By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
As Barcelona announced officialy on Tuesday – and it was reported during the Euroleague Final Four – Alex Abrines extended his contract with the team until 2019, a decision that signifies his wish to the stay in Europe for the near future.
Abrines is the no32 pick of the 2013 NBA draft by Oklahoma City Thunder, he will be 22 years old in August and Barcelona wants to make him the heir of aging captain Juan Carlos Navarro. Considering the fact that Mario Hezonja is expected not only to be drafted but even to make directly the jump to the NBA this summer, it was a priority for Barcelona to keep Abrines who seems to like the idea of being the new face of the team.
No official figures were announced for the new contract, as it’s the usual policy of most European teams, however Abrines’ new annual salary is said to be around one million euros, including taxes. NBA opt out clauses are also included in the deal. This is a great contract compared to his age and the money spend currently in Europe, however an NBA team can easily outbid it.
Still the Spanish player doesn’t seem eager to make the jumb to the other side of the Atlantic and that’s the key on his case. Abrines has the chance to win in Europe, being a basic member of one of the biggest clubs of the continent and at 2019, when his new contract expires, he will be just 26 years old.
It also has to be noted that the two big Spanish clubs, Barcelona and Real Madrid, want to demonstrate that they are, at least for Spanish players, destinations that can be compared to the NBA. That’s why Real fought in order to extend Sergio Llull’s contract in 2012 until 2018 and now the same happened with Barcelona and Abrines.