If former Tennessee player Wayne Chism can't beat the odds and land on an NBA roster, there's a team in Turkey waiting for him.
Jared Karnes, a local attorney who represents Chism through his affiliation with Knoxville's allegiant athletics agency (a3), announced a provisional agreement is in place.
"The interest in Wayne from Turkey was very high and immediate,'' Karnes said. "The teams there have developed a tremendous amount of faith in players from Tennessee.''
Former UT player Chris Lofton launched his professional career in Turkey before going to Madrid, Spain, this season, and Tyler Smith played in Turkey earlier this year after his dismissal from the UT program.
The terms of Chism's agreement with Antalya Buyuksehir Belediyesi Spor Kulubu aren't open to full disclosure, as per club rules. But Karnes said part of the deal calls for an "NBA Escape Clause," which would void the contract if Chism makes an NBA roster.
The Las Vegas NBA summer league runs through Sunday.
The Turkish Basketball League runs from September through May.
Chism was cut from the New Jersey Nets prior to Orlando's NBA summer league, but he has gotten off to a strong start in the Las Vegas NBA summer league with the Sacramento Kings.
Chism scored 13 points in 17 minutes on 6-of-7 shooting and pulled down four rebounds in the Kings' 90-84 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night.
In his first game with Sacramento on Monday night, Chism scored four points and pulled down five rebounds in 18 minutes in a 97-68 win over the Detroit Pistons.
"Wayne has been an intriguing player for NBA teams,'' Karnes said, "and he's played very well here in Vegas.''
Tennessee's signing class for 2012
Tennessee defeats Georgia 3-2 in…
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
Comments » 7
RoadTrip writes:
Make the Kings roster - Wayne! You can do it!
Chris4Vols22 writes:
For real, just make the roster and be done with it! GO WAYNE!!
huntined#565710 writes:
Smart to have a back-up plan..I wish him well and hope he lands on a NBA team.
TommyJack writes:
What's your point? What a doofus post.
mjmsaysgovols writes:
you, my friend...are a d***a***
mjmsaysgovols writes:
sorry meant to respond to bigorangekoolaid on the earlier post...he is the d*mba*s...
Fred08 writes:
It's funny how Chism ended up on the same team as DeMarcus Cousins, and J.P. Prince ended up on the same team as John Wall. I'm proud of both of those guys! GO BIG ORANGE!
Share your thoughts
Comments are the sole responsibility of the person posting them. You agree not to post comments that are off topic, defamatory, obscene, abusive, threatening or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be banned. Click here for our full user agreement.