Center offers loyalty pledge By JONATHAN FEIGEN Copyright 2002 Houston Chronicle Normally by now, the team holding the top pick in the NBA draft would have a pretty good idea what it would do with it. But these are anything but normal times. The Rockets have a very good idea what they would like to do. The hope was that sometime in the middle of the night, general counsel Michael Goldberg would receive phone calls from Beijing and Shanghai telling them that the final negotiations to make Yao Ming available to play in the NBA had been completed. With that, the letter of clearance from the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) would be on its way and so would the 7-5 Chinese center. That much was clear. "We've evaluated him and we've decided that he's the guy we want," Rockets general manager Carroll Dawson said. "The other stuff is up to Michael." But by Monday, it was out of Goldberg's hands. Yao's availability -- or at least the hope that the Rockets would get the letter by Wednesday assuring he could play in the NBA next season -- had come down to a second day of negotiations between Chinese agent Lu Hao and the China Basketball Association. "We think it will get done on time," said Yao's representative, Erick Zhang. "Nothing has changed that. We're optimistic. "I am confident. By end of the day I will know for sure if he will have his clearance. All the discussions we have right now are very positive. There is a will to have it resolved before the draft. People understand need to have this done before the draft. That is what I expect." Zhang said CBA representatives have not made any late demands. He said that he planned to provide documentation in which Yao would pledge his loyalty to the Chinese national team. "They did not ask for it, but we want to give it to them," Zhang said. "His commitment to the national team is unwavering and unconditional. We want to reassure the CBA of that." Rather than preparing a contingency plan, Dawson said he has postponed any real consideration of trade offers under the determined assumption that he will get the call about Yao. "You try to get ready for everything that can happen," Dawson said. With that in mind, the Rockets have worked out top 10 picks Chris Wilcox, Drew Gooden and Caron Butler with the idea that they might have to consider options with the first pick in addition to the 15th pick of the draft. Dawson and Goldberg would not say if the Rockets had decided whether they would still take Yao if he does not get the letter of clearance by Wednesday. But if the Rockets pass on Yao without the letter, other teams that had not negotiated in China like the Rockets have could be even more leery of him. That offers greater motivation to get the deal done before the draft. With so much of his fate out of his hands and out of the norm, Dawson said he concentrated what he would do with the Rockets' other first-round pick, the 15th overall choice. "We got another pick," Dawson said. "That's what we spent our time on today. Normally, got about one choice. We think we have three or four. That's more than usual at 15, so we feel good." The Rockets worked out Slovenian point guard Bostjan Nachbar Sunday. But Nachbar worked out for the Wizards on Monday and the Wizards are also looking for a small forward. There have been signs that guard Dejuan Wagner could slip and be available to the Wizards with the 11th pick. The Rockets likely will also consider Kentucky forward Tayshaun Prince and guard/forward Jiri Welsch of the Czech Republic with the 15th pick, particularly if the team is determined to stay away from adding to their already crowded roster of power forwards, centers and guards. Rockets officials hope to add just one player to that collection of big men and had reached the point Monday when he was just a half a world and a phone call away. Link to article
