NBA Free Agents 2011: 10 Players Who Could Make More Money Signing Overseas

A few days ago, I wrote about certain NBA players who may not get signed once the season starts back up.

That article nicely dovetails with the following, in which I break down 10 possible candidates who may actually be better off leaving the NBA and venturing overseas.

Obviously, a better talent pool to play in is not one of the reasons. Rather, the foremost incentive for doing so is the opportunity to be more handsomely compensated.

Without a doubt, there are a few players who fall into both categories—those who may not get re-signed/signed by an NBA team and are therefore more apt to take their talents to the overseas market.

From the standpoint of the human ego, there is absolutely no shame in doing so.

First of all, the NBA now serves as an empty vacuum of existence waiting to be regenerated lest the public decides to take a vested interest in a viable alternative like college basketball.

Secondly, despite the (still) marked discrepancy in talent compared to the Association, the overseas-NBA bridge has closed a substantial amount in the last two decades. Case in point: Spain, led by Pau Gasol, almost defeated Team USA in the 2008 Olympic Finals until Kobe Bryant took matters into his own hands in the closing moments.

And thirdly, there is a growing precedent of talented players leaving the NBA nest to play and be financially rewarded for their decision and sacrifice. An example would be Josh Childress, who left the Hawks for a Greek team that signed him to a contract commensurate to the NBA's mid-level exception.

With the NBA's main draws, like Kobe, seriously mulling over offers from China and Turkey in the wake of the lockout, and All-Stars like Tony Parker actually making the jump (to France), it's expected that many more will follow suit for the love of money or basketball.

For the purposes of this article, money will be considered the primary aim—specifically looking at players who can make more by globe-trotting to the other side.

Some should do so because they've worn out their NBA welcome, whereas some should consider it because they'd make a bigger international impact in every way imaginable.

Earl Boykins

Little, old Earl is all of 5' 5", but he has a heart to rival that of any man.

And while a man's heart might take him far, he will be stopped short in his tracks if he isn't at an elite level as far as either skills, athleticism or quickness.

For Earl, the latter attribute kept him in and made him an effective rotation player in the league for years.

Now that he doesn't enjoy that particular edge over fellow NBA competitors, his overall act will seem more novel, and not be deemed a drawback, for a whole new generation of fans overseas.

Also, he is an excellent mid-range shooter who can still be effective in the open court, especially if he's not being stifled by players who are more athletic than he is.

His diminutive stature in the midst of basketball giants will make Boykins a popular commodity in Europe or elsewhere.

The strong-willed underdog will have no trouble amassing new supporters in a marketplace that should have no problem paying him $3 to 4 million per year.

J.J. Barea

You're probably thinking that the Dallas Mavericks, led by their owner Mark Cuban, will at least do a commendable job in trying to keep J.J. Barea stateside after he played the spark plug role so beautifully during their championship run.

Quite frankly, you're probably right, but that doesn't negate the fact that Barea will have just as many suitors overseas.

The Puerto Rican engine of energy prides himself on kick-starting the lackadaisical lulls every team is prone to having from time to time. His flashy, up-tempo game and ability to get the basket, breaking down defenders, will go over well in the finesse-centric international market.

Logically, Barea isn't likely to command more than $5 to 6 million a year in the NBA, a more than feasible sum for any European or Puerto Rican team to match.

Not to mention, J.J. just may be more comfortable playing for a Spanish-speaking team.

Acie Law

Atlanta Hawks point guard Acie Law is an example of someone, like Barea, who should consider leaving the NBA indefinitely on account of financial incentives, even though some teams still might be interested in him.

Law's game doesn't really fit the NBA, however.

He might be a designated point guard, but he lacks a quick step, penetration speed and defensive fortitude.

Not to mention, his main skill—the ability to shoot long balls—has not translated well to the NBA from the college game, where he had screens being incessantly set as a means for him to shoot behind the arc.

Without the little tricks he had at his disposal at Texas A&M, Law lacks the athleticism to rise up and shoot over NBA guards who can easily disrupt his rhythm.

Obviously, it would not behoove an NBA team the effort to bring out the best in Law when there are other, more efficient players who can create on their own and for others.

As a result, Law would thrive as a sharpshooter in Europe, where opposing defenders would not have the reaction time and superior athleticism to offset what he brings to the table.

As of press time, Law has already heeded my advice having joined the KK Partizan team in Belgrade.

Peja Stojakovic

Peja is the quintessential European player who has carved quite the niche for himself in the NBA.

Like Barea, he had a noticeable but supplementary role in helping Dallas win its first NBA title.

Unlike his Puerto Rican teammate, however, the Serbian's best days are behind him. He is no longer a serviceable defender and has lost the all-important step, affecting many facets of his game—one that has become entirely one-dimensional.

No longer quick enough to take a few steps and take a jump shot in the key, or able to be run like a gazelle in transition, the former Sacramento King has two things still going for him: a quick release from long distance and name recognition.

Just making $706,000 in his one-year contract with Dallas this past year, Stojakovic is sure to find European takers who will dole out as much as five times what Cuban paid him.

Vladimir Radmanovic

This Golden State Warrior is another whose game was fashioned after a continent that would love to have his services.

Peja's fellow Serbian could probably find an NBA team to sign him if he looked hard enough, but why bother when teams in his home country can and will appreciate him more?

By appreciation, I'm obviously referring to a lucrative contract for a man whose high-arcing release from behind the arc, as well as a modest ability to finish at the rim, will be accentuated in the topsy-turvy European style of play.

Radmanovic can easily get $3 to 4 million from a European ball club, which isn't any more than an NBA team would be willing to pay him.

With the overseas market burgeoning more than ever, it's time for "Vlad Rad" to rediscover his roots and be lionized like a deity among his European "cohorts," who mostly don't have the cachet of being a former NBA star.

Tracy McGrady

Tracy McGrady was one of the NBA's most marketable talents whose train got derailed following back and knee issues.

As a member of the Raptors, Magic and Rockets, "T-Mac's" individual skills had only one peer in the NBA—Kobe Bryant.

That being said, there is no heartbreak in being outlasted by a peer who has earned the distinction of being one of the greatest to ever play the game.

McGrady's journey doesn't have to end here, though. He can and should resuscitate his career in a market that can maximize his image, if not the man.

If Allen Iverson's name value as one of the top athletes in the world can effectively draw fans in Turkey, there is no reason why McGrady's can't do the same.

Tapping into a market that would readily buy his merchandise, watch him shill his stuff in commercials and pay just to watch him, let alone watch him play, should be taken advantage of.

And to think, McGrady made just a little over $1 million as a Piston last year.

Michael Redd

Move over, Tracy and Allen—you have another perennial All-Star who wants to recline and make himself comfortable on the overseas opportunity tour.

Redd is similar to McGrady in that, if not for a rash of knee injuries, he would still be playing at a high level today, not just on the offensive end, but defensively as well, since being tutored by Kobe in 2008.

Unfortunately, Utopian circumstances elude us all, and when obstacles are put in our way, we must adapt and find a way to surmount them.

No NBA team is going to agree to anything close to the $18.3 million Redd was paid last year for basically sitting on the bench.

At this point in his career, the Buck is looking at a mid-level type of deal that could be easily matched and exceeded by an overseas club who would love to have his uncanny, precise shooting from 23 feet out and beyond.

What Redd has to offer agrees nicely with the European game and promotional apparatus, which would be more than happy to shine a spotlight that might be brighter than the one shone on him during his tenure in the NBA.

Steve Novak

When you hear the name Steve Novak, you don't think of any advertisement sporting his image or any apparel taking advantage of his name value.

But, currently a San Antonio Spur, Novak is one of those guys who subsists under the radar, asking for only rationed opportunity, if need be, to demonstrate his proficiency as a lights-out three-point shooter.

And to be brutally honest, that is all Novak has to offer in a league that requires talent, in the plural rather than the singular sense.

Novak can't play defense, cannot create opportunities for himself and is not a notable passer by any stretch of the imagination.

He does have a high basketball IQ, though, and combined with his ability to stretch the already non-existent defense overseas, he could easily find a home and learn a new language to boot.

And why not?

Considering that it's very plausible that Novak may not be picked up by any NBA team at all, now on the lookout for more versatile players, the overseas option is as good as any.

Sasha Vujacic

Oh yes, who can forget Sasha Vujacic, also known as "The Machine" and most recently as "Mr. Sharapova"?

Obviously, Sasha is already lending his services to a Turkish basketball team. I believe his decision to do so is not yet permanent and is just in response to the NBA lockout, so I'm going to take it one step further and argue that he should stay there.

As is already written in my previous article, "NBA Free Agency 2011: 10 Players Who May Not Get Signed At All," Sasha is one of those players who, once again, cannot make a play for himself or his teammates; in fact, he has been known to make on-court decisions that benefit the opposing team.

His idea of defense involves running around, flailing his arms like a chicken in distress, trying to make up for a fundamental lack of understanding of the game.

Nonetheless, he does have a dependable three-point shot (noticing a pattern here?), and he is engaged to an Eastern European celebrity athlete, who also happens to be a bombshell.

Staying in Turkey or playing in Serbia will suit Sasha like a formfitting turtleneck.

Furthermore, his association with Sharapova will have him looked upon by his European people as one half of celebrity royalty, replacing the roles left behind by David and Victoria Beckham.

Hamed Haddadi

Like Barea, Radmanovic and, to a lesser extent, Law, Haddadi still has a lot of juice to be squeezed, so to speak.

He fulfilled his role as a formidable backup at center for the Memphis Grizzlies in what turned out to be a pleasantly surprising playoff run for them.

From this, it follows that Memphis or another NBA team might even go so far as to offer Haddadi a financially tempting deal, in the range of $4 to 5 million per year.

However, I contend that, although Hamed doesn't have the skills of a prototypical European player (i.e., ability to shoot), it is for that paradoxical reason he would excel overseas.

The Iranian-born seven-footer is an agile, classic center who exemplifies the phrase "one of many cogs of the machine." He helps his team "whir" and serves his purpose in the NBA, but usually in amorphous, indistinguishable form.

Consequently, he would not only stand out but thrive in the international marketplace, where big men with good passing ability can become an invaluable asset.

Until he adds more muscle to his frame and shores up his defensive skills, Haddadi would be better served not only polishing his game overseas but being paid between $5 to 6 million while doing so.