Aleksandar "Saša" Pavlović (Anglicized: Sasha Pavlovic, Serbian Cyrillic: Александар "Саша" Павловић; born November 15, 1983) is a Serbian-Montenegrin basketball executive and former professional player who spent ten seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), playing for the Utah Jazz, Cleveland Cavaliers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Dallas Mavericks, New Orleans Pelicans, Boston Celtics and the Portland Trail Blazers. He also represented the national basketball team of Serbia and Montenegro internationally. Standing at 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m), he played the small forward and shooting guard positions.
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.
Pavlović was selected by the Utah Jazz with the 19th pick in the 2003 NBA draft. His American agent Marc Cornstein issued a clarification in response to a misleading Eurobasket.com biography mixing Aleksandar Pavlović with an 'Aleksander Pavlović' who played college basketball at La Salle University 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 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 Cleveland Cavaliers 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. 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. 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 Orlando Magic in the 2009 Eastern Conference Finals, 4 games to 2. Pavlović became trade bait as talks with the Phoenix Suns were rekindled from earlier in the season and on June 25, 2009, he, Ben Wallace, and the 46th overall pick were traded to Phoenix for future teammate Shaquille O'Neal. 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 2, 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)