Web Posted: 08/16/2008 12:00 CDT

By Jeff McDonald

On a day in which the Spurs heard a 「no」 from one free-agent target, they got a welcome 「yes」 from another.

Shooting guard Michael Finley has agreed to return for a fourth season in San Antonio and more, his agent Henry Thomas said Friday.

Specific details of the agreement were not immediately available, but Thomas said the Spurs have made a commitment to Finley 「beyond just a year」 and that the new contract will pay more than the veteran minimum of $1.3 million next season.

「Obviously, Michael had a great first three years in San Antonio,」 Thomas said. 「He took his time (deciding to re-sign), because he had some interest from other contending teams. He just wanted to evaluate everything and make sure he made the right decision.」

In choosing to return to the Spurs, the 35-year-old Finley rebuffed overtures from a short list of suitors that included the NBA champion Boston Celtics.

Finley also turned down an offer to play in Europe, declining to join the parade of established NBA players headed overseas this summer. The Spurs weren't so lucky when it came to another name on their free-agent wish list.

Jannero Pargo, the point guard the Spurs had envisioned backing up Tony Parker next season, instead said 「yes」 to Dynamo Moscow of the Russian League, his agent, Mark Bartelstein, told the Associated Press on Friday.

Pargo — Chris Paul's primary backup in New Orleans last season — agreed to a one-year deal worth nearly $4 million, according to Bartelstein.

That figure is about twice what Pargo earned last season and substantially more than he was likely to command anywhere in the NBA. The Spurs are believed to have offered a deal starting at $2 million, the maximum they had available.

The Hornets were also trying to re-sign Pargo, 28, who averaged 8.1 points per game last season.

「We had a couple of interesting offers,」 Bartelstein told the Associated Press. 「We just thought it was a great opportunity. He expects to do this for a year, take a deep breath and decide what to do next year. By no means does this mean we're saying goodbye to the NBA.」

With Pargo heading to Russia, it marks the second time this summer the lure of Europe has cost the Spurs a player. Tiago Splitter, the team's top draft pick in 2007, accepted a more lucrative deal to remain in Spain rather than play in San Antonio next season.

But after failing in their bid to add another new face to their backcourt, the Spurs will be happy to welcome back a familiar one.

The crown jewel of the Spurs' free-agent class three summers ago, Finley will return with a fraction of the fanfare that greeted his arrival in 2005. He averaged a respectable 10.1 points as a part-time starter last season, and is the only Spurs player to have appeared in every game over the past two campaigns. But he could see his role diminished with the entrance of swingman Roger Mason Jr.

Still, the Spurs have long prized Finley's professionalism and leadership, and were eager to bring him back — especially after losing fellow shooter Brent Barry to Houston earlier this summer.

Finley's 「yes」 wasn't dependent upon a 「no」 from Pargo. The Spurs' best-laid plans called for signing them both.

Now, they will have to be satisfied with splitting the difference.