But I’m skeptical as to whether these flirtations with foreign leagues will ever lead to short-term flings. Release them from complicated-to-sometimes-oppressive contracts overseas, and many foreign players wouldn’t hesitate to flock to the NBA and the world’s brightest basketball stage. But it simply doesn’t work the other way around, barring very few exceptions. Call it the Stephon Marbury exception.

The reality is the NBA is gone for now, and might not be coming back for awhile. So players are well within their rights – essentially as free agents en masse – to explore their playing options. It could be months or even years before lawyers and federal judges decide the league’s fate in wake of the NBA’s owners and players failing miserably so far to negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement.

So it’s easy to understand where (Dwyane) Wade was coming from when he said this week he will push power agent Henry Thomas to “take a peek” at the Heat star guard’s playing opportunities overseas. Wade turns 30 in two months and will soon join Kobe (Bryant) on the back end of their careers. Despite their immense talent, time isn’t necessarily on their side.

via Michael Wallace of ESPN