NBA PM: New CBA Will Impact Championships?
This is one of the biggest roadblocks still standing between the NBA Players and Owners in their ongoing labor dispute. How much freedom will players have to choose their teams, and will the new system rules prevent or make it more difficult for players to chase championships by joining the best teams through free agency? The Dallas Mavericks are on the forefront of that discussion, as one of the league’s perennial big spenders. Stricter salary cap/luxury tax rules would mean the Mavs would have an awfully hard time defending their championship, as they might have to do so without any of their key free agents – Tyson Chandler, Caron Butler and JJ Barea.
HOOPSWORLD caught up with Jason Terry, the Mavericks’ player representative to the players’ union, and he talked about the issues at stake for Dallas, helping his old friend Josh Howard raise money for inner city kids, and more in this exclusive interview:
More Overseas Defections
As HOOPSWORLD’s Alex Kennedy reported this morning, Phoenix Suns point guard Aaron Brooks is the latest NBA player to head overseas. He has reached an agreement to play for the Guangdong Southern Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association, a team that had interest in him largely because he spent several seasons playing with Yao Ming and is therefore a popular player in China. The deal is worth a reported $2 million, and will keep in China until the end of the CBA season in March, with no NBA out.
Brooks is the latest, but he is only one of dozens of NBA players who have already committed to play basketball elsewhere as the lockout presses on. The first high-profile player who signed abroad was New Jersey Nets point guard Deron Williams, who is leading all NBA players in scoring with 21.4 points per game for Besiktas in Turkey. He’s also leading the field in assists, with 6.6 per game. Nicolas Batum, Von Wafer, Sonny Weems and JJ Hickson are all averaging at least 20 points per game for their respective teams. Alexis Ajinca and Ian Mahinmi are tied for the rebounding lead with 13 per game, while Andrei Kirilenko is by far the best shot-blocker with better than three per contest.
If you’re interested in following the day-to-day stats of NBA player in Europe, check out the stats page from our friends at Draft Express. Find that here!
In the mean time, add Luol Deng to the list of players considering overseas options. Stephen Curry and Wesley Matthews are in the news again today, with talk of possibly playing in Europe, but sources close to the situation tell HOOPSWORLD that yesterday’s reports of Dwight Howard possibly going overseas were not accurate. As of now, the Orlando Magic big man will stay here and await the end of the lockout.
Houston Hot Spot
NBA fans in Houston have a chance this weekend to get a quick fix for your NBA jones this weekend, as former Houston Rockets point guard and NBA head coach and GM John Lucas is hosting a charity game that you won’t want to miss.
Derrick Rose is the headliner, with Kevin Durant also likely to attend, while the supporting casts includes a whole host of Rockets. Moses Malone and Robert Horry will be the coaches, and current Rockets Luis Scola, Kyle Lowry and Jonny Flynn will all participate in the game. Other players include, but are not limited to Rashard Lewis, TJ Ford, Michael Beasley, DeAndre Jordan, Kendrick Perkins, James Harden and Daniel Gibson. Also in attendance will be former Rocket and Boston Celtic Purvis Short, who now works in the NBA’s front office under deputy commissioner Adam Silver.
Tickets for this event are just $25, so it’s much more affordable than an NBA game, and it’s being held at Delmar Stadium – 2020 Mangum Road, Houston, 77092. Tickets can be purchased at the door, or you can visit the John Lucas Enterprises website by linking here!
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NBA Chats: There are two chats on the schedule today. Joel Brigham is set to run the point at 1:30PM EST. Joel covers the Chicago Bulls and Eastern Conference. Be sure to get your questions in early. Next, HOOPSWORLD’s publisher Steve Kyler will host his chat at 3:30PM EST. Steve has the latest news regarding the lockout, trade rumors and offseason buzz. Submit your question here. You can always find the upcoming chats here.
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