Euros drafted late first vs. second round

[MN Die Hard]

Interesting trend, according to Chad Ford. This might make our early seconds even more valuable to a team who's eyeing a Euro player.

More bad news for the San Antonio Spurs and European draft prospects. It looks like yet another top Euro prospect may spurn the NBA and stay in Europe. A few sources at the Orlando camp said that former Spurs first-round pick Tiago Splitter is leaning strongly toward signing a two-year deal with his current team, Tau Ceramica. According to those same sources, the contract won't have a NBA buyout for two years.

The problem for the Spurs (and other NBA teams that draft European players late in the first round) is the NBA rookie salary cap. The Spurs, who drafted Splitter with the No. 30 pick in the draft in 2007, can't pay Splitter more than $771,000 in year one of his deal. Splitter is coming off an excellent year in Europe and can make significantly more money as a free agent in Europe.

This isn't the first time this has happened. Spain's Fran Vazquez spurned the Magic a few years ago in part because he could sign for more money in Spain. The Blazers' Rudy Fernandez is struggling with the same dilemma.

The fact that the value of the U.S. dollar is low compared to the Euro isn't helping things.

How will that affect this year's draft? Teams are doing more homework on Euro prospects and now have the very real worry that they could draft a player and he'd refuse to come into the league.

In the past teams looked for Euro projects in the late first round. They would then leave them overseas, hope they developed, and then bring them to the NBA when they were ready. Now?

There's a big concern that if they do develop, they'll never come because of the rookie salary scale. A number of players in this year's draft including Croatia's Ante Tomic and Serbia's Nikola Pekovic have signed significant deals in Europe. They won't be available to come to the NBA for a couple of years. If they are drafted in the first round, they'd have to take a large pay cut to play in the NBA someday. That has some agents pushing NBA teams to pass on their players in the first round and, instead, take them in the second round. Why? The NBA rookie scale only applies to first-round picks. A team could theoretically pay a second-round pick much more money if they have cap space or use their mid-level exception to pay him.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/draft2008/columns/story?columnist=ford_chad&page=Orlandodraftnotes080529

[Winter Wonder]

With two great picks in the second round. This actually bodes very well for us whether we use (draft with) the picks or not (trade them). We either have the better late first round prospects now available to us, or they have greater trade value than they may have previously (as was discussed for being a non-guaranteed salary). Considering the number of over-seas prospects this year (bigs primarily), we could stash away a few very nice pieces. Or make a trade. Or whatever.

Regardless, a good read and it strenghtens our position.

[Tekkenlaw]

What do you guys think about Omer Asik?

[Blame Rasho]

[dunkonu21]

Sorry Rasho, I can't find it in myself to feel bad for you. Lol

[Blame Rasho]

Sorry Rasho, I can't find it in myself to feel bad for you. Lol

Eh... a bleh day yesterday with this news and what happened in the past game.

[NO-KG-AI]

Splitter pisses me off, all that hype he got every year for what seems like the last 5 years, and he pussies out

[Blame Rasho]

Splitter pisses me off, all that hype he got every year for what seems like the last 5 years, and he pussies out

Well would you want 700K for 2 years or 8 million dollars for 2 years tax free with housing? It is a very simple choice in my opinion

[NO-KG-AI]

This is true.... I just want to insult him for all the hype.

He would have been wonderful on that aging front line though... pity. I blame Fran Vasquez for setting a precedent.

[dunkonu21]

No I feel bad for you a little bit Rasho...Sorry bout the game. They will win next year. Every other year till Duncan retires

[TheProdigy]

How many years did the Spurs knock us out of the playoffs again?

I don't feel bad.

[Winter Wonder]

What do you guys think about Omer Asik?

I have looked into him a bit. He has received quite a bit more hype in the last few months. Raw, but quite athletic and even a bit physical for a legitimate 7 foot prospect. He wasn't even on the radar two years ago but has improved by leaps and bounds since then. He may be one of the most gifted euros in terms of size and athletic ability, but definitely not in terms of pure basketball skills. A good rebounder and shot blocker, rebounding is not bad either. Developping a bit of a jump hook, though again, he has to work on scoring touch.

Again, never seen him live, so am taking this off of other scouting reports. I have seen him as a late first rounder to mid 2nd rounder in mocks, so he is all over the board there, though mainly seen him as an early 2nd rounder. A concern I would have is that if he is depending on his athletic ability and being a better athlete in Europe, how will that translate to the NBA where everyone is a better athlete.

I really do like how much he has improved and continues to work on his game and rate him around where Pekovic is in terms of Euro bigs. Different games, but around the same level, though Pekovic has better numbers and some better skills, doesn't have the athleticism, it would appear, and many skills can be taught if the kid works hard enough.

EDIT: Oh, and I would be very happy to pick him with #34.

[Winter Wonder]

Draft Express probably has the best write up on him and I found much of my information about him on their site a week or so ago.

[Tekkenlaw]

Yea, I really like what I've read about him. Sounds like if he can just add a little muscle he would be a nice compliment to Big Al.