His wife also has a personal training business here so we all know the wives make the decisions so I say he is staying. Unless the offer her gets is for multiple years at great money..

The Sixers need an experienced head around the team to guide youth. That is another consideration for him.

He is not staying with 36ers.
Tiger bound

Red, we hear that around this time every year. Maybe it's true this year.

Here's a hypothetical...Ballinger is rated an 8, coming off two injury riddled seasons he is a risky pick up for a lot of clubs, especially being rated an 8.
If no clubs are willing to take that risk given how many points he is taking up in your side, is this a restriction of trade from the NBL?
If he is unemployable due to his points rating what is he going to do with himself???
He won't get picked up in Europe and there's not a lot he can do back home, where does he go? SEABL?

Basketball careers are short, make money while you can, who cares what people think of you. When past Wildcats players who didnt finish up in Perth show up at the jungle and do something at a time out or whatever, they always get a loud cheer from the croud.

His point rating will hurt him though especially coming off an injury.

I suspect he will get picked up at a lower point rating late in the peice, IF he doesnt cop out and settle for less money/time and stay in Adelaide.

Redhage got no point reduction but worked hard on his rehab to be ready to go come season start. Cant see Ballinger being treated differently by the NBL.

Personally I would like to think Ballinger will stay on at a reduced rate and role obviously subject to passing fitness tests etc

36ers are one of the only teams that can handle his points ranking too

Im not sure wives always get such a big say with pro athletes when there is a big discrepency between money/role offered. A lot of athletes tend to be pretty single minded about getting the best job.

Personally I don't see Balls moving to another team.
I think his family is too settled in Adelaide, the wife has a successful Personal Training business here and I'd expect them to stay.

Let's wait and see what happens.

Why should repaying the 36ers have anything to do with it, when they in part were reponsible for the bad medical advice that got him into this situation in the first place.

In the past, Balls has performed in a very successful tandem with Luke, but that was when Scotty was coaching. Balls never had the same chemistry with Johnson but that was partly because he had to defend centres in that situation.

He is faced with an interesting decision.

I think there is something to be repaid to a team that has supported him very well and could easily argue have not gotten value for money

There are a number of rumors / stories out there about Balls not doing his rehab perhaps as well as he should have first time around which may have then lead to the re-injury

I guess it comes down to weighing up whether you think years of underachieving whilst still getting paid big money means that you pay that faith back at some point

I would also think that he has some what of a name here in Adelaide that would help open doors post career. Not that many interstate would be as familiar with him.

There are a number of rumors / stories out there about Balls not doing his rehab perhaps as well as he should have first time around which may have then lead to the re-injury

@ Muzz Buzz, Spot on!! Taking advice from someone very close to him over medical staff.

If he can't get a contract, partly due to the points rating, he can apply for a reduction - historically there has been an allowance for that situation. In his case, his points rating is partly based on the year before last whereas teams might be factoring the season just been quite strongly.

I'm surprised he's not playing 15-20 MPG with an ABL side to show his renewed ability to either the 36ers or other teams. Or out training with the 36ers as soon as he's able. If he can get back to training and show where he's at, that could show enough to bump up offers.

Right now, he's rated an 8, as are free agents Loughton and Nevill.

Wow Anon - a pro basketballer has

'been seen around local stadiums training and shooting

Channel 10 are hyping up a story I imagine is about Ballinger:

Is a star 36ers player about to walk out on the club?

Id be guessing around those figures too Isaac. More than that though, the Tigers probably want him to be a bigger piece of the team as well as offering more dosh.

The wife's business will thrive where ever it is.

Actual figure would be between our two guesses. I think your guess at the Tigers number could be a bit higher than they'd risk (last time anyone saw him play, he was definitely not at his best) and higher than they'd probably need to offer to get him out of here.

Anyway, he's off to Melbourne it seems - thread here.