L.A. Times: The Lakers continue to take part in a slow-speed chase, waiting to see whether Sasha Vujacic and Ronny Turiaf receive offers from other teams that would price the restricted free agents out of the Lakers’ comfort zone.
Last week, the Lakers made one-year qualifying offers to Vujacic for $2.6 million and Turiaf for $1 million, though both players are seeking longer-term deals worth more money. They are each trying to bring a signed offer sheet from another team to the Lakers, who will then have seven days to match.
The Lakers paid almost $5 million in luxury taxes last season and currently have a payroll of $75.1 million for 10 players with guaranteed contracts next season, already putting them on pace to pay more luxury taxes next season. The exact dollar figure for the luxury-tax threshold for 2008-09 will soon be announced by the league.
The Lakers are interested in retaining Vujacic but have not offered him more than $5 million a season. Free agents such as Vujacic typically hope to receive a team’s mid-level exception for about $6 million a season, though the 24-year-old has not signed an offer sheet yet. Turiaf, 25, is expected to receive less money than Vujacic.
The Lakers are also hoping to sign Sun Yue, a second-round pick from last year who will play on the Chinese national team this summer. They are somewhat interested in bringing back unrestricted free-agent center DJ Mbenga at a low cost. Unrestricted free agent Ira Newble will not return.
Continue reading ‘Lakers play waiting game with Sasha and Turiaf’
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sign chris paul josh howard and give bynum max and sasha mid level
Sign Turiaf before Sasha (just ask Ray Allen). Turiaf is a versatile PF (can blk, rebound and shoot). Try to sign Posey (Lakers need D badly) and the Lakers are set. Michael Pietrus is another option…And Please let Luke, Mihm and Vladi go (sign a Lakers girl to distract the opposite team) and keep Ariza, Mitch do it!!!!
Wtf are you talking about?
But yeah anyways.. I hope Sasha and Turiaf don’t try to get that extra money and stay with their home team.
And no offense.. but f DJ Mbenga, he’s a funny guy and it’s cool when he scores but he’s just filling the bench. Waste of money.
its important that we sign Sasha because as far as im concerned hes the only one that can help space the floor, hes the only one who moves with out the ball, the only one who shot a decent percentage from three, it would be really stupid for the Lakers to let him go! all i can remember from this season is Vlady and Fluke/trash not showing up in the finals!!!
It would be interesting to see what Sasha wants. Sasha and his agent are probably wanting something similar to what Toronto offered to Jason Kapono. Last year, Kapono signed a 4 year $24M dollar deal with Toronto (i.e. an avg of $6M/year). I’m thinking the Sasha camp wants something similar.
However, keep in mind Kapono, for his career, is a 46% 3-point fg shooter. Sasha is a career 38% 3-point field goal shooter. Yes, Sasha’s 3 point shooting has improved each year and he is a better defender than Kapono but is Sasha worth $6M/year over 4 or 5 years?
i think we should both of those guys back because there for the team and they’ve been with those for a long time because if we just let them go and sign some other free agent remember that chemistry its really important we dont wannna be looking like the knicks
If they’re going to go after Sasha at all, they should just pay him the $6 million if that’s what they have to give him to match another team’s offer. If the best that he’s gotten as an offer from another team is $5 million, I wouldn’t give him an extra million a year just to be nice. I would also try to shorten the length to 3-4 years max if at all possible, even if they have to give him $6 mil a year rather than $5 mil a year for 6 years. If he sucks, then they’re stuck with him like they are with Vlade and Luke. If they only offer him three years, then if he sucks this year, they only have to pay him a couple of more years.
Correct me if I’m wrong, Lakers do have bird-rights to Sasha. Thus, their offer is quite flexible there. On the other hand, I don’t think they have bird-rights to Turiaf. Additionally, both of them are restricted agents.
In other words, if Mitch wants to keep them (he did say he intends to), then we can keep them regardless of Luxury tax issues. Lakers may just be trying to get them re-signed for as low and fair as possible (or in Turiaf’s case, if some other team offers him slightly more, then management can use it as an opportunity to give Turiaf a more reasonable offer because their initial offer has to be around the minimum to satisfy cap rules).
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Jack from Jamie Insider
http://www.jamieinsider.com
i mean we can sign chris paul for like 900,000 josh howard about 40000 give bynum max and sasha mid level, its that easy
What? Lakers only offering that much? I think those 2 players deserve better deals. Ca mon mitch …
Give Sasha 3.5 mil a year = 3 years
Ronny 2 mil a year = 3 years
who gives a Sh!T with sasha he looks like a bus boy everytime he’s on the court and no team wants him coz he’s too soft and gentle as a tissue.. plus he flops most of the time hahaha….
he’s not even worth 1 mil!
as for Turiaf give the money what he deserves he’s a leon powe type of player and he is beyond 1 mil. he brings energy toughness and rebounds per game…
oh btw? loved the big letter L on your forehead fakers… bwahahaha
Let Sasha walk! He’s not worth it! Give Ronny waht you gave Cook…3yrs, 10mil. Offer Magette the full MLE. If Boston gets him, you might as well add another 2 rings atleast.
Any chance to get Sun Yue for 08/09?
i think the Spurs are more likely to land Magg!
Shaun Livingston and Posey?
I agree, I think Maggette will go the Spurs.
If I was New Orleans, I would be trying my a** off to get Maggette. N.O. needs a player who can create his own shot.