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NBA odds: Childress may bolt Hawks for Greece
By Jordan WaltersWagerWeb.com Contributing Writer
| Sports Betting at WagerWeb Online Sportsbook |
Unhappy Atlanta Hawks restricted free agent Josh Howard has a three-year, $20 million offer from Olympiakos, a Greek basketball team.
Jim Tanner, Childress' agent, said: "He is definitely considering it. We're here now."
Childress, 25, is flustered with the Hawks’ refusal to make a sign-and-trade deal to another team. In addition, the Euro team also will cover the Greek taxes for Childress, making the offer even more lucrative.
Only the Grizzlies have more than a mid-level exception available and their lack of activity on the free-agent market makes it clear they will not be spending on Childress, who averaged 11.8 points and 4.9 rebounds last season, or any other significant remaining free agents.
The Hawks would have no right to match this offer, so this could lose Childress for nothing. Olympiakos’ offer allow Childress the opportunity to return to the NBA over the next two summers, and the Hawks would maintain his restricted free-agent rights provided they make him a qualifying offer.
The U.S. dollar’s declining value compared to the Euro, coupled with the influx of money from Russian owners into the Euroleague, has now made Europe a much more attractive option for players.
This is of course a negotiating ploy, but it’s an interesting one that could become the future for NBA players who aren’t getting the superstar contracts. For example, Toronto’s Carlos Delfino and New Jersey’s Bostjan Nachbar are reportedly playing in Europe next season because they got better contract offers.
Atlanta may be hesitating to pay Childress until the Hawks get Josh Smith, another restricted free agent, into the fold. All-Star Joe Johnson left no doubt that the club needs to sign both Childress and Smith.
“The rest of the East is loading up and getting ready to chase Boston. And we pushed them as hard as anybody did throughout the playoffs, so we know that we what we're capable of if we play at our peak. But we have to do it from the start. And that means coming to camp with everything in place, guys ready to go and knowing their roles and putting our foot on the gas from the start," Johnson said.
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