Temporary Order Clears Alabama’s Charles Bediako to Play; Barcelona Reaffirms EuroLeague Commitment; Luxury-Tax Insights and Contract Rankings
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Former G League center Charles Bediako is expected to suit up for Alabama against Tennessee on Tuesday night after obtaining a temporary restraining order earlier this week, according to ESPN’s Jeff Borzello.
The court order permits Bediako to take part in practices and games while he awaits a preliminary injunction hearing on his NCAA eligibility. “He’s eligible to play. We’re going to follow the court orders,” Alabama head coach Nate Oats told reporters.
Records show the judge who issued the order, Tuscaloosa County Circuit Judge Jim Roberts, and his wife, Mary Turner Roberts, are listed as athletic donors on the Crimson Tide Foundation’s website with lifetime contributions between $100,000 and $249,000, Front Office Sports’ Alex Schiffer reports.
The National Association of Basketball Coaches held a conference call Friday to discuss the situation. Following the call, NCAA senior vice president of basketball Dan Gavitt released a statement warning that failure to enforce pre- and post-draft rules “would create an unstable environment for the student-athletes, schools and the NBA.”
International and NBA Notes
• Barcelona stays with EuroLeague: FC Barcelona’s board announced it will extend its EuroLeague participation license for 10 more seasons, through 2035-36, effectively rejecting the NBA’s proposed European competition. The club cited its commitment to “always participate in the best existing competitions.”
• Luxury-tax dynamics: In a new Substack column, salary-cap analyst Yossi Gozlan examines teams currently over the NBA’s luxury-tax line and explains why several franchises just above the threshold have delayed moves to drop below it. He also outlines how the 76ers are managing service-time limits for two-way players Jabari Walker, Dominick Barlow, and Hunter Sallis.
• Contract value ranking: Spotrac contributor Keith Smith lists Joel Embiid and Paul George as holding the league’s two least favorable contracts. Jakob Poeltl, Patrick Williams, and Dejounte Murray complete the top five in Smith’s rundown of 20 “worst value” deals.
Source: Hoops Rumors
