The Clippers' pursuit of point guard Steve Francis continued on Friday.

The Portland Trail Blazers and Francis' agent, Jeff Fried, are in the process of negotiating a buyout of the three-time All-Star's contract. If a deal is completed, Francis would be free to sign with another team, and the Clippers are on his list.

Many other teams, however, are also interested in Francis, so the process could drag on for weeks, sources said.