Kobe Bryant remains in talks with Virtus Bologna, the Italian team interested in signing him during the NBA lockout.

The burgeoning relationship between Bryant, Virtus Bologna and the Italian league has been described as "complex".

Sources say Bryant has a strong desire to play in Italy and wants an arrangement where the entire league benefits financially.

According to Liberation.fr, Tony Parker is expected to announce whether he will play in France for his team ASVEL or wait out the lockout.

Parker serves as ASVEL's Director of Operations and will pay the expense of his insurance with his own money.

Legabasket rejected Virtus Bologna's proposal to make special changes to its schedule in the event of signing Kobe Bryant.

Virtus wanted to play as many of Bryant's games as possible in its biggest arena.

The other Italian teams refused the request made by Virtus and now the deal between Bologna and Bryant is on the verge of collapse.

Kobe Bryant has reached a verbal agreement to sign with Virtus Bologna, according to the team's president.

"We have reached an economic deal," Virtus president Claudio Sabatini told a local radio station. "There's still some things to arrange but at this point I'm very optimistic. I would say it's 95 percent done."

The two sides have settled on a $3 million contract for the opening 40 days of the Italian league season.

A source close to talks warns Adrian Wojarowski that no agreement is imminent.

Cibona Zagreb, Lietuvos Rytas, Alba Berlin and Belgacom Spirou advanced in the Euroleague Qualifying Round openers.

Cibona defeated Cholet by a final score of 77-70, led by 16 points from Antwain Barbour. Talor Battle had 23 points in a losing effort for Cholet.

Jonas Valanciunas had 11 points and eight rebounds off the bench, while Tyrese Rice had 16 points and five assists to help Lietuvos Rytas defeat KK Buducnost by an 83-64 final. Nikola Vucevic had an impressive 18 points and six rebounds for Buducnost.

Kyle Weaver had 11 points and six assists in Alba Berlin's convincing 82-60 win over VEF Riga.

In the closest game of the day, Spirou defeated BC Donetsk by a final score of 61-59. Jiri Welsch had 13 points and five rebounds for Spirou.

Rashad McCants is in serious talks to sign with a team in China.

McCants worked out for a Chinese club in Los Angeles last week.

McCants last played for the Texas Legends of the D-League.

Kobe Bryant kept open the possibility of playing in Italy while making an appearance in Milan.

"It's very possible. It would be a dream for me," Bryant said, according to the Gazzetta. "There's an opportunity that we've been discussing over the last few days. It's very possible and that's good news for me."

Bryant, who has an offer from Virtus Bologna, spent time in Italy while his father played in the country.

"Italy is my home. It's where my dream of playing in the NBA started. This is where I learned the fundamentals, learned to shoot, to pass and to (move) without the ball," Kobe Bryant said, according to the Gazzetta. "All things that when I came back to America the players my age didn't know how to do because they were only thinking about jumping and dunking."

Sarunas Jasikevicius has signed with Panathinaikos Athens for the second time in his career.

Jasikevicius began the 2010-11 campaign with Lietuvos Rytas in his native Lithuania. Jasikevicius averaged 7.3 points and was sixth in the Euroleague regular season with 4.3 assists per game as a reserve for Rytas. 

Boris Diaw has officially signed with JSA Bordeaux for a minimum salary. Diaw is also a president of the team.

Diaw turned down two proposals from top teams in Europe.

Earl Clark has asked to leave Zhejiang, reportedly because he could not get accustomed to Chinese food.

Clark was one of the first players to sign in China after spending the final part of the 10-11 NBA season with the Magic.