ESP/USA - Homesick Rudy wants out of Portland

PORTLAND (NBA) - Spain international Rudy Fernandez is back in the NBA with the Portland Trail Blazers but for how long is anyone’s guess.

Fernandez showed up at the team’s media day and announced he wanted to leave the league and play in Spain.

He will soon submit a formal request to be released.

"I'm sorry about this," Fernandez said.

"I'm sorry about the fans from Portland because I really love them, because they helped me a lot in these two years.

“But my heart right now wants me to be with my family and is in Europe."

The Blazers do not want to lose Fernandez.

A member of Spain’s team at the FIBA World Championship this summer, Fernandez has spent two seasons with Portland and though he’s had some injury problems, when healthy the player has provided scoring.

He has shot 39% from long range and averaged 9.4 points.

"I told him that I'm personally happy he's back," said Fernandez’s Blazers teammate Brandon Roy.

"I told him that he's a big part of this team when we're playing well and we need him to be happy. I asked him about the whole trade thing and his biggest thing was that he just wanted to be back in Spain. He was homesick.

"So I just felt kind of bad because we have to do a better job as teammates to make him feel better about being here. I'll be more concerned if we get to the first game and his heart's not in it. Part of training camp is team building. It's my job and the team's job to get him into it."

FIBA