Aleksandar "Saša" Pavlović ( Anglicized: Sasha Pavlovic, sr-cyr, Александар "Саша" Павловић; born November 15, 1983) is a Serbian-Montenegrin basketball executive and former professional basketball player who spent ten seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), playing for the Utah Jazz,

Cleveland Cavaliers The Cleveland Cavaliers (often referred to as the Cavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...

Dallas Mavericks The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference (NBA), Western Conferenc ...

New Orleans Pelicans The New Orleans Pelicans are an American professional basketball team based in New Orleans. The Pelicans compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division and play their hom ...

Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...

and the Portland Trail Blazers. He also represented the national basketball team of Serbia and Montenegro internationally. Standing at , he played the small forward and

shooting guard The shooting guard (SG), also known as the two, two guard or off guard,Shooting guards are 6'3"–6'7"BBC Sports academy URL last accessed 2006-09-09. is one of the five traditional positions in a regulation basketball game. A shooting guard's m ...

positions.

Professional career

Budućnost Podgorica (2000–2003)

In his first professional season for Budućnost, Pavlović played in 14 games in the YUBA League and averaged 1.4 points per game. In his second season, Pavlović played in three games in the YUBA League and averaged 6.7 points. Also, Pavlović played two games in the EuroLeague. In his last season in Podgorica, Pavlović played in 20 games in the YUBA League and averaged 10.1 points and 2.4 rebounds per game. Pavlović averaged 9.6 points on 54% shooting for Budućnost in the EuroLeague, including a season-high 21 points against

Tau Ceramica Club Deportivo Saski-Baskonia, S.A.D., commonly known as Saski Baskonia (), also known as Cazoo Baskonia for sponsorship reasons, is a professional basketball team that is based in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain. The team plays in the Liga ACB and the ...

Utah Jazz (2003–2004)

Pavlović was selected by the Utah Jazz with the 19th pick in the

2003 NBA draft The 2003 NBA draft was held on June 26, 2003, at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. The NBA announced that 41 college and high school players and a record 31 international players had filed as early-entry candidates ...

. His American agent Marc Cornstein issued a clarification in response to a misleading

Eurobasket.com Eurobasket.com also commonly referred to as "Eurobasket News", is a basketball-centered website that provide coverages of every professional and semi-professional leagues around the world. Although primarily focusing on European basketball, th ...

biography mixing Aleksandar Pavlović with an 'Aleksander Pavlović' who played college basketball at

La Salle University La Salle University () is a private, Catholic university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The university was founded in 1863 by the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools and named for St. Jean-Baptiste de La Salle. History La ...

and Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania. In 79 games played (14 starts), Pavlović averaged 4.8 points and 2.0 rebounds. He scored a season-high 18 points on December 3, 2003 against the

Houston Rockets The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member team of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its ho ...

and grabbed nine rebounds on two occasions.

Cleveland Cavaliers (2004–2009)

Pavlović was selected by the Charlotte Bobcats in the expansion draft on June 22, 2004, and was traded to the

for a 2007 first-round draft pick the next day. In 65 games played (nine starts), Pavlović averaged 4.8 points and 1.1 rebounds. He scored a season high 17 points on two occasions and scored in double digits on nine occasions. In 53 games of the 2005–06 season, he started 19 times and averaged 4.5 points and 1.5 rebounds. He scored a season high 21 points on February 21, 2006 against the

Orlando Magic The Orlando Magic are an American professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. The Magic compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The franchise was establ ...

. Pavlović played three minutes over three playoff games and recorded only one rebound. In 67 games played (28 starts) in 2006–07, Pavlović averaged a career-high 9.0 points, along with 2.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists. He scored 20 points or more on seven occasions, including a new career-high 25 points on March 13, 2007 against the Sacramento Kings. Approximately two weeks later, Pavlović had a career-high six three-point field goals made (of 7 attempts) against the

New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associat ...

. After occasional starts in the beginning of 2007, Pavlović was installed as the Cavaliers' starting shooting guard on March 1, 2007 and started the remaining 24 regular season games. As a starter, Pavlović averaged 12.7 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists. Pavlović started all 20 of Cavaliers' 2007 playoff games. He had playoff highs of 17 points in a game 2 victory over the New Jersey Nets in the Eastern Conference Semifinals and nine rebounds in a game 5 overtime victory over the Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference Finals. In the 2007 offseason Pavlović was a restricted free agent. On October 30, 2007 after nearly a month's holdout he signed a three-year, $13.7 million extension with the Cavaliers. Pavlović injured his left foot on January 23, 2008 in a game against the Washington Wizards. He returned against the New Jersey Nets on March 12. He started but was held scoreless in 9 minutes of action. On March 14, Pavlović had a season-high 24 points on against the Washington Wizards. He and scored double-digit points in 15 total games. During the 2007–08 season, Pavlović played in 51 games (45 starts) and averaged 7.4 points, a career-high 2.5 rebounds and a career high 1.6 assists. In eight playoff games, he averaged 3.5 points and 1.3 rebounds. In the following 2008–09 season, the Cavaliers were beaten by the

in the 2009 Eastern Conference Finals, 4 games to 2. Pavlović became trade bait as talks with the

Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Suns are the only team in t ...

were rekindled from earlier in the season and on June 25, 2009, he,

Ben Wallace Ben Wallace most commonly refers to: *Ben Wallace (basketball) (born 1974), American basketball player *Ben Wallace (politician) (born 1970), British Secretary of State for Defence Ben Wallace may also refer to: * Benjamin Wallace (circus owner) (1 ...

, and the 46th overall pick were traded to Phoenix for

Shaquille O'Neal Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal ( ; born March 6, 1972), known commonly as "Shaq" ( ), is an American former professional basketball player who is a sports analyst on the television program ''Inside the NBA''. O'Neal is regarded as one of the greates ...

. On September 14, 2009, he was bought out by the Suns. While playing for the Cavaliers, he bought a BMW car from LeBron James. There was an urban legend in Serbia that Pavlović won the car after beating him in one-on-one match, but Pavlović told in an interview that no such match was played. In another interview on January 2nd 2020, he revealed that he still owns the car.

Minnesota Timberwolves (2009–2010)

On September 17, 2009, Pavlović signed a one-year, $1.5 million contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves. In 71 games, he averaged 3.7 points per game.

Multiple short stints (2010–2013)

On January 10, 2011, Pavlović signed a 10-day contract with the

. Pavlović started his first game for the Mavericks on the last day of his contract, scoring 11 points in the Mavericks' 109-100 win over the Lakers. On January 20, 2011, he signed a second 10-day contract with the Mavericks. On January 30, 2011, his second 10-day contract expired and the Mavericks did not sign him for the rest of the season. On February 4, 2011, Pavlović signed a 10-day contract with the New Orleans Hornets. On February 14, 2011, his contract expired and the Hornets did not sign him to a second 10-day contract. On March 3, 2011, Pavlović signed with the

for the rest of the 2010–11 season. In his first appearance with Boston on March 6, 2011 in a game against the Milwaukee Bucks, he played 12 minutes going 1-for-2 from three and 1-for-3 field goals overall, recording 3 points and 2 steals. His contract expired following the 2011 playoffs and he returned to Montenegro to work out for the summer. On December 12, 2011, upon the end of the 2011 NBA lockout, Pavlović re-signed with the Celtics. The 2011–12 NBA season opened on Christmas Day 2011 and Pavlović started for an injured Paul Pierce. He played 15 minutes without attempting a shot or scoring a point. In the Celtics' second-last game of the season, a 78–66 win over the Heat, Pavlović scored 16 points off the bench. In 45 games (7 as starter), he averaged 2.7 points in 11.7 minutes per game. On July 20, 2012, Pavlović was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers in a three-team deal. Pavlović' final NBA game was played on April 17th, 2013 in a 88 - 99 loss to the

Golden State Warriors The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. Founded in 194 ...

where he recorded 6 points and 1 rebound. On July 6, 2013, Pavlović was waived by the Trail Blazers.

Partizan Belgrade (2014–2015)

On February 10, 2014, Pavlović returned to Europe and officially signed with Serbian powerhouse Partizan Belgrade for the rest of the 2013–14 season. Partizan finished season by winning its 13th consecutive domestic title, defeating arch rivals Red Star Belgrade by 3–1 in the final series. In the final series he averaged 11.7 points and 2.7 rebounds per game. Even though Pavlović was the most experienced player in the roster, it was his first championship win in his professional career. The day after the game, he said that winning a championship with Partizan was his greatest career accomplishment. On December 1, 2014, Pavlović returned to Partizan and signed a contract for the rest of the season. In the ABA League debut in the new season, he led his team in an 89–80 victory over

Mega Leks Košarkaški klub Mega Basket ( sr-cyr, Кошаркашки клуб Мега Баскет), commonly referred to as KK Mega Basket or as Mega MIS due to sponsorship reasons, is a men's professional basketball club based in Belgrade, Serbia. The ...

by scoring 26 points and having 4 rebounds and assists. Over 19 Adriatic League games, he averaged 11.9 points and 3.7 rebounds per game.

Panathinaikos (2015–2016)

On July 9, 2015, Pavlović signed a one-year contract with the Greek club

Panathinaikos Panathinaikos Athlitikos Omilos ( el, Παναθηναϊκός Αθλητικός Όμιλος, literally in English: "Panathenaic Athletic Club" or Panathinaikos A.C.), also known simply as Panathinaikós , is a major Greek multi-sport club ba ...

. On April 21, 2016, he was released by the club.

International career

Pavlović was a member of the Serbia and Montenegro Under-20 national team and played at the 2002 European Under-20 Championships in Lithuania. He was a member of the Serbia and Montenegro national team at the

2004 Olympic Games The 2004 Summer Olympics ( el, Θερινοί Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες 2004, ), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad ( el, Αγώνες της 28ης Ολυμπιάδας, ) and also known as Athens 2004 ( el, Αθήνα 2004), ...

, playing in four games, averaging 3.5 points and 1.8 rebounds. Two years later, Montenegro, his native country, declared independence from the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro. After that, Pavlović said that he would like to play for the Serbian national team. However, he did not play for the Serbian or the Montenegrin national team. When asked about a possible comeback in February 2014, he responded with: "I'm not thinking about the national team. To me, it became a political matter, not a sports matter. This is why I decided not to commit o the national team"

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

, - , align="left" , , align="left" , Utah , 79 , , 14 , , 14.5 , , .396 , , .271 , , .774 , , 2.0 , , .8 , , .5 , , .2 , , 4.8 , - , align="left" , , align="left" , Cleveland , 65 , , 9 , , 13.3 , , .435 , , .385 , , .688 , , 1.1 , , .8 , , .4 , , .1 , , 4.8 , - , align="left" , , align="left" , Cleveland , 53 , , 19 , , 15.3 , , .410 , , .365 , , .653 , , 1.5 , , .5 , , .4 , , .1 , , 4.5 , - , align="left" , , align="left" , Cleveland , 67 , , 28 , , 22.9 , , .453 , , .405 , , .794 , , 2.4 , , 1.6 , , .8 , , .3 , , 9.0 , - , align="left" , , align="left" , Cleveland , 51 , , 45 , , 23.3 , , .362 , , .298 , , .688 , , 2.5 , , 1.6 , , .6 , , .1 , , 7.4 , - , align="left" , , align="left" , Cleveland , 66 , , 12 , , 16.0 , , .422 , , .410 , , .463 , , 1.9 , , 1.1 , , .3 , , .2 , , 4.6 , - , align="left" , , align="left" , Minnesota , 71 , , 0 , , 12.4 , , .363 , , .297 , , .385 , , 1.6 , , .8 , , .3 , , .1 , , 3.7 , - , align="left" , , align="left" , Dallas , 10 , , 6 , , 16.3 , , .429 , , .438 , , .800 , , 1.2 , , . 7, , .5 , , .3 , , 4.1 , - , align="left" , , align="left" , New Orleans , 4 , , 1 , , 12.5 , , .182 , , .000 , , .000 , , 1.5 , , 1.5 , , .0 , , 1.0 , , 1.0 , - , align="left" , , align="left" , Boston , 17 , , 0 , , 8.8 , , .462 , , .500 , , .400 , , .8 , , .2 , , .3 , , .0 , , 1.8 , - , align="left" , , align="left" , Boston , 45 , , 7 , , 11.7 , , .391 , , .293 , , .375 , , 1.6 , , .4 , , .4 , , .3 , , 2.7 , - , align="left" , , align="left" , Portland , 39 , , 1 , , 13.5 , , .353 , , .300 , , .167 , , 1.4 , , .8 , , .6 , , .1 , , 2.6 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 567 , , 142 , , 15.7 , , .404 , , .346 , , .673 , , 1.8 , , .9 , , .5 , , .2 , , 4.9

Playoffs

, - , align="left" ,

2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...

, align="left" , Cleveland , 3 , , 0 , , 1.3 , , .000 , , .000 , , .000 , , .3 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , - , align="left" ,

2007 File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...

, align="left" , Cleveland , 20 , , 20 , , 30.8 , , .381 , , .345 , , .528 , , 2.6 , , 1.6 , , 1.0 , , .3 , , 9.2 , - , align="left" ,

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...

, align="left" , Cleveland , 8 , , 0 , , 13.9 , , .385 , , .444 , , .667 , , 1.3 , , .1 , , .3 , , .0 , , 3.5 , - , align="left" ,

2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...

, align="left" , Cleveland , 11 , , 0 , , 8.3 , , .500 , , .250 , , .333 , , 1.4 , , .4 , , .4 , , .0 , , 2.1 , - , align="left" ,

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...

, align="left" , Boston , 10 , , 0 , , 4.0 , , .333 , , .200 , , .000 , , .5 , , .1 , , .1 , , .1 , , .7 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 52 , , 20 , , 16.6 , , .386 , , .333 , , .533 , , 1.6 , , .7 , , .5 , , .1 , , 4.6

EuroLeague

, - , align="left" , 2001–02 , align="left" rowspan=2, Budućnost , 2 , , 0 , , 3.1 , , .000 , , .000 , , .000 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , , -2.0 , - , align="left" , 2002–03 , 13 , , 5 , , 19.6 , , .463 , , .294 , , .640 , , 1.4 , , 1.0 , , .8 , , .5 , , 9.7 , , 7.0 , - , align="left" , 2013–14 , align="left" , Partizan , 7 , , 4 , , 26.4 , , .395 , , .333 , , .818 , , 3.3 , , 1.7 , , 1.1 , , .0 , , 11.4 , , 7.1 , - , align="left" , 2015–16 , align="left" ,

, 25 , , 17 , , 17.2 , , .397 , , .250 , , .632 , , 2.6 , , 1.1 , , .6 , , .3 , , 5.6 , , 4.2 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 47 , , 26 , , 18.7 , , .415 , , .279 , , .662 , , 2.2 , , 1.1 , , .7 , , .3 , , 7.4 , , 5.1

Post-playing career

In December 2018, Pavlović was named a board member of Partizan Belgrade under presidency of Ostoja Mijailović.

Personal life

He is married to Dunja, with whom he has three children—Luka, Minja and Andrej.