With the start of the 2008-2009 season a few months away, things seem to be going well for NBA Commissioner David Stern and the NBA itself. The Tim Doheny scandal, in which a referee was involved in fixed gambling, is away from public view, and the Boston Celtics, at least for now, have seemed to level the growing disparity of competition between the Eastern and Western Conferences. However, a potential problem may lie ahead for the NBA. A number of players have signed lucrative contracts with European teams this off-season for far more money than they would get with an NBA team.

Most of the players that have left for Europe are foreigners who began their careers overseas, players such as Nenad Krstic, Juan Carlos Navarro, and Carlos Delfino. While these players have enjoyed moderate success in the NBA, none of them are superstars, leaving no glaring void in the league. Rumors have been circulating recently that Utah Jazz forward Andrei Kirilenko is entertaining an offer from a team in Russia, and if he accepts the offer, then he will be the most significant foreign player to leave for an overseas team. Read the full story