China's top basketball official is to travel to the U.S. to try and end the standoff between the Milwaukee Bucks and their top draft pick Yi Jianliang, state media reported on Tuesday.

The seven-foot power forward is reported to have snubbed a move to Milwaukee despite being the overall sixth choice in last month's draft and faces a year away from the NBA if he cannot resolve the dispute or secure a trade.

Yi is currently playing for China in the Stankovic Cup in his home province of Guangdong but an expected visit by Bucks' officials to discuss the stalemate has not materialised, the China Daily reported.

"I will go to the United States in the coming days to help Yi solve the problem," China Basketball Association (CBA) chief Li Yuanwei was quoted as saying.

"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."

Bucks draft pick Yi Jianlian scored 18 points, helping host China beat Venezuela 64-62 on Saturday in the Stankovic Cup.

An All-Star team from the NBA Development League lost its opener to Slovenia, 94-86, despite 25 points from Quemont Greer. Pooh Jeter added 15 points and Renaldo Major had 12 for the D-League Ambassadors, who trailed by 21 points in the third quarter.

Milwaukee might be where Mo Williams' finds his heart after signing a $52 million deal with the Bucks this week but he became a crime victim one day later.

The Bucks' point guard stayed on this week after being heavily courted by the Miami Heat, signing a six-year contract on Tuesday and looking to get his job done with Milwaukee.

By Thursday, however, he was filing information with Milwaukee police alleging that someone broke into his 2005 Dodge Magnum in the 1800 block of E. Kenilworth Ave. about 2:15 a.m.

Thieves got away with two LCD screens from the head rests, a navigation system and a radio/DVD player, according to a police report.

Damage and loss are estimated at $3,000.

Losing a full year out of a professional basketball career is no trivial matter.

Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Simmons knows that through painful experience, after undergoing two surgeries on his right foot and missing all of last season.

Now the 27-year-old Simmons is beginning to see the way out of his long ordeal, with training camp about two months away.

On opening day of the team's pre-season camp in October, Simmons hopes to be 100%.

"That would be a great accomplishment," the Chicago native said Wednesday. "I'll be happy and looking forward to playing 82 games and the post-season."

It has been a rugged road for Simmons since he underwent surgeries Dec. 18 last year and Jan. 12 this year, both performed by physician Richard Ferkel in Van Nuys, Calif.

Bucks restricted free agent Charlie Bell is next on the team's list, after the signings of Desmond Mason and Mo Williams.

Bell also is represented by Bartelstein, the agent for Williams and Bucks forward Bobby Simmons.

"We've been talking throughout the process with Mo," Harris said. "We certainly know he (Bell) wants to be here, and we want to have him here."

The Bucks re-signed free agent guard Mo Williams to a contract on Tuesday.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

After showing signs of steady improvements over his first three years in the NBA, Williams emerged as a legitimate backcourt scoring threat this past season, averaging career highs of 17.3 points, 6.1 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 68 games.

Milwaukee Bucks general manager Larry Harris is staying upbeat about the prospects of signing first-round draft pick Yi Jianlian.

The 7-foot power forward is currently with the Chinese national team, which is preparing for the Stankovic Cup, opening this weekend in China.

"I believe he (Yi) will be in a Bucks uniform," Harris said in comments made during a news conference to introduce new Bucks small forward Desmond Mason, who was signed to a two-year contract. "We haven't found one player yet that has not enjoyed Milwaukee once they got here.

"We've had tremendous support from the community, civic leaders, the Chinese community. It's almost like Milwaukee has taken the stance, 'Give us a shot, and you won't regret it.'"

Desmond Mason has decided to rejoin the Bucks by signing a two-year contract.

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.

Desmond Mason is headed back to the place where he enjoyed his most success.

The athletic swingman will sign with the Bucks on Monday.

Mason will be introduced at a Noon EDT news conference.

The 2001 Slam Dunk Champion, Mason played with the Bucks for two-plus seasons (2003-05). He averaged a career-high 17.2 points in his final campaign with the club, then was traded to the Hornets.

The chief obstacle the Bucks face in getting Yi Jianlian in a Milwaukee uniform is Chen Haitau, the private owner of the Guangdong Tigers, the Chinese Basketball Association team for which Yi plays, according to Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writer Bob Wolfley.

According to Wolfley, 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.