Jay Gilmore - AHN Sports Contributor
Portland, OR (AHN) - Hedo Turkoglu changed his mind late Friday and opted to accept a five-year, $53 million pact with the Toronto Raptors.
Turkoglu was believed to be headed to Portland, but perhaps was wooed by the more cosmopolitan city.
He landed in Portland Thursday evening and Blazers General Manager Kevin Pritchard met him at the airport.
Turkoglu and his agent Lon Babby had reportedly agreed to terms and the final contract details to be ironed out Friday afternoon.
He can't actually sign his contract until July 8. Teams have been allowed to contact free agents since July 1st.
Portland showed interest in Turkoglu shortly after the clock struck midnight June 30, and the Raptors followed suit shortly after.
The 6-foot-10 small forward opted out of his Orlando Magic contract the day after the Game 5 Finals loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.
He had one year, $7.3 million remaining on his Magic contract.
The nine-year sharp-shooter averaged 16.8 points per game last season.
He was drafted by the Sacramento Kings in 2000.
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