What would NBA do if a big name player went to Europe?

[supergallinari]

How would Stern and the league react? Would they eliminate the luxury tax or raise the cutoff? eliminate/raise the cap?

Would a player like Ben Gordon going to Europe be a big enough name for them to make a serious change?

[Rasho Brezec]

I think Stern would be obliged to make a serious change. Something like raising the cap and eliminating the luxury tax would slow these kind of things down.

[theGreatRC]

Eliminating cap would make teams like NY offer max contracts to any big name they want.

[greenbeans]

it would implode and cease to exist

[Flash3]

What big star?

I don't think a lebron, wade or a kobe are going over seas, just because your greatness is determined by NBA Titles not but Euro Titles or w/ever.

[orangutooth]

seeing a guy like dirk go to the euroleagues is fathomable but i guess he's probably locked up for a while.

[magicfan4life05]

swear up and down it's a only one time thing

[Dentor]

Te NBA has to worry about restricted free agents who don"t want to go back to their teams doing this. Okafor and Josh Smith's agents should be on the phone to Europe negotiating; they are alot better than Childress, imagine what kind of deals they could get.

[NBAMAN2006]

Create a European division of something like 5 teams. Its really the only, and best, way to combat good NBA players leaving for Europe while still keeping Basketball the worlds #2 world sport, a very important standing for NBA revenue.

[Indy07]

Te NBA has to worry about restricted free agents who don"t want to go back to their teams doing this. Okafor and Josh Smith's agents should be on the phone to Europe negotiating; they are alot better than Childress, imagine what kind of deals they could get.

They could probably get something comparable to what Childress got. Understand this: Olympiakos would NOT have offered 3 years 20 mil to Okafor. They knew they had no chance of actually signing him. Olympiakos and the rest of the EURO basketball clubs DO NOT HAVE AN ENDLESS SUPPLY OF MONEY. I'm getting sick of this getting so overblown. They are not Euro football clubs and therefore cannot spend like one. The best Euro football clubs pay about 130 million at best for a premier playing (including usually anywhere from 15-40 mil in transfer fees). To think they can just dish out 80 mil a year for LeBron is not only asinine but completely unfeasible. They simply just do not have the capital resources to formulate such an offer. Trust me, until the Euro league surpasses football as the #1 sport in Europe, they will not be able to pry a "big name player" from the NBA. End story, End these discussions, End thread.

[CircleCitysportsfan]

The NBA has made it despite the loss of players like

Michael Jordan
Magic Johnson
Larry Bird
Dr. J
Wilt Chamberlain
Jerry West
ect....

I think they would say "thanks for your time" and keep it moving.

[magicfan04]

Create a European division of something like 5 teams. Its really the only, and best, way to combat good NBA players leaving for Europe while still keeping Basketball the worlds #2 world sport, a very important standing for NBA revenue.

wat the hell would this accomplish? players arent thinking of leaving the NBA for the allure of playing in europe, theyre doing it to get a lot more money and to get out of RFA status

[big L]

Te NBA has to worry about restricted free agents who don"t want to go back to their teams doing this. Okafor and Josh Smith's agents should be on the phone to Europe negotiating; they are alot better than Childress, imagine what kind of deals they could get.

This is really the extent of it... RFAs will use this as leverage so long as poor management groups like Atlanta's blatantly sits on their contract offers. It's a smart move for a player, esp. one like Childress who should fit in well in the Euro game. But as far as a big star goes, maybe we'll see someone on the downturn of his career head overseas for a bucket of money. Most Euro teams don't have a bottomless pit of cash.

Now, what might be interesting is if all that new Russian money starts supporting hoops like they do soccer... now that could attract some more second level guys like Childress.

[Mr Smoke Weed]

unless it was a top 20 player i dont think many people would care
i mean if okafor went to europe who would really care?

[BullSoxChicago'sFinest]

I don't know but I'd laugh, Stern acted like 'you have to do everything I say or else you don't play/get paid', well not now there's alternative, sounds like players have leverage this time around. Hmm, still get paid without being treated as if in a Nazi camp where things are fixed anyways, or still get paid, probably still a fix, but live in cities like Rome, hmm...

[Nashty]

It won't happen cause the euro teams can't match the salaries of guys making max contracts. They can only get the mid range guys.

[Chubby Chaser]

Stern should do away with the Luxury tax. You shouldn't penalize an owner if he's willing to bite the bullet and pay for more talent on his team.

[OzThunder]

It won't happen cause the euro teams can't match the salaries of guys making max contracts. They can only get the mid range guys.

that's a bold statement with no real evidence. I give it a year or two til the Euro teams poach a real star. (NBA style $13-18m/ year)

[draft]

I think they're going to eventually get rid of the luxury tax.

[Dr. Evil]

Who would be considered a big name player? Most of the elite players who will be free in the next two offseasons will sign to max contracts with either a new team or their current team.