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Rockets Forward Chase Budinger Signs With Russian Team

With CBA talks now tied up in court, Budinger could be the first of many Rockets to sign overseas in the next few weeks.

With the NBA lockout showing no signs of resolution, the steady flow of players headed overseas is expected to turn into a torrent. The latest is Houston Rockets forward Chase Budinger, who announced Wednesday that he was signing with Lokomotiv Kuban in Russia:

 chase budinger 
Its official! Im off to russia to play bball. Papers in and all

Most players who have signed in Europe have opt-out clauses to return to the NBA if the lockout ends, though it's unknown whether Budinger's contract has the same provisions.

Budinger, a third-year 6'7 205 small forward out of Arizona with career averages of 9.4 points and 3.3 rebounds, had been expected to compete for a starting job this season with Kansas rookie Marcus Morris as well as Terrence Williams.

Instead, he is headed to play for Kuban, a mid-level team in the Russian Professional Basketball League located in the city of Krasnodar, near the Baltic Sea.

His most notable new teammates are former Xavier guard Lionel Chalmers and eight-year NBA veteran Primoz Brezec, a 7'0 Slovenian center. 

For the latest lockout-related Rockets news, head on over to The Dream Shake.

Images by eflon used in background images under a Creative Commons license. Thank you.