Deron Williams signed his contract with his Turkish club (Besiktas) over the weekend, so it’s official. We reported to you previously that Deron’s team was courting Kobe as well. Apparently, that has picked. The team has reportedly offered Kobe a salary of $500,000/month, before putting talks on hold.
Turkey’s NTV Spor reported Monday that Besiktas’ basketball funds have been tied up by the match-fixing scandal that has ripped through the Turkish soccer world, forcing Besiktas to search for outside funding to help with the further pursuit of NBA players.
According to NTV Spor, Besiktas was initially prepared to offer Bryant a monthly salary of $500,000. But Bryant, according to the report, is seeking a monthly salary of $1 million to join Williams. Sources told ESPN The Magazine’s Chris Broussard earlier this month that Williams’ overall deal with Besiktas is worth $5 million.
Additional info on the potential of Bryant playing in Turkey can be found at ESPN.com.
