The state-run China Daily reported today that Chinese Basketball Association chief Li Yuanwei may intervene in the dispute between Yi and the Bucks.

"I will go to the United States in the coming days to help Yi solve the problem," Li told China Daily. "I will have a talk with Yi at the Stankovic Cup to see what he thinks.

"The Bucks side didn't send their officials to China this time as they promised, so I will take some time to get this resolved."

Yi is playing with the host Chinese national team in the Stankovic Cup, and China has games remaining against New Zealand and the D-League Ambassadors, a team representing the NBA Development League. Today, Yi scored a team-high 19 points in China's 68-63 loss to Angola in Macau.

Bucks general manager Larry Harris has said for several weeks that he had no firm plans to visit China.

"It remains a possibility, but it's nothing imminent," Harris said today.

He indicated he remains firmly committed to signing Yi, who fills a significant need for the team at power forward.

Yi's representatives did not allow him to work out for the Bucks before the draft and had discouraged Milwaukee from selecting him. But the Bucks were intrigued with Yi's versatility and picked him with the No. 6 overall choice, and they were impressed with his performance for China in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas earlier this month.

Harris and Bucks coach Larry Krystkowiak met with Yi in Las Vegas on July 5 and delivered a letter from Bucks owner Herb Kohl, inviting Yi to come to Milwaukee.

"We have an open invitation for Yi, his family and Mr. Chen to come to Milwaukee to see what we have to offer," Harris said, referring to Guangdong Tigers general manager and owner Chen Haitao.

"Having heard this about Mr. Li, we certainly invite him as well. We would love for him to come."

The Bucks will have to negotiate with both the Guangdong club and the Chinese league to secure Yi's release, allowing the 7-foot Chinese star to play in the NBA this season. Under terms of the NBA's collective bargaining agreement, the Bucks can pay no more than $500,000 to the Guangdong team.

Yi's representatives have requested a trade. But Harris has repeatedly said the Bucks have no intention of dealing the forward, who averaged 24.9 points and 11.5 rebounds for the Tigers last season.

Milwaukee has signed small forward Desmond Mason and point guard Mo Williams in free agency, and the team addressed the power forward spot with Yi.

"We're here to make it as comfortable and easy a transition from the CBA to the NBA as possible," Harris said.

"We're keeping communications open, and that has not changed. There's an open dialogue with Dan Fegan (Yi's agent) that continues today."

When center Yao Ming became the top overall pick in the 2002 NBA draft, selected by the Houston Rockets, it followed a visit by Houston team officials to Shanghai.

Chen said in a Sohu.com report that the Bucks have not contacted him.

"Their owner knows the cell phone numbers of the whole team of Yi, but they have not called us, so I just don't understand what it means," Chen said. "Even more so, I have no way of judging what they want to do in the case."

If Yi decides not to join the Bucks, he would have to sit out the 2007-08 season and not play professionally in order to be re-entered in the 2008 NBA draft.