Phoenix Suns And Cleveland Cavaliers Swap Second Rounders Stefano Rusconi And Milos Babic
On June 27th, 1990, the Cleveland Cavaliers traded the draft rights of Stefano Rusconi and future considerations to the Phoenix Suns for the draft rights of Milos Babic.
The 1990 NBA Draft was nearing its end when the Phoenix Suns and Cleveland Cavaliers decided to make a blip of a trade on the NBA’s radar. Drafting 50th overall, the Phoenix Suns selected Serbian seven-footer Milos Babic from Tennessee Tech. The Cavaliers drafted two spots later and selected Italian center Stefano Rusconi.
The Cavs had interest in Babic and had traded future considerations to move up two spots and gain Phoenix’s pick. Phoenix had wanted to draft Rusconi, knowing that the big man had signed a five-year contract to stay in Italy. They could keep Rusconi as a draft and stash player and possibly bring him over to the NBA in the future.
After the 1990 draft, Babic initially refused to participate in Cleveland’s summer league team training camp without a contract. Eventually, he joined the Cavs for summer league. Coming into training camp, Babic signed a one-year, $200,000 deal with the Cavs that was not fully guaranteed.
Babic was kept on the injured list for much of the 1990-91 season for Cleveland. He appeared in just 12 games and posted 1.6 PPG and 0.8 RPG in 4.3 MPG. Injuries would come to define Cleveland’s season. Star point guard Mark Price tore his left ACL after 16 games and John “Hot Rod” Williams missed 39 games with a sprained left foot as the Cavs went 33-49 and missed the playoffs.
Babic became a free agent after the ‘90-‘91 season and the Cavaliers renounced their rights to him, making him an unrestricted free agent. Babic went on to sign a contract with the Miami Heat in 1991 training camp.
Rusconi stayed in Italy after the draft. As long as the Suns tendered a contract to Rusconi every summer, they would maintain rights to the center for a future free agent signing.
Rusconi evolved into one of the premier players in Italy. He was with Pallacanestro Varese when he was drafted but moved on to Benetton Treviso in 1991. By the time he was nearing his arrival in the NBA, Rusconi won the 1995 Italian League MVP.
Rusconi finally came to Phoenix in the summer of 1995. He signed a fully-guaranteed four-year, $2.3 million contract with the Suns. Rusconi played in just seven games with Phoenix — putting up 1.1 PPG and 0.9 RPG in 4.3 MPG — when he decided to try and work on a buyout with the Suns. According to Phoenix, Rusconi struggled with homesickness and coming from a league where he was an MVP to being the 12th man on an NBA team. Suns CEO Jerry Colangelo spoke about what went wrong with Rusconi (via Arizona Republic):
“Most of the people in our organization still feel [Rusconi] could have played in the league. He felt he got buried. That hurt his confidence. Then he started thinking about going home. He gave up, emotionally.”
Soon after, the Suns waived Rusconi to make room on the active roster for the returning Danny Manning. Rusconi’s buyout terms involved him receiving the remainder of his full $415,000 salary for the 1995-96 season, but giving back the remaining three years after. Rusconi returned to Italy to play for Benetton Treviso.
Milos Babic on his first impression of the Cavaliers (via Akron Beacon Journal):
“The first time I saw them was four years ago (1986). I remember seeing (six-foot) Mark Price running around with all those huge guys and I couldn’t believe how good he was.”
Phoenix Suns general manager Jerry Colangelo on drafting Stefano Rusconi (via Arizona Republic):
“I don’t have any anticipation of Rusconi playing in the NBA anytime soon. What we did was protect for down the road. Realistically, anyone we select there won’t make our team. So if you can get someone special... That’s what we did.”
On Rusconi’s contract situation overseas (via Arizona Republic):
“He’s definitely under contract, the question is for what length. If he can escape, it’s still years down the road. At least three.”
Cleveland Cavaliers general manager Wayne Embry on Babic (via the Newark Advocate):
“We took him because of his size, and he does like to compete. He’s a physical type player and that’s what we were looking for.”
Cavaliers player personnel director Gary Fitzsimmons on Milos Babic (via Akron Beacon Journal):
“When you’re drafting 52nd, you’re willing to take a flyer on a guy with size. He's a close friend of [Los Angeles Lakers center] Vlade Divac. He has one advantage over Vlade in that he understands English.”
What he sees in Babic (via the Newark Advocate):
“I’m not going to tell you he’s an outstanding rebounder. He bangs around the boards and he goes after balls, as most European players do.”
What the team saw in scouting Babic:
“We saw him three times in person, and we got film on him. He doesn't have outstanding credentials. He’s improved his game throughout the course of this season. We felt this guy was a prospect to take a flyer on. He has good size and a good body for the NBA.”
Cavaliers head coach Lenny Wilkens on Babic (via the Newark Advocate):
“I think he’s a project, but he’s a very good project. I like what I saw of him on videotape. All of us feel he has a real chance to play in the NBA.”
Image Credit:
Stefano Rusconi via Suns.com
Milos Babic via Getty Images/Andrew D. Bernstein
