Steve Francis to play next season in Beijing

From NiuBBall:

The Beijing Youth Daily reported late Tuesday night that Steve Francis and the Ducks have agreed in principle to a one-year deal after the two sides came together on a general contract late last night.

Beijing and Francis had been engaged in several rounds of talks over the last few weeks, with both sides sending contract proposals back and forth from China and the States. Up until yesterday, however, the two sides had been unable to come to an agreement, despite mutual interest from both sides. A CBA source speaking to NiuBBall anonymously said that negotiations have been largely problematic, with both sides unwilling to change their stances over so called ‘special provisions’ that the three-time NBA All-Star are asking for. At the forefront of these provisions are clauses involving business cooperations and brand sponsorships that would allow Francis to market himself to China’s booming basketball market.