Nothing really new here...some of it has already been reported in other articles...
http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports...11243040c.html
'Let's Make A Deal' not an easy game
NBA rules on player salaries and the Kings' desire for a fair return make Peja hard to trade.
By Joe Davidson -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PDT Tuesday, August 10, 2004
Even if the Kings agree to Peja Stojakovic's demand to be traded, making a deal might be complicated.
"Could we get fair market value? I don't think so," Kings director of player personnel Jerry Reynolds said over the weekend. "All of his best years are ahead of him. He's nowhere near reaching his full potential yet."
As it is, Stojakovic is regarded as a lethal shooter, coming off his finest season in which he ranked second in the NBA in scoring at 24.2 points per game.
So what are the chances, Reynolds asked, of the Kings receiving a comparable shooter in exchange?
And there's another factor that could complicate matters: Stojakovic's salary.
Stojakovic is a bargain in NBA terms, a three-time All-Star forward scheduled to make $6.9 million this coming season, only the fifth-highest on his own team. He's also under contract for two more seasons, with a third at his option.
According to NBA trade rules, the salaries of the players being dealt must match within 15 percent. The problem is the league's best players generally make considerably more money than Stojakovic.
What this means is that more than just Stojakovic and the player he is traded for could be involved or that, potentially, a deal could consist of three teams.
One NBA general manager, who wished to remain anonymous, said a proven scorer such as Stojakovic is very attractive to other teams, and should the Kings finally decide a trade is necessary, there would be plenty of suitors.
"And teams will try to make it work because guys like Stojakovic are so unique," the GM said.
Stojakovic has already gone public, saying a switch to the Chicago Bulls would be fine, in a city which has a Serbian population and a franchise led by a coach, Scott Skiles, he knows well.
But Chicago has little to offer the Kings, certainly no shooters. They do have big men Tyson Chandler and Eddy Curry, but the two have largely underachieved.
Bulls GM John Paxson told the Chicago Sun-Times he is interested in Stojakovic but hasn't talked to Kings president of basketball operations Geoff Petrie.
Petrie is out of town on vacation and couldn't be reached for comment.
There are other possibilities, including one mentioned almost immediately after Stojakovic revealed his desire for a trade.
The Indiana Pacers reportedly looked into Stojakovic earlier this summer in a straight-up deal for Ron Artest, although Stojakovic's agent, David Bauman, said the Kings weren't interested. But that was before Stojakovic met with Petrie and made his trade request known July 23, and before he went public with his wishes last week.
Such a trade would involve one of the game's best shooters for one of the league's best defenders in Artest, a brutish forward who last season was named the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year. What's more, the contracts would work. Artest, due to earn $6.2 million next season, is under contract for four more years.
An Artest arrival would significantly alter the Kings. Although he's a capable scorer, averaging 18.3 points last season, Artest isn't a shooter. In order for the Kings' offense to really work under the Pete Carril-Rick Adelman read and shoot motion set, the Kings must have Stojakovic and/or Mike Bibby on the floor.
On the other hand, Artest would provide the Kings with a new defensive look, especially when grouped with guard Doug Christie, a healthy Bobby Jackson and lane clogger Greg Ostertag.
But would the Kings want to deal with Artest's volatile temper? Two seasons ago, he led the NBA in suspensions (12) and flagrant-foul points (eight).
Although Artest calmed down last season, which happened to be his career best, he lost his cool during Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Detroit Pistons. Artest fired a forearm blast to Richard Hamilton's face and was tagged with a flagrant foul, and the Pistons rallied.
Pacers CEO Donnie Walsh hasn't commented publicly about any trade speculation, although that hardly prevented Bauman from calling the Indianapolis Star from Serbia and Montenegro to talk possibilities.
"Larry Bird is a very tenacious general manager, and he's going to do everything he can to make something happen," Bauman said. "I dealt with him in the draft. He's calling, pushing and coming up with ideas all the time.
"(Peja is) looking for a team that's successful and has a chance to win. We did look at Indiana, and Indiana does fit his parameters."
Artest's agent, Mark Bartelstein, told the paper, "I don't think there's anything imminent or anything like that."
Bird told the Pacers' team Web site Monday that "nothing's going on" between the teams.
"(Stojakovic) asked for a trade, and we're a team that's got a lot of guys," Bird said. "So that's where (the rumor started). I talked to Jerry Reynolds a couple of times, and he informed me they wouldn't trade him."
Another player eager to leave his team is Toronto Raptors forward Vince Carter, but he's an example of how talents match in a trade but salaries don't. Carter is due to make $12.5 million next season and is under contract for four more years at $57.7 million.
http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports...11243040c.html
'Let's Make A Deal' not an easy game
NBA rules on player salaries and the Kings' desire for a fair return make Peja hard to trade.
By Joe Davidson -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PDT Tuesday, August 10, 2004
Even if the Kings agree to Peja Stojakovic's demand to be traded, making a deal might be complicated.
"Could we get fair market value? I don't think so," Kings director of player personnel Jerry Reynolds said over the weekend. "All of his best years are ahead of him. He's nowhere near reaching his full potential yet."
As it is, Stojakovic is regarded as a lethal shooter, coming off his finest season in which he ranked second in the NBA in scoring at 24.2 points per game.
So what are the chances, Reynolds asked, of the Kings receiving a comparable shooter in exchange?
And there's another factor that could complicate matters: Stojakovic's salary.
Stojakovic is a bargain in NBA terms, a three-time All-Star forward scheduled to make $6.9 million this coming season, only the fifth-highest on his own team. He's also under contract for two more seasons, with a third at his option.
According to NBA trade rules, the salaries of the players being dealt must match within 15 percent. The problem is the league's best players generally make considerably more money than Stojakovic.
What this means is that more than just Stojakovic and the player he is traded for could be involved or that, potentially, a deal could consist of three teams.
One NBA general manager, who wished to remain anonymous, said a proven scorer such as Stojakovic is very attractive to other teams, and should the Kings finally decide a trade is necessary, there would be plenty of suitors.
"And teams will try to make it work because guys like Stojakovic are so unique," the GM said.
Stojakovic has already gone public, saying a switch to the Chicago Bulls would be fine, in a city which has a Serbian population and a franchise led by a coach, Scott Skiles, he knows well.
But Chicago has little to offer the Kings, certainly no shooters. They do have big men Tyson Chandler and Eddy Curry, but the two have largely underachieved.
Bulls GM John Paxson told the Chicago Sun-Times he is interested in Stojakovic but hasn't talked to Kings president of basketball operations Geoff Petrie.
Petrie is out of town on vacation and couldn't be reached for comment.
There are other possibilities, including one mentioned almost immediately after Stojakovic revealed his desire for a trade.
The Indiana Pacers reportedly looked into Stojakovic earlier this summer in a straight-up deal for Ron Artest, although Stojakovic's agent, David Bauman, said the Kings weren't interested. But that was before Stojakovic met with Petrie and made his trade request known July 23, and before he went public with his wishes last week.
Such a trade would involve one of the game's best shooters for one of the league's best defenders in Artest, a brutish forward who last season was named the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year. What's more, the contracts would work. Artest, due to earn $6.2 million next season, is under contract for four more years.
An Artest arrival would significantly alter the Kings. Although he's a capable scorer, averaging 18.3 points last season, Artest isn't a shooter. In order for the Kings' offense to really work under the Pete Carril-Rick Adelman read and shoot motion set, the Kings must have Stojakovic and/or Mike Bibby on the floor.
On the other hand, Artest would provide the Kings with a new defensive look, especially when grouped with guard Doug Christie, a healthy Bobby Jackson and lane clogger Greg Ostertag.
But would the Kings want to deal with Artest's volatile temper? Two seasons ago, he led the NBA in suspensions (12) and flagrant-foul points (eight).
Although Artest calmed down last season, which happened to be his career best, he lost his cool during Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Detroit Pistons. Artest fired a forearm blast to Richard Hamilton's face and was tagged with a flagrant foul, and the Pistons rallied.
Pacers CEO Donnie Walsh hasn't commented publicly about any trade speculation, although that hardly prevented Bauman from calling the Indianapolis Star from Serbia and Montenegro to talk possibilities.
"Larry Bird is a very tenacious general manager, and he's going to do everything he can to make something happen," Bauman said. "I dealt with him in the draft. He's calling, pushing and coming up with ideas all the time.
"(Peja is) looking for a team that's successful and has a chance to win. We did look at Indiana, and Indiana does fit his parameters."
Artest's agent, Mark Bartelstein, told the paper, "I don't think there's anything imminent or anything like that."
Bird told the Pacers' team Web site Monday that "nothing's going on" between the teams.
"(Stojakovic) asked for a trade, and we're a team that's got a lot of guys," Bird said. "So that's where (the rumor started). I talked to Jerry Reynolds a couple of times, and he informed me they wouldn't trade him."
Another player eager to leave his team is Toronto Raptors forward Vince Carter, but he's an example of how talents match in a trade but salaries don't. Carter is due to make $12.5 million next season and is under contract for four more years at $57.7 million.
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