Mavericks Also Holding J.J. Barea Out of FIBA Competition

The news that Mark Cuban forced German superstar Dirk Nowitzki to skip this summer's Eurobasket tournament was tempered by the fact that Cuban and Nowitzki brokered that deal last summer on the basis that Dirk has given his summers to the national team forever. But the case of Puerto Rican Maverick J.J. Barea isn't quite as tidy.

Barea had shoulder surgery in May, and feels as though he is back to 100%. He's eager to represent FIBA Americas host P.R., hoping to help his team win a place in the 2010 World Championships. But Cuban has denied Barea permission to participate. Barea told a Puerto Rican newspaper that the Mavs decree was "the worst news I've been given."

Given the circumstances, and in perpetual memory of the devastating Jorge Garbajosa catastrophe, the Mavericks are well within their right to hold Barea out, both in rule and common sense. That doesn't make it any less painful for Barea, who would have been able to play in front of his hometown fans, friends and family on a grand stage. That's obviously rare for an internationally born NBA player.

It's also a less cut-and-dry matter when the player in question is a role player for his professional team, making less than $2 million per year. Barea will be one of the 10 or so cheapest rotation players in the league next season, and in 2011 (if the Mavericks pick up his team option). This isn't the Mavericks protecting a major investment, like Nowitzki (or Luol Deng in Chicago). This is the Mavericks protecting their first guard off the bench, their insurance plan for Jason Kidd. Again, it's completely fair and reasonable. But it's surely different than most FIBA vs. NBA battles. This would have been like the Timberwolves requesting that Christian Laettner decline his invitation to compete with the Dream Team. (Or something.)

(There's one more mitigating factor here. Without Dirk, Germany is toast. Germany could very well finish in last place in Eurobasket, and has nearly no chance of making the 2010 Worlds, unless Dirk commits to 2010 before FIBA names the four wild card contestants in December. Puerto Rico, on the other hand, will likely place in the top four in the American tournament with or without Barea. So Barea will get likely to play in Turkey, if he's healthy. The issue of missing one of the few major international sporting events held on Puerto Rican soil stands, however.)

If the whole resuscitation of FIBA vs. NBA has given us anything, though, it's some excellent writing on the topic. Particularly, 48 Minutes of Hell ran a tremendous post by soccer writer Brian Philips on how FIFA's power to compel players of renown to ignore their club's wishes for the sake of international play is completely foreign to basketball. I implore you to check it out.