Joe Alexander Latest Hawks Mini-Camp Participant To Head Overseas

by Kris Willis on Jul 26, 2011 8:18 AM EDT

Joe Alexander becomes the latest player who worked out with the Hawks during their pre-lockout free agent mini camp to announce that he is headed overseas to play next season. According to West Virginia Illustrated, Alexander is headed to BC Krasnye Krylya in Russia.

Alexander revived his career last season while playing for the Texas Legends of the NBA Development League. He averaged 20.2 points and 8.9 rebounds per game last season while earning a trip to the D-League's All-Star Game.

Prior to the lockout, he worked out with several NBA teams including the Hawks during their free agent mini-camp at the end of June. Players at the camp ranged from D-League standouts to undrafted free agents. Alexander reportedly emerged from the camp as a roster possibility at the power forward position for Atlanta but then the lockout came and you know the rest.

Alexander joins other players like David Lighty, Malcolm Thomas, and Jeremy Hazell to choose to make a little cash overseas in hopes of coming back to the NBA once the CBA is worked out. If the NBA finds a way to salvage at least a portion of a season this year, teams are going to find that their options for rounding out rosters are going to be severely limited given the mass exodus of players to Europe and other countries.

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It'll be interesting to see how this all plays out...

are the owners really willing to sacrifice the full season? And if not, how many of these guys have out clauses to come home or perhaps as the horror stories from over there sometimes go, have their franchises go bankrupt and come back because they aren’t getting paid?

http://sportsandgrits.blogspot.com/

by Mr. Sanchez on Jul 26, 2011 10:24 AM EDT reply actions

I plan on writing some about this later

but I think the next big thing to watch is whether or not the union seeks decertification. I am not positive the ramifications of such a move and to whether or not it could speed the process up. Right now I think the owners are dug in and prepared to lose the season if that is what it takes. The players may not be which is why the agents may push for decertification.

Thoughts?

@Kris_Willis

by Kris Willis on Jul 26, 2011 11:08 AM EDT up reply actions

Thoughts? ...

what;‘s the downside to decert? If it’s just the possibility the NBA voids all contracts, call their bluff. The idea that the NBA would retaliate to a decertification by voiding all current contracts is just ridiculous. Sure, the Hawks would love to get out from under Joe’s $100+m remaining. Or Marvin’s deal. But would they sacrifice Al’s and Smoove’s deal to get there? Would they cut Teague free? Would Buss be willing to make Kobe a free agent able to dictate where he goes, and risk him saying screw you and Mike Brown? Or risk Gasol or Bynum deciding they are tired of dealing with him? Would Arison be willing to lose his big three, or Dolan risk losing Carmello to Brooklyn? If the NBA hated the idea that a handful of players would dictate where they go, imagine the nightmare of cutting EVERYONE free. Where does Kevin Durant want to go and who does he bring with him? Could we whisper to Dwight to come back to mama and join Smoove, and Al in a devasting frontcourt reminiscent of his AAU dominance with the Celtics, Smoove, and Randolph Morris?

Plain and simple, if that is the primary risk of decertifying is voiding all contracts, call their bluff cause there’s no way they follow through with that threat. And even if they did, the players would be in an unbelievably powerful bargaining position when things did get settled out.

http://sportsandgrits.blogspot.com/

by Mr. Sanchez on Jul 26, 2011 1:55 PM EDT up reply actions

The challenge in this situation

is for both sides to come out feeling like they won the way the NFL did. I am not sure that is possible. In some regards I agree with Bill Simmons. Make it a 50/50 split and lets go from there but the players are never going to let that happen.

@Kris_Willis

by Kris Willis on Jul 26, 2011 3:04 PM EDT up reply actions

i cannot beleive that for the sake of the game

they cannot come up with something – look at the NFL that league is going to take over eventually. they just get more popular while the NBA shoots itself in the foot – one step forward – two steps back…. did yall see that coaches article on hoopshype? larry drew got a B!!! hahahaa i dont know how seriously that guys grades need to be taken though

by HoopsHighlights&Hope on Jul 26, 2011 12:44 PM EDT reply actions

Eventually?

The NFL is the alpha dog in sports. And nobody is close.

by Jason Walker on Jul 26, 2011 5:04 PM EDT up reply actions

yeah i agree - but to be more clear

eventually football will be like soccer is to most of the world – and basketball will be like bowling or volleyball or curling. . .

by HoopsHighlights&Hope on Jul 26, 2011 7:31 PM EDT up reply actions

Let's hope for the best

It is still relatively early in the cycle of the negotiations for NBA. And the NFL agreement without a doubt raises the pressure and focus on NBA soon. Both sides have to come to their senses, and I am with Kris, a 50-50 deal is fair.

by ATLpaul on Jul 26, 2011 7:41 PM EDT up reply actions

50/50 isn't that fair...

when the players get a 57/43 share now. It’s their work, their sweat, their talents people come to see, “fair” imo sees them bring home an equivalent share to the work put in.

http://sportsandgrits.blogspot.com/

by Mr. Sanchez on Jul 27, 2011 10:16 AM EDT up reply actions

Most NBA clubs are losing money

There is general agreement on that. The amount of money they are losing, there are disputes about it.

My understanding is that players offered 53-47 in their favor, and owners did not blink. The next logical move is for both sides to talk. Compromise and negotiations are what is needed. In today’s world, it seems like getting too attached to one’s position, makes one lose perspective relative to the broader picture. You only need to look at what is happening in Washington to see what speaking big and getting attached to a position costs us.

Basketball is the art. Money is the engine. The point being, at 50-50, it is a good compromise. I won’t argue without players, there is nothing, they are the product. They are the reason I follow. I love Smoove and Lion and Teague and others.

But also let’s understand Stern and the owners are the engines that make the product sell. Don’t see that short. The owners usually have made it big and that counts for something, and now they want to spend money on a passion, I respect that. Let’s for one second forget about ASG (i know that is hard, i have a hard time too). The owners overall, enjoy the game and want to compete.

There has to be compromise. Even at 50-50, I am pretty sure players will make more money than they ever would in China or Europe. Let’s talk that is all we need to do

by ATLpaul on Jul 27, 2011 6:44 PM EDT up reply actions

Point being, the problem of franchises losing money is different from 50/50

the players salaries increase and the league’s revenue increase. The reason franchises are losing money, while the league as a whole sees it’s revenue increase, is a league problem not a player problem. Notice how the only league that has revenue sharing amongst the entirety of TV rights (the NFL) doesn’t have this problem of franchises losing money. The NBA, NHL, MLB, those franchises don’t share the TV money and that leads to league revenues as a whole rising while select franchises turn to toilets. If the owners share their TV revenues, national and local, then everyone can make money even when the players get more than a 50/50 split of overall revenue. But because a couple greedy owners won’t share with their fellow less lucky owners, several lose money.

I prefer the NFL’s style, share money, and let the most successful come from the brightest and most consistently competent leadership, not just the lucky, large markets.

http://sportsandgrits.blogspot.com/

by Mr. Sanchez on Jul 27, 2011 8:08 PM EDT up reply actions

It is a complicated problem

Actually the current TV contract with NBA divides the money equally among teams. That is the ESPN and TNT contract. But I think your point is amongst "entirety" of TV rights. And yes in NBA, teams like Lakers have local broadcast rights that are not currently shared. That could indeed help the weaker clubs if it is shared.

But here is the key point to remember. That current contract TNT-ESPN contract is going to run out in 2016. The general belief is that the new contract will give NBA much more than currently. How does that impact players?

NBA wants to limit money given to players at 2 billion per year, and that is a cap. Now that is a lot. But this past year players made 2.17 billion. Assuming the next TV contract goes up from currently, and it will, the owners would pocket all of the increase.

At the same time, we can agree 2B is a lot. So the question is how much is enough? And somewhere there, are the agents that are egging the players on for more so that they can get more.

IMO, the fair thing is, whatever increase in the new one TV contract in 2016, there should be a share to players. That may make it easier to also achieve agreement.

And rich clubs should support lower paid clubs as part of the local cable agreements they may reach. That all may make a 50-50 division easier reachable.

Well one thing that we as fans have going for us though, are the TNT and ESPNs of the world. The general thinking is that those two make 300-400M per year from advertisers. If there is no NBA next year, that is a huge loss. You have to believe, they will put pressure on owners to reach a contract. They may even help the owners some that way.

by ATLpaul on Jul 27, 2011 9:00 PM EDT up reply actions