Agent: Songaila signs 5-year, $23M deal with Wizards

[Spurs Brazil]

The Washington Wizards signed free agent forward Darius Songaila to a five-year, $23 million dollar deal, Songaila's agent, Mark Bartlestein, told ESPN.com.

Songaila's deal includes a player option for the fifth year of the contract.

Songaila is a skilled four man with a sweet outside shot and the ability to go inside and bang. The move means that it's now very likely that the Wizards' first-round pick, Olexsiy Pecherov, will return to Europe for another season, a source close to the Wizards confirmed to ESPN.com.

The moves use the up the majority of the Wizards' mid-level exception, with Songaila's deal taking up around $4 million of Washington's $5.135 million mid-level exception.

Chad Ford covers the NBA for ESPN Insider.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2522205

[socalspurs]

what does this mean for jeffries then?

[Ducks]

see what happens when you play in the nba for a few years you get paid jav

[1SOTEX]

IMO they overpaid for Songalia...as for Jefferies, this means that he will probably take the qualifying offer from the Wiz & become an unrestricted FA next year.

[BehaviorDisorder]

a little overpriced?

[Derek Flint]

Originally Posted by 1SOTEX

IMO they overpaid for Songalia...as for Jefferies, this means that he will probably take the qualifying offer from the Wiz & become an unrestricted FA next year.

Probably, but someone out there might make him an MLE offer, there are still a lot of those in play.

[mg06]

Originally Posted by Ducks

see what happens when you play in the nba for a few years you get paid jav

Javtokas would have commanded less than Elson or Butler. By all reports, he was not only willing, but eager to play in the NBA. Next thing you know, negotiations go sour and he takes a less than overwhelming offer from Europe instead. My guess is, either he was told to wait and see how it went with them and if their teams matched, or the offer on the table was poor enough that he'd be sure to turn it down.

In any case, there is little if any evidence that it was Javtokas' greed which made the talks fall through. Which prompts me to what's ultimately the point of my reply: quit beating a dead horse. Your old and shallow arguments ragging on every player that doesn't come to terms with the Spurs are tiring and pointless. Don't you have something better to do with your time instead?

[1SOTEX]

True, but he's already stated that he is looking for a contract more than the MLE & he hasn't recevied any offers from any teams.

[TRslick81]

yeah looks like jeffries priced himself out this offseason unless he has a change of heart and excepts a mle offer he could be stuck in dc

[Cash IZ Clay]

So maybe NY and Denver both match and we work out a 3 year/12-16mill deal for Jarred Jeffries. The Wizards after locking up Sanguilla would probably not match, Move Duncan to center, start Jeffries at the 4, with Horry, Oberto, and Bonner as the backup bigs!

[Spurs Rulez]

Originally Posted by boo_radley

Probably, but someone out there might make him an MLE offer, there are still a lot of those in play.

The Wiz would gladly match. He is looking for more than the MLE.

[miguelito]

I saw Songaila play many a game for the Demon Deacons. He's a lunchpail guy. But WOW - that's mad cash for Songaila. I'm sure the Bulls were shocked by that offer. He's a hard worker underneath, but he's undersized and can't jump. But what he can do is shoot - if he were 6' 10 or
6" 11", I'd say he would be worth this much dough, but not at 6' 8" or so, which is what he is. He's fairly tough, but not an enforcer type.

I think it means Jeffries is on the move.

And if I were a Wiz fan, I wouldn't be too hippity about this signing.

[Grego]

They probably tried to keep Jefferies at this price but he wanted more. And they didn't want to twait till he ran out of options, so they probably settled.

[Amente]

This may just mean that Jeffries takes the qualiying offer from the Wiz, plays for them next season then becomes an unrestricted FA next summer.

[Derek Flint]

Originally Posted by Spurs Rulez

The Wiz would gladly match. He is looking for more than the MLE.

There just aren't a lot of teams out there with more than the MLE to offer. Going into the off-season you had Chicago, NO/OKC, Charlotte, Atlanta, Toronto, LAC, and a few others less that the MLE under the cap (which esentially means they have just the MLE to offer). Chicago and NO/OKC blew their loads early. Toronto, signed a few players already, Atlanta picked up Speedy, and the LAC's re-upped with Cassell. So you are left with Charlotte, who have been particularly quiet this off-season. If Jefferies is thinking there is more money to be had than MLE, he needs a new agent or something to explain to him how the salary cap works.

[Rytas_Jega]

Originally Posted by miguelito

6" 11", I'd say he would be worth this much dough, but not at 6' 8" or so, which is what he is.

Darius' height was 6'9 at Wake Forest, it was and it is 206 (6'9) at Lithuanian NT. And it's 6'8 in NBA.