Walker is willing to go to Europe!

[BillessuR6]

Link: http://fsnnewengland.com/CelticsCentral.jsp

There are a couple of nice interviews on FSNNE with Giddens and Walker and in his interview Walker says he is willing to go to Europe. Now, I don`t know what his agent would say about that but it is good to hear that he doesn`t have a problem with it.


BTW, could someone make an avatar of that clip that shows the banners...

[P2]

Gosh, he has said before that he wants to earn a roster spot this season. He said that just because he's a nice guy.

[celticfan42487]

why do we want him in europe again?

[Dogen]

Nice interview with Walker, I'm pretty set on adopting him as my new binky. I really don't see him as a guy to go to Europe for some reason. Maybe he'd be better off here, rehabbing the knee and learning from Powe, Pierce, etc, spending time in the D league. Actually, Giddens might be the guy to go to Europe if the team signs Maggette or some other vet.

[cloverleaf]

I'm with you, Dogen. Walker comes across very well, as very mature and intelligent, in his interviews. (He's even got the Danny & Doc, professional/casual polo-shirt attire down!) I think he'll learn quickly, work hard, and impress everyone enough to be kept in town--especially if Posey doesn't return.

[Egregious Blunder]

with the euro-dollar conversion, walker will get paid WAY more than he would if he sign with the Cs this season. since he wont get any minutes here anyway, its much better for his career and for his wallet to play in Europe this year. hes smart kid.

[Collinto]

Is there a precedent for this? Namely drafting an American college player and making a mutual agreement to send him to Europe and have him return as a contributing member of an NBA roster?

[Rocky5000]

If I were Walker I'd go to Europe. Better women in the European cities, better weather for the most part, and a bigger contract. It's definitely a smart decision!

[MyInsatiableOne]

with the euro-dollar conversion, walker will get paid WAY more than he would if he sign with the Cs this season. since he wont get any minutes here anyway, its much better for his career and for his wallet to play in Europe this year. hes smart kid.

Because it's Europe he will also get TAXED way more, (remember, Europe is the land of socialist paradise... ) so probably he ends up losing money when he converts it back to US $$ over here...

[GuyClinch]

I have heard that some of those European clubs will reneg on their contracts. I'd try to play in the States if I was Walker.

Pete

[campybatman]

Well, there was the news that came out not too long ago about Brandon Jennings. Granted it isn't the same case as Walker, potentially. But, it's still an interesting story.

Brandon Jennings, who signed a letter of intent to play at Arizona, is looking at the unprecedented option of playing overseas next season to get ready for the 2009 NBA draft if he's not eligible to play for the Wildcats next season.

Jennings told ESPN.com that he is exploring the possibility of a professional basketball career. Jennings' mother, Alice Knox, has retained an attorney, Jeffrey Valle, to help look into the possibility that Jennings could play professionally in Europe while he waits to become eligible for the 2009 NBA draft.

Jennings, who is from the Los Angeles area but played the last two seasons at Oak Hill Academy (Va.), turns 19 on Sept. 23 and would need to spend one year out of high school and be 19 to be eligible for the 2009 draft.

"It's something I'm considering now," Jennings said. "I still want to go to Arizona but if things don't go right, I'm considering going overseas."

"Mentally I know I can play in the NBA, but physically is where it would hit me," Jennings said.

Jennings and his mother said that Jennings probably would have declared for the NBA draft had the new rule not been put in place two seasons ago (requiring a player to be one year out of school and at least 19 in the calendar year of the draft).

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=3454157

[Spin Move]

with the euro-dollar conversion, walker will get paid WAY more than he would if he sign with the Cs this season. since he wont get any minutes here anyway, its much better for his career and for his wallet to play in Europe this year. hes smart kid.

Because it's Europe he will also get TAXED way more, (remember, Europe is the land of socialist paradise... ) so probably he ends up losing money when he converts it back to US $$ over here...

between federal and state income taxes he will be paying over 40% here, in europe it might be 50, but the difference really isn't that much, and its greater then the currency difference that will likley continue to grow. I guess in Europe there must be too many of those horrible socialist institutions like public schools, and heaven forbid socialized medicine that we will likely have here in a few years...oh the horror.

[cloverleaf]

Don't worry, SpinMove: Obama will have him up over 60% in no time!

[billfromBoston]

with the euro-dollar conversion, walker will get paid WAY more than he would if he sign with the Cs this season. since he wont get any minutes here anyway, its much better for his career and for his wallet to play in Europe this year. hes smart kid.

Because it's Europe he will also get TAXED way more, (remember, Europe is the land of socialist paradise... ) so probably he ends up losing money when he converts it back to US $$ over here...

between federal and state income taxes he will be paying over 40% here, in europe it might be 50, but the difference really isn't that much, and its greater then the currency difference that will likley continue to grow. I guess in Europe there must be too many of those horrible socialist institutions like public schools, and heaven forbid socialized medicine that we will likely have here in a few years...oh the horror.

....Int'l contract values are listed AFTER taxes..so the figure you see him getting is what he'll have in his bank account...200-300 thousand euros to start i'd imagine---much better than 400K American before taxes...plus, he'll get an apartment and a car in the deal..

[Collinto]

Is there a precedent for this? Namely drafting an American college player and making a mutual agreement to send him to Europe and have him return as a contributing member of an NBA roster?

Forgive me for quoting myself...but just resetting the question.

Is this ground breaking stuff? Because I can't think of another American player ever to be sent to Europe to develop? Anyone.

[celticfan42487]

I can't think of any other cases. Usually you want to keep the kid close to the NBA system and learn the ins and outs of playing NBA rules and traveling across the US cities.

[armageddon]

Did Boston send Songalia to Europe? Pretty sure that he hailed from there anyways.

[Collinto]

Did Boston send Songalia to Europe? Pretty sure that he hailed from there anyways.

That really wouldn't be the same. he was from there (Lithuania?maybe) and played there one year and we traded his rights to Sac-Town.

This would be an American, sent to Europe to develop and return to play for us.

The more I think about it, it seems completely absurd. Or atleast, completely outside the box.

[chakdaddy]

Didn't Antonio Davis do something like that?

Danny Ferry is a different kind of situation, obviously. But I think Davis fits. Unless I am thinking of Kenny Williams or somebody, someone on the Pacers in the early 90s. Other guys like Jeff Ruland I believe? But they may be more guys who couldn't cut it, and then came back with a different team.

[Pogue Mahone]

Alex Acker (pick #60, Detriot) played a season for the 'Stones a couple years ago. Instead of exercising the 2nd year of his contract, he jettisoned overseas. Because he is technically under contract to Detroit, they still hold his rights.