What's the deal with European teams trying to take NBA stars?

Question

Is Olympiakos simply paying too much to get Childress? Is it a wise move for him to play against lesser competition in Greece, then try to go back to the NBA? Is this some kind of move like what MLS did with David Beckham? I think Childress would be dumb to take that offer, not on the basis of money, but on the potential for future lucrative NBA contracts.

Answer 1

European teams want to add good NBA players by offering a lot more money than they earn in the NBA.

Olympiakos is paying too much to get Childress.

Answer 2

Euro is a valuable currency and it's getting easier to pry players away from the NBA to play at Europe. The problem with Childress is that he's not yet worthy of a top salary, so besides the Grizzlies, no other team can offer a decent paycheck to him, including the Hawks.

Olympiakos is doing the right thing. If they have money, so spend it. They don't have a salary cap there and if Childress wants to move to Greece, that's his choice.

Answer 3

If they are going to pay a player like him that kind of sallary he should take it. Although i'm sure he won't stay there long. Most african americans don't want to go to a place that is all white(or people of european descent). Other than an entourage if he brings one he's not going to see many people that look like him. Also he's not going to know the language. And he's going to feel like a foreigner the whole d**n time. Of course that's cause he would be one lol. Most nba players would not put up with the c**p foreign players have to put up with when they come here. Most foreign players are the but of jokes by their teamates. And it would be no different there. Just like Yao gets chinese jokes directed at him, an african american player will get jokes especially if he goes over there with that afro lol.

Answer 4

The same deal as NBA teams trying to get European stars. It's called the free market capitalist system at work my friend

Answer 5

I think this signing thing is stupid.  First of all you will be known if you stay in nba starter or bench player.  Second why play in europe, you have to move there and there is no competition there, no offense greece, compared to the nba.  I hope he stays, but lucky for me im not a hawks fan.

Answer 6

They're probably thinking the same thing that we've been trying to do with many of our current major sports for years. We take Japanese baseball stars, European soccer stars, and Canadian hockey players. They want to raise the level of competition in their league, which is a good thing for sports from a worldwide standpoint.

Answer 7

I think that any players that are currently in the NBA would realize after playing in Euroleague that its weak competition.Josh Childress can get money in the NBA and more than five million a year.When a Euroleague team offers him twenty million a year then I would say he should take it.But players want to be in the NBA not just get paid to play.Childress would probably be the MVP over there.

Answer 8

Childress isn't a star player, he is a good, but the NBA takes the best players from overseas all the time (ex.Dirk, Bargani, Peja)

Answer 9

i doubt childress would ever get a lucrative deal. i think the best he will ever get is the MLE or around there. he is not a star player, he is a great bench player and role player, nothing more. he is not the star or the go to guy just a serviceable backup or starter. so if he wants to go to greece, let him. the US dollar is weak anyway.

Answer 10

I don't think this should be an issue. NBA players have migrated to Europe and been successful and enjoyed great careers. I think the fact that their players have been coming to the NBA should offset any players leaving for the European league. Also a lot of these contracts have great buy out clauses so Childress might just want to spend one year in the Euroleague and then test the free agency market in the NBA next year. It could also be used as leverage hoping the Hawks match the offer. Either way so far the elite players (all star caliber) won't leave the NBA all you might see happen is role players and great backups or players who have benefited from having stars on their team move to Europe.

I don't see it as a big deal until a player like Josh Smith leaves the NBA.

Answer 11

that is what happens when leagues have salary caps and revenue sharing.

Answer 12

The European league is obviously not as good as the NBA league so they're trying to steal =D haha maybe that's true. probably not it though