Josh Childress Returns to Visit Bucks

There were various reasons to believe Josh Childress might be spending only one season in Greece. The forward, who signed with Olympiakos last summer after reaching an impasse with the rights-holding Hawks, is a quality player who belongs in the best league in the world, the NBA. He reportedly got the yips when the Greek league championship game fell victim to an assault of explosives thrown by fans. And all told, he didn't really set Europe on fire as hoped.

So that Childress is back in America talking turkey is not a big surprise. But the particular team he will first visit with -- the Milwaukee Bucks -- registers as a stunner.

The Bucks have been the antithesis of a buyer this summer. Richard Jefferson got pawned off to San Antonio for the smallest salary package possible. Milwaukee renounced the ability to match offers for stud power forward Charlie Villanueva to avoid potentially having to pay him a one-year, $4.5 million contract if all his other options fell through.

But according to Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal-Times, the Bucks have invited Childress to Milwaukee today. Childress remains a restricted free agent, which means Atlanta has the option of matching any domestic contract offer Childress signs. That has two points of import. First, if Milwaukee really wants "Chills", it needs to make an offer hefty enough to be ignored by the Hawks. Childress is a valuable, good player, and Atlanta still lacks depth.

But most of all, we have to assume Childress desperately does not want to return to Atlanta. That Chills spent a year in the Greek league gives us this impression. If Milwaukee gets Childress to sign an offer sheet and Atlanta matches, it's not a huge deal for the Bucks -- they wanted a player but didn't get him. But if Childress signs an offer and Atlanta matches, he's screwed. He's a Hawk.

Of course, despite the sell-off, the Bucks are still so close to the salary cap that the team can only offer its mid-level exception to Childress (or any other non-Ramon Sessions free agent). A sign-and-trade -- Luke Ridnour? Joe Alexander? -- could be worked out, if Atlanta wants to play ball.