Teams in Spain and Turkey are clamouring to sign Perth Wildcats forward Nick Kay to lucrative contracts after the talented young big man opted out of his NBL contract after the NBL’s player salaries restructure in April.
Turkish newspaper Milliyet, have reported that powerhouse team Galatasaray has made Kay a very lucrative offer to play for the team next season while Spanish media outlet Málaga Hoy is reporting that Liga ACB teams Unicaja and Coosur Real Betis have sent lucrative offers for Kay and his management to review.
Unicaja participates in the EuroCup and the Liga ACB, Spain’s top professional basketball league.
From 2001-2016 the team had competed in the Euroleague but lost it’s placed in Europe’s elite basketball competition and are hoping to win the EuroCup tournament to earn entry back into the EuroLeague competition.
Galatasaray, based in Istanbul play in the Turkish National League, where they have won 16 Turkish titles, the last in 2013, as well as a, compete in newly established FIBA Champions League for the first time.
Galatasary is set to lose EuroCup Champion Ege Arar to rivals Turk Telecom and will need to spend big to find a suitable replacement, Kay being their ideal replacement.
Unicaja is also desperate to strengthen their frontline something which was a clear weakness in the team’s structure last season.
It’s rival and smaller club, Real Betis Baloncesto, were recently dropped to Spain’s second-tier competition the LEB Oro in the 2018–19 season but after compiling what was the record for the longest winning streak in LEB Oro (17 wins) the club was quickly elevated back into the ACB with four rounds left.
Real Betis Baloncesto are hoping Kays signing will ensure they remain in Spain’s premier basketball competition in 2020-21.
Kay, who is also a member of the Australian national team has made it clear he has decided to make the leap and play in one of the more competitive and higher-paying European leagues and with numerous offers coming his way is extremely unlikely to suit up for the Wildcats again this season.
In other news, Brisbane Bullets have secured Harry Froling after being told by the Adelaide 36ers to look at other options, Reuben Te Rangi has signed with the South East Melbourne Phoenix and the Sydney Kings have re-signed talented forward Xavier Cooks.
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