FIBA: NBA players can play for other leagues during lockout

NBA players will be allowed to play in FIBA-affiliated leagues during the lockout, FIBA announced in a press release Friday.

"During a lockout NBA players who continue to be under contract with an NBA team are free to play anywhere they want, whether for their national teams and/or for club teams," FIBA said in the statement.

The decision comes with conditions.

"If an NBA player requests to play for a club of a FIBA affiliated league, the NBA will not object but will state that the player will have to return to his NBA team as soon as the lockout ends. Consequently, FIBA will deliver a letter of clearance subject to the receipt of a declaration signed by the player, stating that he will return to his NBA team when the lockout is over," the FIBA statement said.

FIBA secretary general Patrick Baumann, whose organization has a long-standing relationship with the NBA wants the lockout to end.

"As the world governing body for basketball, we strongly hope that the labour dispute will be resolved as soon as possible, and that the NBA season is able to begin as scheduled," Baumann said.

"In view of our role to promote basketball worldwide, we support any player wishing to play the game, wherever and whenever. We do so while obviously taking the interests, rights and obligations of all parties into account."

National Basketball Players Association executive director Billy Hunter applauded the decision.

"The NBPA and our players are gratified by today's announcement by FIBA, although it comes as no surprise," Hunter said in a statement. "We have consistently advised our members that in the event of a lockout they would have the right to be compensated for playing basketball irrespective of whether they were under contract to an NBA team or not.

"We have encouraged all of our players to pursue such opportunities and will continue to do so. In the face of the economic pressure that the NBA has attempted to exert by imposing a lockout, our players are unified and eager to demonstrate that the NBA's tactics will be unsuccessful."

FIBA's decision comes in the wake of NBA players under contract to play in the NBA next season already signing deals with overseas clubs or expressing interest in doing so.

New Jersey Nets point guard Deron Williams agreed to a deal with Turkish club Besiktas, and Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant is scheduled to meet with Besiktas officials in Washington, D.C., according to Besiktas.

Milwaukee Bucks guard Keyon Dooling is also closely looking at playing for a Turkish club if the lockout extends into next season.

The NBA and the players remain far apart on a new collective bargaining agreement, and there is a concern games in the 2011-12 will be lost, just like they were during the 1998-99 lockout, which resulted in a 50-game season for each team.

The two sides are scheduled to meet Monday in New York.

Many players under contract have asked international teams for opt-out clauses in their contracts. But FIBA's declaration that players under contract in the NBA next season must return to the NBA once the lockout ends makes the clause unnecessary.

Boston Celtics 2011 second-round pick, guard E'Twaun Moore recently signed a deal with Italy's Serie A team Benetto Treviso.

Williams, Moore and Denver Nuggets center Timofey Mozgov are among at least three players who will return the NBA when the lockout ends.

However, some free agents decided not to wait out a labor stoppage, signing contracts without an opt-out clause: Former New Jersey Nets guard Sasha Vujacic and ex-Philadelphia 76ers forward in Turkey; Toronto Raptors forward Sonny Weems in Lithuania, ex-Atlanta Hawks center Hilton Armstrong in France, ex-New Orleans Hornets center David Andersen, ex-Charlotte Bobcats guard Garrett Temple and ex-Detroit Pistons forward DaJuan Summers in Italy.

Granted, some of those players might not have latched on with an NBA team next season, but they made a proactive choice to play and get paid.

Now, the question is: How many overseas teams will be willing to sign a player for what could amount to just a handful games? Or, it could be for an entire season, if the lockout forces the league to cancel the 2011-12 season.

But don't expect a flood of NBA players flocking overseas, mostly because there are a finite number of spots, some leagues have a limit on the number of American players a team can have on its roster and not every international team wants to disrupt chemistry for short-term gains.

One country could be a wild card: China. Its season does not begin until December, and some teams might able to get sponsors to lure NBA stars with considerable money.

Agent Lance Young told USA TODAY earlier in July that "You can make almost double in China what you can in Europe. The Chinese league isn't as good of a league. But if it's all about money, you might as well go over there and make as much money as you can."

Agent Bernie Lee, who has worked extensively with foreign teams and has had clients play in China as recently as last season, said, "I can see a number of NBA guys getting attractive offers from Chinese teams that will have those walk-away outs."

There is one more caveat for NBA players to consider: Playing overseas will be at the player's risk, meaning his NBA contract is not insured and if he is injured, his contract could be voided by his NBA club.

"FIBA has stated that it is up to the clubs to decide whether or not they shall sign a waiver clearing them of any responsibility towards the player in case of injury and other reasons preventing him from returning to the NBA and from fulfilling his obligations vis-à-vis his NBA team," the FIBA statement said.