Da'Sean Butler Signs Overseas

  Facing the increasing likelihood that there will be no NBA this season, more players are starting to sign Pro contracts overseas.
  West Virginia Illustrated's Chip Fontanzza reports that Da'Sean Butler signed a two-week tryout contract with VEF Riga in Latvia and will join the team on Wednesday. He could play in his first game as early as Friday. If Butler does play, it will be his first game minutes as a Pro.
  "I have no words for it," Butler said Monday. "It's so new to me now, so I'm just looking forward to going over there and having the opportunity to just see where I'm at and go from there."
  Butler signed with the San Antonio Spurs shortly after doctors cleared him to play after blowing out his knee WR the 2010 Final Four in Indianapolis against Duke. They immediately sent him to play with their NBDL affiliate, the Austin Toros. Butler never got into a game for the Toros, but did receive valuable practice time with the team to learn the Spurs offensive and defensive sets.
  Butler's contract is initially at tryout contact so the team can gauge how healthy his knee is. His agent, Chet Ervin, says that the knee is fully healed. If the team does determine that Butler is healthy enough to contribute, then he will be signed for the remainder of the season.
  If the NBA players and owners work out their differences, and the Lockout ends, then Butler will be allowed to rejoin the Spurs.
  Another former Mountaineer, Joe Alexander also plays in the same league. If the two sides in the NBA dispute do not reconcile their differences, Alexander and Butler's teams would face each other on Feb.11. It wouldn't be the first time that a game away from WVU had the potential of Butler and Alexander facing each other. When Joe Alexander starred for the Texas Legends last season, his team faced Da'Sean Butler's Toros squad at the end of the regular season. Bob Huggins flew to Texas to attend that game.
  Devin Ebanks is the other prominent, former Mountaineer that is faced with the prospect of not playing organized basketball this season. The Lakers wanted for Ebanks to work on his shooting and ballhandling in the offseason because they want to use him at shooting guard. The team thinks they can uses Ebanks' size and speed to create matchup problems. He has chosen to not go overseas and remain in the U.S. to continue working on his game.

Source: Former WVU Star Da'Sean Butler Signs Deal Overseas - WVU Mountaineer Sports: Basketball | Football | News |