Ming will not attend the draft

From the Reuters News Agency:

BEIJING (Reuters) -- Chinese basketball prospect Yao Ming will miss next week's NBA draft in New York to train with the Chinese national team prompting fears that his move to the United States will be protracted.

The official Xinhua news agency said on Friday the 7-foot-5 center would attend the training session, but that it would not prevent him becoming the top pick for the Houston Rockets in the draft on June 26.

A source close to Yao and the NBA called the announcement a "bad sign" of the obstacles still blocking the 22-year-old's move to the United States.

"The situation's real messy right now," said the source, who asked not to be named. China's basketball association played down the news.

"We ask [the NBA's] understanding and forgiveness," Xinhua quoted the Chinese Basketball Association as saying. "Whether Yao Ming goes to the United States to participate in the draft does not all influence his playing in the NBA."

Coaches and officials from Houston visited Shanghai last week to discuss Yao's future and try and negotiate his release from current club the Shanghai Sharks.

Sharks general manager Li Yaomin told Reuters the two sides had not yet reached an agreement on Friday evening. Yao's family scheduled a news conference to discuss their talks with the Sharks for Saturday evening.

Yao has impressed scouts in international competition and in pre-draft camps, but there have been concerns among NBA teams that Chinese sports authorities would force Yao to return home for national team training and games.

Xinhua said Yao would play for China in the Asian Games in October, a month before the NBA season kicks off.

Yao's future has already been complicated by new government rules that would require him to pay half his commercial earnings to Chinese sporting authorities.

As an NBA rookie, he is expected to receive a four-year guaranteed contract worth $10-18 million, and could earn millions more in advertising contracts.

The source said the Sharks -- owned by television broadcaster Shanghai Oriental -- want Yao to pay them another $15-20 million for his release to compensate projected losses in advertising and sponsorships and plummeting ratings after his departure.

Under NBA rules governing overseas players, the Rockets can pay Shanghai a maximum of $350,000 for Yao's release.

"They are losing a lot,' the source said. 'That's why they're asking so much.' He said Yao was looking to pay the Sharks around $3 million.

Xinhua called the talks between the Rockets and Sharks "friendly and fruitful."

China's first NBA player Wang Zhizhi, a Chinese army officer, was selected by Dallas in the second round of the 1999 NBA draft but did not make his league debut until late in the 2000-2001 season.

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This is very interesting news. It will be interesting to hear the reaction from the Rockets front office and Yao's representatives. This will also lead to the inevitable linking to working out Chris Wilcox and the potential for a trade down, and that maybe things aren't working out.

 

Here is more from Andy Katz at ESPN on this. Less gloomy than the report above, but also pre-press conference.

Getting Yao Ming to come to America -- for the NBA Draft on Wednesday in New York City -- was always a reach. The Houston Rockets knew it. The NBA knew it. And the Chinese Basketball Association knew it. Yao had national team commitments, especially in light of the World Championships this summer in Indianapolis.

But in a translated release from the Chinese Basketball Association obtained by ESPN.com Friday, the CBA puts to rest any concerns that Yao won't be playing in the NBA or that he won't the Rockets' No. 1 pick, even though he won't be at the draft.

The CBA's Sau Ching said in the release, "Whether Yao is present at the NBA Draft or not, it will not affect his future in the NBA.''

An official with the Rockets told ESPN.com Friday morning they weren't worried about the news that he would miss Wednesday's draft. The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the Rockets knew this could occur and didn't expect it to affect Yao playing for the Rockets. With the potential of the draft being televised in China, the NBA wanted Yao at the event because of the added exposure.

The translated release continued positively for the Rockets saying, "Also recently, the Mayor of Houston, the Rockets' general manager, head coach and general counsel and the Shanghai Sharks have been in contact and in discussions with the CBA on the issue of Yao's trip to the NBA and the meetings were positive and effective.

"The CBA views the issue of having Chinese players play in the U.S. in a positive and cautious manner. The CBA is also working hard to protect the interest of the country and its players. Yao's trip to the NBA is progressing in a normal manner in accordance with regulations.''

A statement from the Rockets is expected later Friday morning. Yao would become the first professional foreign player to be picked No. 1 in the NBA Draft.

More From Release
Here is more from the translated CBA release:


We recently received an invitation from the NBA for Yao Ming to join the NBA Draft on June 27 (June 26 in the United States). As Yao is now in training for the upcoming games against Italy, Australia and Yugoslavia, which are scheduled at the end of this month, and also in training for the World Championships in August and Asian Games in October, this is a very critical moment in his training. After discussions with the China national team, we have decided that Yao will not go to the US for the NBA Draft. We have already expressed our apology to the NBA and hope that they would understand our situation. Whether Yao is present at the NBA draft or not, it will not affect his future in the NBA.
-- Sau Ching, Chinese Basketball Association