<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">So far, Milwaukee Bucks general manager Larry Harris has played it perfectly in trying to move along the process of getting power forward Yi Jianlian to become a member of the Milwaukee Bucks. But he and the Bucks have some work to do in the middle- and end-game portions of this negotiation in order to lock down the sixth selection overall in the draft. According to people who have knowledge of such negotiations involving foreign players, Harris has hit the right notes so far. For him to continue in that manner, the Bucks need to understand what's really going on here. In fact, there's evidence they already do. The chief obstacle, really the only obstacle, the Bucks face is Chen Haitao, the private owner of the Guangdong Tigers, the Chinese Basketball Association team for which Yi plays. Chen doesn't merely view Yi as an employee. Rather, Chen literally owns Yi and wants to make himself richer by negotiating a buyout agreement, retaining a portion of Yi's endorsement income and maintaining Yi as an ambassador to further Chen's business. It has been suggested Chen might be looking for as much as 50% of all of Yi's endorsement money. Yi has to buy out his old contract with the Tigers, agree to assign his representation rights to the Tigers and sign his NBA representation to an agent approved by the Tigers. When Chen says he wants Yi to play in a National Basketball Association market with a significant Asian population, that's just hooey. He thinks, na?vely, that Yi could earn tons more endorsement income in some markets other than Milwaukee. I say na?ve, because if a player really does have game, he can endorse products whether he plays with New York, Miami, Cleveland or Golden State. If the player can play, a small market is not a deal breaker. LeBron James plays in Cleveland. Kevin Garnett plays in Minnesota. No. 1 overall pick GregOden plays in Portland, and Oden will have all the big endorsements he wants if he can play up to expectations. Yi's agent of record, Dan Fegan, has been made the fall guy by many in the court of public opinion. He's been cast as the manipulator of Yi, the one giving Yi bad advice, shielding him from the media. Fegan appears to be willing to play the villain so far. But if he's a villain, he's a mute one. Who precisely is Fegan's client here? Is it Yi or is it Chen? If Fegan had to be approved by Chen, whose interests is he representing? If part of an agent's job is to negotiate a buyout with the club that owns Yi, how can he vigorously represent Yi's interests if he has his job because Chen put him in it? In any case, the guy to watch here is Chen. Right now, by all accounts, Chen is marinating in bad publicity in China. That's why he keeps changing the story about why Milwaukee is the wrong place for his player. First it was the dearth of Asians here. Then it was playing time and helping the national team. What's next? The Bucks team uniform colors are not acceptable? The Chinese people want Yi to play for the Bucks. Obviously, Harris and the Bucks have no control over Yi's endorsement income. But Harris can point out the endorsements will come only if Yi is in the NBA, and the only way he is going to play in the NBA is in a Bucks uniform. Harris has resisted the temptation to criticize Chen publicly or in any way appear irritated by Chen's tactics. A misstep in this area will only give Chen an out from the place public opinion has him boxed. Harris and owner Sen. Herb Kohl have been taking the open hand, open arms approach - the Bucks love Yi, Milwaukee is eager to meet Yi, Wisconsin is a great state with blue waters and clean air. Public sentiment in China is running on the Bucks' side. Harris and Kohl are in a good position to keep it there.</div> <div align="center">Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel</div>
I dont really like Yi playing for Milwaukee. Hes going to be a big time player and he will most likely be coming off the bench behind Villinueva and bogut. However, If Milwaukee could have Yi Bogut and Villinueva in the same line up that would be sick. I think whether Yi wants to stay or go, Milwaukee should trade him and try to pick up a good small forward to round out their line up.
All 3 would start I would imagine C - Andrew Bogut PF - Yi Jianlian SF - Charlie Villanueva SG - Michael Redd PG - Mo Williams
