PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Free agent forward Hedo Turkoglu will visit this week with the Portland Trail Blazers, who are looking to bolster a young squad that made the playoffs for the first time since 2003 last season.
In an e-mail to The Associated Press, agent Lon Babby says Turkoglu will be in Portland on Thursday. He did not elaborate. A spokesman for the Blazers also confirmed that Turkoglu was visiting the team.Turkoglu, who helped Orlando to the NBA finals this past season, informed the Magic he planned to opt out of his contract last week when the team acquired Vince Carter from the New Jersey Nets, Babby said earlier.
Turkoglu was due $7.3 million next season in the final year of his $36 million, six-year deal with the Magic. Turkoglu averaged 16.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.9 assists last season.
Turkoglu, a 6-foot-10 small forward from Turkey, is considered one of the more versatile players in the league, with the ball-handling skills of a guard and the rebounding ability of a big man.
He often ran Orlando's offense and created matchup problems for the Celtics and Cavaliers in the playoffs. Against the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers in the finals, Turkoglu averaged 18 points.
He was said to be seeking a long-term deal worth at least $10 million annually.
"Opting out doesn't mean I'm going to leave," Turkoglu told The Associated Press before last week's NBA draft. "I'm looking for the best opportunity for myself and my family."
Turkoglu is a nine-year NBA veteran. He played for Sacramento and San Antonio before signing with Orlando as a free agent in 2004.
The Blazers won 54 games last season and advanced to the playoffs, but fell to the Houston Rockets in six games.
The Blazers, the second-youngest team in the NBA last season anchored by All-Star Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge, are said to be looking to add experience in free agency.
