Over on Yahoo, Adrian Wojnarowski is reporting that Josh Childress is seriously considering an offer from ‘Greek powerhouse’ Olympiakos. The offer is being reported as 3 years for $20 million. Generally you see an agent use other teams to create leverage for a good deal. Josh Childress’ has used Europe. You know what that means?
The Euro Movement is on.
Yes the Euro Movement (which is in no way related to the Hyphy Movement, thanks for asking). It has been a hit this summer, somewhere between Katy Perry and Nas. We’ve seen players spurning the NBA to go overseas. Granted the majority of said moves have been made by Europeans, but its still been a nice sized wave leaving the states. Those who have made the move thus far are Juan Carlos Navarro, Bostjan Nachbar, Carlos Delfino and Primoz Brezec off the top of my head. With the exception of Navarro, no one really made that big of a hub-ub about these moves. Many thought they were in the right to go overseas and get money and a role they were unlikely to see in the NBA. The majority thought was ‘Kudos to you Europeans’ even though I know at least 10 people who thought all the names above me were terrible and shouldn’t have been in the NBA in the first place.
(Yes they’re all under 19 and yes they get all their basketball knowledge from NBA Live)
Hell…Blazer fans were dripped in sweat for a while wondering if Rudy Fernandez would abandon the money and come over to America. Thankfully he did, unfortunately we can’t ship Sergio in his place. The Euro dilemma is still there with Koponen.
And then Brandon Jennings decided to go to Europe to better prepare himself for the NBA…I mean he went over to Europe to ‘study abroad’. And by that I mean he went over to Europe because he couldn’t get into college. He’s signed a “multi-million’ dollar deal already which beats the hell out of lugging around books, pretending to go to class and living in Tucson. Ever since the NBA instituted the ‘one year out of high school’ rule, great players became designated as ‘one and done’. Jennings didn’t get that chance so he said screw it and went to Rome.
So Europeans shunning the NBA for Euro-ball….check.
A college freshman shunning the NCAA process completely for Euro-ball….check.
Now a restricted free agent, rotation player on a playoff team potentially shunning the NBA for Euro-ball.
Wait. Let me clarify that. An American born, American bred player going to play Euro-ball. And we’re not talking Trajan Langdon here. We’re not talking about someone in the twilight of his playing days, trying to hold on to a couple more memories (I’m looking at you Michael Cooper, George Gervin and Rick Mahorn). We’re talking about a rotation player on a playoff team potentially waving bye-bye. A guy in the prime of his career who is having success in the NBA who may just leave.
Now that’s significant if you ask me. Perhaps more significant than I can fully wrap my brain around right now. It’s not the end of the world…but if Qyntel Woods and Josh Childress are getting millions to play in Europe, somewhere there are basketball players giving a much more serious thought to Europe.
Will this alter the American dream of people dreaming to get to the NBA? I’m no genie. Entirely too early to make that kind of judgment. I’m not Skip Bayless. But Childress leaving will cause a slight ripple. The kind where you forget to call your girlfriend one night and it’s forgotten, but then 10 months later when she’s leaving you she brings it up. That kind of ripple.
My opinion? Childress should take the money and run. He’s not going to get that kind of offer from the Hawks or anyone anytime soon. The offer even includes the chance to return back to the NBA over the next two summers, so worst case he can take a vacation, play a shorter season, get paid and then come back when he wants.