Toronto Raptors’ guard Leandro Barbosa considering a move to Brazil – NBA Update
Leandro Barbosa is a talented player. His speed and talent made him standout from a very early age and with time he has established himself as an accomplished 3-point shooter. However, his time in the NBA has not been as productive as his talent would have suggested and after 8 years in the league the player is considering moving back to his native country, Brazil.
Barbosa was drafted 28th overall back in 2003 by the San Antonio Spurs. However, Barbosa never player for the San Antonio franchise as they traded him to the Phoenix Suns for a future, protected, draft pick. Leandro quickly made a name for himself at the Phoenix Suns and enjoyed great success in his rookie year. In the 2006 – 2007 season, Barbosa was superb for the Suns and was recognized for his efforts as he won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award.
In 2010 though, after 7 years with the Phoenix Suns Barbosa was traded to the Toronto Raptors. His time with the Raptors has been somewhat underwhelming as he recorded weak averages for points, 13.3, assists, 2.1, and rebounds, 1.7. Toronto are one of the weakest teams in the league and are currently in the rebuilding phase. Their restructuring and emergence as a legitimate playoff threat can take a long time and apparently Barbosa cannot afford that.
According to sources, Leandro Barbosa’s is considering offers from clubs in Brazil. Leandro enjoys legendary status in his native country and is widely considered the best player of his generation there. The advantages of a move to Brazil are very attractive from a commercial point of view as well.
He has a $7.6 million option for another year at the Toronto Raptors, but Barbosa may turn it down in order to go back to Brazil. His brother, Arturo Barbosa, said in a recent interview that the player had to consider the Brazil option,
“The situation is this: it would not be responsible of me as his brother to not consider the Brazil option,” said Arturo Barbosa. “Leandro loves Toronto he loves the fans and the relationships with everybody, but business is business.”
Arturo pointed to the fact that the financial rewards of such a move could be enormous for Leandro. Leandro enjoys great affection of fans in Brazil and could land some lucrative endorsements if he were to play there, especially in light of future events.
“An athlete’s career is short and there are a lot of sponsorship opportunities [in Brazil] especially with the World Cup in 2014 and the Olympics in 2016.”
If Leandro Barbosa does decide to go back to Brazil, his most likely destination would be Flamengo. Flamengo are an elite club and won the Brazilian Basketball Championship in 2008 and 2009. The club is located at Rio de Janeiro, which is a major city in Brazil.
Toronto could also benefit from Leandro’s departure as it would leave them with a huge hole in their salary cap that they could fill with new talent from the free agency.
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