When Deron Williams signed a tentative $5 million deal with Turkish club Besiktas, most praised him for his audacity to stand up against the NBA. However, after hearing Lance Allred’s side, Besiktas doesn’t look like such an attractive option.
Allred, an American player who has played in 15 countries (including the Cavs of the NBA), claims that Williams is in for a rough time in Turkey. Apparently, players’ contracts are guaranteed only in name. Money is an issue a lot of the time for most players; Allred recounts a time in which he was “guaranteed” 160,000 dollars from an Italian team, never to receive it.
Allred adds that European coaches are “controlling” and unlikely to let Deron have control of an entire offense. That’s something imperative for Deron at any level – certainly when playing for a team that has a dearth of talent in comparison.
After reading this article, I’m not sure that Deron’s decision was as clever as I thought. It goes to show us that the NBA’s working conditions (when they’re working) are quite good. However, the NBA is in the middle of a labor strife in which the players and the owners are complaining, while the league loses players to Europe… The irony.
