Category: NBA Draft (Page 47 of 55)

After a long, drawn out saga (which I outlined in a recent column), Yi Jianlian finally agreed to terms with the Milwaukee Bucks.

[Team owner, Senator Herb] Kohl, Bucks general manager Larry Harris and team vice president Ron Walter met with Yi, Chinese Basketball Association officials and Guangdong Tigers owner Chen Haitao on Wednesday in Hong Kong.

“We all anticipate Yi’s arrival and welcome him and his family to Milwaukee,” Kohl said. “We look forward to a successful relationship for many years to come.”

Yi and his representatives initially had balked at signing with the Bucks and requested a trade to another NBA team, preferably one in a major market or with a large Asian American population. Prior to the draft, agent Dan Fegan had warned the Bucks not to select Yi and had not allowed Bucks officials to conduct a private workout of the Chinese player at his Los Angeles training base.

But the Bucks insisted throughout the summer that they did not intend to trade Yi, and their hand was strengthened when they were able to sign their own free agent point guard, Mo Williams, to a six-year, $52 million contract.

Mum was the word for almost the entire month of August. Frankly, I’m embarrassed at the lack of coverage that my hometown newspaper, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, has given to the standoff. The last bit of news that the newspaper provided was on the first of the month.

Regardless, it will be interesting to see how Yi’s career plays out. Considering the drama around the signing, what is the likelihood that he’s going to re-sign once his rookie contract is up? The Bucks’ brass obviously feels that once Yi joins the community, he’ll be happy in Milwaukee, but I have my doubts. It’s difficult enough to make the transition from living in China to living in the U.S., and it’s even more difficult to move to a city with a very small Chinese population. Yao Ming made a smooth transition to Houston, but he seems like a more thoughtful and disciplined person than Yi.

On the court, Jianlian should have ample opportunity to improve his game. The Bucks have a hole at power forward and they drafted Yi to fill it. Charlie Villanueva is also in the picture, but he’s more of a small forward, so it’s conceivable that the Bucks could start a front line of 6’11” Villanueva, 7-foot Jianlian, and 7-foot Andrew Bogut. It may take time, however, for Yi to adjust to the NBA game, as the level of competition in China simply doesn’t compare.

Still, it’s nice to see this deal get done.

What happens when you draft a player who doesn’t want to play for your team? Ask Bucks GM Larry Harris, who finds himself engaged in a standoff with draft pick Yi Jianlian, the Chinese import who apparently wants nothing to do with Milwaukee. In my latest column, I discuss who’s to blame for the continuing standoff.

Remember that KG-to-Boston deal that was killed after Garnett said he wasn’t interested in playing for the Celtics?

Well, it’s back on…sort of.

That deal would have included the C’s #5 pick in this summer’s draft, but it was sent to Seattle in a trade that brought Ray Allen to Boston. Ironically, that might have been the trade that made KG re-think his position:

A Celtics official went so far as to confirm to the Boston Globe’s Jackie MacMullan that a deal was in place.

Multiple sources told ESPN.com that the Wolves are believed to be getting Al Jefferson and Theo Ratliff’s expiring contract.

It’s believed that the latest incarnation of the deal also would have Minnesota acquiring youngsters Gerald Green, Sebastian Telfair and Ryan Gomes.

The Wolves would also receive a future first-round pick from Boston and take back the future first-round pick it sent to the Celtics in the Wally Szczerbiak-Ricky Davis trade in January 2006.

Sources indicated late Sunday that Garnett was warming to the idea, raising hopes on both sides that the deal will finally go through.

See the deal in ESPN’s Trade Machine.

Understandably, Garnett is more willing to consider Boston now that the C’s have two All-Stars (Allen and Paul Pierce). If the deal goes through as described, that would leave the likes of Tony Allen, Rajon Rondo and Kendrick Perkins, along with draft picks Gabe Pruitt and Glen “Baby” Davis, to fill in the holes around the team’s Big 3. While that list isn’t exactly oozing with talent, it does have some upside that could contribute to a championship-caliber squad. The Celtics would basically need to find a point guard and a center capable of meshing with Garnett, Pierce and Ray Allen.

If this deal goes through, it will have a huge impact on the pecking order in the East. The Celtics would immediately rise to contender status in the conference. For the ‘Wolves, the combination of Al Jefferson, Gerald Green and Ryan Gomes plus two first round picks is reasonable compensation for KG. The team will now build around Jefferson, Randy Foye and Corey Brewer (and to a lesser extent, Green and Gomes). In a few years, that team should be able to compete for a playoff spot.

But Kevin McHale will find a way to screw it up, right?

It might just be agent-speak in order to drive the Bucks’ price up, but Mo Williams is apparently considering taking less money to play with Shaq and Dwyane Wade instead of re-signing with the Bucks. The Heat are over the cap, so all they can offer is their mid-level exception, which works out to about $30 million over five years. The Bucks have reportedly offered $40 million over the same span.

So will Williams turn down $10 million in guaranteed money to play for a “contender”? Usually, players talk about wanting to play for a good team, but it’s mainly the grizzled vets like Karl Malone and Gary Payton who become underpaid mercenaries in their quest for a ring, not 24 year-olds who are signing their first big contract. That said, the money the Bucks are offering isn’t that much more than the Heat, so Williams could very well bolt.

I wonder how a Wade/Williams backcourt will work. Both players dominate the ball, but Wade is more of a slasher, while Williams is a better outside shooter.

The Bucks are an up-and-coming team, and if they can re-sign Williams and get Yi Jianlian on board, they would be poised for a big leap in the East this season and could become a consistent power in the conference. If they lose Williams, they’re going to have a big hole at PG with no real backup plan.

I think Williams will take the money and re-sign, but as a Bucks fan, I’m a little worried.