Thunder's Thabo Sefolosha agrees to deal with Turkish club

Starting shooting guard Thabo Sefolosha has agreed to play in Turkey. A Swiss television network first reported the deal Tuesday night. Sefolosha's agent, Guy Zucker, confirmed the report to The Oklahoman.

Sefolosha will join the Turkish club Fenerbahce Ulker and is expected to sign as early as Wednesday. Because Sefolosha is under contract with the Thunder, his deal will contain an out clause with Fenerbahce that allows him to return to the NBA whenever the lockout is lifted.

Zucker said he had been in talks with Istanbul-based Fenerbahce for awhile, but Monday's announcement that the NBA regular season's first two weeks would be canceled made it an easy decision.

“These lockout talks are going nowhere, and Thabo did not want to spend the whole season or most of the season sitting at home. He wanted to play,” Zucker said.

“It's extremely difficult to predict if we're going to get a quick solution or if it's going to become a much more protracted battle with the owners regarding the new CBA. We waited until the last moment and then that moment passed. Now they're beginning to cancel games, and this could last for quite sometime. So Thabo wanted to play, and this was too good of an opportunity to pass up on.”

“He wasn't going to play anywhere, but this opportunity was the best of both worlds,” Zucker said. “It allows him to play at the highest level of ball in the world right now while staying in shape and staying ready.”