Guangdong may block Yi's Milwaukee move

THE Milwaukee Bucks' campaign to secure the services of reluctant power forward Yi Jianlian has suffered a blow after the player's Chinese club said it would block his move to the United States.

The 2.13-meter Yi, taken by Milwaukee with the sixth selection in the NBA draft last month, would "definitely not" play for Milwaukee, yesterday's Beijing News quoted Guangdong Tigers chief, Chen Haitao, as saying.

"This is not - as media reports have said - because Milwaukee, as a city with very few Chinese people, is not good for Yi's commercial development," Chen said.

"Rather we want to find a team suitable for Yi's growth. That's the root of the problem," he added.

Earlier in July, Yi's Chinese agent said the unsigned player was looking to trade to another club, despite pledges by Milwaukee officials to do whatever they could to make him feel at home.

Chen expressed concern that Yi would have trouble getting game time at the Bucks, whose squad boasts Australian 7-footer Andrew Bogut and a number of other tall young players.

"The national team and the Olympic Games are now our key considerations... If (Yi) goes to a team where he can't compete, that would be being irresponsible to the national team," Chen said.

A Sina.com report meanwhile said that Milwaukee general manager Larry Harris and another official will arrive in China next week for talks with the Guangdong Tigers and CBA officials.

"We're confident of Yi's ability as a player and that he has a future with us," a Bucks official was quoted as saying the Website.