Europe is an option for 2 former Heels

Ed Davis isn’t the only former Tar Heel that may need a passport.

After being selected by the Toronto Raptors as the 13th pick in the 2010 NBA Draft on June 24, Davis said he needed to get a passport before traveling across the border to settle into his new home.

For Deon Thompson and Marcus Ginyard, they may also need a passport after going undrafted last Thursday.

The two face a tough road ahead if they hope to crack an NBA roster in late October. If the former UNC players don’t, they may head overseas to begin their professional career.

Thompson, who led the team last season with 13.7 points per game and grabbed 6.7 boards, played in more games than any other player in college basketball history.

Ginyard was known as a defensive specialist during his collegiate career but suffered through a tumultuous senior season. At one point in the season when asked what was bothering Ginyard, coach Roy Williams replied with the question, “Physically or mentally?”

Since going undrafted, Thompson and Ginyard must stay in the gym refining their game and going to NBA team workouts — both worked out for the Charlotte Bobcats before the draft — in hopes of making a squad in summer league, which begins in mid-July.

Former Tar Heel Kris Lang, who graduated in 2002 with 108 games starting in a UNC uniform, found himself in the same position as Thompson and Ginyard after the draft passed him by.

Lang worked out for a few teams but eventually found himself playing in Europe, where he just finished his eighth season overseas and his third with Turk Telecom in Turkey.

“You have to keep in shape when it comes time for camp,” Lang said. “If a team picks you up, great. If not, there’s a lot of other venues with monetary benefits over in Europe.”

Neither Thompson nor Ginyard were expected to go in the first round of the draft, if drafted at all. Had one or both been selected in the second round, the NBA team would have rights to the player for two years without having to guarantee a salary.

“They can’t get down on themselves because they weren’t drafted,” Lang said. “Sometimes it works better for you to not get drafted. With them having your rights, it could hold things up. Since they’re not drafted they have free rein to go anywhere in the NBA that fits their style of play.”

But there is money to be had overseas. The NBA league minimum is $473,604 for rookies like Thompson and Ginyard. Brandon Jennings, who went straight from high school to Europe, inked a $1.2 million deal with an Italian team before being drafted in the NBA last year.

Lang describes his mastery of the Turkish language as “tight” and says he has assimilated well to the culture. It’s something future players need to do in order to have a successful career.

“Teams off the bat don’t pay you a lot of money because a lot of players have problems with the transition,” Lang said. “After two years, they see you’ve made the transition to the European style of living and playing. They start throwing a lot of money at you.”

For players like Lang, they can enjoy a career as fruitful as one by the No. 13 draft pick.

“Oh yeah, you’re kidding me right?,” Lang said. “You can make a great living, brother.”

Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.