Outsourcing in Professional Basketball

With more and more stars coming into the NBA I believe that many more players will choose a path that will take their career overseas.  As younger more athletic players come into the league, the older road trodden players will have less opportunities, as well some back up players.  I believe that in the following years that the opportunity will arise for many players to chase their hoop dreams overseas.

Derick Rose,  Michael Beasley, OJ Mayo.  These are all names of young stars with bright futures that only came into the league this past year in the draft.  Who will these players replace and what will happen to these people that they did replace?  I believe that what will begin to happen is that older veteran players who are not resigned in the dwindling years of their careers, but not quite ready to retire will choose to take a large contract in a European League, and play out their remaining years there.  It makes sense financially and personally for a player who is not ready to retire.  Teams in Europe are willing to offer former NBA players huge checks in hopes of luring a new audience into stadiums and arenas throughout Europe and even creating a better wave of future NBA stars for the future by getting younger audiences interested in basketball with these players.

Josh Childress also set the record for what I think most above average bench players will be doing for years to come.  In college Childress was a star but when he was drafted he never really turned into the all start that many teams had hoped he would be.  He was a 6th man for the Atlanta Hawks up until this past year in which he choose to not resign with the club.  Now he has the chance to be an All star.  He will be playing in a league where most of the talent is not near that of the NBA's.  It was also a very good business decision for him to because he has the chance to go and showcase his talents and train for the next three years, and then still have the possibility of coming back and playing in the NBA.  I just want to leave you with last thought.  With all the rumors flying around about where Lebron James will land in 2010, it has been reported that some King James would be willing to play in Europe for $50 million a year.  I would not put it past some of these clubs to pay him this sum in hoops of luring the worlds best basketball player away from the NBA.

Chris Moore

Comments

[Stevens Amidon]

I agree with you that many of the mid-level players will go overseas to play professional basketball, but I don't think the top players will leave the NBA. These top flight players have to much pride and want to go down in the history books as the greatest ever to play. The few million extra dollars that these players can make will not draw them out of the U.S. because you can't become the greatest playing overseas.

KJR