Sasha Vujacic

Though many Lakers fans probably weren't sorry to see him go, Sasha Vujacic will always hold a special place in their hearts after making those clutch free throws in Game 7. ? Lakers newcomer Joe Smith is an aspiring rapper who has recorded under the pseudonym Joe Beast . ? Airing at the same time Sunday morning, the Oakland Raiders' loss to the AFC South-leading Jacksonville Jaguars drew twice as many television viewers in Los Angeles as the Lakers' Kobe Bryant -led victory over the New Jersey Nets.

Tony Stewart said he reached a truce with rival NASCAR driver Matt Kenseth after last weekend, when their scuffle on the race track prompted an angry Stewart to hurl his helmet at Kenseth's car. But apparently the helmet hasn't been seen since. "For some reason it's MIA," or missing in action, Stewart told reporters Friday at Atlanta Motor Speedway, site of the next Sprint Cup Series race Sunday. Asked what he would do with the helmet if he had it, Stewart replied, "Charity auction, if I get it back.

He has been told that his role might be limited, something that was not the case for Lakers guard Sasha Vujacic the two previous seasons. It happened again Wednesday night, when Vujacic played a little more than 3 1/2 minutes against the Indiana Pacers. The key, Lakers Coach Phil Jackson pointed out, will be how Vujacic performs when he is on the court and his demeanor during this time. "It's disappointing to him," Jackson said. Vujacic played a career-high 17.8 minutes during the 2007-08 season and averaged a career-best 8.8 points.

NEW YORK -- Maria Sharapova, who on Friday won her second-round U.S. Open match against Stanford psychology major Mallory Burdette, 6-1, 6-1, said afterward that she and former Laker Sasha Vujacic are no longer engaged. Sharapova said she and Vujacic split in the spring, before stories appeared in Turkish newspapers that she and Vujacic were going to get married in Istanbul in November. Vujacic has been playing for a professional team in Turkey. "It's been since the end of spring," Sharapova said.

So, Lakers guard Sasha Vujacic , where is "The Machine"? "The Machine is here," Vujacic said. "I'm just not playing." OK, then, why aren't you playing? "I don't know," Vujacic responded. Coach Phil Jackso n " has a group right now that he's playing. I'm just going to try to be patient." Mostly, Vujacic has found himself in games when they already have been decided. That's an issue for him. "I play a couple of games in garbage time," Vujacic said. "That's not where I see myself.

Lakers reserve guard Sasha Vujacic has purchased a unit at the W Hollywood Residences. The condominium, in the $350-million development at the landmark intersection of Hollywood and Vine, has two bedrooms and 2 1/2 bathrooms in about 2,100 square feet. The purchase price was not available, but a comparable unit is listed at $2.1 million. His west-facing condo has views of Century City, West Hollywood and Beverly Hills. He will be among the first owners to move in when the W Hollywood Hotel & Residences opens in mid-January.

Shannon Brown winced in pain in the second quarter and after the game, his sprained right thumb giving him so much pain. Sasha Vujacic was happy and sad. He was happy because he was out of the "doghouse" in a big way, starting in place of the injured Kobe Bryant (swelling in his right knee). Vujacic was sad because he was unable to perform the way he preferred and because the Lakers lost to the Denver Nuggets, 98-96, Thursday night Pepsi Center. Even though they didn't shoot the basketball well, Brown and Vujacic played a role in helping the Lakers come from 15 points down in the third quarter.

They knew what was at stake. They knew what was on the line. And they knew they had not been performing up to par in the NBA Finals. For Jordan Farmar and Sasha Vujacic, two guards the Lakers count on to come off the bench and be productive, they both knew they had to fill a void. Both of them did, playing solid in the Lakers' 89-67 victory over the Boston Celtics in Game 6 on Tuesday night at Staples Center. "It doesn't matter what happened the entire year," Vujacic said.

Each game Sasha Vujacic plays, it is a step in the right direction for him. After missing eight games with a sprained right shoulder, Vujacic has played in four consecutive games, the one against the Sacramento Kings Tuesday night at Arco Arena being his best. He had six points on three-for-four shooting. "I said at the beginning, when I decided that I was going to play, I'm going to play," Vujacic said. "There's no more holding back." Lately, Vujacic has played at the expense of Jordan Farmar.

Reporting from Washington ? In a move to bolster front-court depth and save about $8 million in salary and luxury taxes, the Lakers agreed to send Sasha Vujacic and a 2011 first-round draft pick to New Jersey as part of a three-team trade that would bring veteran forward Joe Smith to the Lakers. As the fifth guard in Phil Jackson's four-guard rotation, Vujacic had seen his playing time reduced to almost nothing this season. The trade is contingent upon Smith, 35, passing a physical.

In recent years, NBA draft nights at the Lakers' practice facility have been anticlimactic. Only a few reporters who regularly cover the Lakers watch the draft proceedings on a large projector screen. No need for reporters to fight for a good angle to place their tape recorder as they interview the new draft prospect. Those interviews are done by speaker phone. Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak usually talks with the media, but very little is learned about what the draft prospect could provide for the Lakers, given they are late second-round draft picks.

It's come to this for the Lakers: If they don't trade up in the draft Thursday, their lone pick will be the NBA equivalent of Mr. Irrelevant. They have the 60th and final selection, the result of rapid-fire draft-pick dealing in March. Team executive Jim Buss told The Times last week the Lakers would try to trade into the first round, but if they didn't, they'd sit out the first 30 picks for the fifth year in a row. Yep. Draft day has become a complete bore for Lakers fans.

Some things to keep an eye on when the Lakers (35-20) host the Houston Rockets (29-25) at Staples Center. 1. Will the Lakers' various injuries affect them? There's plenty that's keeping Lakers trainer Gary Vitti busy these days. Kobe Bryant has worn a protective boot because of a left shiny injury. Pau Gasol has a sleeve to cover his aching left elbow. Andrew Bynum is having constant treatment on his sprained left ankle. Ramon Sessions has a pad to protect his sprained left shoulder and tape to protect his jammed right index finger.

The Lakers have agreed to multiyear deals with broadcasters Bill Macdonald and Stu Lantz , making them the centerpiece of the team's move to a newly created Time Warner Cable channel next season, The Times has learned. Macdonald is in his first year as the Lakers' play-by-play announcer, and Lantz is in his 25th year as their color commentator. After a decades-long partnership with Fox Sports West and Channel 9, the Lakers begin a 20-year deal with Time Warner Cable next season.

Former Laker Sasha Vujacic has put his ocean-view house in Rancho Palos Verdes on the market at $2.749 million. The gated Mediterranean-style house, built in 1986 and remodeled, contains more than 4,000 square feet of living space on a single level. Among the features are a terra cotta-paved courtyard, a double-door entry, high ceilings, a family room with a wet bar and wine cooler, two master suites, two additional bedrooms and a total of four bathrooms. The nearly half-acre lot includes a swimming pool with spa and a tennis/basketball sports court.

-- ESPN.com's Marc Stein reports that the Hornets, Lakers and Rockets were still searching for a consensus on the last piece of the trade framework in the Chris Paul Deal to satisfy league salary-cap regulations. Part of the holdup apparently involves Jason Smith not accepting sign-and-trade terms that were presented when he was asked to be part of the deal. -- The Times' John Corrigan details Magic Johnson's recent panel discussion about how urban entrepreneurs can expand their businesses, land government contracts and tap into overseas markets.

Minnesota rookie Derrick Williams, on whether he was bothered by being the No. 2 pick in the draft and not No. 1: "Sometimes I think being the No. 2 pick is a blessing in disguise. I think it was better overall for me to come to Minnesota. I can learn from some of the players at my position, like from Kevin Love and Michael Beasley. I learn a lot from those guys every single day. " Dallas' Jason Kidd, on Lamar Odom: "Odom is on a team that wants to win, so he couldn't be in a better situation.

In case it wasn't obvious, the Lakers needed two major changes after their embarrassing four-game playoff sweep against Dallas. Get faster. Get better three-point shooters. They accomplished the former by trading for Chris Paul two weeks ago, but everyone knows how that turned out. They tried to accomplish the latter by signing free-agent veterans Jason Kapono and Troy Murphy , shooters who didn't do much last season but got another shot with the Lakers. "This team has guys that can score and this team moves the ball very well," Lakers Coach Mike Brown said.