Sasha Pavlovic Signing

Sasha Pavlovic

The presumed last move of the off-season has finally happened. The extremely fluid roster of the Minnesota Timberwolves has been solidified with the signing of Sash Pavlovic. In case you don’t know who Sasha is, he is the 24 year old SG/SF from the Cleveland Cavaliers team that went to the finals. Towards the end of that year, as well as in the playoffs, Sasha was a staple in their starting 5, and was a key lock down defender. At 6′7-8 depending on the source, Pavlovic has no problems guarding the taller SFs in the league, and with his quickness he can keep up with most SGs as well. Pavlovic was sent to Phoenix in the Shaquille O’Neal trade, and was bought out of his contract earlier this week.

David Kahn was quick to pick Pavlovic up, while still keeping flexibility in 2010, signing him to a 1 year deal worth around $1.4 Million. Apparently, Kurt Rambis was a centerpiece in the Wolves’ interest in Sasha, as he wants to have a hard nosed defensive player to to set the tone defensively this season. Sasha will most likely be in the rotation with minutes at both SG and SF, taking a few minutes from the core young guys Brewer and Ellington, but not too much from either. My hunch is that Rambis will make sure the young guys still get their minutes, and if anything, cut minutes out from the players that won’t be here next season (Daniels).

Pavlovic is on a strictly trial basis this season, as the Wolves have no long term commitment to the player, however, if he shows to fit in well with our core players, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him signed late next off-season again. I would say Kahn finished off his summer pretty well in the last week with Sessions and now Pavlovic.

If this season isn’t exciting, it will at least be interesting.