Overseas teams throw wrinkle into NBA free agency
At the Rocky Mountain Revue on Tuesday night, I ran into Atlanta Hawks vice president of public relations Arthur Triche.
I've known Triche for a long time, so I congratulated him on the Hawks' run to the playoffs and outstanding first-round series against the Celtics.
He thanked me and then joked about the Hawks' next task: getting some players re-signed. I knew he was talking about Josh Childress, whose agent had just announced that his client was headed overseas for contract discussions with the Greek club Olympiakos.
I told him that Childress probably just wanted an expenses-paid vacation to Greece and he would be be returning to Atlanta shortly to sign a new contract with the Hawks.
Wrong.
Childress signed a three-year deal with Olympiakos on Thursday. His agent claims the contract will be worth $20 million after taxes -- big money for the owner of one of the oddest-looking jump shots in the NBA and the fourth- or fifth-best player on a team that was the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference.
About the same time Childress was announcing his deal, the agent for Houston forward Carl Landry said his client would consider going overseas if the Rockets don't increase their contract offer to him.
Landry is a nice player. He averaged 8.1 points and 4.9 rebounds during as a rookie. During the playoffs against the Jazz, he reminded me of Paul Millsap, only a little more versatile on offense. In my mind, Landry should command as much money as Childress on the open market, whether it's in the NBA or overseas.
In the wake of Childress' signing and the talk of Landry going overseas, however, something that Jazz hopeful Britton Johnsen told me this week at the Revue keeps resonating.
Johnsen, the former University of Utah star, has spent the last three seasons in Spain, France and Turkey. He told me the Istanbul-based Turkish team was the only one that paid him all of his money.
It's something Childress, Landry and other players thinking about trading an NBA career for one overseas should consider before they sign on the dotted line.
Speaking of signing with a foreign team, colleague Mike Lewis is covering the U.S. Olympic team's training camp in Las Vegas. He sent word that the Lakers' Kobe Bryant said he'd consider it.
At first, Bryant said the price would "$50 million for two years." A day later, he said, "I obviously was joking about $50 million for two years. Realistically, I'd said say about $120 million for three."
He continued: "For players, the free agency market . . . has now been expanded because you're not only looking at teams in the NBA. Now you're also looking at competition and challenge from abroad. And they don't have the same rules and stipulations on offering players money. So free agency has kind of opened up a bit."
Agreed, but only if players always get all the money they think they are going to get.
-- Steve Luhm
I've known Triche for a long time, so I congratulated him on the Hawks' run to the playoffs and outstanding first-round series against the Celtics.
He thanked me and then joked about the Hawks' next task: getting some players re-signed. I knew he was talking about Josh Childress, whose agent had just announced that his client was headed overseas for contract discussions with the Greek club Olympiakos.
I told him that Childress probably just wanted an expenses-paid vacation to Greece and he would be be returning to Atlanta shortly to sign a new contract with the Hawks.
Wrong.
Childress signed a three-year deal with Olympiakos on Thursday. His agent claims the contract will be worth $20 million after taxes -- big money for the owner of one of the oddest-looking jump shots in the NBA and the fourth- or fifth-best player on a team that was the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference.
About the same time Childress was announcing his deal, the agent for Houston forward Carl Landry said his client would consider going overseas if the Rockets don't increase their contract offer to him.
Landry is a nice player. He averaged 8.1 points and 4.9 rebounds during as a rookie. During the playoffs against the Jazz, he reminded me of Paul Millsap, only a little more versatile on offense. In my mind, Landry should command as much money as Childress on the open market, whether it's in the NBA or overseas.
In the wake of Childress' signing and the talk of Landry going overseas, however, something that Jazz hopeful Britton Johnsen told me this week at the Revue keeps resonating.
Johnsen, the former University of Utah star, has spent the last three seasons in Spain, France and Turkey. He told me the Istanbul-based Turkish team was the only one that paid him all of his money.
It's something Childress, Landry and other players thinking about trading an NBA career for one overseas should consider before they sign on the dotted line.
Speaking of signing with a foreign team, colleague Mike Lewis is covering the U.S. Olympic team's training camp in Las Vegas. He sent word that the Lakers' Kobe Bryant said he'd consider it.
At first, Bryant said the price would "$50 million for two years." A day later, he said, "I obviously was joking about $50 million for two years. Realistically, I'd said say about $120 million for three."
He continued: "For players, the free agency market . . . has now been expanded because you're not only looking at teams in the NBA. Now you're also looking at competition and challenge from abroad. And they don't have the same rules and stipulations on offering players money. So free agency has kind of opened up a bit."
Agreed, but only if players always get all the money they think they are going to get.
-- Steve Luhm
6:23 PM
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