New Jersey Nets guard Deron Williams is planning to play in Turkey in the fall if the NBA lockout has not yet been settled.
Williams' newly hired agent, Jeff Schwartz, on Thursday confirmed to ESPN The Magazine's Ric Bucher a report from the Turkey-based sports outlet NTV Spor that the All-Star point guard has struck an agreement in principal to play for Besiktas, which is the club that briefly employed Allen Iverson last season.
Williams' deal will be for one year and $5 million, sources told ESPN The Magazine's Chris Broussard.
Besiktas coach Ergin Ataman told the New York Times that the team also has an agreement with Atlanta Hawks center Zaza Pachulia.
Ataman told the newpaper Besiktas isn't done chasing NBA players.
"If there's a possibility, we'll talk with Kobe (Bryant) 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."
...
Sources say Williams would not be required to report to the Turkish club before the end of August or early September and that his deal with them would include an immediate out that allows him to return to the NBA as soon as the work stoppage ends.
http://ken-berger.blogs.cbssports.com/m ... 3/30500923
one prominent NBA agent called foul.
"I don't think he's going overseas," said the agent, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the lockout. "I'll believe that deal when I see it."
...
"The guys I work with in Turkey say there's no chance this is happening," the agent said.
Williams, due to become a free agent in 2012, would stand to make $70 million to $80 million on his next NBA contract -- depending on what the new collective bargaining rules will allow.
"He's going to risk that to make a few million dollars?" the agent said. "What if he gets hurt?"
