Dash Posted July 7, 2011 Report Share Posted July 7, 2011 Deron Williams, the Nets’ star point guard and one of the N.B.A.’s premier players, has an agreement to play in Turkey during the lockout. “We confirm” the contract with Williams, said Ergin Ataman, the coach of the Turkish team Besiktas, in a telephone interview Thursday. Ataman said that the deal should become official in the next 24 hours and that Besiktas’s president, Seref Yalcin, would join Williams for a news conference in the United States next week. The news of Williams’s agreement was first reported by a Turkish television station, NTV Spor, and later confirmed by ESPN.com. Williams, 27, is a two-time All-Star and one of the N.B.A.’s top point guards. He would be the biggest N.B.A. star ever to play overseas in his prime. Besiktas briefly employed Allen Iverson last season, after Iverson, 36, could no longer find a willing employer in the N.B.A. Williams has two years and $34 million left on his contract with the Nets, with an option to terminate next summer. It is unclear what effect his playing for a European team might have on his Nets contract, although Commissioner David Stern has indicated that the league would not stand in the way of players going overseas during a lockout. “If there’s a lockout, the players are free; their contracts are suspended,” Stern said during All-Star weekend in February. “It’s that simple.” In general, the N.B.A. and FIBA have an arrangement that precludes teams in either organization from signing players already under contract. That agreement became moot on July 1, when the N.B.A.’s labor deal expired, and the league locked out its players. But if Williams were injured while playing for Besiktas, it could risk nullification of his Nets contract, according to N.B.A. officials. Williams is expected to report to Besiktas, which is based in Istanbul, on Sept. 1. The season there begins Sept. 27. If the lockout is resolved, Williams would be free to break his contract and return to the N.B.A., Ataman said. Ataman said Zaza Pachulia, who plays for the Atlanta Hawks, also has an agreement to play for Besiktas. And the club is not done recruiting locked-out N.B.A. players, he said. “If there’s a possibility, we’ll talk with Kobe if he’d like to play in Europe with Deron and with other guys to play we can talk with him,” Ataman said. “If Kobe would like to play with us, we will also contact his agent and maybe with him.” http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/08/sports/basketball/deron-williams-reaches-deal-to-play-in-turkey.html And so it begins! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guru Posted July 7, 2011 Report Share Posted July 7, 2011 He better not hurt himself over there. <_< Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Universe Posted July 7, 2011 Report Share Posted July 7, 2011 He better not hurt himself over there. <_<He better come back! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lkr Posted July 7, 2011 Report Share Posted July 7, 2011 If he has success there, would he come back to the Nets? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phightins Posted July 7, 2011 Report Share Posted July 7, 2011 Yes. Same thing happened when the NHL lockout wiped out a full season. Bunch of guys went overseas to play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Universe Posted July 7, 2011 Report Share Posted July 7, 2011 I kinda wish Proky would have worked his magic and gotten some of the Nets together in Russia to build some chemistry on the year off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sun Tzu Posted July 8, 2011 Report Share Posted July 8, 2011 I wonder how he'll do over in Europe. Will he be able to dominate the competition over there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
?QuestionMark? Posted July 8, 2011 Report Share Posted July 8, 2011 If he has success there, would he come back to the Nets? He'd be forced to. He still has a contract with NJ. Besides,he'd make much more money here than overseas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChosenOne Posted July 8, 2011 Report Share Posted July 8, 2011 I hope a couple other players do this shit as well so more perssure gets up on both sides to get this shit done. I personally thought Kobe would be the first to start this but DWill also works. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenneral Posted July 8, 2011 Report Share Posted July 8, 2011 He'd be forced to. He still has a contract with NJ. Besides,he'd make much more money here than overseas.I don't think he'd be forced to come back to the NBA. However if he wanted to come back then he'd have to honor his contract with the Nets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guru Posted July 8, 2011 Report Share Posted July 8, 2011 I don't think he'd be forced to come back to the NBA. However if he wanted to come back then he'd have to honor his contract with the Nets.Haha no he would be forced to come back; unless he wanted to be sued penniless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRV Posted July 8, 2011 Report Share Posted July 8, 2011 Why would he not come back to the NBA? He is in Deron Williams, and this is the NBA. It only makes sense that he would come back. Who would rather play in Turkey than play in the NBA when you are already one of the best PG's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
?QuestionMark? Posted July 9, 2011 Report Share Posted July 9, 2011 I don't think he'd be forced to come back to the NBA. However if he wanted to come back then he'd have to honor his contract with the Nets. Technically he wouldn't be FORCED to come back. But once the lockout ended, his contract with his Euro team would become void and he wouldn't be allowed to play with them. So it's either play for the Nets or not at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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