Beşiktaş Cola Turka, briefly known as the team employing Allen Iverson (remember him?), has reportedly agreed to terms with another, perhaps more reliable American NBA baller. Turkey-based sports news outlet NTV Spor announced today that Deron Williams of the New Jersey Nets will be joining the TBL club for the 2011-12 with an out clause, should the NBA lockout end.
Williams stands to earn some $16 million with Mikhail Prokhorov’s team, should a season be played.
http://www.ballineurope.com/us-baske...la-turka-4379/
Not likely. USA Basketball has to give him a FIBA release since he's under contract for next year. Very doubtful they'll do that.
The same team rumored to be picking up Vince Carter, now appears to have signed DERON WILLIAMS of the New Jersey Nets. According to BallinEurope.com
why
they are locked out
no contract right now....
owners have less leverage now![]()
The coach of the Turkey team confirmed the contract, so I think it's done.
Also ...
http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/n...ory?id=6745426
Players under contract like Williams would typically need a letter of clearance from FIBA -- the sport's world governing body -- to play anywhere else.
But the NBA Players Association has privately maintained for months that it intends to legally challenge any attempt by the NBA or FIBA to block a player such as Williams from playing elsewhere while the NBA has imposed a work stoppage.
"If they try to stop him," one source said of Williams, "the union will fight it."
there is no NBA. All players including Duncan + Manu can go play anywhere they please
I am actually surprised noone from Europe has got Manu. His experience in Euro play woudl make him top candidate.
There shouldn't be any big problem with Deron playing overseas. Any contractual issue can be easily defeated. The NBA can't stop him from getting a job.
The NBA may on their pants if the union threatens, but doubt the FIBA cares, since there's nothing the players can do to twist the FIBA arm (unlike the NBA). In fact, international players, like Manu, Gasol and Dirk have more leverage on the FIBA than normal NBA players, no matter the superstar status.
manu is getting up there
they know that
If the Nets try to stop him, they forfeit any chance they have of getting him to sign an extension.
Haha, good for Deron. I hope other stars follow suit.
But Manu is better in Parker, didn't you know this ducks?
tp has nothing to do with manu not getting picked up by euro team
Everybody going to play abroad would probably give the players actual leverage and make the lockout last the entire season and thereafter.
There's not enough money or open roster spots overseas to make it that big a deal.
how m uch will he be paid? turkish delight and kebabs?
So a NBA max-worthy star is willing to play for $5 million per season in Turkey? Owners must love that!![]()
I wonder what old Jerry Sloan thinks about this![]()
If he gets injured, he is screwed. Gutsy, but stupid.
You can get away with murder in a euro court.
Keep in mind that their leagues aren't nearly as arduous as the NBA season. Their seasons are about half as long. So while the money isn't great, on a per game basis it isn't bad. It's not about luring top name players away for good, but it's about now there is actually an avenue for players to go overseas in the event of a lockout (or , even if you are a decent player like Childress in a regular year) and still make solid money playing ball. Losing their contract and NBA pay is definitely a hit, but they can withstand it because of this to a certain degree.
I don't think they lose their contract money. They do lose their insurance, I believe.
Which means that if they get injured, they don't get paid (by the NBA-owner team). I could be wrong.
And though the shedule is easier in Europe... the game is very physical there. There won't be much ref protection, and the other players would love to test some NBA player meat and showcase a little.
They lose their NBA contract money when there is a lockout. That is the whole point.
I am curious to know if signing a NBA superstar could be a good financial move for a European team.
A superstar would probably imply more exposition, more merchandising, more ticket sales... I wonder how much money that would generate.
One great thing that might happen with all of this is a real NBA fantasy drat of sorts.
Imagine if all the great stars decide to go and play for a year in Europe. They'd all be FAs and they all know that any money they can get is good money, since the NBA is not paying them.
You could envision a scenario where a bunch of these guys team up with each other to play for a year, kind of like what they want to be able to do in the NBA, but with much more freedom. Imagine the possible storylines, who is playing where, which star is teaming up with what other star and what that tells us about the respect/relationships players develop. Most importantly imagine a Barcelona - CSKA Moscow Euroleague Final with a bunch of NBA stars playing in it. Do the NBA historians remember this as a virtual NBA championship anyway? If LeBron wins an Euroleague where he defeats Kobe, Dirk, Rose, Howard, does that means he proves he can win a champion even if he didn't do it in the NBA?
Would two of the richest European cities in Paris and London create some ad-hoc team sponsored by rich owners, and finally compete in the Euroleague?
I'd love it to be honest. I'd love even more the kind of stuff Bill Simmons would write about this. It might end up being a remarkable season if it happens.
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