Yao and Wang articles

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Wang's status for Worlds affects Mavs
If he's off China's roster this morning, he could be out of Dallas' plans

08/28/2002

By MARC STEIN / The Dallas Morning News

Wang Zhizhi's future with the Mavericks, thrust into uncertainty by his summerlong impasse with the Chinese Basketball Association, appears poised to plunge into deeper doubt at 10 a.m. Wednesday.

That's when representatives from all 16 teams in the forthcoming World Championships in Indianapolis convene for a rules meeting, at which time each nation must finalize its 12-man roster.

And by all indications Tuesday, Wang will not be reinstated to Team China's active roster after being listed as an alternate last week. Once Wang is officially omitted, the Mavericks must decide if they still wish to re-sign the former soldier – which would clash with Dallas' longstanding promise to Chinese authorities that Wang will report to his national team whenever his presence is requested.

Simon Chan, Wang's United States-based adviser, has refused numerous interview requests from The Dallas Morning News in the last month. The Associated Press quoted Chan as saying Tuesday there will be no reconciliation in time to beat the 10 a.m. deadline.

Asked about the implications of Wang's expected omission, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said only, "We don't know yet."

Wang is a restricted free agent in NBA terms, giving Dallas the right to match any contract offer he receives up to a starting salary of $4.5 million. The Mavericks, though, have distanced themselves from Wang since May, when the 25-year-old defied two written summons requesting his return to China for national-team duty.

In an official release to Chinese media outlets this week, the CBA announced that Wang on Friday rejected its demands that he return to China after the World Championships to participate in the Asian Games. The latter event extends into October, which conflicts with NBA training camps.

The CBA release also stated Wang can re-establish good standing with Chinese officials and receive renewed NBA clearance even if he misses the World Championships, as long as he consents to return for the Asian Games. Wang, however, has said he would only play in the World Championships if he could stay in the States immediately afterward, as he continues to pursue an NBA contract.

Houston's Yao Ming, in contrast, will play in the Asian Games and miss the bulk of training camp, a condition the Rockets had to agree to in obtaining Yao's release from the Shanghai Sharks. Yet, Houston hasn't received the final Chinese clearance needed to formally sign Yao to a four-year contract worth more than $15 million, leaving the Rockets to hope the ongoing Wang dispute doesn't delay Yao's clearance further.

Wang has spent the off-season working out in Los Angeles, and he played on Golden State's summer-league team when the Mavericks refused him a spot. NBA commissioner David Stern said in June that Wang will be free to play in the league next season, with or without the blessing of the Chinese government.

Although the Mavericks haven't ruled out keeping him, re-signing an AWOL Wang could jeopardize the club's longstanding relationships with China with regard to future NBA prospects. Donnie Nelson, the Mavericks' president of basketball operations, traveled to China's training camp in Denver last week to "make sure this awkward situation doesn't jeopardize those relationships."

Should the Mavericks decide such costs outweigh the benefits of keeping Wang, they will undoubtedly explore sign-and-trade options to guard against losing an asset for nothing.