NBA - European Implications Fallout of Josh Childress

[Amen316]

Blog from Friday:

The land of oppurtunity, the land of wealth took a behind the scenes hit today when Josh Childress a top 100 basketball player from the NBA signed a contract with the “Greece” Olympiakos. To 90 percent of the fans of the NBA this means nothing, because players that cant make the grade in the NBA play for European teams all the time. This is true, but Josh Childress was worth 6-8 million dollars a year on the open market in the NBA. The problem was he was a restricted free agent, and teams that might want to sign him would more than likely be wasting their time, because he was restricted Free Agent the Atlanta Hawks had the right to match any NBA teams offer and Josh would have to return to the Hawks.

What no one saw coming was Josh taking a contract overseas and Atlanta getting nothing in return. This in many ways is Atlantas fault for low balling Josh in the first place. The fact that only two NBA teams were low enough under the salary cap to bid on him made the idea of Josh getting his worth even less likely. Enter the stronger currency from the European Market, and then enter the correct amount of money he should be making.
Finally consider the fact that if any team in the future of the NBA lowballs anyone. Its more than likely those people may be lost to Europe without compensation. Remember before it was only the players that couldnt find a good contract that would go overseas. Now that theory is working its way into mid echelon of players in the NBA. Could it happen one day to an upper echelon player in the NBA?

So it begs to ask, just how well has the European League advanced to have players from the NBA that are worth milllion annually outbid their bigger brother teams in the NBA?
As a Scout/Evaluator of the NBA, this story and its implications alone has now made me have discussions that maybe a foreign league may offer a better oppurtunity as a scout/evaluator also.

There are attributes of players here in the United States that I know would equate well overseas. It is June 25th, 2008 and for the first time in my life. I now take the European league as an oppurtunity of employment even as a scout/evaluator. You are no longer settling for a plan b option, as it turns out this could be the smartest option any potential player/scout could make.


Smaller arguable issues:
- Stronger value > to the dollar overseas
- Tax incentives for signing overseas
- Expands your horizons as an individual (culture)
For the NBA
- its the NBA (tons inside that word alone from history to level of play)
- scandals from refs to NBA executives possibly coverring or ignoring other possibilities that more refs could be corrupt.
- The game is played different and critiqued differently
- Its still to this point at this day and time, the best level of basketball top to bottom

[eastsidecrossover]

I did not read it all, but I think some are making too much of this. Childress is going for the money, that is fine. The euro is worth way more then the dollar, and his contract is pretty nice. the fact is, the dude was just an avg player in this league. Now when star players leave for the lesser leagues in Europe, then you have a problem.

I think this is why Satan, I mean Stern has talked about an NBA league in Europe. This is where your D-league guys can play at a higher level, make more money etc.

I still hate the international game. I hate the Key and the WNBA 3pt line and some of the rules.