HoopsHype.com Rumors

Sources said Yi also considered signing with the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs before settling on Dallas. ESPN.com

Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs, Free Agency, Yi Jianlian 

Team sources said they won't cut Biedrins or David Lee under the amnesty clause, and are considering saving that for another year. Reported interest in forwards David West and Yi Jianlian would be true "only if they fell into our laps for a low dollar," according to Warriors sources. San Francisco Chronicle

Golden State Warriors, New Orleans Hornets, Free Agency, David Lee, Yi Jianlian, David West 

With the NBA lockout now officially over, Yi Jianlian’s stay in the CBA is also over. As expected, Yi is taking full advantage of his specially made “Yi Jianlian Clause” to return to the United States in an attempt to sign on with a team. The news has been made official by Guangdong Hongyuan’s official Sina Weibo feed. NiuBBall.com

Yi Jianlian 

But one that appears legitimate is Yi Jianlian‘s knee injury. Via NBA247365.com: Sina Sports recently reported that the knee injury isn’t too serious, but unlike JR Smith, Yi will still be forced to rest for at least two weeks. Here’s a link to Sina’s article in Chinese, and an excerpt from my poorly-translated version that’s just good enough to get the point across… NBCSports.com

Yi Jianlian, Injuries, China 

Defending champions Guangdong Hongyuan had to swallow their first defeat of this season as they lost to the Beijing Ducks 104-92 in the third round of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) league on Friday. To make the situation even worse, Guangdong's star center Yi Jianlian was injured midway the game when teammate Zhu Fangyu crushed him in the right leg while falling after a scramble with Beijing's Stephan Marbury. Yi, who started his game with three points, then walked off the court and was sent to a local hospital for examination. Without Yi's offensive and defensive power, Guangdong shooters under-performed in the game, with Wang Shipeng and Zhou Peng scoring seven points and nine points respectively. China Daily

Yi Jianlian, Injuries 

Only two of Guangdong players collected double figures. Center James Singleton harvested game-high 33 points and 15 rebounds, and Zhu Fangyu added 22. "We are still unsure about Yi's injury," said Guangdong head coach Li Chunjiang. "Losing a game is quite normal in the whole season, so we shouldn't take it a big thing." "Brooks didn't put on a great show as we had expected. He needs enough rest and training," Li added. Marbury was the hero of Beijing Ducks as the former NBA All-Star knocked down 18 points and dished out eight assists. China Daily

Yi Jianlian, Injuries 

Emiliano Carchia: JR Smith got injured in the 1st game in CBA, today Yi Jianlian got hurt on his knee and left the court in the second half via @Jon Pastuszek Twitter

Yi Jianlian, Injuries, China 

In the case of Yi, he fits the league’s first requirement. Before the lockout hit on July 1st, the Wizards declined to pick up his $5.4 million qualifying offer, which makes him an unrestricted free-agent. But in regard to the second rule, Yi’s under a different set of circumstances because of his Chinese passport. The no opt-out rule only applies to players registered as foreign imports, not domestic players. Since Yi is Chinese, he can be legally registered as a local player and can thus sidestep any regulations regarding out-clauses. The special rule has since been dubbed “The Yi Clause.” NiuBBall.com

Washington Wizards, Yi Jianlian, Lockout, China 

On the other side of the ocean, the NBA probably wouldn’t be too happy about that scenario either. For better or worse, Yi is now David Stern’s only direct Chinese link to the highly valued Middle Kingdom market. As Guan Weijia introduced to Western audiences last week what is a long known fact about the NBA in China, TV ratings have been at all-time lows since 2008-09 when Yao went down with what would be a career ending injury. It’s true that the NBA has made a lot of progress marketing its own superstars to China, but the fact remains that for most casual Chinese viewers, watching Yao was more important than watching basketball. Take Yi away, and Stern would be left with even less fans than he has now. NiuBBall.com

Houston Rockets, Washington Wizards, Yao Ming, Yi Jianlian, Lockout, China 

Yi won’t create sciesmic shifts for a team’s financials, but he still has commercial potential for the NBA and the team that signs him. Plus, there’s still that somewhat tantalizing on-court potential that at least one team will take a cheap, low-risk flier on in the hope that its finally realized. In all, forcing Yi to stay the whole year in the NBA is against everyone’s interest. And that’s why Yi is heading back to the States as soon as Billy Hunter and Stern can get a deal done. NiuBBall.com

Washington Wizards, Yi Jianlian, Lockout, China 

Until the NBA and its players’ union can come to a resolution on a new collective bargaining agreement, Yi Jianlian is returning to the place where his professional basketball career started. Jarinn Akana, one of Yi’s representatives, confirmed that his client has signed a contract with the Guangdong Southern Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association which will have an NBA out for whenever the labor dispute is settled. “Although he may not stay with us very long, I am quite sure his return is good for himself, the team and Chinese fans as well, “ Guangdong Hongyuan’s team manager Liu Hongjiang told the Chinese news agency, Xinhua. “He could keep his edge in CBA, our team will also benefit from his skills and fans certainly want to see him play at his best years.” Washington Post

Washington Wizards, Free Agency, Yi Jianlian, China 

Akana explained in a telephone interview that since Yi is a local player, the CBA and the Southern Tigers have both afforded him the privilege of leaving whenever he signs another deal in the NBA. The CBA begins in November, so Yi had was pressed to make a decision about playing or training on his own. “Yi looked at the lockout situation and wanted to be on the right side of the fence. If something came down, and they made an agreement he could come back and if not, he’s on that side that he can play,” Akana said. “It was just a matter of looking at the situation and figuring out if it made sense to play.” Washington Post

Washington Wizards, Free Agency, Yi Jianlian, China 

Rijay Wang: Report:Yi Jianlian has signed a one-year contract with Guangdong Southern Tigers.His contract includes NBA out. http://news.hoopchina.com/201110… Twitter

Washington Wizards, Yi Jianlian, Lockout, China 

Emiliano Carchia: Chinese CBA allows a Chinese player as Yi Jianlian to have NBA out. Just foreigners are not allowed to have the escape Twitter

Washington Wizards, Yi Jianlian, Lockout, China 

This is the first MVP award Yi has earned while playing for the national team, indicating that Team China has become Yi’s team, and the Era of Yi in Chinese basketball has begun. In October, he will return to the U.S. to continue his training. What remains to be seen is whether a job awaits him in the NBA. Some have suggested that because of the NBA lockout, Yi, an unrestricted free agent, will go back to the Chinese Basketball Association. But one of his friends told me that, unless the NBA lockout lasts for a whole season, he will not be back. Yi’s former boss, Guangdong Tigers general manager Chen Haitao, has also confirmed it. “After Yao retired, I am carrying more and more responsibility. For our team, I must do everything I can to get victory. It’s doubtless,” Yi said. “I hope that I can show fans a better and stronger Yi Jianlian.” SheridanHoops

Yao Ming, Yi Jianlian, China 

Without iconic giant center Yao Ming, former Washington Wizards power forward Yi Jianlian has emerged as the vocal leader of the Chinese national squad at the just concluded Stankovic Continental Cup. "I often face double or triple teams without Yao or Wang (Zhizhi) on the court, so other guys' performances have to make a difference. They have to keep moving and passing the ball smoothly to make space. That will make things much easier for me," Yi said after the team lost its seventh consecutive game at the tournament against Russia on Monday. China Daily

Yi Jianlian, China 

Chinese NBA-player Yi Jianlian will play the 2011 Stankovic Continental Cup, starting here on Monday, but his playing time will be limited. "Yi has joined the team in a close-door traning camp since July 20 and will play the upcoming tournament, but his playing time will not be too much," said China head coach Robert Donewald at a news conference in Haining on Sunday. "He still needs some time to adjust himself, so I don't want him to play too much time and he has to come up gradually before the Asian Championship in September when he reaches his top shape," Donewald added. Xinhua

Yi Jianlian, China 

Yi Jianlian, who Time magazine once predicted would be the next Yao, is now an unrestricted free agent after being dropped by the Washington Wizards. Sun Yue, the only Chinese national to play point guard in the N.B.A., was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers but played 10 games, averaging a mere 0.6 points, before his demotion to the Development League. He has returned to the Chinese Basketball Association. China, Zhang wrote in Basketball Pioneers magazine, must develop smaller, faster and more skilled players like the ones who thrive in the West. “China has no shortage of this kind of talent,” he said. “We simply have coaching and systemic problems that prevent us from discovering and developing these players.” New York Times

Yao Ming, Yi Jianlian, China 

But youth and height, as any N.B.A. fan knows, do not alone predict victory on the court. “At age 10, you can’t identify the next Allen Iverson,” Bob Donewald Jr., the American coach of China’s national team, said in a phone interview. Nor the next Derrick Rose, the N.B.A.’s most valuable player last season, who stands 6-3. As the coach of the national team and before that the Shanghai Sharks, Yao’s former team, Donewald sees the structural problems plaguing Chinese basketball up close. The system’s failures, he said, directly affect the quality of his players. “What’s amazing is that in a country of 1.3 billion I can’t find a point guard,” he said. New York Times

Yao Ming, Yi Jianlian, China 

“When you work in Chinese basketball, you realize that the C.B.A., the clubs and the national team don’t care and don’t want to hear about the process,” Donewald said. “They just want results. But it’s by building the infrastructure that you win more medals and make more stars.” No matter how Chinese sports officials address the dearth of basketball talent, resting on Yao’s laurels is no longer an option. His departure, some fans said, has stirred a surprising emotion: relief. “Yao’s presence was like a massive shadow that no one could escape,” said Li Nan, the amateur player in Beijing. “Everybody thought if they wanted to make it to the N.B.A., they would have to be like Yao — a 7-6 Chinese ambassador.” New York Times

Yao Ming, Yi Jianlian, China