Suns to sign Romain Sato (RUMOR)

[Russ Smith]

Just a note on Sato. In one of these threads someone said hey he averaged 27 PPG in the same league as Bargnani so he might be good. Turns out he didn't, Bargnani played in the "A league", Sato played in the legadue which is the "B league" in Italy(due is 2 in Italian). So he put up bigger numbers, but in a less competitive league.

 

[Mainstreet]

In regard to Sato and other players going off to summer league, I'm not sure how it works anymore.

As I understood it years ago, players used to sign a make-good contract prior to participating in summer league. So if they made the team, I believe they were already under contract.

However, I have seen FA's now being signed to guaranteed contracts prior to summer league.

Anyone know if the Suns retain his rights if another team offers him a guaranteed contract or how it works?

 

[Gaddabout]

I should probably mention something else about Sato. He is supposed to be a great guy. I remember watching a Xavier game a couple of years ago where they did a piece at halftime about him. They went on and on about what a great kid and a hard worker he was. I seem to remember that he had not been playing basketball for a long time either.

Sato is a legend at Xavier. He's more in line with what Americans like to think of immigrants -- work until the fingers bleed ... and work some more. Allegedly Sato stayed up until 3 a.m. every night and still made it to early classes. Someone once told him he needed some sleep and, in a very American kind of response, he said, "I'll sleep when I'm dead."

He came to America as part of a Christian exchange program, and he is a deep faith/deep thinking kind of person. If you've ever studied your personality types (or spoken to Ainge about this), he is a classic late bloomer. Guys like that typically have to learn something from the inside out, but they are often the ones that end up being the brightest, most intuitive players on the court.

I still think he's a long shot for the NBA for the very fact his limited basketball experience makes him a turnover waiting to happen. The thing that seperates a 2 from a 3 in the Suns offense is they are required to handle the ball more. Unless Sato's learned how to put the ball on the floor, he's going to struggle against the real NBA players.

 

[Mainstreet]

Sato is a legend at Xavier. He's more in line with what Americans like to think of immigrants -- work until the fingers bleed ... and work some more. Allegedly Sato stayed up until 3 a.m. every night and still made it to early classes. Someone once told him he needed some sleep and, in a very American kind of response, he said, "I'll sleep when I'm dead."

He came to America as part of a Christian exchange program, and he is a deep faith/deep thinking kind of person. If you've ever studied your personality types (or spoken to Ainge about this), he is a classic late bloomer. Guys like that typically have to learn something from the inside out, but they are often the ones that end up being the brightest, most intuitive players on the court.

I still think he's a long shot for the NBA for the very fact his limited basketball experience makes him a turnover waiting to happen. The thing that seperates a 2 from a 3 in the Suns offense is they are required to handle the ball more. Unless Sato's learned how to put the ball on the floor, he's going to struggle against the real NBA players.

When I here you talking about Sato, I keep thinking of Raja Bell. Raja really had to work hard to make it in the NBA. I think if a player as NBA talent and has a strong work ethic, sooner or later, if given a chance, they will make it.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Sounds like the kind of guy you want on your team as a role player. They might have some deficiencies but they will absolutely KILL themselves for the team. I really like this guy and I haven't even seen him play.

He and Raja should get along famously.

 

[Errntknght]

Mainstreet, >>As I understood it years ago, players used to sign a make-good contract prior to participating in summer league. So if they made the team, I believe they were already under contract.

However, I have seen FA's now being signed to guaranteed contracts prior to summer league.

Anyone know if the Suns retain his rights if another team offers him a guaranteed contract or how it works?<<

I seem to recall players being signed by teams other than the one that had them on their summer league team. Stephen Graham played for us last summer but signed on with the Spurs during training camp, for example. Of course, the Suns could have released him from some kind of a make good contract before the Spurs signed him. My guess is that the team and the player can sign a variety of summer league contracts - make good or just for a certain duration. IIRC, when you hear about 'make good' contracts they are for training camp, not summer league.

 

[Joe Mama]

We signed a forward away from Denver's summer league team I believe a few years ago.

Joe

 

[Mainstreet]

I know other teams sign players from other summer league teams. However I think most of the time the team that is sponsoring the player does not intend to sign him to a guaranteed contact anyway and may give him permission to sign with another team. But I would think that since the team that is sponsoring the player would build in at least the right of first refusal into their contract.

However, I really do not know.