Childress Might Shun the NBA to play in Europe(Article)

[WillC]

This would be crazy if it happened.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=AnjHPjT.cl2qgmCDdL4PJIK8vLYF?slug=aw-childressgreece072108&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

Childress weighing offer from Greek team

 By Adrian Wojnarowski, Yahoo! Sports

LAS VEGAS – In a potentially stunning move that reflects the growing challenge Europe’s basketball leagues pose to the NBA, Atlanta Hawks free-agent forward Josh Childress is strongly considering a three-year, $20 million offer from Greek powerhouse Olympiakos, several league sources said Sunday night.

Childress flew to Greece late Sunday and is scheduled to meet with Olympiakos officials on Monday. Childress, 25, is so flustered with the Hawks’ refusal to make a sign-and-trade deal to another team, one source familiar with his thinking believes there’s “better than a 50-50 chance” he’ll sign with Olympiakos. The team also will cover the Greek taxes for Childress, making it even more lucrative.

“Unless he just gets there and doesn’t like it at all, I think he’s going to go,” one league source said.

Childress is a restricted free agent, but the Hawks would have no matching rights with a FIBA contract. Olympiakos’ offer also would allow Childress the opportunity to return to the NBA over the next two summers. The Hawks would maintain his restricted free-agent rights provided they make him a qualifying offer.

Childress’ talks with the Hawks have yet to gain traction because Atlanta officials have made it clear their first priority is to resolve negotiations with forward Josh Smith, their other restricted free agent. Privately, Childress has expressed little enthusiasm in returning to play for the organization, sources said.

The Memphis Grizzlies are the only remaining team with enough salary-cap room to make an offer exceeding the $5.6 million mid-level exception, and they so far seem content on saving their money for next summer. Several NBA GMs interested in Childress said they wouldn’t make a mid-level offer to him because they believe the Hawks would match.

Childress’ agent, Lon Babby, has instead looked to Europe to create leverage for his client, a unique approach that would have seemed unlikely as recently as three years ago. The U.S. dollar’s declining value compared to the Euro, coupled with the influx of money from Russian owners into the Euroleague, has now made Europe a much more attractive option for players.

Already this summer, the San Antonio Spurs’ 2007 first-round draft pick, Tiago Splitter, rejected an offer to join the NBA franchise because he can make more money by remaining in Spain. Toronto Raptors free agent Carlos Delfino signed a three-year, $13.5 million deal with Khimiki of Moscow. Juan Carlos Navarro of the Grizzlies returned to Spain for a reported five-year contract with FC Barcelona that could pay more than $20 million.

Even so, Childress, who averaged 11.8 points and 4.9 rebounds per game last season, would send far greater waves through the NBA should he leave for the Euroleague. He would be the kind of coveted, young American talent who hadn’t previously left the NBA for Europe. Childress, 6-foot-8, played his college ball at Stanford, and is believed to have the international curiosity and maturity it might take to leave the NBA behind for a year.

If Childress joins Olympiakos then chooses to return to the NBA in either of the next two summers, he’ll likely be entering a more lucrative free-agent market than the current one.

If Childress decides against taking Olympiakos’ contract, the team is expected to turn to New Jersey Nets free agent Bostjan Nachbar.

– NBA editor Johnny Ludden contributed to this story.

[cordobes]

Yeah, these situations are happening more and more. It's insane for Oly to offer so much money to an unproven player like Childress. It's almost the same they offered to Anthony Parker. I wouldn't rule out that this is just his agent doing his job. Similar cases had happened in the past. Just scaring Atlanta a little bit.

Another similar case they don't mention is Pekovic - he wouldn't have joined the NBA even if he was the 1st pick of the draft, so Minny lucked into him with the #31. I believe early second rounds pick will become more and more valuable in the next years because of the international players, unless the rookie scale is changed. 

[Change]

If this is true, Hawks can kiss Childress GoodBye
Will this push Stern to install 1 or 2 European teams? or Will he increase the Salary Cap?

[jackson_34]

To be honest I would love to see a shift towards this trend become more apparent. I know it would eventually lead to a more watered down NBA, but I would love to see the eventual installment of a world club challenge like we see in football with the champions league. It would be fantastic in developing basketball into a truely 'world' sport.

[makaveli]

I think that will happen more often over the next few years. I think 20 mil $ in Europe is as if he got a 35 mil $ offer in USA, because of the tax and everything.

[Robb]

I think that will happen more often over the next few years. I think 20 mil $ in Europe is as if he got a 35 mil $ offer in USA, because of the tax and everything.

Tax would really be THAT high?  I mean I have no idea, I've never lived in Europe.

[Rida]

I think that will happen more often over the next few years. I think 20 mil $ in Europe is as if he got a 35 mil $ offer in USA, because of the tax and everything.

Tax would really be THAT high?  I mean I have no idea, I've never lived in Europe.

Guys, the article said that the greek team would cover his tax expenses.

The fact that European teams can now compete with the NBA in terms of spending power is a result of two things

1) No teams in the NBA apart from the Grizz have cap space

2) The fact that the dollar is so weak compared to the Euro.

This gives European teams a huge advantage due to the strength of their currency

[Bankshot]

Could this news possibly increase the Celtics chances of landing Childress?  What if Danny offered him the full MLE for 4 years right now?  Atlanta would have to match within seven days right?  They don't even sound close to coming to an agreement with Josh Smith, so we might have a chance if we make the offer now.

[Bankshot]

So now that Tony and House are signed, does that mean we no longer have the money to go after Childress?

[wdleehi]

This might lead to changes on how NBA deals with restricted FA.


1) Cut down the time to match (2 days)


2) players are only restricted FA for 15 days after the qualifying offer. 

[Bankshot]

This might lead to changes on how NBA deals with restricted FA.


1) Cut down the time to match (2 days)


2) players are only restricted FA for 15 days after the qualifying offer. 

Ok, but do the Celtics have enough to go after him?

[wdleehi]

This might lead to changes on how NBA deals with restricted FA.


1) Cut down the time to match (2 days)


2) players are only restricted FA for 15 days after the qualifying offer. 

Ok, but do the Celtics have enough to go after him?

No, not in this case. 


But keeping the player out there dangling leads to looking for contracts elsewhere. 


Also might make some teams offer the qualifying offer less often.



Last thing the NBA could do, make the qualifying offer based on arbitration (like the MLB) 


Players could get fairer contracts based on what they did.  Plus, less BYC and poison pill contracts. 

[Brickowski]

If the dollar gets any weaker, maybe players like Garnett and LeBron James will go to Europe too.  Why not?  Tht schedule is shorter, you get a free apartment and car, and the IRS isn't looking over your shoulder.  You simply set up an offshore services corporation in a tax advantaged jurisdiction (e.g. one of the English channel islands or Gibraltar) to handle your funds. There are plenty of solicitors in the U.K. who specialize in this sort of thing.

Hey, if Caros Delfino is worth 10 million a year (allegedly what he got to sign in Moscow) then LeBron James is certainly worth 25 million, which is alot more than he can get under the NBA collective bargaining agreement.

Who knows?  With a few more years of profligate government spending in every far flung corner of the world and the resulting devaluation of the dollar, the NBA will become the next WNBA and we'll all be buying Internet subscriptions to watch the best players in the world compete in Euroleague.

[wdleehi]

If the dollar gets any weaker, maybe players like Garnett and LeBron James will go to Europe too.  Why not?  Tht schedule is shorter, you get a free apartment and car, and the IRS isn't looking over your shoulder.  You simply set up an offshore services corporation in a tax advantaged jurisdiction (e.g. one of the English channel islands or Gibraltar) to handle your funds. There are plenty of solicitors in the U.K. who specialize in this sort of thing.

Hey, if Caros Delfino is worth 10 million a year (allegedly what he got to sign in Moscow) then LeBron James is certainly worth 25 million, which is alot more than he can get under the NBA collective bargaining agreement.

Who knows?  With a few more years of profligate government spending in every far flung corner of the world and the resulting devaluation of the dollar, the NBA will become the next WNBA and we'll all be buying Internet subscriptions to watch the best players in the world compete in Euroleague.

Not likely because they make most their money through marketing.  That money will be nowhere close to that elsewhere. 

[Birdbrain]

Big deal wake me when anyone of consequence heads overseas.