"Suns guard Aaron Brooks has agreed to a one-year deal with a Chinese team that would not allow him to return to the NBA until the Chinese Basketball Association season ends in mid-February, according to a Yahoo! report.

Brooks, 26, is a restricted free agent, which would have allowed the Suns an opportunity to match any offer he received on the open market. Based on how Suns forward Josh Childress left Atlanta for Greece in 2008 and remained a restricted free agent upon his return last year, it would seem that the Suns would retain Brooks' rights when he returns to the league. However, with a new collective bargaining agreement coming, nobody can be sure what the rules will be."