Sergey Karasev: Signs with Russian team

Karasev signed a contract Friday with B.C. Zenit Saint Petersburg of the Russian VTB United League, international basketball writer David Pick reports.

All of Karasev's comments heading into the offseason suggested he had ruled out a return to the Nets and was disenchanted with the idea of sticking around in the NBA in any capacity, so it doesn't come as much of a surprise that he'll head to his native Russia. In signing with Zenit, Karasev will have the opportunity to play under his father, Vasily, a former point guard for the Russian national team who is regarded as a basketball icon in the country. Karasev is just 22 years old, and while a return to North America can't be ruled out at some point down the road for a player that young, his familial ties to Zenit might make it more difficult than normal for an NBA team to lure him back over.