Another Truly Weird Draft Morsel

A bunch of stuff has happened since yesterday morning, but the Hornets selling their pick still haunts me. It also excited me, since it’s the kind of thing that propels the draft into the realm of the absurd.↵
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↵Now, this historic event has a partner in crime. One of my favorite players in this draft is the 18 year-old Congolese phenom Serege Ibaka. Apprently, Ibaka and agent Justin Zanek have found a way to beat the system. According to DraftExpress, Ibaka’s agent has politely insisted a team take him in the second round:
↵↵⇥Ibaka reportedly has an attractive four year contract offer from two separate ACB teams in Spain, which would provide him with a great deal of financial security, and also allow him to develop in a very comfortable environment. The contracts would have an NBA out after two seasons, but with a considerable buyout. Should Ibaka be drafted in the late first round, according to Zanik, “it would be a great burden to him to make the transition to the NBA if he is locked into the first round salary scale.”↵↵

↵Pretty clear what was going on here: Ibaka’s people were hoping he’d move up into the lottery, but that never happened. So he’s going with a hefty overseas contract he’s probably had on the table all along. No one thinks Ibaka is ready to contribute in the NBA yet anyway, and as we learned from Juan Carlos Navarro, sometimes there’s much more money to be had overseas. If anyone were to defy Zanik and take Ibaka in the first, they’d be held hostage for four years. On the other hand, a team taking him in the second round retains his rights and, if they want to bring Ibaka over before 2012, could work out whatever financial arrangment they wanted.↵
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↵Don’t forget: Zanik and Ibaka in 2012.↵