The professional career of former Michigan Wolverines' forward DeShawn Sims has not started well. The 6-foot-8 rookie turned down a Boston Celtics training camp invite to sign with PAOK Thessaloniki in Greece after playing well in the Summer League for both the Celtics (7.5 points, 1.8 rebounds) and the Dallas Mavericks (3.3 points, 2.7 rebounds).
Just a few games into PAOK's season, however, Sims left the Greek club to return to the United States (reportedly due to homesickness). In his brief European stint, he averaged 13.0 points and 4.5 rebounds in two games, with a outstanding 20-point effort against the current Greek champions, Panathinaikos, in his debut game.
With NBA rosters already set, Sims now wants to find his way in the D-League - but that will be harder than he expects.
According to the Greek media, the NBDL asked PAOK for the clearance to sign Sims, but the club's board is blocking the transfer until they receive economic compensation since Sims unilaterally broke his contract with them. In Greek basketball, clubs don't pass up any chance to earn some money, especially when Sims is the one who didn't live up to his end of the contract.
The determination of PAOK could force both parties to the courtroom to reach an agreement. For now, Sims will have to sit at home and wait for a quick resolution until he's allowed to join the D-League.
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