Jimmer Fredette has really had his ups and downs when it comes to his basketball career. After having a phenomenal career at Brigham Young University, his NBA career has been been a disappointment. The Kings didn't want him, the Bulls didn't want him, and now it appears as though the Pelicans don't want him, either. He has shown flashes of his college self in the NBA, but he hasn't been able to sustain it.
While things in the NBA don't look too promising at the moment, there is some good news for Jimmer. EA7 Emporio Armani Milano a.k.a. "Olimpia Milano" of the Serie A League and Euroleague, has offered him a contract with the goal of making him a featured part of their team. Via Sportando.com:
Olimpia Milano made an important offer to Jimmer Fredette, according to sources.
The former BYU guard is considering the proposal of the Italian team even if his first goal is to remain in the NBA.
Selected with the 10th overall pick of the 2011 NBA Draft, Fredette averaged 6.1 points per game in 229 contests in the NBA in 13 minutes on the court.
Fredette would have a key role in the next Olimpia Milano who already parted ways with Daniel Hackett and coach Luca Banchi, extended Alessandro Gentile through 2018 and hired Jasmin Repesa as head coach
While it's true that the NBA is the best basketball league in the world, it's not always the case that staying in the NBA is better than going overseas. Especially if your end goal is to have the best basketball career possible. If Jimmer Fredette wants to continue riding the pine in the NBA and sign for veteran minimum contracts, he can go right ahead and cash those $1.4M checks for the next four or five years. The money isn't bad and he can have the comforts of home. If on the other hand he wants to actually have a more memorable basketball career, make more money, and up his chances of improving his NBA stock, he should sign with Olimpia Milano.
One of the things I want to make VERY clear is that Olimpia Milano isn't just some random European team. They are a team with a tremendous amount of pride, history, and tradition. They were founded in 1936, making them one of the oldest basketball teams in the world. In addition, they have had tremendous success over the years, winning 26 championships in the Serie A League (Italian League), three titles in the Euroleague, and various other titles as well. This team is the Boston Celtics of Italy and one of the greatest basketball franchises in all of Europe with more representatives in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame than any other team outside the NBA.
To play basketball for this team is truly a tremendous honor given their rich history and tradition. Especially when they want to make you their featured player. Jimmer Fredette would get more recognition and have a more fulfilling basketball career as a star with Olimpia Milano than he would playing for some bottom feeder of the NBA like the 76ers or the Knicks. He could help Olimpia Milano win their first Euroleague title since 1988 and help them continue their dominance of the Serie A League. He could become a hero in the city of Milan and possibly get his number 32 retired.
In addition to having more fame, recognition, and success on the basketball court, Jimmer Fredette also probably makes more money playing for Olimpia Milano. Most top-flight European teams are able to offer a couple of players more money than they would get in the NBA. For example, Nick Calathes of the Grizzlies is strongly considering signing a three year, $6M contract with Panathinaikos B.C. in Greece, a team that also plays in the Euroleague. I don't know exactly what kind of money Olimpia Milano is offering Jimmer Fredette, but I'd imagine it's significantly more money than the NBA's veteran minimum amount. It's safe to say that they are willing to pay him at least $2.5M per season and possibly more.
When you consider the fact that he has an opportunity to make more money and have a better legacy as a professional basketball player, signing with Olimpia Milano really does seem like the right decision for Jimmer Fredette. In addition, he would up his chances of having a better career in the NBA by taking a couple of years off to showcase his skills in the Euroleague, which is the second best basketball league in the world behind the NBA. He would be able to polish his game and come back to the NBA as a more confident player.
In conclusion, if Jimmer Fredette is looking to make the best decision for his long-term basketball career, signing with Olimpia Milano is the best move to make at this point in time. They'll pay him better and give him a role that he would be much more comfortable with. Part of Fredette's issue has been that no team has really opened up to him. Every NBA team has been too afraid to give him a significant role on their team. Olimpia Milano is the first pro team to open up to him and say "We believe in you." Jimmer should reward them for showing this kind of faith in him and use this as a chance to show NBA teams that they made a mistake by giving up on him so soon.
---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @nba_lord for NBA and Euroleague basketball news
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