After resolving bag dilemma, one last wound remains for Alec Peters / News - Basketnews.com

Alec Peters revealed that it's funny to him when people point out that he seems much more confident this year because the main actual point is entirely different.

Credit: IPA/SIPA/Scanpix Credit IPA/SIPA/Scanpix

ThroughoutAlec Peters'European career, there has never been a situation where he didn't have to pack his bags before a trip back home to the United States.

Olympiacos Piraeus / Schedule

Zalgiris Kaunas Olympiacos Piraeus76-95 Olympiacos Piraeus Virtus Segafredo Bologna74-69 Olympiacos Piraeus Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens03-1419:15

Even for the second year in Piraeus, he wasn't sure until the last minute, awaitingOlympiacos'decision on his contract option for the 2023-24 season, due by July 5th last summer.

Despite the clubs expressing their confidence in Peters, a 28-year-old American power forward now in his seventh professional season in Europe, he had enough experience from his years with CSKA Moscow,Anadolu Efes Istanbul, andBaskonia.

"I've been in situations where contracts were guaranteed for the next year, and then it was, you know, sorry, we're gonna let you walk," smiled Peters. "Every summer, I've had to pack my bags going home, and there's always that chance you might not be in that same place again."

"But yes, this past summer, it was kind of like, 'Okay, I hope they pick it up because I want that opportunity'," Peters recalled the 2023 summer. "Sasha is leaving, and everything like that. I want to be that guy for them."

Following the 2022-23 season, where he averaged 4.6 points, 2.5 rebounds, and a 4.5 Performance Index Rating (PIR) per game, Peters experienced a remarkable surge in performance. His numbers exploded to 14.3 points (60.6% 2P, 55.8% 3P, 87.1% FT%), 5.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and a PIR of 16.3 in under 27 minutes of play.

Alec Peters was on an expiring contract and was poised to enter the market as the second-highest-scoring stretch four-man, trailing only Nikola Mirotic.

However, The Reds put forward a compelling two-year deal that secured Peters' presence in Olympiacos until 2026.

What prompts these players to commit to Olympiacos early, bypassing the free agency market where big teams often compete for the same players, ultimately leading to lucrative deals?

A few basketball people thatBasketNewsspoke to explained that

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