The bad economic climate has hurt a lot of players this offseason. Many marquee free agents have had to settle for low contracts and some others have been directly left outside in the cold with training camps already under way. The most storied of them all, with Stephon Marbury’s permission, would be two-time All-Star Jerry Stackhouse, who spent most of his last season in Dallas riding the bench and now finds himself without a team in October.
Needless to say, Stackhouse is none too happy about it.
“I didn’t expect it to go like this, but with this game you never know,” Stackhouse said. “I had a foot injury last season, couldn’t play in many games and now I’m in this situation. This past summer I have been working hard, working out in Atlanta, playing in some summer leagues and getting myself healthy and ready for the season. I’m disappointed because I think I can help a lot of teams.”
While Stackhouse worked out with the Hawks late in the summer – to rave reviews from beat writer Sekou Smith – Atlanta was never a very serious option for him. There was some contact with Houston, according to Stackhouse, but the Tar Heel is mostly looking to join a contender, which obviously the Rockets are not at this point.
“That’s my final goal. I’m trying to catch on with a team that’s close to winning a championship. I think after all my years in Dallas I have proved that I can accept a role and still help a team.”
The 6-foot-6 Stackhouse got close to winning the title in 2006 when the Mavericks blew a 2-0 advantage in the Finals against the Dwyane Wade-led Miami Heat. But he could have had another shot at it had the Hamilton-Stackhouse trade not materialized. To this day, Stack remembers the move with some grief.
“That was kind of a low point for me. I felt like we were building something good in Detroit and I couldn’t finish the work off. I was disappointed, but at the same time I’m a firm believer that things happen for a reason. Maybe if I don’t get traded to Washington then I wouldn’t have had the chance to play with the Mavericks and spend those great years there.
“I still feel like I’m a Piston and also a Maverick because of the great times there. From a winning standpoint, the years in Dallas were the best in my career, but from a personal playing standpoint Detroit was my golden age. I kind of have a chip on my shoulder with that because I think I could have also helped them get over the hump”
Even though not ready to retire, Stackhouse says he’s contemplating some other options for when his playing days are over – mostly broadcasting and coaching.
“I definitely want to be around the game. Being able to be work with young guys and help them develop, I would have a blast doing that.”
Another potential career choice could be singing. With Walter McCarty no longer around, the deep-voiced Stackouse is widely regarded as the best singer in the NBA. He doesn’t rule out the possibility of recording an album.
“Singing? That’s another career opportunity for me right there!” Stackhouse said tongue in cheek. “It’s something I like to do in my off time. And you know, I’ve sung the national anthem on games a couple of times and people would tell me, ‘You should do an album, you should do an album’ … And I may do it. But right now I have a other options first. I want to keep playing. I have something left in the tank.”
How’s been this summer compared to last year’s when you had to deal with all the uncertainty about your future?
Ben Gordon: It’s obviously been a lot more calm and a lot less stressful – just by having clarity with my situation, having signed early in the summer with the Detroit Pistons. Everything in this summer has been about moving forward, making the transition from the city of Chicago to the city of Detroit. That as opposed to last summer, when it was more stressful. There was a whole lot of uncertainty all the way through training camp. This summer has been less stressful.
Did that stress of the summer carry to the regular season?
BG: When the season started, everything was clear. Clarity was brought into the situation: I knew I was going to play on a one-year deal and that was it. The stress I had is the same every basketball player has: To perform well. It was a little bit more hard because it was a one-year deal and I had to worry about being healthy, performing well and trying to get my team to win as many games as possible. There was a little bit more pressure in that aspect, but other than that… The whole thing about the contract… I mean, clarity was there. I knew exactly what I had to do, so it was a little easier because I had the situation cleared up.
Going into free agency, were you expecting to change teams?
BG: After I signed my one-year deal with the Bulls, that same day I knew that could very well be my last year with the team. Or it could be the the start of something new. Going in, I had an attitude that I was going to expect any and everything – whether it be re-signing or moving to a new team and playing with new teammates. I really didn’t believe one thing was going to happen more than the other.
Tell me a little bit about how the free agency process was. Is it true that the Bulls never made an offer?
BG: Yeah, it’s true. You know, I think the level of interest that the Pistons had and they showed was far greater than that of the Bulls. Most teams in that situation, if they want to re-sign a player like myself in the situation I was under, they’d be very clear about it even before free agency started. But as days got closer, I realized the Bulls weren’t interested in re-signing me. Once July 1 came, the feeling I had was true. They didn’t make an offer. I visited Detroit and that evening I pretty much made my mind up that’s where I wanted to be.
Did it make you feel bad that the Bulls, the team you had led in scoring several years, didn’t show more interest in re-signing you?
BG: Yes and no. After being there for five years, I had a great understanding of how the organization operates. I had a better understanding from the inside, that people on the outside don’t see, of how things work. And at the end of the day, it’s a business. Everybody in that position is going to make the decision that they feel is the best business decision. As a basketball player, obviously with everything I’ve done here and the potential of the future with this team, to not be made an offer is kind of a slap in the face. But from a business standpoint, I fully understand why everything happened the way it did. I don’t have any bad feelings. It’s time to move on and start a new chapter in my career.
When you look back at the Chicago years, how do you feel about what you did there?
BG: I feel that we were like a team that was always on the verge of taking the next step and become one of the elite teams. I feel like we always had great talent, but were always missing one or two pieces to get over the hump. We never got over the hump while I was there, so I’m not happy about that. I wish we’d had more success as a team. We could’ve been great if we had one more piece or at least we had kept the teams together. That part of my career is over. I had a good time there playing basketball. I was able to kind of establish myself in the league and I’m grateful for that. But now I’m going forward and my mentality now is, “How can I, with my teammates, get Detroit to a championship level?” It takes a while. It’s not one year or two years. It takes a while, but that’s my new goal.
There’s not much buzz about the Pistons despite having you and Charlie Villanueva on board now. How do you feel about that?
BG: It’s very clear that the position in which Detroit now is a rebuilding stage. If you look at the team all the way back to 2004, when they won the championship, every year since the team has been competitive. Last season, they took a dip. Joe Dumars realized there were some changes that needed to be made. He kept some of the guys of the team that helped win the championship, but all the while it was time to get some new blood and get ready for another run. It’s only right and natural that we’re under the radar right now cause we’ve got to prove ourselves and establish ourselves. It’s not going to happen in one year, like I said. This is something that we’re trying to build over the next few years.
Do you expect your role to be similar to the one you had in Chicago? Got any idea if you’re going to start or come off the bench?
BG: A lot of that comes from the coach. I learned that early. It’s going to be the coach’s decision at the end of the day. I’ve been on teams where I led the team on scoring, but I was coming off the bench. I’ve been on teams where I started. It’s just whatever makes the team better and the coach feels is more helpful for the team. In Detroit, what I’m expecting is to show my overall game a little bit more. Not just be somebody who can score, but also one who can make plays for his teammates and make them better. That’s something I’m looking forward to.
There are many people who feel that you are just a shooter or just a scorer. Does that bother you?
BG: It doesn’t really matter to me. Everybody’s got a role on the team. There are guys out there whose role is to rebound, others whose role is to score points… That doesn’t mean they can’t do other things, but that’s their role on the team and that’s what the team needs them to do to be successful. What I pride myself on as a player is my preparation. Making sure that I do the right things to be in a position to do what’s necessary for the team. I can definitely do a lot more than what I put on display with the Bulls. I’m looking forward to those new opportunities and at the same time become a better overall player.
As one of the top shooters in the game, who do you think are the Top 5 shooters in the NBA? You can pick yourself.
BG: Pure shooters? I’ve had to say Michael Redd, Ray Allen, Jason Kapono, Stojakovic and Dirk Nowitzki. There’s a bunch of great shooters out there, but those can really shoot the ball.
The European Championship began Monday and Britain is playing. Why did you decide to pass on playing for the team?
BG: I made up my mind and I’m definitely on board to play for Great Britain. But I didn’t want to make a commitment as far as when I was going to play till I felt that I was totally committed to that cause. I want to go there when I’m ready and this summer to me was about getting situated and moving from Chicago to Detroit. I wanted to have everything in order in my life before going overseas and representing the country.
They have been shooting a documentary about your life. How did that come up?
BG: It was one of my good friends that I grew up with. He came up with that idea, that we did a documentary. Especially this past season, it was such a big year for me that you kind of wanted to capture that and show what it’s like for a player going into a contract year and then making the transition to a new team. I think is going pretty good so far.
Do you feel comfortable around the cameras?
BG: I feel more comfortable because I’m doing it with one of my childhood friends. Working with him on this makes the whole thing easier for me. Other than that, I don’t want my life to be put in front of the cameras. But with him, it’s easy.
Bostjan Nachbar: Overall it was a great experience. We had a great team, a great coach and we had high goals. The first half of the season was great. We played well. We were doing well in the Russian competition, doing well in the Eurocup… After New Year, as everybody knows, the financial situation got worse, problems started kicking in and there were a lot of players leaving. We lost Hollis Price, Jannero Pargo, Travis Hansen… They started leaving one by one and we didn’t finish well. We missed our goal, which was qualifying for the Euroleague… From a basketball standpoint, otherwise it was great. My season was good. I played well, had no injuries… So that was good. But there was a point where the team was unable to keep paying the players.
Dynamo Moscow owes you money right now?
BN: They still owe like 30-40 percent of my first-year salary. We are in negotiations to get that money. Worst-case scenario, I’m taking it to the court.
How different was the lifestyle you led in Russia compared to the NBA?
BN: It was different. First, there was not a lot of people in the stands. You’re used to playing in front of 15,000 or 20,000 people in the NBA and then you go to Russia and there are games where there’s barely 1,000. That was horrible. It was a big difference. That’s the biggest thing. Second thing, Moscow is very different to New York… Although it was not a bad city. I got used to living there. I got adjusted pretty well. Besides, the team had its own plane and we stayed in good hotels… Some things were good and some other things were not good, but it was a nice experience.
What advice would you give to NBA players thinking about leaving to play in Europe? There’s a rumor about Nate Robinson going to Greece today, for example. What would you say to guys like that?
BN: They have to be careful when choosing the team. That’s the most important thing. When I was choosing Dynamo, I spoke with players that had been there the previous three years and they had no financial problems whatsoever. They were getting paid on time and the club was organized… So when I was in that situation last July, there were no worries about that team having trouble. Anyway, it’s always a little bit of a gamble in Europe because there are not as many laws as you have in the NBA, where every team has a set budget and they know before the season how much money they are going to spend. In Europe, a lot of teams go month by month. They try to get more sponsors, try to get more money, so it’s a little bit of a risky thing. Anyway, I think most of the Euroleague teams, especially the top ones, they are OK. You’re out of trouble. And you’re not going to find much trouble with most teams in Spain, Italy, Greece… They are fine. But especially in Russia this year, a lot of players that went left disappointed because a lot of teams were just not able to fulfill the agreements.
So do you regret your decision a little bit right now?
BN: No, not really because, like I said, when I made the decision last July nobody knew that things were going to turn this bad. Not just in Russia, but all over the world! Look at the economy: How bad it went and how fast. Out of 10 times in the same situation, I would have made the same decision 10 times in a row. The contract was so good, the team was so well put together, the coach was great… It was a no-brainer for me at that time.
You announced on Twitter yesterday that you were going to make a decision on your new team today or so. Have you made a decision already?
BN: I’m really close to signing a contract with Efes Pilsen, the Turkish champion, for one year. They’ve been calling me for the last two weeks and I’ve been postponing it because I was trying to get a good NBA contract. But I don’t want to let go this offer from Efes because financially it was so much stronger than anything in the States, especially with the market in the NBA being so tight this year and good players getting such low contracts. It’s hard to get a long-term, solid contract. So it makes sense for me to wait one more year and go for free agency then. Unless something dramatic happens today, it looks like I’m going to sign with Efes Pilsen.
From the basketball standpoint your first choice was the NBA, though. Right?
BN: Yeah, yeah, of course. When problems started happening in Russia, I spoke to my agents and told them to start looking for a team in the NBA. There was a lot of interest. I had to say probably there was a lot more interest than last summer. Not probably; for sure. There were more teams calling, there were more teams in conversations. But it’s a tight market this summer. As you can see, a lot of teams are saving money for next year’s free agents. So it’s tough to get a long-term deal, which is what I was looking for. You know, a three- or four-year deal that would bring some security. I made my mind that it’s probably the best decision to play here one more year instead of landing just a one-year deal in the NBA. A lot of times, it’s just a matter of timing. Looks like this summer it was a bad time for me to do that.
Can you name any of the NBA teams that were expressing interest?
BN: There were really a lot. I don’t want to put anybody out there on the spot because I was asked not to talk about it. What I can say is, there were teams (interested) that I have played for before and some teams that I haven’t. You can figure out what those are. Let’s say that there were at least 10-15 teams that called last season or this offseason, so there was a lot of interest. But those teams were not able to offer anything at this point. What they were offering, I was not interested in.
You had a very good season with the New Jersey Nets. Why do you think that team was such a good fit for you?
BN: I think I fit in mainly because that team was constructed around Vince Carter, Jason Kidd and Richard Jefferson and they needed someone to come off the bench and bring a spark. And I think that’s a role I fit in perfectly. Most of the games I was coming in when the team was down a little bit. So I came in, made a couple of plays and turned the game around. That was my role and my teammates appreciated that. I felt comfortable and it was a perfect place for me. I was disappointed to see the team fall apart when Jason Kidd got traded, RJ got traded and so on and so on. I always thought that if we had been together for another season, we could have had a chance to go further in the playoffs. But it’s the NBA. Things like that happen.
Why have you decided to play with Slovenia this summer, as opposed to past seasons?
BN: You know, the last couple of seasons I was really tired. Those NBA seasons where I played a lot of games, I was tired and at the same time I wanted to get ready for the following year. I took those two summers off. Prior to that, I think I played five, six or seven summers in a row. I just needed the rest mentally and physically to get back ready for the following season. This season ended early for me and the (Slovenian) Federation was pushing strong to put all the great players together. With such a talented team, it would be a waste not to be with them and win one of the medals. Pretty much all the players that were healthy decided to play this summer and I didn’t want to be the exception, so I accepted the invitation. Hopefully we’ll have a good result.
What would be a realistic goal for the team? You have a shot at the gold medal?
BN: Gold medal is a long shot because we have never made it past the quarter finals. If we make it to the semifinals, that would be great. That would be the best result by far in Slovenian basketball. That’s my focus: To make it to the quarter finals and then make it to the semis. Whatever happens from then on it’s gonna happen. We’d all be happy with that result.
Finally, you’ve dunked on several great players in the NBA. Which dunk was your favorite?
BN: Oh, that’s a tough one. I don’t know. Maybe against Philadelphia, the one against Dalembert. It was a great dunk. My game always was about going aggressive into the basket and if I get fouled, I get fouled. If I dunk, I dunk. But I will always do my best to go strong to the basket.
David Bauman (agent for Andrew Bogut and Predrag Stojakovic): That signing will have a huge impact on the thinking of general managers and agents around the league. No longer will GMs be able to make low offers to players, or threaten them with the “right to match” any offer. Furthermore, when given a choice of the mid-level (roughly $5.5 million, minus 50 percent for taxes, or $2.8 million net) or signing for $5 or $6 million (net of taxes) in Europe, the decision is easy for some players. Furthermore, in Europe the clubs provide plane tickets for family members to visit, nice houses and apartments, luxury cars, schooling for children, and the clubs pay an agents’ fee of up to 10 percent. The time is coming when Europe will be a viable alternative for NBA players, just as David Beckham left England to play in Spain, and then left Spain to play in the MLS.
Bill Neff (agent for Jason Hart and Kevin Ollie): It adds a bit of leverage, for sure. But I will bet any amount of money he does not finish his contract there and returns here. He got more there, but at what price? Will he ultimately be happier? I think not.
Chris Luchey (agent for Wilson Chandler): In my opinion it begins to change the entire dynamics of free agency. Teams being conservative in the past based on restricted free agents will now have a much larger and more efficient threat. How do you match an European offer?
Guy Zucker (agent for Thabo Sefolosha and Ryan Bowen): It means that this has become a truly global market, that is now relevant for a larger number of NBA players, where the NBA is still the biggest but not the only significant player.
Bill McCandless (agent for Mickael Pietrus): Most agents have for some time regarded restricted free agency as an oxymoron. With certain exceptions, restricted free agents have not be truly free. And during a player’s RFA year, it has been historically unlikely that the free agent will be fairly compensated by his team or another team willing to make an offer. But Childress’ willingness to play outside the NBA, in his prime, means that teams may think twice about letting the player dangle all summer long. And now, while Europe might have been an option for Nachbar and other European-born players, it seems that the smartest American players can jump to Europe and make more money.
- Do you see the beginning of a trend here?
DB: The salary cap is only getting tighter… I don’t see a player like Lebron James or Kobe Bryant signing in Europe, but the players who are at the next level down will have some serious options.
BN: I do not necessarily see a trend. It is nice that there is competition for a player’s services since the CBA does not provide it.
CL: The trend is being set that some players may opt for their market value regardless of what league they are in. NBA teams now have to deal with offers from a market that they have no control of. It can reshape the collective bargaining agreement and the free agency market.
GZ: It’s way past the beginning. Players will go where the money is the highest, in general. The trend has more to do with bigger global economic factors – the weakening of the dollar vs. euro and the explosion of energy prices, which benefits Russia, for example – than with basketball factors. Obviously, with more players leaving, it has also become more acceptable to go the foreign route.
BM: Yes, I do see a trend. European teams are getting bigger and bigger budgets, and now have the ability to lure American players to their leagues.
- How big a hit to restricted free agency is this?
DB: In the past, it has always been assumed that restricted free agents were stuck. They either had to take a team’s lowball offer of an extension, get an offer sheet, or sign the qualifying offer and play one more year. Now players can simply sign in Europe and leave their NBA shocked and holding their rights but nothing more. It is interesting to note that I just signed Andrew Bogut to a five-year, $72.5 million contract extension with Milwaukee. The Bucks value Andrew, respected him, and offered him a very fair contract to commit to the Bucks. It is clear that they did not want to leave anything to chance – an offer sheet next summer, Andrew signing the qualifying offer and leaving as an unrestricted free agent, or something as crazy as a huge offer from Europe. But neither Andrew nor I wanted to have to deal with restricted free agency either… The system is overly restricted and it is not allowing the free flow of free agents.
BN: If the management had their way, there would be no free agency so Josh Childress will be a speck on the horizon. I hope he gets all his money there. Very few players do.
CL: I think this move will help several of the free agents available now. Josh Smith, Iguodala and others should benefit from it, in my opinion. I think this move will help several of the free agents available now.
GZ: It’s a significant hit, since restricted free agency is rarely free agency, in reality, if players have only one market to choose from. Now they have better alternatives, in some cases.
BM: I am not sure that every NBA team is shaking in its boots at the prospect of losing its stars, but for mid-level American players and all European players except stars, players who are good rotation players, Europe is a serious option.
- Would you have adviced one of your players to do the same thing Childress did?
DB: My advice to any of my players with respect to contract offers is to weigh the pros and the cons. If a European club makes an offer to one of my NBA players, I would encourage him to look at it seriously. What Lon Babby and Jim Tanner did with Josh Childress was sound advice… They asked him to have an open mind, and by traveling to Greece and seeing the reality over there, he is able to judge their offer both on financial terms and in terms of the reality of what life in Greece would be like.
BN: I certainly would have looked for leverage so they did nothing wrong. I just hope they explained to him that the Greek tax rate is significantly less than our tax rate so he will have substantial taxes here. We live in an irrational market. Chris Duhon can make $6 million while Matt Barnes makes $926,000. In essence, we have a hard cap so I love that they looked around when there was no real competition for his services and as long as he understands these things and still makes an informed decision, more power to him.
CL: I think each specific player and situation is different, depends on the numbers and more importantly the maturity of the player.
GZ: Absolutely yes!
BM: At $21 million, net of taxes, who wouldn’t have advised his client to take a look? The world is getting smaller and smaller, and where would you really rather live: a smaller market U.S. city in the snow belt or Athens?
- What are the main downsides to leaving the NBA for Europe?
DB: The main downsides to leaving the NBA is the quality of play and the lifestyle. The NBA starts training camp in October and the regular season ends in mid-April. Non-playoff teams are done by April 18. The player gets the spring, summer and part of fall to himself. In Europe, the season starts mid-August, and runs through June. That is 10 months! Although the number of games played is less than or equal to the NBA, it is spread out over an additional three months. There are no back-to-back games, rather a maximum of three games per week. Usually, there is one game on a weekend, and one game midweek.
The other aspects are adjusting to a foreign country. Most European players coming to the NBA get homesick, miss their family and friends and hate the food. It takes them about one year to adjust. I think the same can be expected for an American going to Europe, especially a top NBA player who expected to be competing for an NBA championship.
I also think players might experience regret about leaving the comfy confines of the NBA – private planes, four seasons hotels, nice arenas, well-behaved fans, respectful refereeing, and a well-organized league. Europe is Europe – nice for a time, but I don’t know if a top NBA guy – a Childress, Josh Smith, or a Corey Maggette would enjoy it over there. Guys like Bogut, Stojakovic, Radmanovic (who are all my clients) would certainly be able to do it without hesitation because they are international players. But the top American players, I am not sure if that is a recipe for success.
BN: A contract there is not really worth the paper it is written on. Payments can be slow, a coach can change his mind on you after a few games and he will still be restricted when he returns.
CL: I think at the end of the day every American-born basketball player wants to play at the highest level, which is the NBA.
GZ: Much longer season, living further away from home and possibly losing on a potentially bigger NBA deal in the future.
BM: A restricted free agent leaving the NBA will remain a restricted free agent in the future. A year in Europe does not remove the RFA tag.
The bad economic climate has hurt a lot of players this offseason. Many marquee free agents have had to settle for low contracts and some others have been directly left outside in the cold with training camps already under way. The most storied of them all, with Stephon Marbury’s permission, would be two-time All-Star Jerry Stackhouse, who spent most of his last season in Dallas riding the bench and now finds himself without a team in October.
