If NBA lockout lingers, Kevin Seraphin to look for opportunities in Europe

Fresh from the completion of his basketball camp in his native French Guyana, Kevin Seraphin arrived in Paris on early Tuesday, just in time to train with the French national team as it prepares for the European championships in Lithuania later this summer. And, if the NBA lockout continues to drag on, there is a strong possibility that the Wizards big man will remain in France to continue his professional basketball career.

Seraphin’s agent, Bouna Ndiaye, said his client has received interest from several European teams who hope to sign the 6-foot-9 forward who averaged 2.7 points and 2.6 rebounds in his rookie season with the Wizards. More than likely, Ndiaye said, Seraphin will look to return to his former team, Cholet Basket, which developed Seraphin when he left for France at age 16.

“We’re starting to talk and see what the options are in case this thing lasts longer than we expected,” Ndiaye said of the lockout. “If nothing is moving, then we’ll probably just get him to a team, maybe his French team, to not take any risk of a new environment and keeping from getting better. We’re kind of waiting a little bit to see what’s going on.”

But Ndiaye understands that he may have to move swiftly to have some preliminary agreement — with an escape clause allowing Seraphin to return to the Wizards once the lockout ends — reached sooner than later. Seraphin negotiated a buyout with Cholet last year to join the Wizards. The team will participate in a EuroLeague qualifying tournament in September.

Ndiaye plans to also seek deals in Europe for some of his other NBA clients, such as Portland’s Nicolas Batum and Denver’s Timofey Mozgov, but added that Roddy Beaubois of the champion Dallas Mavericks underwent surgery on left foot surgery last month and won’t pursue opportunities in Europe.