By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
The moratorium ended and in the other side of the Atlantic the new contracts with rookies or free agents can be signed. The NBA just welcomed two new member from Europe, as Dallas Mavericks signed the Israeli league champion and MVP Gal Mekel and Atlanta Hawks added their draft pick from Germany, Dennis Schroder, in their roster.
Also, the draft day trade that send the rights of Kostas Papanikolaou and Marko Todorovic from Portland to Houston now is also official. The point of interest concerning this deal is that according to Greek sources one other NBA team tried to get from Houston the rights of Papanikolaou, the Euroleague’s rising star award winner, in order to lure him this summer in the States. That scenario seems dead at this point and the NBA buy out deadline in Papanikolaou’s contract with Olympiacos expires on Monday.