NBA worried losing players to Europe?

[stuart]

Oh, but that's where it all starts with... first it's fringe players, then mid-level guys like Josh Childress. Although I don't think Europe will ever be able to tap American players like LeBron, Kobe, Wade, or Dwight Howard (they might be able to get oddball Gilbert Arenas) because #1 NBA teams will offer up tons of cash to keep their superstars and #2 Europe cannot match the fame and endoresements...

But, they can keep taking mid level role players that aren't their team's main offseason concern and are restricted by NBA salary rules and qualifying offers.

I think the NBA should be a little panicked if they aren't already, this kind of move is significant because it makes the European leagues stronger in both reputation and on the court. Any Euro team, or international club for that matter, can walk into a negotiation and say "The NBA is offering you $2.4 million a year maximum? Here, we offer you $5,1 million and we pay all the taxes..." then they can walk out the door, not concerned about whether they irked David Stern or are in the NBA's luxury tax.

And it's not about whether they come back after a year or two, but the fact that they went over in the first place. Times are changing...

Stuart

[Victorious]

yes, and how about great European players who decide to stay in Europe because of lucrative deals? I remember three NBA teams were interested in Papaloukas last summer. What if players like Stojakovic, Ginobili or Nowitzky never went to the NBA in the first place? Sure some players who stay in Europe to maintain their reputation may have been mediocore in the NBA or would not fit into the system, but some others may have become great stars like the ones mentioned above.

This means that qualitative players stay in Europe as well and are less tempted to go to the NBA. This is also an indication that the Euroleague keeps getting stronger and closer to the level of the NBA.

[stuart]

yes, and how about great European players who decide to stay in Europe because of lucrative deals? I remember three NBA teams were interested in Papaloukas last summer. What if players like Stojakovic, Ginobili or Nowitzky never went to the NBA in the first place? Sure some players who stay in Europe to maintain their reputation may have been mediocore in the NBA or would not fit into the system, but some others may have become great stars like the ones mentioned above.

This means that qualitative players stay in Europe as well and are less tempted to go to the NBA. This is also an indication that the Euroleague keeps getting stronger and closer to the level of the NBA.

Very true, the NBA's draw was that it was the place to test that next level of basketball. Now with the lines becoming blurred, that's becoming less of the case. Especially with more and more players ULEB stars like Dejan Bodiroga in the past, as well as Papaloukas, Tiago Splitter, and Nikola Pekovic now are less and less likely to jump ship.

I mean, if Scola and Navarro had stayed in Europe this last season, and Rudy Fernandez this season, would they have been as tempted to jump to the NBA next season?

Probably much less likely with what has happened this summer, the NBA's reputation as the basketball end-all is certainly tarnished. The US had better win the gold this summer to stop the bleeding...

Stuart

[JGX]

What I think you will mainly see is a lot of players and agents using the European option as leverage in negotiations with NBA teams, rather than actually going overseas.

A big problem for European teams is their reputation in the US for not living up to their contracts--if Childress comes back from Greece with stories of not being paid in full and on time, that will put a stop to American NBA players going overseas pretty quickly.

[alermac]

Nice link here, especially this parts:

"it's not hard to see the incentive for European teams on the financials alone: Pay $300,000 to a potential first-round pick for a year, put a $500,000 buyout stipulation into the contract, and then turn a $200,000 profit while also filling a position for a year."

"So the European teams can sign 18-year-old players for a year, give them some experience in a pro environment, and both sides make money in the process. Everybody wins.

But the NCAA and NBA both lose big. One reason the league put in the age-19 rule is that it loves the free publicity it gets from having its player perform at the NCAA level before turning pro."

"They may lose even bigger than anyone thought, actually, because here's the part that nobody's thinking about: There's no rule that a player has to turn 18 before signing in Europe."

"imagine the next LeBron-esque basketball prodigy as a 15-year-old being approached by a team in, say, Barcelona or Rome or Athens. Imagine the sales pitch:

"Son, you can play for free for the next four years, make huge bucks for some college without ever being a paid a cent, and finally jump to the NBA at age 19 ... or you can play professionally right now, and we'll pay you millions of dollars and help you take care of your family immediately, and when you aren't playing your two games a week you can hang out at our topless Mediterranean beaches and sip a cappuccino. This isn't 1950 — we have McDonald's and iPods and malls just like the U.S., and half the people here speak English. And did I mention the topless beaches?"

In fact, if somebody with half a brain were running the European leagues as an entity instead of a series of loosely connected individual fiefdoms, they'd already be canvassing every All-American team in the country looking to establish themselves as a rival major league by inking a bunch of the best teenaged American players to long-term deals."

[CG]

plus DD (common Dimitrios Diamantidis) player of the Greek NT for the non europe friends has claimed many times that he doesnt like the idea of playing there.Some weeks ago Spurs watched in the preOlympic tournament Spanoulis but they confirmed that it is very difficult to come back.Here in Greece most of us know that he doenst want to hear about it.The same occur about many players also.Not only in NBA level but also in younger level for example NCAA.They reject not only to go to the colleagues in order to develope themselves and hope they will attract an NBA team someday but also they return from there because they are sicked with the life or i dont know why like Marios Matalon which left his colleague in order to join a small team in Greece Kolossos Rodou..People in Europe start to rethink the idea of living there instead, and nearby of their homes.
Now just think if Euroleague get more strenth and reach the level of Champions League of football in Europe..and i dont mean the economic factor who will be huge but also develope their marketing as they started last year with China and some other countries in Asia..

"NBA is the king but a prince has just born.Maybe he will never be a king but surely neither the King will remain the same.."

[T.W.Is.M.]

It looks like a trend is starting. Another reason is that the financial gap between star players and mid-level ones is increasing. The Hawks could give a raise 2 Josh Smith or Joe Johnson but couldn't make a respectively good offer 2 Childress. Miami would give Wade the maximum mcontract, but couldn't give a raise 2 Ricky Davis(who was said 2 b Olympiacos' alternative if Childress didn't sign).The same would apply 2 other teams too. So it's easier 4 europeans 2 offer larger contracts 2 players that could b stars here.
As my friend crazy green says above, a new prince is born;he won't make it 2 become a king, but the king will not b the same either.

[joesmoove059]

D Wade and J Kidd

there are rumors that DWade and JKidd will be playing in europe..
is it true??
I wonder how would it affect the NBA and their respective ball clubs, IF it is true..

[LuDux]

there are rumors that DWade and JKidd will be playing in europe..
is it true??
I wonder how would it affect the NBA and their respective ball clubs, IF it is true..

Jason Kidd — who’s a free agent next summer — spoke on going overseas: “In the next four or five years, could I end up playing over there? Hey, why wouldn’t I play in Italy or somewhere? That might be a great experience. It’s a legitimate option now with Childress going over there.”

[Digdis]

I think we can all agree that the main reason for NBA (or potential NBA) players moving to Europe is economical. But I'm not sure that the main reason is the decline of the US economy comparing to the European one. I believe that the main reason is the fact that most of the top European clubs are not intended to become profitable at any point. While there are some losing clubs in the NBA as well, I believe most of their owners do think business. This causes a situation where European clubs offer players high offers whose financial reasoning is questionable. True - there are many other reasons for these offers (prestige, money laundering, ego etc.), but they are beyond the financial scope.

[BBallfanJ]

The Chicago Daily Herald is reporting that CSKA Moscow is apparently in negotiations with Chicago Bulls restricted free agent, Ben Gordon. The offer is a one year deal at about $5.5 million US. Bulls one-year qualifying offer is $6.5 mil.

[mvblair]

The Chicago Daily Herald is reporting that CSKA Moscow is apparently in negotiations with Chicago Bulls restricted free agent, Ben Gordon. The offer is a one year deal at about $5.5 million US. Bulls one-year qualifying offer is $6.5 mil.

Wow. That would be another blow to the NBA. I don't know what the tax situation for him will be in Russia, but it must be good because he's obviously seriously considering the offer.

But...if he wants playing time, he should not take the job. CSKA already has Holden and Planicic, both wonderful guards. And Langdon and Zisis. I can't imagine why they'd offer 6.5 to another guard...

[damelo]

To impress, amongst the top 4 Russian teams, they were the less impressive in recruitment.
Amongst top Euro teams, one of the few who had nothing to deal with the NBA, to retain someone or to hire NBA player. So, now, they show off!

[mvblair]

Wetzel makes some good points in this article about NBA players going to the Old World. Wetzel is implying that players are going to play where the most money can be made. He's absolutely right. Click the link for the whole article.

Kobe Can Turn to Beckham for Advice -- By Dan Wetzel, Yahoo! Sports, September 3, 2008

CARSON, Calif. – When he faces the most controversial decision of his career over the next few years, Kobe Bryant could find advice and inspiration from an unexpected source.

David Beckham.

Bryant, the Los Angeles Lakers superstar, has stated his intention to test the waters in Europe at the end of his current deal in 2011 and indicated he may be prepared to walk away from the NBA and seek a lucrative contract across the Atlantic.

NBA players have made the switch to Europe before. Dominique Wilkins did it in the 1990s and 2004 lottery pick Josh Childress left the Atlanta Hawks this summer to play in Greece.

However, if Bryant was to make the same move it would be a truly ground-breaking development, a global icon stepping into the unknown and potentially spawning a seismic change in the established order of North American professional basketball.

The only sporting parallel that can realistically be drawn is with Beckham...

“People respect and love talented sportsmen and Kobe is obviously very talented,” Beckham said. “Without a doubt, you always gain from traveling to different places and different countries in the world and experiencing a new way of living and a new environment.

“I have done that, gone through it with my family which is nice, and I have enjoyed it. I can recommend it.

...A soccer fanatic after spending much of his young life in Italy where his father Joe played pro ball, Bryant remained in contact with Beckham, who was a regular spectator at Lakers home games with his eldest son Brooklyn.

...Like the English star midfielder, Bryant has seen his popularity spread far beyond the United States. The 30-year-old, however, is far more beloved outside his homeland.

Bryant’s decision whether to leave the NBA may be further swayed by the reception he received at the Olympic Games in Beijing. LeBron James and the other stars of the Redeem Team were relegated to a supporting role among the local fans because only one man grabbed the attention of the Chinese public.

...Either way, the issue of Europe is guaranteed to provide Bryant with food for thought and generate huge interest. Only he and perhaps a handful of people close to him know for sure how serious he is about playing in Europe, but by bringing the issue out into the open, Bryant has European clubs and their mega-wealthy owners salivating and preparing to crack open their checkbooks.


When decision time comes, he will be fielding contract offers worth tens of millions of dollars. With no salary caps in European basketball leagues, there is potentially no limit to Bryant’s earning power. In the NBA, all he can get is the maximum salary.

Bryant wasn’t supportive of the salary structure the NBA created during the 1999 collective bargaining agreement negotiations because he knew it could impinge, as it has, on his future earnings. But even though the CBA is again up for review in 2011, it is unlikely to change significantly.

However, Childress got the imagination of Bryant (and James) spinning into overdrive this summer when he inked a $20 million, three-year contract with Olympiakos. If Childress – a solid but unspectacular performer for the Hawks – could command that much, what about a genuine icon of the game?

A contract worth $50 million a year – or Beckham-style earnings – would not be out of the question for Bryant.

I'm not sure what European club is going have $50 million a year for any player, especially a 34-year-old, but the thoughts are interesting. It's only a matter of time, I think, before a player of Kobe or LeBron or Iverson's stature signs with a team overseas.