Childress Leaves Hawks to Sign With Greek Club

Josh Childress is leaving the Atlanta Hawks for Greek club Olympiakos, reversing the course of the many international stars who have signed with the NBA.

Atlanta Hawks' Josh Childress (1) goes up to the basket against the Milwaukee Bucks during the second half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2007, in Atlanta. Atlanta won 96-80.

(John Amis/AP Photo)
More Photos

Heading overseas allows Childress to make more money than he could have as a restricted free agent in the United States. The Hawks had the right to match an offer from another NBA team, but not from an international club.

Agent Jim Tanner said Wednesday the three-year deal was worth about $20 million after taxes. The money is guaranteed, and Childress can opt out of the contract after each year.

"I've talked to a few guys, and it could become a trend," Childress said on a conference call about other Americans following his lead. "I'm not so sure it won't. It's different. We thought out of the box a little on this one."

The 6-foot-8, 210-pound guard/forward averaged 11.8 points and 4.9 rebounds as the Hawks' top reserve last season. He averaged 11.1 points and 5.6 rebounds in four years with Atlanta about being drafted sixth overall in 2004 out of Stanford.

Related

Brawl Mars WNBA Game in Detroit

James Joins Team USA's Injured List

Full Coverage at ESPN.com

Childress said he intended to re-sign with the Hawks, who made the playoffs for the first time since 1999 and pushed eventual champion Boston to seven games in the first round. But he felt the team didn't show a sense of urgency in making a deal, and he turned down an offer he considered too low.

Atlanta general manager Rick Sund said that while he believes the Hawks made a proposal that was competitive within the NBA, it would have been fiscally irresponsible to try to match Olympiakos. Sund wouldn't reveal the exact numbers of Atlanta's offer. But he said it exceeded the salary cap's midlevel exception, which is more than $5.5 million, and would've have made Childress the team's fourth-highest paid player.

"Obviously I'm not happy with it because I wanted him on my team. I wish things would have turned out different, but it's his decision at the end of the day," Hawks center Al Horford said. "I'm disappointed about it because he's one of the guys that I really liked to play with, but we have to be able to bounce back and try to sign the other Josh (free agent Josh Smith)."