Report: Allen Iverson Has Agreed to Sign Deal to Play in Turkey

Allen Iverson has agreed to sign a two-year contract worth $4 million to play with Besiktas of the Turkish professional league, according to a report from Yahoo! Sports. Iverson is expected to sign the contract this week, and is expected to report to his new team sometime during the first week of November.

The contract reportedly gives Iverson the ability to opt out after this season, but not to leave before then and return to the NBA.

Iverson last played for the team he created his legacy with, the Philadelphia 76ers, back on February 20 of this year. He left the team for personal reasons to be with family to deal with an undisclosed illness to his four-year-old daughter, although that was just the latest of the likely three strikes that has left him without opportunity in the NBA.

The Pistons traded for Iverson back in 2008, and that, shall we say, ended badly. Besides Detroit's then-head coach Michael Curry getting fired at the end of the season largely based on his inability to properly deal with Iverson (and the rest of his veteran players), Iverson's discontent with his role -- and flat out refusal to come off the bench -- was the beginning of teams starting to become disenchanted with the former scoring champion and league MVP.

In Memphis the following season, Iverson's tenure was short-lived, and he and the Grizzlies parted ways, once again over questions of playing time.

A few weeks later, Iverson was reunited with the Sixers. But like his previous short stints, that one didn't last long, and teams have now shied away from him for various on- and off-the-court reasons.

Iverson's contract is incentive-based, and there's no question he can still play. Hopefully he can stay out of trouble in Turkey, and stick to focusing on basketball while he's there.

Larry Brown is right: a player of Iverson's caliber shouldn't be forced to finish his career overseas. It would be great to see him use this opportunity as a springboard to get himself back into the NBA before he eventually retires.