Houston Rockets forward Chase Budinger following the NBA lockout very closely
NBA players are nowadays on pins and needles and rightfully so, as the first two weeks of regular season have already been terminated and with every passing day, the chances of whole season getting cancelled are heightening.
Players are bent to pursue overseas opportunity and one after the other; they are departing out of NBA to do so.
With the involvement of federal mediator George Cohen, it was expected that a deal between both parties would be reached soon but unfortunately things still don’t look too good and the league is on the verge of cancelling two more
seasons.
In the absence of the NBA season, most of the NBA players have been trying to keep themselves fit by taking part in the pro-am games or carrying workouts in private facilities.
Houston Rockets forward Chase Budinger has also been spending the extend offseason working out. However, the 23 year centre wants to return to the league action at the earliest;
"We're definitely itching to get back out on the court and play” Budinger said after watching a Arizona Wildcats practice at Richard Jefferson Gym. Budinger has two more seasons left with Rockets that guarantees him $884,293 this
season and $942,293 next season. After that, he will have the leverage to be free agent.
The concerning point for him is that the leverage might be minimized after the labour dispute ends, depending on what players and NBA ultimately place in a new collective bargaining agreement.
"Whatever this new agreement is, it will really affect me," Budinger said. "The owners are sticking to the deal they want to have and they haven't done any give and take, and the players aren't going to take what they're giving.
It's a standoff right now."
Budinger hails from Arizona. After representing Arizona Wildcats in his freshman season and averaging 15.5 points, he declared himself for the NBA draft. Things however did not work out that time and after again declaring himself
for the draft in 2008-09 season, he was selected by Detroit Pistons and almost immediately traded to Houston Rockets.
His first two years with Rockets have not been fruitful yet, but he is improving with experience. As the things stand now in the labour dispute, he will have to wait for a little while to showcase his talent in the league; however
his next few days are loaded with basketball action. Budinger and his other former Arizonian team mates are expected to return to University of Arizona where they will be participating in the annual Red-Blue game in which he along with Derrick Williams will
be placed in the McKale Centre ring of honour.
Other former Arizona players scheduled to feature in the game are Joseph Blair, Channing Frye, Andre Iguodala, Richard Jefferson, Corey Williams and Jordan Hill.
Tags: