Trail Blazers General Manager Kevin Pritchard just confirmed internet reports that 2007 first-round draft pick Petteri Koponen has signed a four-year contract to play with Virtus Bologna of Italy.
Koponen, a 6-foot-5 point guard who played on the Blazers' NBA Summer League team the past two years, had hoped to join the NBA this season after earning MVP honors in the Finnish League during the 2007-08 season. But, with a surplus of NBA-ready guards, Pritchard and the Blazers felt that time in a competitive European league would more quickly accelerate the 20 year-olds development.
"First of all, we really liked the progress (Koponen) made,"
Pritchard said. "He's gotten better. But we looked at the Rudy Fernandez model and Rudy got much better while playing in Europe and his development allows him to come in (to the NBA) and play. This was all about where Petteri could develop the best."
But the decision does not come without risk. Koponen's Italian contract has buyout provisions, meaning the Blazers would have to pay Virtus Bologna an unknown amount if they decide to sign him before his four-year contract expires. Also there is a chance Koponen could fall in love with Italy and its league and become a mainstay in Europe.
"There's a risk that he's so good he'll stay over the rest of career,"
Pritchard said. "But that's a risk we do have to take."
Softening this risk is the reputation of Virtus Bologna, which Pritchard says is "historically great,"
and the fact that Blazers' International scout, Jason Filippi, lives in the area.
Internet reports, stemming from this Finnish news story (good luck with the translation), speculated throughout Thursday that Koponen had made the move. But Pritchard did not receive confirmation until after 8 p.m. Thursday night.
