Reports: Milovan Rakovic, Former Orlando Magic 2nd-Round Pick, Signs In Italy

by Evan Dunlap on Jun 21, 2010 8:01 AM EDT in News

Fresh on the heels of the report that 2005 Orlando Magic lottery pick Fran Vazquez is unlikely to ever join the NBA comes this missive, from ShamSports, that 2007 second-rounder Milovan Rakovic has just signed in Italy. From Sham:

Rakovic was one of the best players in the Russian Superleague last year, averaging 15.2 points and 6.4 rebounds in 25 minutes per game for Spartak St Petersburg. He's cashing in on that and moving to Italy to play for Italian powerhouse Montepaschi Siena.

This report elsewhere says the deal is for three years.

We last heard from Rakovic last summer, when he was scheduled to play on the Magic's summer-league team. He showed up, and was at RDV SportsPlex while the Magic played, yet never got into uniform or played in a game due to a paperwork issue. When I asked Sham, via Twitter, if Rakovic's signing with Siena ruled him out of summer-league, he responded, "Probably, unless Siena allow it, which they don't really have incentive to do." Later, he said Rakovic "has all the makings of the kind of player who will never come over," though I should add he applied this disclaimer to that statement.

Maybe this really isn't a big deal; none of the last five no. 60 picks, including Rakovic, is still in the NBA, so drafting a guy who never makes the league in that position is about par for the course. The same can't be said for Vazquez, whom Orlando drafted 11th overall in 2005. That pick still stings, I'm sure.

Tweet Comment 12 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

I'm not sure there's any last pick left

There’ve only been 60 picks since the 2004 draft. The last draft pick each year of the last decade:
2009: Robert Dozier (playing for Colossus Rhodes)
2008: Semih Erden (playing for Fenerbahçe Ülker)
2007: Milovan Rakovic
2006: Will Blalock (playing for Reno Bighorns in D-League)
2005: Alex Acker (playing for Olimpia Milano)
2004: Rashad Wright (playing for Alba Berlin)
2003: Andreas Glyniadakis (playing for Olympiacos Piraeus)
2002: Corsley Edwards (playing for Shaanxi Kylins)
2001: Bryan Bracey (playing for Dexia Mons-Hainaut)
2000: Pete Mickeal (playing for FC Barcelona)

Honor is no substitute for victory.

by The Dark on Jun 21, 2010 8:39 AM EDT reply actions

What is it

With these pussy euro players? Fran, Rubio, now Rakovic….

The NBA needs tonfind some way to “ensure” that draft prospects WILL play as soon as they enter into the draft. We have now gotten screwed twice, and although Rakovic probably ain’t no Dirk, we just missed out on (at the very least) a cheap priced Foyle.

ORL★NDO, our time will come.

by magic12ball on Jun 21, 2010 11:28 AM EDT via mobile reply actions

There's no way for the NBA to do that under their current eligibility rules

International players aren’t opt-in like American players. Any international player 22 or older, or who has played one season of professional basketball, is automatically eligible for the draft. A “must-sign” clause would be unenforceable, and make the NBA a laughingstock internationally.

Honor is no substitute for victory.

by The Dark on Jun 21, 2010 11:55 AM EDT up reply actions

I agree.

I don’t know why these Euro prospects even enter the draft if they will not play for any team that drafts them. It’s like if they don’t get picked by the Knicks or the Lakers, they will not play for whoever drafts them and it’s a real shame for those teams who’ve pissed away high first rounders on them only for those players to not even play a second of NBA ball.

I'm a dude!

Orlando Pinstriped Post: Where game threads turn into online chat rooms!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPlLyVuMf7U

by GameManager on Jun 21, 2010 2:46 PM EDT up reply actions

Because

It gives them options. You can’t enter the NBA at all unless you’ve declared for the draft, so your European player, who can play anywhere in Europe but not in the US, needs to go through the draft process to even have the option of playing in the NBA.

Most of them probably don’t expect to be drafted, but it allows them entry into the NBA should they one day need or want it.

by eltharion_doa on Jun 21, 2010 7:19 PM EDT up reply actions

That's not quite true

As I stated above, any international player who is 22 or older and any player who has played under a professional contract in an international league is automatically entered in the draft. It’s only an opt-in system for American players who are not 4 years from their high school graduation and are in college. For anyone else, it’s an opt-out system.

Honor is no substitute for victory.

by The Dark on Jun 22, 2010 8:53 AM EDT up reply actions

Well

First you said “automatically eligible” but now you’re saying “automatically entered” – which isn’t really the same thing. Do you still have to declare for the draft if you’re an international player? Or could a team just pick the latest and greatest international thing and secure his rights without him ever declaring?

Surely teams would just be stockpiling the rights to talented 19 year olds from Europe after one season of pro basetball with late round draft picks if international professional players didn’t even have to declare to be draftable.

by eltharion_doa on Jun 23, 2010 3:24 AM EDT up reply actions

When euro "pussy" players as you said come in the NBA

you have to understand that those guys are STARS in their teams. Even players who did good or great in the NBA like back to Divac, Kukoc, Peja those guys came out of the bench for long time. The NBA doesn’t work for every euro player and even if the money is better most guys prefer to stay in europe to remain great stars rather than just be NBA players. As for the draft and I understand why it annoys fans in the US but a player has to try everything and you can’t really blame them for that. Besides it doesn’t depend only on them iif they’ll be in part of the draft or not. It’s the same way to reason that has made people like me angry that many euro “pussy” player like Pau, TP, Gortat etc. might not play in the 2010 FIBA World Championship inTurkey this summer cause they need to take care of their NBA careers.

Don't mind my spelling. I'm a Typo Master.

by 44792212 on Jun 21, 2010 6:02 PM EDT up reply actions

And

The money usually isn’t better in the NBA than in Europe, because rookie scale contracts pay so low after the top ten or so picks. Guys like Vazquez can earn US$3-4m as stars in Euroleague teams – if he came to the US he’d be on the rookie scale for an 11th pick, he’d be on just $1.716m. Now, the upside for NBA players is a lot higher but the Euro guys know that only the best players really get the top contracts. If you’re earning 2 or 3 times the money in your home country, what’s the point of going to the US to earn 2 or 3 times less for a couple of years, with the risk of getting less, the same or only marginally more after your rookie contract is up?

by eltharion_doa on Jun 21, 2010 7:23 PM EDT up reply actions

For the record, if a player is drafted in the first round but does not sign for three seasons, then they are no longer bound by the rookie scale. So if you want/need to give Vazquez the MLE, you can.

by Sham-onnnnnnnnnnna on Jun 21, 2010 10:12 PM EDT up reply actions

OK, cool

Not sure he’s worth that, especially not to us.

by eltharion_doa on Jun 22, 2010 8:34 AM EDT up reply actions

I hate this idea

That billion dollar professional basketball franchise, run by people earning millions of dollars, are too incompetant to be able to vet draft picks before they make them, and so need to be protected by Daddy Stern.

Teams need to harden up and take responsibility for their decisions, and fans need to stop whining like babies when their teams make shitty decisions because they didn’t do their homework.

by eltharion_doa on Jun 21, 2010 7:24 PM EDT up reply actions