In what would be a stunning move, Atlanta Hawks forward Josh Childress might be taking his game overseas.
Atlanta Hawks free-agent forward Josh Childress is strongly considering a three-year, $20 million offer from Greek powerhouse Olympiakos, several league sources said Sunday night.
Childress flew to Greece late Sunday and is scheduled to meet with Olympiakos officials on Monday. Childress, 25, is so flustered with the Hawks’ refusal to make a sign-and-trade deal to another team, one source familiar with his thinking believes there’s “better than a 50-50 chance” he’ll sign with Olympiakos. The team also will cover the Greek taxes for Childress, making the offer even more lucrative.
Childress is a restricted free agent, but the Hawks would have no matching rights with a FIBA contract. Olympiakos’ offer also would allow Childress the opportunity to return to the NBA over the next two summers. The Hawks would maintain his restricted free-agent rights provided they make him a qualifying offer.
Childress’ talks with the Hawks have yet to gain traction because Atlanta officials have made it clear their first priority is to resolve negotiations with forward Josh Smith, their other restricted free agent. Privately, Childress has expressed little enthusiasm in returning to play for the organization, sources said.
This news comes as a huge surprise, but it shouldn’t. As the U.S. Dollar continues to fall against the Euro, playing in Europe becomes more and more attractive for U.S. players. This, coupled with the Hawks’ reluctance to negotiate an extension, has Childress looking overseas for a place to play. If he were an unrestricted free agent, he would no doubt have a few mid-level deals (starting at $5.6 million per season) to sort through, but teams are reluctant to sign him to an offer sheet because they think the Hawks would match (and they probably would). It will be interesting to see if this prompts Atlanta to start serious negotiations with the talented forward.
Childress is a highly efficient player, posting a PER of 17.84, which is the ninth-best amongst all qualified small forwards in the league. He has come off the bench for much of his career, but in the Hawks’ playoff series against the Celtics, he was on the court in crunch time.
It would be a blow to the league if he decided to play in Greece.
