Kobe Bryant headlines the list of 17 players who are expected to report for U.S. national team minicamp this weekend in Las Vegas.

The three-day camp on the campus of UNLV will be used to select the finalists for next month's FIBA Americas tournament, the regional qualifier for the 2008 Olympics. The roster must be trimmed to 12 players before the tournament starts on Aug. 22.

There are 32 players in the national team program, but 15 are unavailable for minicamp, leaving the Americans with fewer players than expected. Coach Mike Krzyzewski said last week he thought 18 or 19 would be in camp.

Bryant, the league's scoring champion, had knee surgery last summer and was unable to play in the world championships, where the Americans finished third. LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard, Chris Bosh, Shane Battier and Kirk Hinrich are the only players from that team scheduled to take part this weekend.

They will be joined by Chauncey Billups, Amare Stoudemire and Michael Redd, all members of the program last summer but unable to participate. Kevin Durant, Jason Kidd, Mike Miller, Tyson Chandler, Tayshaun Prince, J.J. Redick and Deron Williams will also attend.

Dwyane Wade and Greg Oden are among the players who can't play because of injuries or other reasons, though Wade, one of the team captains, is expected to be in Las Vegas. Elton Brand, a key member of last year's team, and Shawn Marion are among the recent injury withdrawals.

The Americans will train for two days before dividing up the roster for a blue-white game on Sunday.

Yi Jianlian has no plans to play for the Milwaukee Bucks.

Chen Haitao, owner of the Guangdong Tigers -- Yi's former team -- said the 6-foot-11 power forward will "definitely not" sign with Milwaukee and could be headed back to the Chinese Basketball Association.

"If the Bucks insist, Yi will go back to the CBA," Chen told the Chinese-language Beijing News on Tuesday.

Yi was the sixth player picked in the NBA draft and had his first meeting earlier this month with Bucks general manager Larry Harris and coach Larry Krystkowiak. His agent, Dan Fegan, has pushed for a trade and wants Yi in a city with a large Asian influence -- or at least a larger city.

It won't be Milwaukee, and the main sticking point is not the lack of Chinese-Americans in the city, Chen said.

"And it's not about Yi's commercial interests," Chen said. "We want to find a team that is good for Yi's development. That's the root of the problem."

Chen was unclear why the Bucks were a poor team for his development, but said Milwaukee had too many tall players like Yi. He also said the 2008 Beijing Olympics were a factor.

"The national team and the Olympic Games are now a key factor in considerations," Chen said. "If Yi goes to a team where he can't keep up his level of play, that wouldn't be good for the national team."

The whole situation has left the Bucks bewildered.

"We have seen confusing reports on what was said," Bucks spokesman Dan Smyczek said Tuesday night. "We're looking into getting more information to verify what was reported."

In a poll earlier this month by the Beijing-based China Daily newspaper, 68 percent of 9,000 respondents wanted Yi to join the Bucks.

Former China national team coach Qian Chenghai also supported playing with Milwaukee. "We don't want to see Yi destroy his reputation in the NBA and return to the Chinese Basketball Association," Qian said last week. "That's horrible."

Five years after being drafted, Luis Scola has finally signed an NBA contract.

Scola, chosen by San Antonio in the 2002 draft but never played for the Spurs, was introduced as the newest member of the Houston Rockets on Tuesday.

The Spurs held his rights since 2002 while he continued to play for Tau Ceramica of the Euroleague. The Rockets obtained the rights to the Argentinian forward and acquired Jackie Butler for Vassilis Spanoulis in a trade last week with the Spurs. Houston also gave up a second-round pick in the 2009 draft.

"Luis fills a position of need," Rockets general manager Daryl Morey said. "We thought he was the best guy out there and we worked really hard to get him here."

The 6-foot-9, 245-pound Scola helped the Argentinian National Team to an Olympic gold medal in 2004 and was chosen as the Spanish League regular season MVP in 2005 and 2006.

New coach Rick Adelman thinks Scola will help in the continued development of center Yao Ming.

"I looked at a lot of tape on Luis and how he plays and I think he's going to be a great attribute to Yao," Adelman said. "He's very active."

Adelman thinks Scola's style of play will fit nicely into his system.

"In the offense that we like to run, we like to have a lot of activity on the floor to make it easier for your better players to be effective," Adelman said. "I think he can do that as far as cutting to the basket or passing the ball. I think it's going to be easy for him. I think he's going to fit right in there."

Scola, 27, said he's excited to play with Yao and All-Star Tracy McGrady and that they're the first thing he thought of when he learned he'd be playing for the Rockets.

"It's great to be with them," he said. "I'm sure they're going to help me much more than I'm going to help them."

He averaged 15.5 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists last season for Tau Ceramica to earn All-Euroleague first-team honors.

Scola believes the extra time he spent in the Euroleague will help in his transition to the NBA.

"I grew up not only as a player but as a person," he said. "I want to take this challenge to see if I can succeed."

Adelman said it was too soon to say if the Rockets will expect Scola to start immediately, but he and Morey agreed that Scola will contribute quickly.

"I think he can step in and be an effective player for us right away," Adelman said.

Though Scola has signed with the Rockets, his contract will not be effective until they complete the buyout of his deal with Tau Ceramica.

A Beijing newspaper on Thursday was investigating a story it published this week, quoting Chen Haitao -- owner of the Guangdong Tigers basketball club -- saying forward Yi Jianlian would "definitely not" sign with the Milwaukee Bucks.

Yi was drafted No. 6 two weeks ago and is expected to be the fourth Chinese to play in the NBA.

The Chinese-language Beijing News said it stood by its story, but a top Guangdong club official said it was untrue and the club had not talked with the newspaper.

Wang Jin, chief sports editor with the newspaper, told the Associated Press on Thursday that its story was accurate. He said the reporter involved conducted a telephone interview with Chen, who was quoted saying Yi might return to the Chinese Basketball Association.

Wang said it was unclear why club officials deny having talked with the newspaper.

Liu Hongjiang, a club vice president, said club officials had not talked with the newspaper.

"The reporter never interviewed anyone at the club," Liu told the Associated Press. "The reporter used second-hand information he heard somewhere."

Liu said he spoke later with the reporter and "expressed strong anger."

"The club supports Yi playing in the NBA and is very willing to work with the Bucks," Liu said. "We are waiting for any chance to cooperate with the Bucks."

Liu said he believes Milwaukee is "not a suitable team for Yi, but this is not the same thing as saying he will not play with Milwaukee."

Tuesday's report in the Beijing News was picked up widely by foreign reporters, including the Associated Press. The story was one of several in the Chinese media since the June 28 NBA draft suggesting Yi did not want to play for the small-market Milwaukee club.

Basketball has a big following in China, where Yi is expected to approximate the stardom achieved by compatriot Yao Ming.

A 2.13-meter (7-foot) power forward who played last season with Guangdong in the CBA, Yi had his first meeting earlier this month with Bucks general manager Larry Harris and coach Larry Krystkowiak.

His agent, Dan Fegan, has pushed for a trade and wants Yi in a city with a large Asian influence -- or at least a larger city.

Andres Nocioni stayed with the Chicago Bulls and Joe Smith became the newest addition Wednesday for a team looking to go deeper in the NBA playoffs next season.

Nocioni, a restricted free agent, signed a five-year contract reportedly worth $37.5 million. He grew up in Argentina watching the Michael Jordan-led Bulls and has averaged 11.5 points since entering the NBA with Chicago in 2004.

"My dream was to play for the Chicago Bulls, and my agent and everybody knows that," he said.

"I love this team and I want to play for these people."

The Bulls added some depth to their frontcourt with the signing of the 6-foot-10 Smith to a reported two-year contract worth the mid-level veteran exception of $5.36 million annually.

Both Nocioni and Smith agreed to their deals last week.

Nocioni was limited by plantar fasciitis last season and missed 29 games. He returned in time for the playoffs, where the Bulls were ousted in the Eastern Conference semifinals by the Detroit Pistons.

"My foot is much better, believe me. I'm a new guy. I'm better than ever," Nocioni said. "Right now, I don't have any pain and feel normal. I hope this is done."

Nocioni said he has lost 10 pounds off his 6-foot-7 frame in the offseason to help his recovery, and has started shooting and doing some light running.

Smith, 31, has averaged 12.1 points and seven rebounds in 12 seasons since he was the first overall pick of the 1995 NBA draft. He is joining his sixth different team.

"What Joe brings is a veteran presence that we need," general manager John Paxson said. "He wants to win and we feel like that's where we're at."

With Nocioni and Smith signed, Paxson said he will turn his attention to extending the contracts of three-year veterans Ben Gordon and Luol Deng next week.

Paxson said he would like to complete the negotiations as soon as possible and isn't expecting any acrimony.

"I expect to have real good conversations with both the agents and the players," he said. "I think I'll be fair with the way I deal with it."

Even without an extension, Paxson emphasized that the Bulls have no intention of losing either player.

"We'll see what happens. But they are a part of our future," he said. "Next summer as restricted (free agents), if there's a team that offers them something, we'll match if it comes to that."

Steve Francis is returning to the Rockets.

Francis has agreed to a deal with Houston, his agent Jeff Fried said Thursday.

Before he was traded to Orlando in 2004 as part of a multiplayer deal that brought Tracy McGrady to the Rockets, Francis spent his first five NBA seasons with the Rockets.

He was sent to the Knicks in early 2006 and played for them until he was traded to Portland last month in a draft-night deal. The Trail Blazers bought out his contract for a reported $30 million last week, making him an unrestricted free agent.

"We're extremely pleased that he's going back to Houston," Fried said. "Houston has always been home for Steve since he entered the NBA."

Fried said the buyout from Portland allowed Francis more freedom in choosing a team based on factors other than money. He would not release terms of the deal, but said other teams offered more lucrative contracts.

Miami, Dallas and the Los Angeles Clippers were interested in the 30-year-old guard.

"When you look back at a few months ago and the status of things and fast forward to today, it's really something that probably could not have been planned or implemented any better," Fried said.

Fried said Francis chose the Rockets because of his "comfort factor" with the team and because he believes he can be a "meaningful participant in the overall success" in Houston.

Francis played just 44 games for the Knicks last season while dealing with injuries, averaging a career-low 11.3 points. The three-time All-Star has averaged 18.4 points and 6.1 assists in his eight-year NBA career.

Francis has maintained a home in Houston since signing with the Rockets his rookie season and spent time in the city last season while recovering from a knee injury.

Derek Fisher is coming back to Los Angeles and will rejoin Kobe Bryant in the Lakers backcourt.

They came into the NBA together in 1996, Fisher taken with the Lakers' 24th draft pick and Bryant obtained in a draft day trade with Charlotte.

Fisher, who turns 33 on Aug. 9, cleared waivers Thursday, and the Lakers scheduled a news conference for Friday to announce his signing. The contract reportedly is a 3-year deal worth about $14 million.

He had asked the Utah Jazz to release him from his contract so he could concentrate on finding the best medical care for his 1-year-old daughter, Tatum, who has cancer in her left eye. The Jazz honored his request.

Fisher played eight years in Los Angeles, including three NBA championship seasons, before signing with Golden State as a free agent after the 2003-04 season. After two seasons with the Warriors, he was traded to Utah.

The 6-foot-1, 185-pounder averaged 10.1 points, 1.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists for the Jazz last season. He has career averages of 8.7 points, 3.3 assists and 2.2 rebounds.

He made one of the most dramatic shots in Lakers' history with his desperate "0.4" second shot in the fifth game of the 2001 Western Conference semifinals against San Antonio.

Los Angeles Lakers center Chris Mihm has re-signed with the team after missing all of last season following reconstructive ankle surgery.

"I gave a big sigh of relief," Mihm said in a conference call Thursday. "I'm excited to be back here and put on a Laker uniform, which I wanted to do from the beginning."

Mihm, an unrestricted free agent who turned 28 on Monday, had averaged career highs of 10.2 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.24 blocked shots in 59 games during the 2005-06 season.

Paid $4.2 million by the Lakers for last season, the 7-foot, 265-pound Mihm underwent surgery in November to repair a ligament and tendon in his right ankle and to realign his heel bone.

His absence was particularly critical for the Lakers because they have had a lack of depth in the middle.

The new deal is for three years. No other terms were announced.

Mihm injured his ankle in the final minute of a game against Seattle on March 12, 2006, and played just once the rest of that season.

He said he has been going through long, grueling workouts, has felt no pain in the ankle and doesn't even think about it when he's on the court.

"I have the utmost confidence in myself and this ankle, that I'm going to come out and show everyone that not only am I back, but that I can be better than I ever was," he said.

He was acquired by the Lakers from the Boston Celtics along with Chucky Atkins and Jumaine Jones for Gary Payton, Rick Fox and a first-round draft pick on Aug. 13, 2004.

Mihm has averaged 8.0 points and 5.5 rebounds in 395 career NBA games.

The Seattle SuperSonics acquired veteran forward Kurt Thomas and the Phoenix Suns' first-round draft choices in 2008 and 2010 on Friday in exchange for a conditional second-round draft choice.

Seattle also used its $9 million trade exception with Phoenix to complete the deal. The Sonics gained the exception from Orlando earlier this month when they completed a sign-and-trade deal that sent Rashard Lewis to the Magic.

Thomas, who turns 35 in October, averaged a career-low 4.6 points per game in 67 games last season while averaging just 18 minutes. But he does provide the veteran presence Seattle was seeking to tutor Kevin Durant and Jeff Green, the second and fifth overall selections in last month's draft.

The Sonics, who finished 31-51 last season, traded leading scorer Ray Allen to Boston last month. Then Lewis, their second-leading scorer, joined Orlando.

Seattle now holds five first-round picks over the next three drafts.

"The picks are huge for us," said new Sonics general manager Sam Presti, the league's youngest GM at 30.

Thomas comes at the price the rebuilding Sonics were seeking. He has one season left on a contract that will pay him $8.1 million next season.

The deal provides some salary cap relief for Phoenix, which had the NBA's fourth-highest payroll last season at $76.4 million.

Earlier this month, the Suns signed veteran Grant Hill to a contract that will pay him about $1.8 million for the 2007-08 season. They also traded forward James Jones and the draft rights to Spanish guard Rudy Fernandez, the 24th overall pick in the draft, to Portland for $3 million.

"We are doing everything we can to keep our core group together," said Suns general manager Steve Kerr. "Sometimes in doing so, you have difficult decisions to make."

The Milwaukee Bucks have signed center Jake Voskuhl to a one-year contract, General Manager Larry Harris announced today. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

"Jake is a veteran big man who gives us added size and experience to our relatively young front court," said Harris.

A seven-year NBA veteran, Voskuhl, 29, played the last two seasons with the Charlotte Bobcats, averaging 4.8 points and 3.5 rebounds in 124 games. He played in a career-high 73 games last season and averaged 4.6 points and 3.8 rebounds per game.

Voskuhl was originally a second round draft choice of the Bulls in 2000 and played one season with Chicago, averaging 1.9 points and 2.1 rebounds in 8.9 minutes per game. He was traded to Phoenix for Soumaila Samake and a 2003 second round pick prior to the 2001-02 campaign. Voskuhl played four seasons with the Suns and averaged career-highs in points (6.6), rebounds (5.2) and minutes (24.3) during the 2003-04 season. Prior to the 2005-06 season, Voskuhl was traded to Charlotte for a conditional 2007 second round pick.

"Jake gives us another option at the post position," said Head Coach Larry Krystkowiak. "He's someone that knows how to do the important things and is willing to go to work in the trenches. These are qualities that we plan to focus on as a team. He's excited to come to Milwaukee and we can't wait to start working with him."

In 368 career regular season games, Voskuhl owns averages of 4.6 points and 3.8 rebounds per game, while shooting 49.7 percent from the field.

A native of Tulsa, OK, Voskuhl enjoyed a four-year collegiate career at the University of Connecticut. He averaged 6.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.4 blocks and shot 54.2 percent from the field in 138 games with the Huskies. Voskukl was also a member of UConn's 1999 NCAA Championship Team.

The Seattle SuperSonics acquired veteran forward Kurt Thomas and the Phoenix Suns' first-round draft choices in 2008 and 2010 on Friday in exchange for a conditional second-round draft choice.

Seattle also used its $9 million trade exception with Phoenix to complete the deal. The Sonics gained the exception from Orlando earlier this month when they completed a sign-and-trade deal that sent Rashard Lewis to the Magic.

Thomas, who turns 35 in October, averaged a career-low 4.6 points per game in 67 games last season while averaging just 18 minutes. But he does provide the veteran presence Seattle was seeking to tutor Kevin Durant and Jeff Green, the second and fifth overall selections in last month's draft.

The Sonics, who finished 31-51 last season, traded leading scorer Ray Allen to Boston last month. Then Lewis, their second-leading scorer, joined Orlando.

Seattle now holds five first-round picks over the next three drafts.

"The picks are huge for us," said new Sonics general manager Sam Presti, the league's youngest GM at 30.

Thomas comes at the price the rebuilding Sonics were seeking. He has one season left on a contract that will pay him $8.1 million next season.

The deal provides some salary cap relief for Phoenix, which had the NBA's fourth-highest payroll last season at $76.4 million.

Earlier this month, the Suns signed veteran Grant Hill to a contract that will pay him about $1.8 million for the 2007-08 season. They also traded forward James Jones and the draft rights to Spanish guard Rudy Fernandez, the 24th overall pick in the draft, to Portland for $3 million.

"We are doing everything we can to keep our core group together," said Suns general manager Steve Kerr. "Sometimes in doing so, you have difficult decisions to make."

Chris Sheridan of the ESPN.com writes, "Only one player on Team USA has an Olympic gold medal and a perfect record wearing the red, white and blue for the senior national men's team. He's also the oldest player on the team, a fact that Jason Kidd kept coming back to over and over again Saturday after the second day of the U.S. national team's mini-camp. 'My job is to help the younger guys, and that's everybody, I guess, because I'm the oldest,' said Kidd, adding that he had 'adopted' Deron Williams so he can raise him to be a USA Basketball stalwart for the next 10-12 years."

The Detroit Pistons signed forward Antonio McDyess to a two-year contract extension on Monday, keeping the team's top reserve off the free-agent market next summer.

McDyess, whose career once was in doubt because of knee operations, played in a career-high 82 games in each of the last two seasons. He has one season remaining on his current deal.

"I'm excited to have worked out a contract extension with the Pistons," McDyess said in a statement. "We have enjoyed a lot of success as a team since I came to Detroit three years ago and I look forward to the upcoming season and making another run at an NBA championship."

The 32-year-old McDyess averaged 8.1 points -- making 53 percent of his shots -- six rebounds and 21 minutes a game last season, finishing sixth in voting for the Sixth Man of the Year.

"We are pleased to have reached an agreement that will keep Antonio McDyess here as an important veteran leader on this team," Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars said in a statement. "Antonio has been a major part of our success over the last three years and we look forward to his continued solid play in the future."

After he won an Olympic gold medal in 2000 and played in the All-Star game in 2001, knee injuries limited McDyess to just 52 games over three seasons before coming to Detroit in 2004 after the Pistons won the NBA title.

McDyess previously has said he told his agent, Andy Miller, twice that he wanted to retire because he was frustrated while rehabbing his knee in New York and Phoenix. But Miller didn't act on his client's wishes, and it proved to be a wise move.

McDyess averaged 9.6 points and 6.3 rebounds in 77 games during the 2004-05 season, helping the Pistons reach the NBA finals again, and was one of the players who helped them have the best record in the Eastern Conference and reach the conference finals the next two seasons.

"We're excited about getting this done so that Antonio can help the Pistons compete for championships in the years to come," Miller said.

Desmond Mason is back with the Milwaukee Bucks, signing a two-year deal that allows him to return to the city he loves.

Mason, who reacted angrily when the Bucks traded him in 2005, said in a news conference Monday that he had put his differences with Bucks general manager Larry Harris behind him and was happy to be back in Milwaukee -- a city he and his family grew to love during his first stint with the team.

"We're really happy to be back in Milwaukee, and we're looking forward to what the future holds for us," Mason said.

Mason joined the Bucks as part of a multiplayer trade in February 2003 that sent Ray Allen to Seattle. Mason thrived in Milwaukee, averaging 15.7 points and 4.5 rebounds in 190 games with the Bucks.

So when the team traded him and a first-round pick to the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets for center Jamaal Magloire just before the start of the 2005-06 season, Mason called Harris a "snake in the grass" during a radio interview.

On Monday, Mason said his comments were an emotional reaction to being traded.

"We put our roots in the ground here, and we were happy being here and our daughter was born here," Mason said. "We had so many friends, and we enjoyed being here. It was tough for us to leave."

Harris said there were no hard feelings.

"It's just the emotions of the game," Harris said. "I think it says a lot about Desmond as a player."

A high-energy, athletic player who immediately becomes the best defender on what has been a poor defensive team, Mason is expected to compete for playing time with small forward Bobby Simmons, who missed last season because of injuries. Bucks coach Larry Krystkowiak said he can also envision having Simmons and Mason on the floor together.

After closing the deal with Mason, the Bucks are expected to formally announce Tuesday that they have re-signed guard Mo Williams, an unrestricted free agent who was courted by the Miami Heat. Milwaukee also signed reserve center Jake Voskuhl last week to provide depth behind 2005 No. 1 pick Andrew Bogut.

That leaves the Bucks with one pressing offseason concern: Convincing No. 6 draft pick Yi Jianlian to sign with the team instead of sitting out and re-entering the NBA draft next year.

Harris said Tuesday that he remains optimistic about the prospect of Yi playing for the Bucks. But he also said Yi has not yet accepted a formal invitation from the Bucks' owner, Sen. Herb Kohl, to visit Milwaukee.

Yi's handlers have expressed concerns about Milwaukee, including the city's lack of a large Chinese population.

Mo Williams chose Brew City over Pat Riley and South Beach on Tuesday, signing a six-year, $51.5 million contract to remain with the Milwaukee Bucks.

It's another step forward for the Bucks, who held on to their starting point guard one day after reeling in free agent small forward Desmond Mason. These moves helped soften several weeks' worth of discouraging words coming from handlers of Chinese basketball star Yi Jianlian, who was drafted by the Bucks at No. 6 but hasn't yet shown any willingness to sign.

As far as Williams is concerned, Milwaukee is the place to be.

"The thought of it kind of warms your heart up, knowing that you're at a place that loves you on and off the court," Williams said.

Williams' heartwarming experience came at the expense of the Miami Heat, who put on a full-court press to woo Williams by flying him to Miami earlier this month to have dinner with Riley.

Bucks general manager Larry Harris knew Williams was the second-most-coveted point guard on the market after the Pistons' Chauncey Billups. Harris figured the Heat and perhaps the Cleveland Cavaliers would make strong runs at Williams, leading to a lot of sleepless nights.

"I thought that when he went to Miami, it would be a one-way ticket," Harris said. "And that was the thing that concerned me, because I know that Pat can sell it."

Harris joked that it'd be hard for anybody to resist Riley's personality.

"Oh, you're motivated when you walk away from that," Harris said. "The guy makes $10,000 an appearance. He knows how to motivate."

But Williams said he didn't really want the full free-agent schmoozing experience, insisting that he always wanted to stay with the Bucks and that his trip to Miami was nothing more than a "mini-vacation."

How could he say no to Riley, Shaquille O'Neal and Dwyane Wade?

"Being here in Milwaukee is different from going to a new team," Williams said. "I mean, we all see Miami from the outside looking in and say, 'OK, they've got Pat Riley in Miami.' But people don't know, everything that looks good on the outside, everything is not peaches and cream on the other side of the field. So I felt like at the same time, I know what to expect here."

Williams' six-year contract includes player options for the final two seasons, agent Mark Bartelstein said. Despite the high-profile courting from Miami, Bartelstein said Williams always felt comfortable with Milwaukee, the Bucks and new head coach Larry Krystkowiak.

"Milwaukee's a great situation," Bartelstein said. "But when you're a free agent, you owe it to yourself to see what's out there."

The Bucks limped to a 28-54 record last season. But the team was riddled with injuries all season and figures to be much improved if healthy.

"I know this team is going to be a good team next year," Williams said. "There wasn't a doubt."

Williams, 24, averaged career highs in points (17.3), rebounds (4.8) and assists (6.1) last season. He was taken by the Utah Jazz in the second round of the 2003 draft and signed with the Bucks before the 2004-05 season.

Next season, he'll be counted on to take on more of a leadership role.

"He's gotten better each year with us, but now the bar gets raised a little bit higher," Harris said. "The bar gets raised -- financially it gets raised, the expectations come with that, and he's got to be consistent every night. And that's on both ends of the floor."

Harris said Williams has vowed to improve his defense, and expects the player to become a "very acceptable" defender.

"He's too athletic and he's too quick, and he's going to take his game to another level," Harris said.

Williams said he was ready to lead.

"Basically in my mind, it's my team," Williams said. "Things don't go right, I'm the point guard. I'm the leader on the floor, an extension of the coach."

Now that he has landed Williams and Mason, Harris can turn his attention to Yi.

Bucks owner Sen. Herb Kohl has extended a formal invitation to Yi, his family and Chinese basketball officials to visit the city. And if Harris can just get Yi in town, he figures he can close the deal.

"Once I can get a player here, they'll stay," Harris said. "I really believe that."