Sasha Vujacic

Odds & Ends: McGrady, Curry, Spurs, Vujacic

The Thunder, Lakers, Spurs, and Celtics are considered the most dangerous threats to the Heat this season, but ESPN.com's Tom Haberstroh thinks he's put together the team most capable of knocking off the defending champs. In an Insider-only piece, Haberstroh puts together a squad of "Heat Beaters" that adheres to the NBA's salary cap rules by surrounding a pair of superstars (Chris Paul and Dwight Howard) with a number of players on rookie-scale deals, including Serge Ibaka, Taj Gibson, Paul George, and Kawhi Leonard.

Here are a few other Thursday links from around the league:

Sasha Vujacic Won’t Return To NBA This Year

The NBA escape clause in Sasha Vujacic's contract overseas has expired, meaning the former Lakers and Nets guard won't be coming back to the NBA this season, reports Rigas Dardalis of Eurohoops.net (hat tip to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando). The deal with Anadolu Efes of Turkey allowed Vujacic to explore NBA opportunities until July 31st.

This spring, the 28-year-old Vujacic expressed interest in a return to the NBA after having spent 2011/12 overseas, but found no takers. He'll have at least one familiar face around this season in Turkey, since he'll again be teaming with Jordan Farmar. The pair were also teammates in New Jersey and L.A. 

Vujacic averaged career highs of 9.8 points, 2.0 assists and 24.6 minutes per game in 2010/11, his last NBA season.

Odds & Ends: Vujacic, Lee, Love, Wall

In a tweet, ESPN.com's Marc Stein says that the Raptors have no interest in former Net and Laker, Sasha Vujacic. Here are the rest of the evening's updates:

Sasha Vujacic Will Seek Return To NBA

After playing in the NBA for the previous seven seasons, Sasha Vujacic signed a deal with Turkish team Anadolu Efes Istanbul during the NBA lockout. Although his contract keeps him overseas for this season, Vujacic intends to return to the NBA next year, he tells Kosarka.si (Slovenian link, via Sportando).

According to Sportando's translation of Vujacic's comments, the longtime Laker said, "I am happy and satisfied with my experience in Turkey, but my wish is to go back to the NBA next season."

Vujacic, 28, has played in 476 NBA games for the Lakers and Nets, averaging 5.6 points in 15.9 minutes per game over the course of his career. The former first-round pick will be an unrestricted free agent for NBA teams when his contract in Turkey expires.