Yi's Contract Dilemma a Potential PR Disaster for NBA...and Himself

With news today that Yi Jianlian's Chinese Basketball Association's club would block a contract with the Milwaukee Bucks, there is definite potential that this could look bad for the NBA. This is the most publicized trade demand coming from a prospect since Steve Francis demanded to be traded from Vancouver. However, in the long run, this could end up hurting Yi's fan base and marketability in the United States. The contract situation certaintly isin't helping Yi's image in America. Not many people knew about him going into the 2007 NBA Draft. The reaction to the pick in Milwaukee was mixed. Questions about his actual age, talent, and experience still linger. With his unimpressive debut in the Vegas Summer League, people wont be warming up to him if his name is called during the 2008 NBA Draft, either. It seems that the CBA hasn't really given a valid reason for him to not come to Milwaukee. Suggesting that Milwaukee has "too many tall players like Yi", Chien Haitio, the owner of the CBA's Guangdong Tigers (Yi's former team), doesn;t make much sense to fans around the league. Looking at the Milwaukee Bucks roster on paper, a starting squad of... 1-Mo Williams 2-Michael Redd 3-Bobby Simmons 4-Charlie Villanueva 5-Andrew Bogut with Yi coming off the bench looks very promising for the future. The Bucks just re-signed Williams to a 6-year deal at the start of free agency, and have Redd locked up in the long-term, as well. Looking at the roster, if they were to add one or two veterans, it's not crazy to think they could be in the thick of things in the Eastern Conference come playoff time. But, until Yi's contract is settled, Milwaukee fans will have to wait to see if Yi comes aboard, or if they can use his rights to bring in other young talent with managable contracts. They cannot let the worst case scenario, losing his rights in the 2008 NBA Draft, to come to fruition. It is just a matter of who blinks first at this point.