Looks like Nenad Krstic's immediate future has finally been decided, and it won't have much to do with the Association.
As reported by ESPN's Chad Ford:
New Jersey Nets free agent Nenad Krstic signed a two year deal worth $3 million euros per year with Triumph Moscow early Tuesday morning, Krstic's agent, Marc Cornstein, said.
The salary is the equivalent of around $9 million per year in the United States once you factor in the exchange rate and the fact that European clubs pay all the players' taxes.
Cornstein worked until midnight Eastern time trying to find an NBA team willing to pay Krstic at least a mid-level contract to keep him in the NBA. But as the midnight deadline passed, Krstic became the sixth NBA player to recently bolt the league for Europe.
Ultimately, the change of scenery is likely to do Krstic more good for now than sticking around the league would have.
As has been discussed on several prior occasions in this space (yes, for some reason, I seem to have become a Krstic fan), the Nets' young power forward was on his way to becoming an integral part of the future in New Jersey before a major knee injury derailed his progress over the last two seasons. This year, he said he felt lost on the floor and never seemed to really make any strides toward regaining the promise he showed prior to the 2006-07 season.
With the injury history and his loss of confidence, there was no reason for an NBA team to make him any sort of major offer. Now, Krstic will make some money overseas and have an opportunity to resurrect his career without all eyes in the Association on him. Here's hoping he can play some good ball and give himself a chance to return to the league in a couple of seasons, should he desire to do so.