The agent for international Portland Trail Blazers big man Joel Freeland is quoted by Spanish publication La Opinion De Malaga saying that Spanish club Unicaja Malaga is close to inking a contract extension with his client that will decrease the likelihood that he jumps to the NBA in the near future. Here's a quote from the google translated article. ----------------------------- "The new contract we are working on that Joel will not want to leave the Unicaja, or the NBA," admitted the representative. "Your site is now Unicaja. They feel important and happy. He will continue if the team remains competitive." ----------------------------- The talks are said to be in the "advanced" stages. The new deal is expected to include an extension, increased bonus incentives and an increased NBA buyout for the British big man. Freeland, who will turn 25 on Tuesday, has been a standout for Unicaja Malaga this season, winning ACB player of the month honors before suffering an ankle injury. Blazers Acting GM Chad Buchanan said in a January interview that the Blazers would "look hard at bringing [him] over from Europe next summer." Hat tip: HoopsHype.com Update: Totally missed raph in the FanPosts here. -- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | Twitter