Jean Montero reportedly firm on leaving Gran Canaria / News - Basketnews.com

Jean Montero's refusal to return to Gran Canaria is premised on both financial and sports-related reasons. The Dominican player had reportedly received an offer almost four times bigger than his current contract.

Credit: Luis Veniegra/SOPA Images via ZUMA Press Wire Credit Luis Veniegra/SOPA Images via ZUMA Press Wire

Dreamland Gran Canaria has communicated that Jean Montero didn't report for training camp and that he has expressed an unwillingness to continue with the 2023 EuroCup winners.

Jean Montero

Position:PG, SGAge:20Height:188 cmBirth place:Dominican RepublicProfileNewsStatistics

Montero, who has just played with the Dominican team in the FIBA ​​Basketball World Cup, was loaned by Gran Canaria to Real Betis last season. In recent weeks, there were rumors about Anadolu Efes being allegedly eager to offer Montero € 350,000.

The Dominican player is currently under fire after refusing to return to the island. After being summoned to return last Saturday (September 9), Montero has already communicated that "he intends not to continue under the discipline of the club", as Granca mentioned in a statement.

Although the club has actively stated that Montero is included in the squad plans for this season, the player has never expressed his interest in returning. Even more so after the squad signed Sylven Landesberg for the shooting guard position and kept the pair of point guards (Andrew Albicy and Ferran Bassas), thus preventing him from having the same role as in the two previous seasons.

Last season, Montero was named the best young player in the ACB League after averaging 17.6 points, 3.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists in the 16 games he played with Real Betis. Furthermore, in the recent World Cup, he put up 9.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game to reach the second round of the tournament with the Dominican Republic.

According to David Rodriguez from La Provincia, the salary that Montero has agreed with Gran Canaria after his last renegotiation is the minimum stipulated by the ACB, set at €28,000 per season and thus, he receives about €3,000 per month. However, in the clauses included in his contract, the salary would rise to €90.000, three times more than what has been agreed, provided that Montero played the 2023-24 season with Granca.

Per the same report, Montero's unwillingness to return to Gran Canaria's camp isn't just a monetary issue. Last year he ruled out the option of starting the campaign because he didn't feel valued by the club's sports management. That's why he was eager to negotiate with CB Clavijo of LEB Oro for a monthly salary of €1,500 before Betis took over his contract (€28,000).

Rodriguez reports that during the summer, coach Jaka Lakovic, president Sitapha Savane, and player development coach Eulis Baez have held conversations with Montero to try to convince him that his return to Gran Canaria would make sense if the player wanted to make a step forward and join a bigger club. It seems that Montero has figured out that he's drawing interest from EuroLeague clubs this summer, especially after his World Cup performances.

His dispute with Gran Canaria has reached such a point that he does not respond to calls from the club, considering that they put too many obstacles this summer to facilitate his departure. Hence, negotiations with potential suitors (including Unicaja Malaga and Anadolu Efes) have stalled.

Montero is currently in Santo Domingo in his native country, waiting for the situation to be resolved, so that he can sign with another club.

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