According to the Globe and Mail, Hedo Turkoglu has agreed to terms on a five-year contract with the Toronto Raptors. The deal is reportedly worth around $56 million.

The reported signing comes hours after the sharp-shooting forward's contract talks with the Portland Trail Blazers broke off on Friday night.

The Oregonian newspaper originally reported Turkoglu agreed to a five-year, $50 million contract with Portland, but later in the day indicated that Turkoglu had rejected such an offer.

The 30-year-old Turkoglu, a first-round draft pick of Sacramento in 2000, had spent the previous five years with the Magic and averaged 16.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.9 assists over 77 games last season. He helped the Magic into the NBA Finals, but last week opted out of the final season of his deal that would have paid him $7.3 million.

Not only that, but the Magic already made a big move to replace Turkoglu by working out a trade with New Jersey for Vince Carter on draft night.

The 6-foot-10 Turkoglu spent his first three seasons with the Kings before joining the San Antonio Spurs for one seasons. For his career, he's averaging 12.3 points and 4.2 rebounds and is a career 38.5 percent shooter from three- point range.

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Just to add to the previous post:

TORONTO - Toronto's ethnic diversity has helped lure Turkish forward Hedo Turkoglu to the Raptors.

The six-foot-10 free agent is expected to sign a five-year contract worth a reported US$53 million as early as Wednesday, after spurning the Portland Trail Blazers.

Turkoglu's agent Lon Babby said Turkoglu and his wife Banu, both from Istanbul, were intrigued by the city and what it had to offer.

"At the end of the day, Hedo simply decided that Toronto was a better fit for him and his family," Babby told reporters on a conference call Saturday evening. "He wants to remain in the East and Toronto is, of course, a uniquely cosmopolitan and international community and it suits him and his family best.

"The community level was just best in Toronto."

The 30-year-old Turkoglu, who helped Orlando to the NBA finals last season, appeared poised to sign with the Blazers, but ended contract talks with them Friday.

"Toronto's offer was better (financially) than Portland's was, but that wasn't the driver here," Babby said.

Under the rules of the NBA's collective bargaining agreement, the Raptors can't comment on the deal until Wednesday, the date teams can officially sign free agents.

Turkoglu opted out of his Orlando contract last week when the team acquired Vince Carter from New Jersey. Turkoglu was due $7.3 million next season, the final year of his $36-million, six-year deal with Orlando. He averaged 16.8 points and 5.3 rebounds last season.

Turkoglu is a nine-year NBA veteran. He played for Sacramento and San Antonio before signing with Orlando as a free agent in 2004.

He has averaged 12.3 points and 4.2 rebounds over his career and is 38.5 per cent shooter from three-point range.

Turkoglu will join a team that already has a distinctly international flavour, with Jose Calderon of Spain, Croatia native Roko Ukic, and Italian centre Andrea Bargnani.

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The Raptors are the international team where they have everybody from around the world. This is a very big season for free agency

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