Nicolas Batum has deal to play in France

Portland Trail Blazers forward Nicolas Batum has committed to playing in France this season in the event of an extended lockout, according to his agent.

Bouna Ndiaye, who represents Batum, told ESPN.com on Sunday that a deal with SLUC Nancy in France's top league will be finalized in the coming week.

"They are playing in the Euroleague and Nicolas, as a young talent, needs to play to get better," Ndiaye said Sunday from France.

The France-based BasketSession.com was the first to report Saturday that Batum, who turns 23 in December, plans to play for Nancy in his native country if the NBA season doesn't start on time.