<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Today is signing day in the NBA. The free agent signing period, on hold until the new collective bargaining agreement was completed over the weekend, begins today. The Indiana Pacers are free to complete their deal with Lithuanian guard Sarunas Jasikevicius as well as pursue other free agents or trades. Jasikevicius, who agreed to a three-year deal, is expected to sign later this week. He will back up starting point guard Jamaal Tinsley. He will be the Pacers' fourth point guard under contract, meaning they have room to trade. The Pacers and Charlotte discussed a deal during the NBA draft that involved Anthony Johnson. Pacers CEO Donnie Walsh didn't mention any specific positions, but he said a trade is a possibility. The Pacers, one of the deepest teams in the league next season, will have 14 players under contract once Jasikevicius signs. "I like our roster, so we don't think we have to make a trade, but you're always looking for ways to get better," he said. "If there is a way to get better, you do it." Walsh said they still plan to match any offer made to restricted free agent James Jones, but re-signing unrestricted free agent Dale Davis is a different story. The Pacers only have part of their $5 million midlevel exception remaining and their $1.6 million exception. Davis' agent said last week that teams with more money to offer have shown interest in the forward/center. Cleveland, Detroit, Philadelphia, Seattle and Dallas reportedly have shown interest. "I'd like to sign everybody if we can," Walsh said. "Financially, if it's the right situation we would like to sign them." The Pacers have until Aug. 15 to decide whether they plan to use their one-time exception to waive a player to avoid paying a luxury tax on his contract. If the Pacers cut a player, however, they still must pay him, and his salary will count against the salary cap. The new salary cap is $49.5 million, and the Pacers already are over it.</div> Source
