After two seasons in the NBA, Semih Erden has signed a two-year contract with Aandolu Efes Istanbul and will return to his native Turkey, confirms Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. The agreement, first reported by Basketfaul, also includes a third-year option, and was made official by the team today.

Erden, 25, was drafted in the second round of the 2008 draft by the Celtics, and eventually signed with them in 2010. The seven-footer played part of the 2010/11 season in Boston before being traded to Cleveland, where he spent last season. In 28 games in 2011/12, Erden averaged 3.5 PPG and 2.6 RPG in just under 12 MPG.

The Cavaliers had extended Erden a qualifying offer to make him a restricted free agent. If the big man wants to eventually return to the NBA, Cleveland will have the opportunity to tender him a qualifying offer again and match any offer he receives.

Here's our running list of qualifying offers extended to players this evening.  If a qualifying offer is not tendered to a player eligible for restricted free agency, he becomes an unrestricted free agent.

Players who are tendered qualifying offers have the option to accept the one-year contract and hit unrestricted free agency a year from now, but the primary purpose of the offers are to ensure that the player's team can match any offers for him this summer.  Here are today's qualifying offers, with the latest added to the top of the page....

• The Cavs‬ have made a qualifying offer to center Semih Erden, according to Mary Schmitt Boyer and Jodie Valade. of The Plain Dealer (via Twitter).  The offer is just over $1MM for the Turkish big man.

The second, third and fourth overall picks in the 2001 draft (Tyson Chandler, Pau Gasol, and now Eddy Curry) have won titles in consecutive years since 2009, HoopsHype notes (via Twitter).  The draft's top pick, Kwame Brown, continues to wait.  Here's tonight's look around the Association..

• There's a strong possibility that former Pacers CEO Donnie Walsh will return to the franchise in some capacity, sources tell Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star (via Twitter).  Wells tweets that things are expected to become clearer next week once owner Herb Simon returns for meetings.
• Agent Tolga Tugsavul says that even though client Semih Erden has appealing opportunities overseas, the center hopes to stay in the NBA, writes Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype.  The 25-year-old big man averaged 3.5 PPG and 2.6 RPG for the Cavs last season.
• Kevin Jones‘ agent Bill Neff says that the West Virginia standout has a first-round guarantee in Thursday's draft, writes Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.  However, Neff admits that no promise is ever a sure thing.  “A team in the first round has committed to him,” Neff said. “The question is, what does that mean? I never trust anything other than what happens on draft night."
• Matt Steinmetz of CSNBayArea.com doesn't see anything wrong with the Warriors kicking the tires on Brandon Roy.  Earlier today, Golden State GM Bob Myers wouldn't rule out pursuing the veteran.
• This year's draft class doesn't have a whole lot of sure fire prospects, opines Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times.

Tonight's Clippers/Hawks game will affect playoff seeding, and the Hornets/Warriors contest has lottery implications. But the one to circle on tonight's schedule is Suns vs. Jazz in Utah, a game Al Jefferson calls the biggest of his life (via Brian T. Smith of the Salt Lake Tribune). A Utah win clinches the Jazz a playoff spot, while a Suns win would mean the two teams are tied for the eighth seed with one game remaining. Before the two teams get underway, let's check in on some other notes from around the NBA....

• Kris Humphries would like to re-sign with the Nets if possible, he tells Mike Mazzeo of ESPNNewYork.com. You'd have to think the Nets will prioritize Deron Williams, Gerald Wallace, and Brook Lopez over Humphries, though they could still have room for their leading rebounder.
• Carmelo Anthony endorsed Mike Woodson for the Knicks' permanent coaching job, as Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com writes. Amare Stoudemire echoed that sentiment later in the day, tweets Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv.
• Anthony told Frank Isola of the New York Daily News (Twitter link) that he believes his friend Chris Paul will eventually sign a long-term extension with the Clippers.
• Cavaliers coach Byron Scott is unsure whether he wants to bring Semih Erden back for next season, says Tom Reed of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
• A Bloomberg report details the role that nepotism is playing in the current players' union conflict, though executive committee member Maurice Evans downplayed the union's concerns on the subject (Twitter link).

Three-day rests don't come along often in this lockout-shortened season, so the Cavaliers likely took full advantage of the time off they received this week. As the Cavs prepare to host Indiana tonight in their first game since Saturday, let's round up a few items out of Cleveland...

• Anderson Varejao's injury has given Semih Erden a "golden opportunity" to show what he can do, coach Byron Scott tells Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal.  Erden will be eligible for restricted free agency after the season.
• Scott doesn't understand why people think Cleveland should lose games, writes Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio. The Cavs' coach would prefer to earn a postseason berth, even if it meant a quick first-round exit, because he feels his young players would benefit from the playoff experience.
• Amico fielded Cavs-related questions, including plenty on possible trades, in a chat earlier today.
• Kyrie Irving has been cleared by the team to return to action tonight after missing three games with a concussion, tweets Joe Gabriele of Cavs.com. Anthony Parker is also progressing and could return next week, but there's still no timetable for Varejao (Beacon Journal link).