# Time to Trade Vujanic Rights?



## hatnlvr (Aug 14, 2003)

Well the season just started and Milos is already starting the I'm not coming BS!!!

http://www.nypost.com/sports/knicks/42954.htm

Seems like Milos is pulling a Sabonis on us!! Maybe he'll come over when he's 35 and on the decline:upset:


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## Rashidi (Oct 2, 2003)

It's called angling for a better contract.

Last year he averaged 25 ppg and the Knicks only offered him part of the mid-level.

He's probably tryiing to get the full mid-level. And also in the process showing that last year was no fluke.

Trading his rights is a bit premature, since the Knicks aren't expected to do anything for awhile anyway. Kukoc didn't come right away. Neither did Ginobili. Neither did Giricek. Neither did a whole bunch of other foreign rookies. But when they all came over, they were READY TO PLAY.

So why would you give up a player that would be good based on his decision to spend an extra year there?

Note that he signed a TWO year contract with that team, and that he can be bought out after the first year. So he still can come this summer depending on how dedicated the Knicks are to him. And if not, then it's two years.

Point being, you're not going to get a better player for him in a trade. We don't need help now. We need help later. So why is it neccessary that he come over now? His team is 8-0. Let him get a championship or two, so he comes to the team from a winning atmosphere.


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## hatnlvr (Aug 14, 2003)

I hope your right on that one, I would like to see him come over but the team is almost begging him and he just seems disinterested. It might be a game by his agent but we won't know until this summer.


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## Jmonty580 (Jun 20, 2003)

He needs to come over next season. It could be a strategy to get mroe money by his agent and I hope it is. Vujanic seems to keep stalling, everyone seems to think he's ready but him. If he doesnt commit to coming over next season before draft night, I say we draft a pg and try and get a better pg through a trade or something. Im really getting the feeling that he isnt coming over at all, I could be comepletely wrong but Im starting to think he might be afraid for some reason to come over. We cant keep waiting every sesaon and letting other oppurtunites go by just waiting for vujanic not know if he truely intends on coming over.


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## truth (Jul 16, 2002)

*time to deal*

i am sick of this guys attitude....he should be here NOW!!!even Vlade said it,and he plays for Vlade..Give frank williams some PT and trade the rights to Vujanic


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## Zalgirinis (Feb 18, 2003)

*Re: time to deal*



> Originally posted by <b>truth</b>!
> i am sick of this guys attitude....he should be here NOW!!!even Vlade said it,and he plays for Vlade..


He doesnt play for Vlade. He did so last year while playing in Partizan Belgrad and was the top scorer of Euroleague. This season he plays in Italy for Skipper Bologna. His current team has more better players than previous, so his scoring has declined a bit, but hes still playing great. I think money issue is the most important, if hes getting more in Europe, why should he go to NBA?


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## Jmonty580 (Jun 20, 2003)

The money thing shouldnt be an excuse, the NBA is the best basketball league, so most true baller cant wait to get in. Also if its all about the money then he should come to the NBA. Sure he could make more in europe now, but if he is a decent player in the nba, when its time for a new contract he'll make out like a bandit, and we all know how much the knicks like to over pay players.


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## NYKBaller (Oct 29, 2003)

Damn New Yorkers and Impatience, your the reason we can't rebuild....


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## Jmonty580 (Jun 20, 2003)

we're anxious to rebuild thats why we cant wait to get vujanic over here now, we already been waiting for two seasons, now its gonna be three, when does it stop? We might as well make it an even four, do you think he'll be ready then? No? Well then he should double that and make it 8 years, by then he should be what the knicks are looking for, an over the hill declining player.


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## NYKBaller (Oct 29, 2003)

He was a second round pick, we wasn't suppose to even get someone that good. We got a diamond in the rough and not before he even comes here, trade him for lesser value. Real smart....


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## Jmonty580 (Jun 20, 2003)

I dont think we should trade him, but we cant wait forever for him to come over (meaning create a spot for him). Sooner or later and I think sooner we are going to have to get a legitamate pg, but if we keep stalling for Vujanic andn he doesnt come over, then we will miss out on other good oppurtunity.


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## Knicks Junkie (Aug 21, 2003)

I have heard so much about this kid, but I actually have never seen him play. I have heard comparisons to Steve Nash. However, I have heard that he is more of a scorer than a distributor, which is un-Steve Nash-like. Can someone tell me how he plays and what kind of style he can bring to the Knicks squad? Right now, I think the Knicks need a penetrating point guard that can dish.


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## Rashidi (Oct 2, 2003)

> I have heard so much about this kid, but I actually have never seen him play. I have heard comparisons to Steve Nash. However, I have heard that he is more of a scorer than a distributor, which is un-Steve Nash-like. Can someone tell me how he plays and what kind of style he can bring to the Knicks squad? Right now, I think the Knicks need a penetrating point guard that can dish.


Well, most comparisons have been to Marko Jaric (mostly as a better version of Jaric) but since I doubt many people here are familiar with Jaric, so I would compare him to...

A cross between Cassell and Ginobilli.


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## Rashidi (Oct 2, 2003)

> The money thing shouldnt be an excuse, the NBA is the best basketball league, so most true baller cant wait to get in. Also if its all about the money then he should come to the NBA. Sure he could make more in europe now, but if he is a decent player in the nba, when its time for a new contract he'll make out like a bandit, and we all know how much the knicks like to over pay players.



That's not necessarily true.

Dejan Bodriga is a name people have never heard of, but he is definitely the best player not in the NBA (he plays for Argentina). Bodriga has expressed no interest in coming to the NBA.

Also, politics are a bigger part of the NBA than in Europe.

The Knicks have three PGs right now. Vujanic won't get big money if he's coming off the bench come contract time, ESPECIALLY with the current economy in the NBA. He will always get the money in Europe though.

The amount of money you make in your first year also DICTATES how much you can make in the future. A #1 pick makes more than a #10 pick. Salaries increase by a certain percentage each year. And when a player is due for a contract extension, they can only be given a certain percentage more than what they made in thier contract year.

So making 2 million your first year, or 4 million your first year, makes a very big difference over the course of your career.

The Knicks cannot give Vujanic a typical rookie contract, or they are in danger of losing him, like the Warriors did with Arenas, and like what the Spurs may be facing with Ginobili. The Knicks are not in danger of this happening to Lampe, because they used the mid-level to give 

I'm not familiar with bird rights and all that, so maybe someone can look it up.

Regardless, there are plenty of international players that could play in the NBA, and there are plenty of players playing in europe because they are making more there than they would be in the NBA.


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## NYKBaller (Oct 29, 2003)

Contract three years or longer and you get their bird rights...


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## Rashidi (Oct 2, 2003)

Right, thats what I thought. 2nd rounders can only get 2 year deals under regular rules. 1st year guaranteed, 2nd year team option. Knicks have Lampe for 3 years because they used mid level on him and thus avoided 2 year contract. So they have his bird rights.


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## Zalgirinis (Feb 18, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>Rashidi</b>!
> 
> Dejan Bodriga is a name people have never heard of, but he is definitely the best player not in the NBA (he plays for Argentina). Bodriga has expressed no interest in coming to the NBA.


First of all his name is Dejan BODIROGA and second he plays not for Argentina (Ginobili's country), but for Serbia&Montenegro or former Yugoslavia (Divac, Stojakovic, Drobniak, Jaric, Radmanovic). And in his NT Bodiroga was a leader always and not Stojakovic. 

He was the best player in Europe, I think. Till this season. Now there is Andres Noccioni (Argentina) or Arvydas Macijauskas (Lithuania) or Sarunas Jasikevicius (Lithuania). I cant say that they have passed Bodiroga yet, but they have good chances. And Jasikevicius have turned many NBA offers down, though he would be among 10 best PGs in NBA. He feels comfortable here in Europe, with normal money and normal playing time.

About another guy I mentioned Macijauskas. Hes the best FT shooter in the world. Now has hit 87 in a row and NBA record is 97, right? Macijauskas plays today and on Thursday, so I think record will be dead in a week. So what I wanted to say, guy is absolute NBA type scorer and I think he could score like 10-15 in his first year and later 20 ppg, of course if he has normal PT, but will he go to NBA? He wanted that, but no team drafted him year ago, so I think he chose the way: "OK you dont want me, so fuc-k you all, Im staying here in Europe" and he signed 3 years contract with TAU, where Nocioni and Scola, two Argentinians who are also considered as NBA prospects, play. Hes the best scorer after 3 gamedays in Euroleague. Of course hes also first in FT shooting and hes first by fouls made on him. Macijauskas is second in Value ratings, of course after Arvydas Sabonis (Lithuania), who shows that at 38 (soon 39) hes still the best European player ever.


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## Zalgirinis (Feb 18, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>Knicks Junkie</b>!
> I have heard so much about this kid, but I actually have never seen him play. I have heard comparisons to Steve Nash. However, I have heard that he is more of a scorer than a distributor, which is un-Steve Nash-like. Can someone tell me how he plays and what kind of style he can bring to the Knicks squad? Right now, I think the Knicks need a penetrating point guard that can dish.


I have seen him play few times. Last time 3 days ago when he played with Skipper in Euroleague vs my team Zalgiris Kaunas (Sabonis team). Vujanic came of the bench as sixth man, but loged 32 minutes. I really didnt understand which guy on that team was PG. One attack one, second other... 

Vujanic was playing good, he was very confident, took shots when it was sure he will hit it and scored 18 points. Second in team after 21 by Hanno Mottola. Vujanic scored incredible high trajectory triple over big hand of Sabas at the second quarter's buzzer. Well, as I was supporting my team and not looking what one or other player of opposite team is doing, I cant say much, but Vujanic left better impression when last time I saw him in European Championship this September where he and his team Serbia&Montenegro were eliminated by Lithuania. 

From those times (and highlights from last season) I had seen him, I made an impression of him like scorer and not PG. Jaric was always a scorer first, but playing some years at PG position made him normal PG now. As Vujanic is only 190 cm, he cant play SG, usually we say "SG in a PG body", but hes not that. He can handle the ball, he can dish, but scoring is his first option. I dont know what can he bring to Knicks, cause last time I've seen Knicks were in NBA finals vs Spurs :grinning:, but looking to stats every day I think he could be starting PG. I mean Eisley or Ward are so...


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## MagnusPinus (Aug 27, 2003)

BOw Milos plays in Bologna so I can see him lots of time on tv.. I have to say is not a pure pg...is more of an undersized Sg, with superb Pg skills.. He passes very well and can be a leader.. Plus he has a great shot..I think he could alredy be NY starting PG.. Can really put on 20p per game..


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