Some articles about the Vlad signing. I don't know how much of the second article is inside info. or just speculation by the author.
Radmanovic turns to the rival Lakers
The former Clippers foward agrees to a five-year, $31 million deal.
By KEVIN DING
The Orange County Register
Sunday, July 2, 2006
The Lakers aren't waiting around any longer.
They agreed to a five-year contract worth about $31 million with former Clippers forward Vladimir Radmanovic on Saturday, said Radmanovic's agent, David Bauman. Asked for confirmation, Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak said: "At the conclusion of the moratorium period (July 12), the Lakers intend to enter into a contract with Vladimir Radmanovic."
The Lakers are so sure the stellar shooting and less-heralded athleticism of the 6-foot-10 Radmanovic is worth the long-term money they are deviating from their plan to have no one but Kobe Bryant and Lamar Odom under contract in 2008. That's when the Lakers hoped to sign a marquee free agent such as Ron Artest, Kevin Garnett or LeBron James.
That go-for-broke scenario remains a fall-back option - the Lakers could dump Odom or Radmanovic, 25, or wriggle the payroll to set up such a move - but the clear first option is now to maximize the next two seasons when Phil Jackson remains contracted as the Lakers coach.
In his sales presentation on the Lakers' behalf, Bryant offered Radmanovic the lofty prediction that the newest Laker can average 18-20 points next season. Bauman said Jackson was "the most important person" to contact Radmanovic late Friday night after the free-agent period opened, even though the Lakers lined up Bryant, Magic Johnson and Vlade Divac to call Radmanovic, who is in Belgrade, Serbia, for the next week.
"That probably helped seal the deal," Bauman said of Jackson's half-hour conversation with Radmanovic, who is expected to start ahead of Luke Walton in a lineup with Bryant, Odom, Kwame Brown and Smush Parker.
Radmanovic shot 46.3 percent on three-pointers in the postseason for the Clippers and is at 41.3 percent for his NBA career. But the Lakers plan on Radmanovic, invited to compete in the 2005 All-Star Game three-point contest, to do much more than shoot.
He has been viewed as a bit of an underachiever in five NBA seasons, not consistently defending and settling too much for threes. But he has power-forward height with small-forward mobility; he's a solid rebounder with a decent post-up game and excellent open-court finishing skills.
Seattle thought enough of him to offer a six-year, $42 million contract that Radmanovic declined last summer, uncomfortable with his playing status with the SuperSonics.
He wound up signing a one-year, $3.1 million deal and was traded to the Clippers for Chris Wilcox because Seattle knew it couldn't re-sign Radmanovic at season's end.
On Friday night, Radmanovic was offered the full mid-level salary-cap exception from four teams, including the Lakers and Clippers, Bauman said. If the Lakers had not sold Radmanovic, they were prepared to pursue help in the backcourt, but weren't comfortable with free-agent guard Marcus Banks expecting the full mid-level exception.
So when Radmanovic decided Saturday he preferred the Lakers for more definite playing time than the Clippers could offer, Lakers officials viewed it as a boon and were willing to make the long-term commitment. In a five-year deal, Radmanovic was seeking a player option to exit after the fourth season, which will be 2010.
Lakers grab shooter from Clippers
RADMANOVIC: The 6-10 forward agrees to a $29 million deal.
10:00 PM PDT on Saturday, July 1, 2006
By BRODERICK TURNER
The Press-Enterprise
After addressing two of their three pressing needs with last week's draft and a trade the same night, the Lakers added a third key piece, snatching sharpshooter Vladimir Radmanovic away from the rival Clippers.
Radmanovic agreed to accept the Lakers' mid-level exception of $5.2 million this season and will sign a five-year deal worth about $29 million when the signing period starts July 12, according to his agent, David Bauman.
During a conference call with reporters Saturday, Bauman said his client took the deal because of the opportunity to start at small forward for the Lakers, and because of conversations Radmanovic had with Coach Phil Jackson, Kobe Bryant and Vlade Divac, who shares a Serbian connection with the 6-foot-10 forward. Magic Johnson's role in pursuing Radmanovic also helped.
And the Lakers likely aren't done dealing.
They hope to use their bi-annual exception of $1.7 million on point guard Shammond Williams, who last played in the NBA in the 2003-04 season, with New Orleans, and played in Spain last year.
The Clippers made their bid to keep Radmanovic, who played a half-season for them and helped them reach the second round of the playoffs, averaging 10.7 points and 5.7 rebounds in 30 games, shooting 41.8 percent from three-point range. He averaged 8.1 points and shot 46.3 percent on threes in the postseason.
According to Bauman, the Clippers called him Friday night at the beginning of the negotiating period.
Bauman said the Lakers also called right away, and that Radmanovic was impressed by a conversation with Jackson that "helped seal the deal."
The Lakers got the point guard they wanted when they drafted Jordan Farmar in the first round of Wednesday night's draft and the defensive wing player when they acquired Maurice Evans from Detroit on Wednesday night.
The Lakers wanted a big-time outside shooter and were able to get Radmanovic, who was at home in Belgrade, to come on board.
Radmanovic, 25, averaged 10.1 points, 4.6 rebounds and shot 38.1 percent from three-point range over his six-year career, almost all of it with Seattle.
With Lamar Odom having moved to power forward late in the season, Radmanovic probably will compete with Luke Walton for the starting small forward position.
"Based on the playing time, the team makeup, guys like Kobe, Magic, Vlade rooting him on, Vladdy decided this was the best fit for him," Bauman said.
