Deron Williams to Turkey?

http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/nba/ ... id=6745426

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?"

So much for the solidarity amongst players that the union has touted. It certainly doesn't look like everyone is willing to sit out the entire season if it comes to that.

I wonder if his good buddy Dee has anything to do with this.

Not happening but if it ever did in some freakish way, this would make Badger a happy man.

Last edited by Phil89 on Fri Jul 08, 2011 5:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Thank you for posting RealGM's cribbings of the same exact things already in the OP.

I could of sworn this morning when I read that there was on mention of Kobe.

My bad.

It would certainly be a big up for the basketball fans in Europe, but I don't think so.

D-Will to Turkey? a little too early for thanksgiving

He suck.

I am tempted to report your post for violating forum rules, if not it should be considered as one. I'll give it a pass for now.

Not happening

http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/nba/ ... id=6753259

"If the proposal (the owners) have, if that's what they're sticking with and that's what they want, then I think it would be hard for a lot of guys to come back to the NBA," Williams said Friday in an interview at a private golf resort in San Diego.
..
"(Kobe) could go make more money overseas, I guarantee you." said Williams, who has a one-year, $5 million deal with Besiktas. "If (European teams) knew he could be there for a full season, or they knew I could be there for a full season, or they knew LeBron James could be there for a full season, they'll pay more money, of course."
...
"People say, 'Oh, you're going to get hurt,'" Williams said. "I can get hurt playing at (the University of San Diego) or wherever I'm at. I can get hurt walking down these steps. Of course, that's a big part of it. But I also did my due diligence, researched insurance. I'll be covered."

Some have speculated that Williams, who has made more than $40 million over his six-year career, is going overseas because he needs the money. He laughed at that notion.

"It's ridiculous," he said. "We've known this lockout's coming. I have plenty of money saved for the lockout purpose. Now, I don't even need to touch that money. I can invest that money. I can go grow that money. It's not something that's money-driven.

"It's more about the experience. Experience and being able to compete and play basketball. I don't want to sit around. That's what the NBA wants us to do right now. They locked us out of our gyms, they locked us out of facilities. We got to go find somewhere on our own to go hoop, to put games together. I don't have to do that. I've got a team. I'm going to go through organized practices. I'm going to be in game situations. So if the lockout is lifted, I'm going to be ready to play."
...
Williams spoke extensively with his former Utah Jazz teammate Mehmet Okur, who is from Turkey, before making his decision. He also spoke with former University of Illinois teammate Dee Brown, who has played professionally in Turkey. He did not get to speak with Allen Iverson, who played briefly for Besiktas last season.

Williams will take his wife and four kids with him to Istanbul, where the team will provide them with an apartment, a car and personal security.

"It's just different," Williams said. "There is no other time in my career that I'll be able to go live and play in another city, experience a different lifestyle, see new things. I'm looking forward to it."

I think I can partly understand why he signed the contract.
Most likely he'll be a free agent in 2012. Considering he's going for the money he'll sign a long term deal (3-4 years is realistic). To get the most of it he has to play a good (reminder of the lockout shortened) season.
As Nowitzki already have said, you can't afford to miss out the whole offsason and (maybe) the start of the season if you want to stay in good shape. Same for D-Will.

From the Unions point of view this surely is kind of a suckerpunch.

As Woj pointed out in one of his latest columns though, there aren't enough spots to go around and not every player is going to see it as a viable option. The union probably isn't all that thrilled given their "We'll sit out as long as it takes" stance but they're likely not that worried either.

As Woj pointed out in one of his latest columns though, there aren't enough spots to go around and not every player is going to see it as a viable option. The union probably isn't all that thrilled given their "We'll sit out as long as it takes" stance but they're likely not that worried either.

I read about that too. Many European Teams have a more or less complete roster AND most likely lack the money to afford all-star players. I also read in Sekuo Smith's blog that it might be a chance to end the lockout because teams/ team owners might not risk to lose players to injuries overseas or anywhere else.
Maybe it'll help the Union, maybe it won't. As the zen master said: "we'll see", but I still think D-Will kinda jumped the gun...

Perhaps, but then it seems it's really only a backup plan, one that he'll have because he was quick enough to seek out the opportunity before other players jumped on the idea.

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) -- New Jersey Nets point guard Deron Williams says on Twitter that he has officially signed with Turkey's Besiktas.
The All-Star guard has posted a picture of Friday's agreement with Besiktas bearing his signature on his Twitter account.
Williams says on Twitter: "just made it official, headed to Turkey...signed with Besiktas."
Williams averaged 20.1 points and 10.3 assists for the Nets and the Utah Jazz last season.

http://www.nba.com/2011/news/07/16/williams-turkey.ap/index.html

So it's happening?

What happens to the currently voided contract with the Nets when the lock-out's over?

His contract in Turkey has an out, so he comes back and plays for the Nets.

Did these type of deals happen during the 99 lockout? Didn't follow the NBA back then.

Did these type of deals happen during the 99 lockout? Didn't follow the NBA back then.

if im not mistaken that's before the world explosion of basketball so the money wasnt really there to draw anyone.

Now basketball is huge worldwide so...yeah. Thats my guess

Did these type of deals happen during the 99 lockout? Didn't follow the NBA back then.

if im not mistaken that's before the world explosion of basketball so the money wasnt really there to draw anyone.

Now basketball is huge worldwide so...yeah. Thats my guess

Yeah, I don't think the money was there nor the exposure. No one in the NBA really saw Europe as a destination worthy of taking their talent to. But since then, we've seen different World Champions and Olympic Gold Medalists other than the United States and that has led to more exposure of European ball clubs and a general perception that the talent level in Euro leagues are quite high (Not that they weren't back in 99 but just more exposure). And that's why none of these kind of deals back in the day.

Heard Kobe might go to Turkey too. What's with this particular Turkey ball club(s) that's so good for NBA players.

A willingness to pay them a decent amount of money while they wait for the lockout to be resolved.