5 million the first year and $5 million over three years.


Where have you read this?. Could you give us a link to this information?.

Vujanic can't get the Veteran Exception because he is not a veteran, he would be rookie. The Knicks can't offer him the million dollar exception because they won't be able to use it again until 2004 (they used it in 2002 for signing Doleac). And they don't want to give him any part of their mid-level exception, because they want to sign a good and proved player with it during the next summer. So the offer (as I've read) was just the minimum salary, wich means less than $500,000 per season.


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## H2O (Jul 10, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>Genjuro</b>!
> 
> Where have you read this?. Could you give us a link to this information?.


It was in the Post and the Daily News about a week ago, I can't find the links anymore because they are archived, I suppose.


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