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Its gonna happen more and more.
http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sp...ks_greece.html
Childress leaving Hawks to join Greek franchise
Restricted free agent confirms signing with Olympiakos of Greece
By SEKOU SMITH
The Atlanta Journal-Cons ution
Published on: 07/23/08
Atlanta Hawks fans won't have to fret over the fate of restricted free agent swingman Josh Childress anymore.
That's because Childress is no longer a Hawk. He said he agreed to terms Wednesday morning on a three-year contract with Olympiakos of Greece that is worth far more than $20 million initially reported.
"It's official, I just signed," Childress said by phone Wednesday morning from Athens, where he and agent Jim Tanner will be until Friday. "I think it was . . . a situation where I didn't know who to expect coming in, coming over to Athens. But it's a great city and a great organization. They do whatever they can to make you feel at home."
The deal is the most lucrative current contract in European basketball and the biggest in Euroleague history. It's also another step in the globalization of the game, a trend that got a huge boost recently when the top-rated U.S. high school player, California native Brandon Jennings, opted for a contract with an Italian team over playing at Arizona.
Childress' move is a blow to the Hawks, who have no recourse to match an offer made to a restricted free agent by a non-NBA team. The Hawks are also in negotiations with their other restricted free agent, Josh Smith.
The Hawks retain Childress's NBA rights for at least two years, but they lose one of the league's best and most efficient sixth men without immediate compensation. The Hawks, per the rules of restricted free agency, had the right to match any competing offers from NBA teams.
Childress representatives and Hawks officials negotiated for weeks on a contract extension but could never come close to agreeing to terms. The Hawks offered Childress a five-year deal with a starting salary in excess of the mid-level exception of $5.5 million.
But Childress, 25, spurned the Hawks' $33 million offer for a more lucrative deal with Olympiakos.
With no salary cap for European teams, Olympiakos could offer whatever they wanted to entice Childress to leave the NBA for the international game. Childress will, however, have the option of opting out his contract with Olympiakos at the end of each season, which gives Childress maximum flexibility were he to choose to return to the NBA after this season.
Childress's playing time dipped last season by seven minutes, from 36.9 to 29.9 a night, from the previous season. He averaged 11.8 points on 57 percent shooting.
He was one of just six players in the league to average at least 10 points and 4 rebounds while also shooting better than 50 percent (.571) from the floor and making 20 or more 3-pointers. Shawn Marion, Lamar Odom, Mike Miller, Grant Hill and Andre Kirilenko were the others.
In four years with the Hawks, Childress averaged 11.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists as one of the league's best sixth men, he finished sixth in the voting for the Sixth Man award last season.
Chosen by the Hawks with the sixth pick of the 2004 NBA draft, Childress was one of the cornerstone's of a rebuilding effort that also included Smith, picked 17th in that same draft.
They both helped the Hawks end nearly a decade of struggles with the franchise's first postseason bid in nine years, which ended in a Game 7 loss to the eventual NBA champion Boston Celtics in May.
Its gonna happen more and more.
I'm glad the Spurs got their les before the NBA declined into a second-tier league.
what is sad is that high school stars will start going overseas and choose money and pro ball vs college... they can develop there to then be drafted and go tot he NBA...
just the tip of the iceberg.
it's gonna become a " ty" league in world standards. kinda like the MLS
Very interesting.
The MLS is as good as the Mexican League...
Are you sure about that? Think about a BIG SEASON from Jennings and a very BIG offer from Europe: in this scenario (considering that, even IF he's chosen in the top three - not sure about that - he could earn MORE money in Europe than in the first 3-4 NBA years...), he could also decide TO STAY in Europe: I'm Italian,and I ASSURE you, he'll LIKE staing in Rome, A LOT MORE than going in Minneapolis or Memphis (nothing against these two cities, but Rome is another story...). Have you seen Childress: now NOT ONLY European players, but also American ones could prefer to go to Europe and get bigger money: and the escape is not done...knowing Greece and Panathinaikos, they'll not stand without do something when their bigger enemy in the earth (Olympiakos) makes a BIG transaction: PAO could also try to answer...and next year, I'm sure, if this trend goes on (and until salary cap, rookie scale and luxury tax will exsist, this trend WILL go on...don't think about Euro-Dollar exchange: Russia does not have Euro, but bigger players are going there this summer...), MANY OTHER good players will come to Europe. Basket is fastly growing in Europe, and many more great teams will rise on in the future (as Khimki did in the last 2-3 years).
Holy , that's amazing.
Well, that's the decline of the dollar for you. You see this stuff, Budweiser getting bought by a Belgian/Brazilian brewery company. You'll see it more and more. That's what grotesque levels of cutting taxes while vastly increasing spending will do - it devalues the dollar to great levels - not to mention vast discretionary spending on a senseless war.
David Stern must be ting his expensive britches about now.
If I'm a young guy, just the prospect of getting paid to play in Europe would get me moving. As someone said upthread, Atlanta. That town sucks.
Last edited by Mr. Body; 07-23-2008 at 08:54 AM.
remember when Stern wanted NBA to go GLOBAL?
thanks for proving my point. compared to Euros, mexican league is ty
seriously, let's really think about this. the NBA players (current and future) going overseas are getting paid salaries comparable to the NBA but are playing less games to get it. So you're getting more money per game in addition to having certain things paid for (i.e., housing, car, etc.). who wouldn't take this deal??? i'm telling you, the snowball is gaining speed as it goes downhill. NBA going global is NOT going to happen anytime soon. Stern has a serious situation on his hand because his product is about to get ty fast.
Last edited by VaSpursFan; 07-23-2008 at 09:07 AM.
I'm gonna study to be a sports agent to help those H.S kids go to Europe to play ball.
I wonder how many player could go to Europe at the same time with such contracts.
Did Childress get a 3 yr 73 million dollar deal? Just curious.
It's starting to look like all that cap space the Spurs are planning to have in 2010 is going to come with a lot less buying power.
why Childress take the $20 million 3 years offer from Olympiakos over the $35 million 5 years offer from Atlanta?
He got more than 20 million.
Not always. If they prove their worth in their time overseas, they will be offered large contracts. The NBA's rookie scale salary would prevent them from getting a large contract. Meaning they would have to be drafted in the second to be able to be offered a contract that could match. It's not really a good thing.
Euro deal is tax free + other incentives. Atlanta would have to offer over 60 mil to even get close.
well i never said it's a good thing in my post to begin with... but this kind of moves will force the NBA to:
1) Lower the minimum age of a player to be draft eligible
2) Change the rookie minimum salary scale
3) change the draft system and the player rights acquisition
4) re consider the globalization of the NBA as a good thing for the league
the fun is about to start
So a so-so role player from the Atlanta Hawks signs overseas and the league is going to become ty? Man, when you people leap, you leap hard.
plus you get to live in Greece for a few years. Sweet deal all around.
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