Thes: Going to the Knicks is just as "insurance" as being in the Clippers, so I decided to go to Europe

Center Thes, who was previously cut by the Thunder, left the NBA and joined Monaco Basketball Club.

These revealed in an interview that the Knicks gave him a contract, but they only viewed him as a "insurance measure" after Mitchell Robinson's injury, so he chose Monaco.

"Yes, I could have gone to the Knicks, but that's more of a guarantee because (Mitchell) Robinson was just recovering from a long injury. Then I talked to Thibodeau and he said, yes, you'll be like an insurance in case he (Robinson) can't play, and this, basically what I do with the Clippers, um. Especially Thibodeau, you (at him) may not get a lot of playing time. Then I thought, if I stayed in the Knicks until the end of the season? Then what's the chance of going to free market?

So well, then I'll go overseas and go to Europe to play, play games. That way I might have a better chance. (But) Maybe if Spanoris (Monaco head coach) didn't call me, I might not go to Europe, I'm not just looking at money, I have to think about life, safety, (child's) school, etc."