Capitanes GM Nick Lagios explains how G League can be more attractive than EuroLeague / News - Basketnews.com

Nicholas Lagios, general manager of the Mexico City Capitanes, breaks down why more and more players choose the G League over a deal in Europe and how the first-ever South American franchise doesn't resemble an NBA franchise.

Credit: Capitanes CDMX Credit Capitanes CDMX

Every G League team is directly affiliated with an NBA franchise. That means the developmental league coaches work closely with the NBA affiliate.

Shabazz Napier

MIN:24.94PTS:15.67 (59.69%)REB:1.78As:4.11ST:1.11BL:0TO:1.89GM:9ProfileEuroLeague2022/2023

And most importantly, NBA teams offering a two-way or standard contract can call up a player from the G League at any time. In this respect, the Mexico City Capitanes are the first-ever Latin American-based G League club. What's more, they have no direct NBA affiliation.

For Nick Lagios, the team's general manager since May 2021, the advantages and shortcomings of running a Mexico-based NBA franchise are apparent.

"The big advantage is that we can choose the players that we like. There's not an NBA team giving their insight on who should be on the G League team," Lagios tells BasketNews. "That makes my life easier."

On the other hand, the biggest recruiting challenge is that both Capitanes and the G-League Ignite don't have two-way contracts. This means that some of their former NBA players, like Shabazz Napier and Bruno Caboclo, can average more minutes than a young prospect who's there to gain the experience.

"When you come to us, you're our player. At first, I thought it would be difficult to be competitive. But as time has gone on, it's way easier to keep players happy with playing time," Lagios, 33, maintains.

He still recalls the day Capitanes played Memphis, who didn't have four of their NBA contracts.

"Normally, when you don't have assignment players, you play more as a team. We got destroyed at that game because they played team basketball."

The disadvantage for any G League team is when players are doing really well and get called to the NBA or overseas.

"A lot of our best players we have to worry about losing because there's no way we can hold on to them basically," Lagios says.

Shabazz Napier

Team:EA7 Emporio Armani MilanPosition:PGAge:31Height:185 cmWeight:82 kgBirth place:Boston, United States of AmericaProfileNewsStatistics

The cases of Napier and Caboclo are indicative of what any G League team might have to deal with. The American guard with Porto Rican roots moved to EA7 Emporio Armani Milan, while the Brazilian big man went to ratiopharm Ulm.

The competition with EuroLeague teams in terms of signing players doesn't take place on equal terms, as clubs from the Old Continent can spend far larger sums on signings.

"For me, it's easy," Lagios says.

"The pay is steady, players are being paid by the G League, and we can't do anything else. If players want to get money, we can't offer that. It's really up to the players and what they want. Do they want more run at the NBA and open up their opportunities worldwide, or do they want to get a guaranteed contract in Europe?" he explains.

Unlike in the NBA, the G League pays a flat base salary to all players, so there's no gap between minimum and maximum salaries. For the 2022-23 season, every G-League player will make a minimum salary of $40.500 for 50 regular season games that span from October to March.

"When players or agents ask me how much they get after taxes, I tell them, 'This isn't the place for you.'"

Lagios calls the G League "a high-paid internship."

"You come here, and it opens up your opportunities. It might not be the highest-paying league, but you can end up playing anywhere. Or maybe you don't move up to the next level, but you get NBA exposure. It's a place to go to get the eyeballs on you," the Greek-American executive holds.

Over the past few years, it looks like the NBA development league has become a more attractive destination for players who do not have a contract with an NBA team.

Tyler Dorsey stalled his return to Europe for Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, opting for a contract with the Texas Legends, the Mavs' affiliate team, that could potentially bring him back to the NBA.

In the last couple of years, G League franchises have added a lot of NBA contracts through the two-way, and the Exhibit-10 deals, which are basically like training camp invites that give players more bonus money.

All that has made the league more financially attractive. Hence, the level of the league and the quality of the players have gone up.

"From when I started to now, it's apples and oranges," Capitanes GM admits.

"Players and agents are realizing that just because you come to the G League, it doesn't mean that you're finishing your year there. We've seen tons of players get bought out."

The process is simple: If players want that big opportunity overseas and the offer is there, the team will pay the buyout, and they'll leave.

"They used to think they'd get stuck in the G League, but now, if you bet on yourself, it can work out for you," Lagios thinks.

In some cases, American players seem very reluctant to pursue an overseas offer. Lagios believes it's because they're from the US and don't want to be away from their families.

"That's the most common feedback that I get from them. The NBA is the obvious place they want to be," he notes.

Furthermore, Lagios points out the general perception of the G League is gradually shifting from a competition directly tied to the NBA to a league in its own right. The league's developmental character plays a big part in how it's viewed by all the major stakeholders.

"It's a great place to go and develop your game. When you're practicing against guys who have already played in the NBA or the EuroLeague, you know the level you have to be at. You come for a year, you practice and play a lot."

Lagios adds that there's a misperception that teams don't want to win, and everyone's in it for themselves.

"Maybe that was the case 5-6 years ago. We all want to win, but we have other goals as well," he stresses.

Mac McClung's recent win in the All-Star Game's Slam Dunk Contest can definitely bring more spotlight on the G League and its talent level. He also did a great job in representing the G League and being very vocally supportive of it.

At the same time, it's interesting that McClung himself turned down an offer from Fenerbahce last summer. If a player goes to Europe, there are typically no NBA opt-outs during the season.

Hence, one is inclined to think that a primary reason American players would pick up a G League deal is that European (or EuroLeague) teams are not concerned with player development as much as winning trophies.

According to Nick Lagios, players still practice more in the EuroLeague than in the G League and the NBA because of scheduling.

"So, they know they can develop if they go to Europe, but they also see there's a lot of call-ups towards the end of the season. You'll sign a deal, go to the Summer League, and hope to get a two-way contract.

Obviously, winning trophies is a massive goal in the EuroLeague. If you don't, the coach moves on, unfortunately," he observes.

For the record, from 2015-16 to 2018-19, the last four full seasons that weren't affected by COVID-19, there were between 42 and 60 call-ups from the G League to the NBA every year.

But what about the players who stay on a G League team? How is it possible for such a squad that's totally dependent upon an NBA franchise to field a competitive squad and have continuity? That's where Lagios (and any GM, for that matter) enters the picture.

"This season, we've had a lot of turn-over, which makes my life busy. Bruno Caboclo and Shabazz Napier went over to Europe, while Jahlil Okafor is injured for the year. Then, we lost some players with the Mexican and the Dominican teams in the FIBA windows," he laments.

Over the past years, since FIBA revived the Intercontinental Cup, G League squads usually get blown out by European or South American BCL teams. Lagios explains that a lot of times when a team wins the championship and they go into the next year, rosters undergo a full makeover.

"The championship-winning team might only keep 2-3 of their players going on to the next year. It's not like they're going to get a boost in their payroll. So, teams are probably going to be worse because guys leave for the NBA or Europe," he says.

"If there was an in-season tournament, where the best G League team right now could play in there, things might be different."

AS Monaco coach Sasa Obradovic has said that for many European teams, it's a challenge to sign players from the G League because you never know what their integration process will be like, especially if that player has not played in Europe before.

Lagios says that's partly true, depending on the player and their style. Still, some players fit in immediately.

"It's easier for a 4 and 5 to fit in into the EuroLeague vs. a point guard, who's running the show. It takes a little bit of time," he remarks.

"When you're signing a guy from the G League, you have to anticipate that. But for a guy like Matt Thomas in Panathinaikos, it's different.

I haven't seen a single game, but I don't imagine there can be any adjustment period for a player like that. His game translates really well. He's a catch-and-shoot guard, and his role in the G League wouldn't be much different than what his role will be in Greece and EuroLeague.

And then again, it's Markus Howard, who had done very well. I'm not surprised because he's an unbelievable talent, but sometimes it takes guys six months to get used to that.

If you're throwing a guard into a team, he's not used to his teammates yet. We had that with Shabazz Napier in a couple of games. He was swinging passes all over the court, and guys were like, 'Oh, I've never seen anyone pass like that before!' He had a couple of unfortunate injuries, but he finished really strong. I hope he does well in Milan."

Lagios can rest assured that the former Capitanes guard is indeed doing well in Europe, where he has led Milan to eight wins in their last nine EuroLeague fixtures. And even though players with Napier's potential are hard to find, the goal of the Mexico-based team is to attract as much local talent as possible.

That's why Lagios, who has served as a Video Coordinator, Basketball Operations Coordinator, and Basketball Operations Director at the South Bay Lakers, is closely working with the coaching staff to help put together a competitive team and guide Capitanes in the transition and the challenge of being the first franchise from outside the US and Canada.

"In the future, we plan to undergo efforts to include more Mexican and Latin American players in the NBA, all while promoting basketball within the region. This may take time, but we're ready to make it happen", he has emphasized.

"It's getting easier now that we have contacts and people on our staff. We're trying to get in touch with Latin American players, and now recruiting them should be easier. Then, hopefully, we can get some more to the NBA," he comments.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver has said there are no immediate expansion plans for NBA, but that hasn't stopped speculation. There have been some rumors about Seattle and Las Vegas. But Mexico City, as a potential NBA expansion site, would be something special.

"We already have the best fans in the G League," Lagios mentions, referring to Capitanes' European-style audience.

Prior to the regular season, the team had to petition the G League to allow fans to bring drums into the arena, something typical to other leagues in Mexico but nothing ever seen at games in the States.

The G League allowed it, ensuring that Capitanes' home games bring energy to the court and in the stands.

In Mexico, there seems to be a football fandom that translates over to basketball. In this respect, the Capitanes are far from a typical G League or even NBA team, especially if we look at the fact that their roster includes several Mexican and Latin American players.

"Every single one of our games is pretty close to European -level of enthusiasm," Lagios confirms.

"Sometimes, we have 10,000 fans in our games, and it's unbelievable. I have no idea about the business side, but Mexico City can be an expansion team."

On paper, conditions seem to be ripe. A Mexico City NBA franchise will be the team of the country (132 million people) and attract interest from Latin America as well. Mexico City was the sixth largest city in the world in 2022, counting a population of 22 million.

New York City is the NBA's current most populous market, currently ranked 41st in the world with 8.9 million people.

In addition, Mexico City has an NBA-ready venue in Arena CDMX with 22.300 seats.

"A few years ago, when I heard there was going to be a G League team in Mexico City, I wanted the general manager position and did everything I could do to prepare myself for this opportunity. To be named GM of Basketball Operations is a dream come true", said Lagios during his first visit to Mexico City.

Two years later, he admits he's still struggling with his Spanish, although he adds that learning the language isn't essential in the same way Rick Pitino didn't have to learn Greek to coach Panathinaikos.

In fact, since Nick is half-Greek, he doesn't hide that one of his goals is to be a EuroLeague or NBA general manager.

"I don't think I was qualified enough or ready to work in Europe. I didn't want to work there, either," he concedes.

"I went to Australia and to the Lakers. But now, I'm learning a lot of the skills that takes to be a GM. In Europe, teams are focused on winning, while in the NBA, there's more patience. Obviously, anywhere in Europe would be great."

Albeit from afar, Lagios can see the EuroLeague's ever-growing diffusion in the South American market. Although not many Latin Americans play in the league, the recent return of Argentinian players (Gabriel Deck, Luca Vildoza, Facundo Campazzo) has turned more eyes on the Old Continent.

"In South America, the EuroLeague's pretty big. Playing there is a goal for many Latin American players," Lagios confirms but adds that the situation is different in Mexico.

"I wouldn't say there's massive interest in the EuroLeague here. Basketball is probably the second-biggest sport after football. Comparing the football Champions League with the NBA, the former is a bit bigger. It's more of a football country, but basketball is definitely on the up and up. There are NBA jerseys all over the place."

Although Lagios admits he's not knowledgeable enough to put forward any suggestions on how the EuroLeague product could improve, he wishes it was a bit easier for people to watch the games in the US and Mexico.

"It's a sports issue because there are always broadcasting blackouts where games can't be shown in certain territories. Sometimes, I'm watching for 20 minutes. I wish it was more accessible."

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