By Yoon Chul
Staff reporter
The eight teams in the Korean Basketball League (KBL) ended the 15 day preliminary negotiations for free agents, Saturday with SK Knights shooter Bang Sung-yoon, KT SonicBoom guard Shin Ki-sung and forward Kim Hyo-bum of defending champions Ulsan Mobis headed to the free agent market.
Knights point guard Joo Hee-jung and Mobis forward Kim Dong-woo signed new contracts with their current team worth 500 million won and 260 million won per year, respectively, including a 50-million-won and a 26-million-won incentive each.
The Seoul-based Knights proposed five year deal of 520 million won ($432,526) per year, up 120 million won from his salary last season, failed to persuade Bang to lower his request of 570 million won.
Kim wanted 480 million won for five years far higher than the 380 million won the Mobis-suggested.
The SonicBoom, regular league runners-up, reportedly advised Shin to retire. Though the veteran point guard wanted to play on, the Busan-based team released him.
Shin could benefit from such a situation, as unlike Bang and Kim he is completely freed from his contract. A team can hire him without worrying about paying compensation to his former club regardless of his salary level.
According to KBL regulations, when a team newly acquires a player in the top 30 of the salary list, they have to pay the equivalent of a year's wages to his former side. Bang, Shin and Kim are all within the top 30 earners in the KBL.
Elsewhere, Dongbu Promy and their guard Pyo Myung-il failed to reach an agreement as Pyo rejected the Promy's team's 200-million-won offer.
The Samung Thunders, who have advanced to the postseason for eight straight seasons but only won the championship once, are likely to make a move for Bang.
There are rumors that the Thunders, which are known to be one of the richest in the league, are also interested in acquiring Kim of the Mobis.
The Knights are also purportedly interested in Kim, who is regarded as the missing piece for the blueprint of their head coach Shin Sun-woo's ``total basketball'' strategy.