Gill agrees to deal with Pacers

Eddie Gill, the former Weber State point guard who will turn 26 next month, is on the verge of getting a two-year contract with the Indianapolis Pacers, according to the Indianapolis Star.

The Star quoted Gill's agent, Mark Bartelstein, as saying an agreement had been reached and the deal could be signed by today. It quoted Pacers CEO Donnie Walsh as saying the team "talked seriously" about signing Gill and the coaches and president Larry Bird "like him a lot."

The NBA minimum for a player of Gill's experience — he has played for three NBA teams, several American minor leagues and in Europe, and was a CBA all-star last season—would be $720,000 a season. The deal would be contingent upon him making the team after fall camp. He was traded by Portland to New Jersey on June 24, and the Nets did not pick up his option.

SASHA WHO? The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported that when it talked to LeBron James about former Jazzman Aleksander "Sasha" Pavlovic, who the Cavaliers acquired from Charlotte after the Bobcats snatched him in the expansion draft, James was confused. Asked about "Sasha," James said, "That's who we got? That's not who we got, is it? I didn't know we were getting him. I thought it was a guy named Aleksander."

Told Aleksander is Sasha, James said, "Good. He can really shoot, and we need shooters. He can knock down the shot."

NO. 1, BABY: In ranking offseason acquisitions and improvements, ESPN's David Aldridge put the Utah Jazz as No. 1 on his list that was released late last week on ESPN.com. He credits the Jazz with jumping into the free-agent market (Mehmet Okur, Carlos Boozer) with both feet after being left relatively cold last season when their offers for Jason Terry and Corey Maggette were matched.

And he points out that Kevin O'Connor's bold move for Boozer showed "how much O'Connor is respected around the league that absolutely no one is angry with him for taking advantage of the rules."

The two free agents "overshadow the selection of (Kirk) Snyder midway through the first round of the draft, a player some scouts compare to Latrell Sprewell," Aldridge writes. The moves and the return of Matt Harpring from injury, plus Andrei Kirilenko, mean a strong front court that will "allow the precocious (draft choice Kris) Humphries time to develop," Aldridge said.

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E-mail: lham@desnews.com