Volkov Will Join NBA--Somewhere

Soviet basketball star Alexander Volkov said Friday he was given permission to join the National Basketball Assn. next season, and immediately touched off a controversy about which team he would play for.

Volkov said he would be “free to join any team” in the NBA, but the league contended that he is obligated to play for the Atlanta Hawks, who drafted him in 1986.

Volkov made his announcement in Zagreb, Yugoslavia, site of the European Championships.

“The Soviet Sports Committee has given me permission to play in America, and I’m free to join any NBA team,” Volkov said.

Volkov, 25, said his chances of joining the Hawks were now “50-50.”

“I was advised by my agent in the United States to wait until the draft before definitely making up my mind,” he said. “He said that some other NBA teams would be better for me since maybe I could not prosper with the Hawks.”

The draft will be held Tuesday night.

In New York, his agent, Mark Fleisher, said he had discussed the situation with Volkov in Zagreb a couple of days ago.

“We said that we’ll wait until after the draft and see what team it makes sense for him to play for, what team fills his needs,” Fleisher said. “Under no circumstances will Alexander play for the Atlanta Hawks. He has told me he will not play for the Atlanta Hawks.

“The most important reason is that Alexander feels they have too many players in his position. And his chances to be successful in the NBA would be with another team.”

However, NBA Vice President Gary Bettman said that under the league’s collective bargaining agreement, Volkov still belongs to the Hawks.

Fleisher disagreed, saying he still would be Hawk property only if he had played for a professional team since being drafted by Atlanta.

In the past three years, the 6-foot-9 Volkov has played for the Soviet Union’s Central Red Army team.

“It is Atlanta’s contention that he played for a professional team,” Fleisher said. “My contention is that he did not. Atlanta claims that all Soviet teams are professional. I claim otherwise.

“The players on the Central Army team do not get paid.”

Bettman disagreed.

“They’re free to claim whatever they want,” he said. “If a player plays for more than a living stipend, he is playing for a professional team. He (Volkov) is being paid a salary.

“We contend Volkov belongs to Atlanta and we intend to enforce Atlanta’s right in that regard.”

If the NBA tries to enforce Atlanta’s right, Fleisher said, “The case may land up in arbitration.”

And if Volkov loses the arbitration and is declared property of the Hawks, he still might wind up with another team.

Stan Kasten, Atlanta’s president and general manager, indicated the Hawks might trade Volkov.

He said Atlanta was trying to deal for a guard and Volkov could be included in a trade.

“We may try to make a deal for him, if we can get a guard,” Kasten said.

If Volkov remains with the Hawks, however, Kasten said he would probably play small forward.