First, Brandon Jennings opts not to be a one-and-doner and paves the way for future high school stars to take and make instant money by going to Europe. Now, Josh Childress tells the Atlanta Hawks he is heading for Greece, Childress has signed a three-year deal with with Olympiakos  that is worth far more than $20 million initially reported.

The Atlanta Journal Constitution reports the deal is the most lucrative current contract in European basketball and the biggest in Euroleague history. And it is just another reason why absolutely no one should be shocked if the U.S. Olympic team doesn’t bring home the gold. The competition elsewhere is steep and getting steeper. Throwing together a roster and having it play together for a few weeks just may not cut it in Beijing. Coach K has his work cut out.

This sucks for the Hawks, who looked like they were turning the corner this season and took the Boston Celtics to seven games in a playoff series. Liked what we saw in Atlanta and hope this isn’t too much of a dent.

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