Posted on 28 November 2011. Tags: china, denver-nuggets, during-the-nba, framework, kenyon-martin, nba, new-collective, nuggets
POSTED: 12:53 pm EST November 28, 2011
The Denver Nuggets may find themselves scrambling to assemble a roster for the regular season.A handful of Nuggets players, including Kenyon Martin and J.R. Smith, signed contracts with Chinese teams during the NBA lockout which prohibited them from returning to the U.S. — even in the event of a new collective bargaining agreement.Owners and the players’ union have agreed on the framework for a new CBA, with both sides expected to vote for ratification within the next 7-10 days.The Chinese clubs which own the rights to the Nuggets’ players are reportely not interested in releasing them from their contracts. The deals expire in March, at which time the players could return to the NBA.An official told Yahoo! Sports that “they can play, get paid (in China), and return to NBA in March. Or they can not get paid, and return to NBA in March.”The NBA honors contracts signed by players on international clubs, and likely won’t seek to intervene.
Leave your comments on the news below.
Posted in nba, Uncategorized
Posted on 28 November 2011. Tags: china, chinese, christmas, countries, deals, denver, denver-nuggets, europe, international, nba, nuggets, players, wilson-chandler, yahoo
Read More: J.R. Smith (F – DEN), Kenyon Martin (F – DEN), Wilson Chandler (G – DEN), Denver Nuggets
It turns out that the three free agent Nuggets in China may have bit off more than they could chew. According to Yahoo!’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Chinese Basketball Association has no intention of letting J.R. Smith, Kenyon Martin and Wilson Chandler out of their contracts now that the NBA and the players’ union have reached an agreement to restart the season on Christmas Day.
Unlike some leagues in Europe and other countries that allowed NBA players to negotiate out-clauses into their deals, the CBA steadfastly refused to allow such clauses to be built into the contracts that the three Nuggets signed. There was speculation that the CBA teams of the respective players would waive the Americans if the NBA restarted, thus allowing them to come back to the U.S. freely, but at the moment it appears as if that loophole is off the table.
So, one final question: Why can’t the three Nuggets just up and leave China and come back to the NBA? According to Wojnarowski, the NBA is a member of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and as such they recognize international contracts signed by players in other countries, which most often comes into play when international players are drafted by an NBA team.
As for the future of the Nuggets in China, their contracts expire in March. The three may attempt to hardball their Chinese teams by refusing to play, but Wojnarowski’s source believes that the teams would stand firm, meaning that the players would both not be getting paid and be banned from signing an NBA contract. Worst comes to worst, the three can rejoin the NBA in March, but this is a story that’s surely got many plot twists left in it.
For more on this story, stay with SB Nation Denver. For more on the Denver Nuggets, visit Denver Stiffs.
That’s all the news for today.
Posted in nba, Uncategorized
Posted on 20 November 2011. Tags: already-signed, china, dallas, denver, denver-nuggets, nba, offer-in-season, restricted-free, summer, tyson-chandler, until-the-end, zhejiang
Updated: November 20, 2011, 3:07 AM ET
One NBA star named Chandler is not enough for the Zhejiang Guangsha Lions in China.
Having already signed Denver Nuggets restricted free agent Wilson Chandler, Zhejiang Guangsha has extended an offer to Dallas Mavericks free-agent center Tyson Chandler, according to sources with knowledge of the talks.
Teams in China are permitted, under new league rules enacted for this season, to sign NBA free agents. Chinese teams likewise can’t offer in-season outs to return to the NBA, meaning any player who signs there is obligated to stay there until the end of the Chinese season in March.
Wilson Chandler decided early in the summer that he could live with those terms, but sources told ESPN.com that Tyson Chandler — projected to be one of the top free agents in the NBA along with Nuggets center Nene and New Orleans Hornets forward David West when the 143-day old lockout ends -
That’s all the news for today.
Posted in nba, Uncategorized
Posted on 02 November 2011. Tags: china, chinese, desktop, games, italian, lithuania, nba, politburo, skype, sports, wilson-chandler, zhejiang-golden
Hank Siegel
FOX31 Sports
4:05 p.m. MDT, November 2, 2011
DENVER — The 2011-2012 NBA season was scheduled to begin with the Denver Nuggets opening on the road Thursday at Portland and the home opener here against Golden State on Saturday.
The first two weeks of games have been officially cancelled with more likely to come as wealthy NBA players fight with wealthier NBA owners over piles of gold. Never mind the loss of income to the thousands much, much less-wealthy workers such as employees at the arenas, restaurants, hotels whose livelihood is at least partially dependent on the games being played.
NBA teams have reduced staff and/or asked personnel to take pay cuts.
No problem though for locked-out players who can simply dribble for dollars in various foreign leagues.
Three Nuggets players, Kenyon Martin, J.R. Smith and Wilson Chandler have signed to play in China.
Ty Lawson will play in Lithuania and Danilo Gallinari has rejoined his former Italian team Olimpia Milano. Those two will be free leave their teams and rejoin the NBA when or if the lockout ends.
Although the Chinese Basketball Association prohibits out-clauses, it was revealed today that Smith and Chandler can be released to return to the Nuggets if games are played.
While Smith must be pleased to be earning the very capitalist amount of $3 million playing for the Zhejiang Golden Bulls, he apparently did not take into account that he is playing in a Communist country. He encountered problems concerning his use of social media and web sites: first when attempting to use his Twitter account and then YouTube.
J.R. turns out to be much more adept at breaking through the Chinese firewalls than he is with a pick-and-roll on the hardwood as he circumvented the tweeting screen by sending this message via his Blackberry:
“Dear China, the fact that u won’t let me work my Skype on my desktop or Twitter is really pissing me off.” Then another one: “Not even YouTube, wow this is ass!”
But much like the Politburo of the former Soviet Union, there are some who enjoy certain luxuries that the proletariat do not. The Golden Bulls have hired a cook and two translators especially for J.R. and provided a room especially for the 20 pieces of luggage he brought with him.
Perhaps Mr. Smith is not aware that there are laundries in China.
What are your opinions.
Posted in nba, Uncategorized
Posted on 31 October 2011. Tags: china, chris-tucker, contracts, denver, denver-nuggets, involve-signing, jackie-chan, kenyon-martin, like-the-plot, nba, their-contracts, time
Read More: J.R. Smith (F – DEN), Kenyon Martin (F – DEN), Wilson Chandler (G – DEN), Cleveland Cavaliers, Denver Nuggets
It sounds like the plot to a bad action movie: Two Americans, held captive in China. Will they ever be released? Well, this time it’s not a bad action movie, especially because J.R. Smith in China probably qualifies more as a comedy. ESPN’s Mark Stein reported on Monday that despite a “no opt-out” clause that was reportedly locked in to any contract signed by an American player with a team in the Chinese Basketball Association, it is expected that Smith and Wilson Chandler, two of the three Nuggets currently hooping in the Far East, will be released by their respective teams if and when the NBA lockout ends.
So, how would Smith and Chandler be able to return home even though their contracts supposedly prevent that from happening? Well, the two players can’t just walk away from their duties with their Chinese teams, but the Chinese teams can wave the two players, and at that point the players would be free to do whatever they pleased, which presumably wouldn’t involve signing with the CBA version of the Cleveland Cavaliers. So yes, contract loopholes. Is there anything more American?
As for that third Nugget… well, Kenyon Martin might not be so lucky. It’s believed that Xinjiang, the Chinese team that Martin is currently playing for, would want him to stay, and at that point, Martin would have no recourse. Unless, of course, he can get Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker on the phone.
That’s all the news for today.
Posted in nba, Uncategorized
Posted on 27 October 2011. Tags: china, colorado, commissioner, david-stern, denver, doubt-the-sides, nation-denver, nba, nuggets, parties, pepsi, possibility, press, salary
Read More: nba lockout, Denver Nuggets
“Good morning, thanks for being interested,” were the first words offered by NBA Commissioner David Stern in a press conference given after Wednesday’s 15-hour closed-door negotiation session between representatives for NBA ownership and the NBA Players Association. Both sides acknowledged that progress has been made, however the NBA Commissioner was careful to stress that ”there is no deal on anything until there is a deal on everything.”
The parties agreed to avoid disclosing the issues that were discussed and the progress made during the negotiating session, but there’s no doubt the sides and try to negotiate some compromise on a luxury tax system, the specifics of the salary cap, and the dreaded BRI split.
The biggest nugget coming from the press conference was the fact that NBA commissioner David Stern left open the possibility of having an 82-game season if a deal is reach by this weekend. Stern explained a bit of the complexity behind finding room for a full season:
We’ve got building issues,we’ve building issues versus hockey issues, we’ve got travel schedules, we’ve got all kinds of things that are difficult for us. And we have the sheer volume of games that might have to be compressed and the amount of back-to-backs that players could be asked to play. And really in terms of the number of games that the fans could be asked to attend.
Nuggets fans can no doubt appreciate the scheduling issues associated with NBA arenas, given that the Nuggets and the Colorado Avalanche both share the Pepsi Center. The good news is that progress has been made, and the parties are committed to more bargaining. Small groups representing NBA owners and the NBA players will return to the bargaining table Thursday afternoon.
With PG Ty Lawson making Twitter jokes about leaving his Lithuanian team and J.R. Smith still learning about censorship while playing in China, I’m sure they are among the countless NBA players looking forward to the beginning of the NBA season.
Stay tuned to SB Nation Denver for more lockout updates and information, and for in-depth analysis on the Denver Nuggets be sure to visit Denver Stiffs. Visit SB Nation NBA for news and notes around the league.
If you like reading our blog, remember to bookmark it.
Posted in nba, Uncategorized
Posted on 27 September 2011. Tags: below-the-jump, china, contracts, denver, denver-nuggets, jordan-hamilton, kenneth-faried, nba, picture, rookies, screenshot, season, video-contains, wilson-chandler
When NBA 2K12 drops in stores on Tuesday, Oct. 4, fans will be able to take control of their favorite teams and play with their 2010-11 teams. Of course, the NBA lockout ended free agency for the time being, which means we’re all playing fantasy basketball this season. Now you can have all your favorite Denver Nuggets who went to China back in the Mile High City.
Check below the jump for a partial Denver Nuggets roster.
via NBA2K12Stuff on YouTube (video contains roster shots for all teams)
Click to enlarge the picture.
Uh … so Wilson Chandler, who is in China for real this season, is the highest rated Nugget on this screenshot. Good luck playing with this team. How does Wilson, who struggled in his time with Denver, rate higher than Ty Lawson?
And you won’t even have rookies Kenneth Faried and Jordan Hamilton since there was no deal in place to have rookies. That means they won’t be added until a new CBA is signed and the rookies ink their contracts.
That’s all for today guys, i’ll be back to blog you tomorrow.
Posted in nba, Uncategorized
Posted on 23 September 2011. Tags: carmelo-anthony, china, denver, denver-nuggets, italian, lithuania, nba, nuggets, salary, wilson-chandler
DENVER – The Denver Nuggets’ options could be limited if there’s an NBA season.
Three of their free agents have decided to play in China – Kenyon Martin became the third Wednesday – and two starters are taking their games to Europe.
And while Ty Lawson and Danilo Gallinari can return if there indeed is a 2011-12 season, Martin won’t be able to leave his Chinese Basketball Association squad until the season ends in March.
J.R. Smith and Wilson Chandler also have elected to play in China, which won’t allow NBA players to opt out of their one-year contracts should the lockout end.
Martin’s agent, Andy Miller, confirmed to The Associated Press the forward has agreed to a deal with the Xinjiang Flying Tigers. He will join shooting guard Quincy Douby, a former first-round draft pick by the Sacramento Kings.
Martin’s signing was first reported by The Denver Post.
“He’s looking forward to the opportunity and global expansion of his image/game,” Miller wrote in an email. “He’s feeling great.”
Martin gave the Nuggets an inside toughness last season. But he’s been plagued by balky knees throughout his seven seasons in Denver. The 33-year-old forward missed the first 26 games last season as he recovered from another knee operation.
Martin finished strong, averaging 8.6 points and 6.2 rebounds, and even took on some of the leadership responsibilities when Carmelo Anthony was traded to the New York Knicks.
Although it was by no means certain Martin would return to the Nuggets in 2011-12, this definitely will have the team on the lookout for an aggressive rebounder to fill his role.
Not only that, but perimeter shooters are needed to replace Smith and Chandler. Smith signed a one-year deal with a team in Zhejiang, the same province Chandler is heading to but not the same team.
Chandler already is in China and quickly is adjusting to his new surroundings. On a recent Twitter post, Chandler wrote, “just walked/climbed about 4 or 5 miles on the great wall of china…”
Lawson is electing to play in Lithuania and can return if there’s a resolution to the labor strife. Same with Gallinari, who rejoined his former Italian team Olimpia Milano on Tuesday.
Gallinari played for Olimpia from 2005 to 2008 before being drafted sixth overall by the New York Knicks in 2008. The Knicks dealt him to the Nuggets in the blockbuster deal involving Anthony.
Camps had been expected to open Oct. 3, with the regular season beginning in early November. But that could be in jeopardy with the sides still bickering over the salary cap structure.
Gotta run!.
Posted in nba, Uncategorized
Posted on 22 September 2011. Tags: carmelo-anthony, china, chinese, games, italian, lithuania, martin, nba, sacramento, salary, sesame-modified, wilson-chandler, xinjiang
DENVER — The Denver Nuggets’ options could be limited if there’s an NBA season.
Three of their free agents have decided to play in China — Kenyon Martin became the third on Wednesday — and two starters are taking their games to Europe.
And while Ty Lawson and Danilo Gallinari can return if there indeed is a 2011-12 season, Martin won’t be able to leave his Chinese Basketball Association squad until the season ends in March.
J.R. Smith and Wilson Chandler have also elected to play in China, which won’t allow NBA players to opt out of their one-year contracts should the lockout end.
Martin’s agent, Andy Miller, confirmed to the Associated Press the forward has agreed to a deal with the Xinjiang Flying Tigers. He will join shooting guard Quincy Douby, a former first-round draft pick by the Sacramento Kings.
Martin’s signing was first reported by the Denver Post.
“He’s looking forward to the opportunity and global expansion of his image/game,” Miller wrote in an email. “He’s feeling great.”
Martin gave the Nuggets an inside toughness last season. But he’s been plagued by balky knees throughout his seven seasons in Denver.
The 33-year-old forward missed the first 26 games last season as he recovered from another knee operation. Martin finished strong, averaging 8.6 points and 6.2 rebounds, and even took on some of the leadership responsibilities when Carmelo Anthony was traded to the New York Knicks.
Although it was by no means certain Martin would return to the Nuggets in 2011-12, this will definitely have the team on the lookout for an aggressive rebounder to fill his role.
Not only that, but perimeter shooters are needed to replace Smith and Chandler. Smith signed a one-year deal with a team in Zhejiang, the same province Chandler is heading to but not the same team.
Chandler already is in China and is quickly adjusting to his new surroundings.
On a recent Twitter post, Chandler wrote, “just walked/climbed about 4 or 5 miles on the great wall of china…”
Lawson is electing to play in Lithuania and can return if there’s a resolution to the labor strife. Same with Gallinari, who rejoined his former Italian team Olimpia Milano on Tuesday.
Gallinari played for Olimpia from 2005 to 2008 before being drafted sixth overall by the New York Knicks in 2008. The Knicks dealt him to the Nuggets in the blockbuster deal involving Anthony.
Camps had been expected to open Oct. 3 with the regular season beginning in early November. But that could be in jeopardy with the sides still bickering over the salary cap structure.
Running low on time today, i’ll be back tomorrow hopefully with some more news.
Posted in nba, Uncategorized
