Deron Williams heading to Turkey?

[Roy H.]

Turkish TV Ntvspor (one of the most efficient sport channels in Turkey) announced few minutes ago that Besiktas agreed to terms with Deron Williams. The American point guard is expected to sign the contract any day and stay in Turkey until the lockout ends.

---------------------------------

Ataman, coach of Besiktas, said, specifically referring to Deron Williams: ''We are in talks with Williams. He is a bigger star than Iverson and would be the best player in Europe.We are are close to an agreement,''he said.

Link.

I'm sure that if we have a protracted lockout, a ton of players will head to Europe.  NHL players did it, and it makes sense for NBA players, too (especially those who didn't save a ton of money).  The only consideration is, is the risk of injury worth the money, especially for free agents like Williams?

Ultimately, the ability of players to earn money abroad is going to be a pretty big leverage factor for the players, in terms of solidifying their ability to sustain a long lockout.

[Rondo2287]

Dang, this is huge news, good for D-will and hopefully all goes well for him over there!

[CelticG1]

Turkish TV Ntvspor (one of the most efficient sport channels in Turkey) announced few minutes ago that Besiktas agreed to terms with Deron Williams. The American point guard is expected to sign the contract any day and stay in Turkey until the lockout ends.

---------------------------------

Ataman, coach of Besiktas, said, specifically referring to Deron Williams: ''We are in talks with Williams. He is a bigger star than Iverson and would be the best player in Europe.We are are close to an agreement,''he said.

Link.

I'm sure that if we have a protracted lockout, a ton of players will head to Europe.  NHL players did it, and it makes sense for NBA players, too (especially those who didn't save a ton of money).  The only consideration is, is the risk of injury worth the money, especially for free agents like Williams?

Ultimately, the ability of players to earn money abroad is going to be a pretty big leverage factor for the players, in terms of solidifying their ability to sustain a long lockout.

Maybe just stating the obvious but the more players that do this, especially star players isn't that just going to push the owners more and more?

Players are going to be at the same amount of risk playing in Europe as they would here. If anything the owners should be scared that their star players are going to get injured right?

[Prof. Clutch]

Ultimately, the ability of players to earn money abroad is going to be a pretty big leverage factor for the players, in terms of solidifying their ability to sustain a long lockout.

This.  TP.

I find this part of the whole lock out ordeal to be very interesting.  If marquee players head over across the seas and find money, popularity, and success it will make the position of the owners a lot more difficult I think.

[KGs Knee]

Well, no better way to stand up to your employer than to find work elsewhere.

I want the NBA back as soon as possible, but fear this may be the only way the owners come off their unreasonable demands.

Just let all the "other" team's players do it, not the C's players.

[Moranis]

Ultimately, the ability of players to earn money abroad is going to be a pretty big leverage factor for the players, in terms of solidifying their ability to sustain a long lockout.

This.  TP.

I find this part of the whole lock out ordeal to be very interesting.  If marquee players head over across the seas and find money, popularity, and success it will make the position of the owners a lot more difficult I think.

Actually it might very well backfire in the negotiations because it shows the NBA is not a monopoly and thus hurts the anti-trust type arguments you see commonly being used by the NFL players in their dispute. 

[Chris]

Well, this still has to be approved by FIBA, and supposedly for them to approve it, they would need to obtain permission from the Nets, since Williams is under contract.  So, unless Prokorov wants to really rile up the other owners, by setting a major precedent that does a lot to hurt their bargaining strength, this won't go through.

On the other hand, letting Williams do this could give the Nets some good will when it comes to getting Williams to resign, and I have a feeling Prokorov is not a fan of the hard liners in this lockout, and could decide to basically tell them to screw off...which could have real implications in the negotiations, although I am not sure whether they would be good or bad for the chances of us seeing the NBA anytime soon.

[KGs Knee]

Well, this still has to be approved by FIBA, and supposedly for them to approve it, they would need to obtain permission from the Nets, since Williams is under contract.  So, unless Prokorov wants to really rile up the other owners, by setting a major precedent that does a lot to hurt their bargaining strength, this won't go through.

On the other hand, letting Williams do this could give the Nets some good will when it comes to getting Williams to resign, and I have a feeling Prokorov is not a fan of the hard liners in this lockout, and could decide to basically tell them to screw off...which could have real implications in the negotiations, although I am not sure whether they would be good or bad for the chances of us seeing the NBA anytime soon.

Thing about this is, if the governing bodies that be choose to prevent this type of move, they open themselves up to lawsuits galore.  It has already been determined in courts that it is illegal to lockout your employees AND prohibit them from seeking other employment during the course of said lockout.  I'm not so sure FIBA,USA Basketball, or the NBA owners want to go down that road.

[Chris]

Well, this still has to be approved by FIBA, and supposedly for them to approve it, they would need to obtain permission from the Nets, since Williams is under contract.  So, unless Prokorov wants to really rile up the other owners, by setting a major precedent that does a lot to hurt their bargaining strength, this won't go through.

On the other hand, letting Williams do this could give the Nets some good will when it comes to getting Williams to resign, and I have a feeling Prokorov is not a fan of the hard liners in this lockout, and could decide to basically tell them to screw off...which could have real implications in the negotiations, although I am not sure whether they would be good or bad for the chances of us seeing the NBA anytime soon.

Thing about this is, if the governing bodies that be choose to prevent this type of move, they open themselves up to lawsuits galore.  It has already been determined in courts that it is illegal to lockout your employees AND prohibit them from seeking other employment during the course of said lockout.  I'm not so sure FIBA,USA Basketball, or the NBA owners want to go down that road.

It will be interesting.  But I am pretty sure NBA owners will do everything they can to prevent this.  And I am not so sure they would lose in court on it. 

This isn't preventing them from seeking other employment, it is preventing them from seeking other employment with organizations that are under the FIBA umbrella.

I also don't think FIBA can stop the Turkish team from signing him.  However, they could essentially bar that team from being part of FIBA if they do.

[Roy H.]

Well, this still has to be approved by FIBA, and supposedly for them to approve it, they would need to obtain permission from the Nets, since Williams is under contract.  So, unless Prokorov wants to really rile up the other owners, by setting a major precedent that does a lot to hurt their bargaining strength, this won't go through.

Interesting.  It's a novel theory of contract, I guess:  we can lock you out, not pay you, etc., but we also can keep you from working elsewhere.  I'm skeptical that interpretation would hold up in court; either there is an enforceable contract between the parties, or there isn't.  That said, I'm not a labor attorney, so who knows?

Here's what David Stern said on the subject fairly recently:

Whether the NBA will try to prevent locked-out players such as Kobe Bryant and Dirk Nowitzki, while still under contract to their NBA teams, from playing abroad during a potential work stoppage

"If, in fact, there's a lockout, then the player is free during the course of the lockout to do what he wants to do if his contract is in effect. I don't want to play that game with anybody. ... If we have a collective bargaining arrangement with the union and there's a lockout, then last time around [in 1998] players were free to do what they're going to do, because they've been locked out."

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=6125242

[StartOrien]

Turkish TV Ntvspor (one of the most efficient sport channels in Turkey) announced few minutes ago that Besiktas agreed to terms with Deron Williams. The American point guard is expected to sign the contract any day and stay in Turkey until the lockout ends.

---------------------------------

Ataman, coach of Besiktas, said, specifically referring to Deron Williams: ''We are in talks with Williams. He is a bigger star than Iverson and would be the best player in Europe.We are are close to an agreement,''he said.

Link.

I'm sure that if we have a protracted lockout, a ton of players will head to Europe.  NHL players did it, and it makes sense for NBA players, too (especially those who didn't save a ton of money).  The only consideration is, is the risk of injury worth the money, especially for free agents like Williams?

Ultimately, the ability of players to earn money abroad is going to be a pretty big leverage factor for the players, in terms of solidifying their ability to sustain a long lockout.

Maybe just stating the obvious but the more players that do this, especially star players isn't that just going to push the owners more and more?

Players are going to be at the same amount of risk playing in Europe as they would here. If anything the owners should be scared that their star players are going to get injured right?

The flip side is that while they have the ability to make money overseas, the money that would be here is still greater.

[Chris]

Well, this still has to be approved by FIBA, and supposedly for them to approve it, they would need to obtain permission from the Nets, since Williams is under contract.  So, unless Prokorov wants to really rile up the other owners, by setting a major precedent that does a lot to hurt their bargaining strength, this won't go through.

Interesting.  It's a novel theory of contract, I guess:  we can lock you out, not pay you, etc., but we also can keep you from working elsewhere.  I'm skeptical that interpretation would hold up in court; either there is an enforceable contract between the parties, or there isn't.  That said, I'm not a labor attorney, so who knows?

Here's what David Stern said on the subject fairly recently:

Whether the NBA will try to prevent locked-out players such as Kobe Bryant and Dirk Nowitzki, while still under contract to their NBA teams, from playing abroad during a potential work stoppage

"If, in fact, there's a lockout, then the player is free during the course of the lockout to do what he wants to do if his contract is in effect. I don't want to play that game with anybody. ... If we have a collective bargaining arrangement with the union and there's a lockout, then last time around [in 1998] players were free to do what they're going to do, because they've been locked out."

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=6125242

Here's the question though.  Can US courts stop FIBA from telling international teams not to sign players?

[Eddie20]

I don't think this is exactly going to open up the floodgates. First, I believe every team in Euroleague has a limit of only 2 American player per team. Next, there isn't that much money overseas. Once teams reach their max spending limit, all the other NBA players that were hesitant in signing will either be on the outside looking in. This is why Williams, and Krstic for that matter, were wise in agreeing to terms early in the lockout. Most importantly, Williams has money to survive a long lockout, but big name signings will hurt the lesser players (minimum to mid-level guys), who simply can't afford being without income as long. These type of signings could result in more pressure by the non-stars to the Players Union to reach a deal, as now the opportunities in Europe dwindle.

[BballTim]

Well, this still has to be approved by FIBA, and supposedly for them to approve it, they would need to obtain permission from the Nets, since Williams is under contract.  So, unless Prokorov wants to really rile up the other owners, by setting a major precedent that does a lot to hurt their bargaining strength, this won't go through.

On the other hand, letting Williams do this could give the Nets some good will when it comes to getting Williams to resign, and I have a feeling Prokorov is not a fan of the hard liners in this lockout, and could decide to basically tell them to screw off...which could have real implications in the negotiations, although I am not sure whether they would be good or bad for the chances of us seeing the NBA anytime soon.

Thing about this is, if the governing bodies that be choose to prevent this type of move, they open themselves up to lawsuits galore.  It has already been determined in courts that it is illegal to lockout your employees AND prohibit them from seeking other employment during the course of said lockout.  I'm not so sure FIBA,USA Basketball, or the NBA owners want to go down that road.

It will be interesting.  But I am pretty sure NBA owners will do everything they can to prevent this.  And I am not so sure they would lose in court on it. 

This isn't preventing them from seeking other employment, it is preventing them from seeking other employment with organizations that are under the FIBA umbrella.

I also don't think FIBA can stop the Turkish team from signing him.  However, they could essentially bar that team from being part of FIBA if they do.

  Wouldn't the length of the contract play into this? He's not signing a contract that would have him play in Europe during the nba season, just a contract that's in effect while the nba is refusing to honor the agreement that they signed with him.

[Mike-Dub]

I've read that the contract would be for $200,000 per month.  If that is the case the only reason for him not to go there is the risk of injury.  

I would like to see more star players go overseas to play so we can still watch the best players in the world along with college  (sucks I don't have NBA TV while at school).

I think this is a good thing for the in there prime or younger stars on the cusp of their prime to do this if they can have an opt out for when the NBA season starts.

The only risk I can really think of is injury.

I just don't want any of the C's starting lineup (including Rondo because of his elbow) to go overseas.  If Rondo's elbow was fine I wouldn't be opposed to it, but the others I'd rather have them rest their legs and not risk the injury.