Former Rockets Guard Vakeaton Wafer, who agreed to a 2 year $10 million contract with Greek team Olympiakos, made a smart move. He will join former Denver Nugget F Linas Kleiza (2 year $12 million) on the foreign team. They join former NBA player Josh Childress on the Greek team.
Both players were valuable reserves who were never going to see a starting role in the immediate future. This decision gives them both the opportunity to compete for a starting spot on one of the premiere European teams, in a highly competitive league. With the chance to work on their skills and potentially improve themselves for another run at the NBA, Wafer and Kleiza made the right choice. They'll both be raking in millions of Dollars each year,(Keep in mind that most players in Europe are paid money tax free) when the NBA could likely offer somewhere around $1-2 million per year. (Wafer made roughly $800,000 last year, while Kleiza made around $1.8 million.)
This decision will give Wafer and Kleiza monetary freedom they wouldn't have had in the United states. Let's be honest, no one feels sorry for two guys making that kind of money in the US, but I can't blame them for taking the big payday. With paychecks like this coming in, these guys will be set for life if they save it right. If I were Kleiza or Wafer I'd focus on three things while in Europe:
1. Improve their competitiveness, conditioning, and basketball skills.
2. Focus on winning a Euroleague Championship.
3. Get a good retirement investment broker.
(And I'd also keep a 4th thought in my mind for the future.)
4. Torch the Rockets or Nuggets when I do make it back to the NBA. Then they'll realize how valuable I am.
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