The KBL and WKBL differ in whether free agents (FAs) can be terminated at will. The WKBL does, but the KBL does not.
Lee was eligible for free agency after playing for Daegu KOGAS in the 2022-2023 season, but he chose to play overseas rather than in the KBL. He was expected to play overseas for at least two years, but after just one year, he filed for free agency with the intention of returning to the KBL.
When asked at a press conference before leaving for Japan last year about the possibility of returning to the KBL after a year, Lee said, “I wish I could give you an answer, but I’ve realized that life doesn’t work out the way you think it should, but I hope I can go overseas to see what level Lee Dae-sung is at. 텍사스홀덤 I will stay as long as I can. I think I should retire in Korea,” he said.
At the KBL’s free agent information session on April 8, Lee asked two questions about his return. The answers were given on the spot, but we took the time to confirm them one more time.
First of all, Lee Dae-sung was an unsigned player and applied for free agency directly to the KBL.
Currently, many fans view Lee Dae-sung negatively. Given this public opinion, it would be better for him to withdraw his free agency application and return after 2025. Furthermore, in 2025, Lee will be subject to the over-35 rule, making him an unrestricted free agent regardless of his unsigned contract. In just one year, the public opinion could be completely different than it is now.
However, the KBL said that even players who requested a direct disclosure cannot withdraw after their free agency has been announced.
While Lee’s case may seem like a good reason to change the rules to allow withdrawals, there are other reasons why it’s better to keep the ban on withdrawals, as it allows players to use their free agency applications for other purposes.
When Lee Dae-sung tries to make a comeback this year, the question is how GAS will compensate him. GAS helped Lee go abroad, believing that he would play in overseas leagues for more than two years. If he returns after only one year, GASCO is in a difficult position. GASCO can completely lose its compensation (1 compensated player + 275 million won or 1.1 billion won) in one year.
The important thing here is whether it is possible to terminate after the FA is announced.
If discretionary termination is possible even during the FA negotiation period, GAS could have made a discretionary termination in consultation with Lee Dae-sung, who showed a willingness to go overseas, and if so, the compensation issue would not have come up because Lee Dae-sung is currently in the free agency market with his original club.
When asked about this, KBL said that the period for free agents to terminate their contracts is until the day before the free agency announcement. You can’t terminate during the FA negotiation period.
It’s problematic to say that a free agent can’t terminate during the free agency period.
First of all, the WKBL can. Park Ji-hyun did. Park became a free agent at the end of last season, and after opting out of free agency, she decided to play overseas. She will actually play in the Australian League (Bankstown Bruins).
A WKBL official said, “There is nothing in the FA contract that prohibits voluntary termination, so it is possible to voluntarily terminate during the FA negotiation period regardless of the 1st or 2nd FA.”
However, the KBL prohibits voluntary termination after free agency is announced, i.e. during the free agency negotiation period, which can put both players and clubs at a disadvantage.
For example, Player A, a member of Team B, wanted to play in an overseas league, but did not receive a solid offer and became a free agent. However, if an overseas team offers to sign him during free agency negotiations, he will want to go overseas instead of the KBL.
The KBL’s free agency period is divided into three phases. There are three stages: free agency with 10 teams, submission of a letter of intent to each team, and renegotiation with the original team. In the free agency and renegotiation phase, the player doesn’t have to sign a contract with any team.
The problem is that each team submits a letter of intent that does not reflect the player’s will. This is fine if no club submits a letter of intent, like Lee Dae-sung did last year, but what happens if one club does?
Player A has a chance to go abroad, but Team C has submitted a letter of intent. Player A can’t play in the KBL for five years unless he signs a contract with Team C. If the player goes overseas, he is likely to be a compensated free agent like Lee Dae-sung, and it is difficult for the C team that recruited the A player with compensation to agree to let the A player go overseas immediately.
If Player A goes abroad and returns a year later, Team B, the original club of Player A, will not receive compensation like Gas Corporation.
If it is possible to terminate at will even during free agency negotiations, both player A and team B are minimally protected.
Furthermore, KBL players are under contract until May 31st. Free agency negotiations also take place while a player is still under contract with his current organization. According to the KBL’s articles of association, “A voluntary termination player is a player who is unable to continue playing due to special reasons during the contract period and applies to the club in writing to terminate the contract, and the club accepts the player as a voluntary termination player, and the general manager announces it.
The KBL bylaws allow for voluntary termination during the contract period, but the KBL’s position is that players who want to go overseas should terminate their contracts before free agency is announced. This means that the KBL prioritized the free agency rules over the articles of association.
Just like Lee Dae-sung’s return to the league, the KBL has a different registration period for players than other leagues. Considering this situation, the KBL should change its rules to allow for voluntary termination during the free agency period, just like the WKBL.