Curtis Sumpter Proves Not Every Player Wants To Play In Europe Over The NBA D-League

It has been a pretty rough year for the NBA D-League as essentially everyone worth talking about has decided that they want to play in Europe rather than the Development League (except Orien Greene, of course, whose outstanding FIBA issues makes him a lock to be one of the best left in America).

Curtis Sumpter is one player planning on bucking that trend, however, as the former Villanova stud apparently has his sights sets on making the NBA via the D-League this season. It's weird time as Sumpter's essentially established himself in Europe over the past few seasons, but that's neither here nor there.

"I want to do the D-league," Sumpter told the Philadelphia Inquirer. "I haven't done that. I know guys who left Europe and went to the D-League and got good opportunities."

The players that Sumpter is alluding to in that quote could be nearly anyone as Kurt Looby, Cedric Simmons, Carlos Powell, Corsley Edwards, John Edwards, Gary Ervin, Mo Almond, Jeremy Wise, James White, Joe Crawford, Trey Johnson and Von Wafer have all inked deals across the pond in the last week after formerly previous playing in the Development League.

Sumpter has played in Germany, France, Belgium and Greece since coming out of Nova in 2007 while mixing in a couple of Summer League invites from the Denver Nuggets and a 2008 training camp appearance with the Los Angeles Clippers.

Anyway, I realize this isn't the most important news, but at least we now know there will be at least two players better than myself showing out in the D-League next season. This also possibly brings my dream of Allan Ray playing in the D-League closer to reality now that former teammates Sumpter and Scottie Reynolds have made the trek.