"Trail Blazers forward Nicolas Batum has reached an agreement to play with French basketball club SLUC Nancy if the NBA lockout extends into the regular season, according to Julien Deschuyteneer of BasketSession.com.

He will sign an official contract with the team after a physical evaluation is performed. The Portland Trail Blazers forward will begin the season in French Pro A and the Euroleague with Nancy if an NBA lockout continues into the NBA regular season.

We knew contact discussions between the two parties were progressing, but nothing was sure yet. Especially as other clubs have expressed interest, including ASVEL according to information published in L'Equipe just ten days ago. Supporters of SLUC Nancy can therefore rest assured of one thing, that Nicolas will play for Nancy."