Rockets Star Alperen Sengun Unravels Rejecting $2,195,610 Contract With Turkish Club Over “Stupid” Clause, Before Choosing NBA

European players have flocked to the NBA and made legendary careers. To play in the richest league of the world is what every professional athlete aspires to. In the 1980-’90s basketball scene, the perception was that European players could effectively shoot. In this season, the top contenders for the MVP league are European players and many argue that the contemporary scene in the NBA belongs to the European players. It’s expanding as more players are being drafted in the NBA. Turkey-born center player Alperen Sengun’s decision to enter the league is a fascinating one when we hear the actual backstory about the contract with a Turkish club.

Why did Alperen Sengun reject the offer?

Recently, the Rockets star appeared on Podcast P with Paul George to discuss a range of questions related to his overall journey and his career so far. He shared some insightful challenges that he faced before moving to America. Especially after many advised him to stay in Europe. Sungun was playing for Beşiktaş which is one of the prominent clubs in Turkey. At the age of 18, he was offered a lucrative offer from Fenerbahçe. The deal was worth around $2 million, which was already a significant raise from what he was earning before.

But it was a tough decision for him as he explains, “Everything was getting harder because they were putting ‘buy out your contract’ and if you want to go to the NBA you need to pay like $3 million or something, you know which is stupid.” The stringent rule pulled the plug on the move and he chose to shine on a bigger stage. 

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The clause is absurd since Fenerbahçe would profit off of Sungun’s one-year basketball game for doing nothing. Coming to the NBA also meant better income for Alperen. He is earning more than $3 Million this year just as his salary. By next season, it will multiply in double. In terms of player opportunities also he explained, “I am playing 30-35 minutes (in the NBA) so I don’t want to go to a big team and play 20 minutes”. 

Alperen is currently a top-rated player in the NBA, averaging 20.2 points and collecting 9.1 points per game. He is heading to be the first All-Star from the Rockets since James Harden. 

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What are your thoughts on Alperen Sengun’s statement? Do you think he is good for the Rockets? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.