Beware Of Greeks Buying Ballers
Not that it really matters, but Greek basketball is providing a second home for some decent NBA role players.
Greek basketball giants Olympiakos just signed Von Wafer to a $10 million deal over two years. Considering he was making less than $800 grand with Houston, it is simple to see why Von Wafer jumped. The same could be said for Linas Kleiza, who played his college ball at Missou but hails from Lithuania. He netted a two year, $12 million deal. No NBA team, in a smaller salary cap era, can compete.
What does it mean for the NBA? Probably not a lot, although you might see a watering down of a lot of good bench players over the next year. Josh Childress started the European exodus with his deal to Greece. He left the Atlanta Hawks to get big money in Greece. Now the Hawks are back in the playoffs and he is averaging 14 pts a game in Greece. But, he has a hefty bank account.
Von Wafer was a good shooter from distance, averaging 39% from the 3-point line. And if asked to score, he could fill it up. Linas Kleiza was a terrific “7th Man” who could plan multiple positions, decent defense, and shoot from the perimeter. Though the Houston Rockets and Denver Nuggets won’t be seriously impacted, they will lose some valuable contributors.
Can Greece continue to pay over-inflated salaries? Time will tell. The economic woes of the US have more than reached the Grecian shores. I doubt the money will last.
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Tagged with: Atlanta Hawks • basketball • Denver Nuggets • Greek basketball team • Houston Rockets • Josh Childress • Linas Kleiza • NBA • Olympiakos • Von Wafer
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