Pacers' Prospect Lorbek Signs With Barcelona

by Tom Lewis on Aug 18, 2009 10:37 PM EDT in Indiana Pacers News

Pacers' European league prospect, Erazem Lorbek made strides last season while playing for CSKA Moscow in the EuroLeague. The Slovenian big man made such a good impression on Regal FC Barcelona that they bought out the final year of Lorbek's contract with CSKA and signed him to a three year deal.

In this update back in May, Bruno mentioned that the Pacers would have to decide on Lorbek's NBA future after his CSKA contract was up. Now that he's signed for three more years we may have our answer. I assume the Pacers could still buyout Lorbek's deal and bring him to Indy, but then again, the team isn't throwing around cash too freely these days.

Thanks to Norsktroll for the heads up on Lorbek's deal with Barcelona.

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Comments

I hate seeing us waste draft picks ....

To think these guys spent time $ and energy to scout this guy …. and then went ahead and DRAFTED HIM! …..all in the hopes that when he grew up and gained some coordination and or servicable game that the Pacers would be the benefactors … He is so valuable now he is being bought out by a top team in Europe and not the Pacers?? !!

This is a small sign of the times … the NBA is losing its cache … guys are leaving the NBA for Greece and or Spain !! Childress – Klieza ……… will Rubio come? proably not because it is $6 million to buy him out and nobody in the NBA is going to pay it, but a team with tons of cash like Barcelona probably will …

Hope LeBron and Kobe don’t follow the money when their contracts are up because if they do the league is doomed.

by Man of Pace on Aug 19, 2009 8:49 AM EDT reply actions

Not too much chance of that happening in the next few years.

Europe would have to have some good competition first. It’s getting better too, but the same cannot be said of talent in the US. No one works on fundamentals and the game is becoming more And One and showmanship. Not real team basketball, which is a real shame. Europe would also have to show they can pay star players more than the NBA. There are too many factors to list, but needless to say, the NBA shouldn’t have to worry about the Euro league for awhile

Man of Pace – I’m not sure how much money they really spent scouting this guy. You can’t make generalizations without have some kind of citation. They could have watched some video and not really wanting a second pick, just wasted it by selecting him. 2nd rounders don’t get guaranteed contracts.

I don’t like seeing the Pacers waste draft picks too or wasting talent. I still thought James White was a great 2nd round pick…he’s been playing much better since he left the Pacers.

by Sparhawk on Aug 19, 2009 12:18 PM EDT up reply actions

your saying eliminate the second round of the draft? and america is #1 in all the world

why not the contract’s are not guaranteed? BTW (that is the biggest problem with this leauge)

When Larry was the #2 guy ….. just to put his name in the paper they (writers) would say that Larry was overseas scouting (remember Sarunas) …. then we draft Lorebek and Stanko …. I cant buy the fact we drafted 3 guys off video reviews -

James White another reason to just eliminate the second round … or at least the Pacers participation in it ….

2 the other point -— does anyone in this country know the exchange rate on the euro in comparisson to the USD -————- 1 EURO IS NEARLY WORTH $2

Josh Childress got a 2 year contract for $10 million euro -—- that equals $20million tax free dollars the $ is there and because we ignorant americans cant see beyond our borders -——- when KOBE AND LEBRON leave where is the competition going to be it will be in the euro league those guys are the NBA

by Man of Pace on Aug 19, 2009 12:45 PM EDT reply actions

Umm, a Euro is worth $1.40 as of this morning....

by indy62 on Aug 19, 2009 2:12 PM EDT up reply actions

My two cents

First of all, Pace, a majority of the scouting could have been domestically. Do you recall that Lorbek played just a couple hundred miles north of Indy at Michigan State?
I can’t say Lorbek was a wasted pick, either. Who was it we missed out on by taking him 46th? Unlike a majority of the picks taken after him, he’s still an asset. We can still trade his rights even if he never dons a Pacers jersey.
Finally, why is it so wrong that 2nd round draft choices do not receive guaranteed contracts? They’re rookies. They need to earn a contract. Why should teams have to invest money into a player that has not proven anything? The second round provides teams a chance to gamble on a player without investing much in it.
I think Larry is doing a fine job. The Lorbek choice was not a failure.

by mtfearin on Aug 19, 2009 1:52 PM EDT reply actions

Answer

What do:

Andray Blache
Ryan Gomes
Amir Johnson
Marcin Gortat
Lawrence Roberts

All have in common?

Those five were taken out of the next 11 picks after Lorbeck. I’d take 4 out of 5 of those guys over roster guys 8-14 of this pacers team.

" Tell me something Steve, How does a guy from Puerto Rico loose a ball in the Sun? "

by aaronb on Aug 19, 2009 3:13 PM EDT up reply actions

I think alll guarenteed contracts are bad for the league ....

by Man of Pace on Aug 19, 2009 2:03 PM EDT reply actions

how is the lorebeck pick not a failure ?

does he play for the pacers ?

can he be traded or used him to help the team in anyway @ all ?

by Man of Pace on Aug 19, 2009 3:19 PM EDT reply actions

As I said

Yes, he is still an asset. We can still trade his rights. We can still buy out his contract and bring him to the NBA, also. No, we would not do that right now. Two years from now that could be an option, though. How can you already call it a failure?

by mtfearin on Aug 19, 2009 3:38 PM EDT up reply actions

Since we treat out second rounders so well

I would hate to be AJ Price right now without a contract.

by Man of Pace on Aug 19, 2009 3:20 PM EDT reply actions

that’s true. hopefully this time it will be different. If AJ is fully healed and retains his abilities from before the injury, he could be a 2nd round steal.

I thought he played well enough in the Summer League to get a contract.

by Sparhawk on Aug 19, 2009 5:16 PM EDT up reply actions