<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">The restricted free-agent guard wants to leave L.A. in a sign-and-trade deal, but that desire, Baylor says, 'doesn't make any difference.' By Jerry Crowe, Times Staff Writer Whether he likes it or not, Marko Jaric will be back playing for the Clippers next season, the club strongly suggested Wednesday. General Manager Elgin Baylor, speaking to reporters after a Beverly Hills news conference to formally announce the signing of free agent Cuttino Mobley, said that Jaric's stated preference to leave "doesn't make any difference." Echoing Baylor's comments, Coach Mike Dunleavy said, "The bottom line is, whether a player wanted to be here or didn't want to be here, I don't necessarily pay a whole lot of attention to that, particularly when a guy's a free agent. There's a lot of verbiage that goes on that's prompted and staged. You just have to know your people. I expect to have Marko back, and I don't see any issues for him." Jaric, a 6-foot-7 guard, is a restricted free agent, meaning that the Clippers hold the right to match any offer made to him by another NBA team. His agent, Bill Duffy, has stated repeatedly that Jaric, penciled in as a backup after two seasons as a starter, would like to leave. Jaric visited last week with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Denver Nuggets, and on Tuesday his agent said that the Serb's preference was "to be elsewhere because he thinks he has a better opportunity to play point guard, which is important to him." Said Baylor: "He hasn't said that to me yet. But it doesn't make any difference, because a lot of players have said that and they've come back. It's only a question of how he plays. If he comes back and he plays, it doesn't matter." And Dunleavy, who has not wavered in saying he wants him back, said he saw Jaric at dinner last week and, "He didn't tell me he didn't want to be here."</div> Source
it would be a good move if they keep him. Hes a good point guard and can help with the development of Shaun Livingston.
Marko doesn't want to be there. I would question the Clippers if they keep him. They need to start winning, they're running out of excuses. There is the possibility that Marko becomes a problem and they have to end up trading him anyways.
wait, i dont get it. i guess im missing out on something here, but didnt the clips already trade jaric to the cavs for drew gooden??
No not yet phiLA. Why would they keep him? He is weak as a kitten. He gets injured too much and he is good trade bait. I mean, get Gooden from the Cavs, move Brand to C and let Gooden play the 4. That would be nice.
I think that the Clippers really need to move jaric...Livingston will be a stud soon and all they are doing is delaying is time to progress as a NBA star....I think Jaric fits well with the Cavs but Damon Jones would work out better in cleveland then Jaric....get my drift?? lol...
I like this move, Livingston will still be the starter, but Jaric will backup at basically 3 positions, PG, SG, and SF, their's no backups at any of those positions on the team.
Marko doesn't want to be there, and he doesn't need to be there. Shaun Livingston is the future at point guard for the next ten or so years now and Jaric should go to a place where he can be effective. If Jaric comes in as a shooting guard I like it but what are Cat and Yaroslav there for? Use that money on someone else if you ask me.
Yarosla is not going to play this year. Jaric can backup 3 positions, and the Clippers currently have no backups at those 3 positions, so he will get PT.
