By Nikos Varlas/ varlas@eurohoops.net
If Memphis decides to not use the team option of Nick Calathes’ contract, there’s a more than big market in Europe for him. His former Greek team, Panathinaikos, wants to lure him back to Athens, but also CSKA Moscow wants to get him.
The Russian powerhouse had this season the biggest budget in Europe (38 m. euros) and Calathes was a star in Russia as the leader of rival Lokomotiv Kuban. Still the question for the Greek-American guard is what Mephis will decide to do with him and also if he wants to stay in the NBA in case he gets an other offer. For sure he will get a more lucrative contract in Europe, but last summer he turned down a bigger contract from Lokomotiv Kuban and took a pay cut in order to return to the States and sign with Memphis.
That’s why the offer of CSKA Moscow to the player is expected to be at least for a two seasons deal and of course for a much bigger salary than the 800.000 dollars he is bound to get from Memphis.