Fran Vasquez Signs Huge Deal With FC Barcelona
26th July, 2006 - 11:32 am
Mundo Deportivo - A Spanish sports newspaper is reporting that 2005 Orlando Magic lottery pick has signed a long-term contract with a large buyout sum with FC Barcelona.

The deal is a four-year contract. He will earn 1.4 million euros ($1.75 million USD) per year and he will have an approximately 8.5 million euros ($10.75 million USD) buyout.
http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/41670/20060726/fran_vasquez_signs_huge_deal_with_fc_barcelona/


Seriously, with the situations with us, Sabonis, this guy. The NBA needs to do something about guys who declare for the draft and then sign long term contracts like this.

A compensaroty pick, standard 3 month contracts with NBA teams at the minute of their selection that precludes these guys from signing any European contracts without consent from their NBA team.

Something has to be done. This is not the standard, but it is becoming an increasing problem.

Orlando got screwed. BUt its no different if the kid blew his knee out in practice and never made it back.

Its a bad scenario but how many euros have abused the situation? Not many.

This guy played the rules and worked it for him.

The other side to this is how many times have NBA clubs screwed with guys careers unfairly? It happens.

Bottom line is Orlando still is a very viable club with a good future.

No way to enforce what you sugget unless the euros post some kind of bond that precludes any entry to a draft.

Likewise an American kid could have also done this. Might there be a day when a bidding war starts? NBA europe will be a reality one day to counter this.

its up to the teams to do their due diligence. Why would you draft someone you werent 100% sure would play for you? Thank god Isiah doesnt like Euro-trash, else it probably would have been us

I had the same thought of trading his rights. Orlando should have been shopping him this summer. The NBA should do something but I don't know what they can really do. Is it fair to the other teams to give a compensatory pick? It seems like you just have to take the risk that your european player actually wants to play in the NBA.

It was probably the later since they had no idea he was not going to play for him when they drafted him. Someone mentioned his draft rights expiring. Is that true? I thought in the NBA the teams keep the player's draft rights until they actually come over.

F.C. Barcelona is my fav Spanish team, so I'm happy about that, but it is true that Fran Vazquez is being totally unfair to Orlando. In fact, to me he is disrespecting the Orlando Magic. In the first place, he was not good enough to be taken at #11, but he should be thankful for all the confidence Orlando had in him when they chose him. Last year he really disappointed everyone, he was far from being dominant on a consistent basis. A couple of great games and that's all. I was really high on him after the incredible game he had against Croatia last year at the 'Euro Basket', but if you ask me, knowing the way Ivanovic (F.C. Barcelona coach) runs his teams, I really doubt Vazquez will shine next year. This team has a lot of great players: Navarro, Ukic, Kasum, etc. The only good thing I can think of Vazquez playing for Barcelona is that Gasol came from the same team.....although he absolutely dominated when it mattered: Spanish Cup Final and the ACB finals. So, in the end, I REALLY doubt he will ever be playing for a NBA team. Certainly this would not have happened if Orlando had made a better choice in the draft, but I'm dissapointed with Vazquez attitude.

Posted by franco12:

Posted by Bonn1997:

Maybe they were shopping him and teams figured out why or didn't want to take the risk of FV not wanting to play in the US. It looks awfully suspicious if you're shopping your unsigned, European lottery pick. Or maybe they had no idea he was going to sign this offer.

Didn't we trade our stud future PG in the Phoenix deal?

Yeah I remember people complaining how could we give up both Vuljanic and Lampe for Marbury.

Orlando should have done more research on the where the kids heart was. NBA or Euro league. I'm certainly not feeling sorry for the Magic.

How can the NBA fine someone who hasn't even signed with an NBA team?

Posted by Caseloads:

hey, if he's happy in Europe, that's his call. Being drafted by an NBA team doesn't mean that you owe the NBA anything.

I disagree. Entering the NBA Draft is a conscious decision. If you want to stay in Europe than stay. I agree with that part. However by entering the draft you are stating your intentions to play in the NBA in the upcoming season. The draft is too important to some teams(or multi-million dollar businesses) for European players to use it as a bargaining tool. If this is the way some Euros are going to use the draft they should all be declared outright FA's.

Eny, you have said absolutely everything I was gonna say on this subject.

I still think that they should be able to use the draft however they want. NBA teams will use prospects however they want too.