The Associated Press reports: The Houston Rockets won't find out if they can sign Yao Ming until at least mid-October, a Chinese sports official said Sunday.

"Matters concerning Yao's playing in the NBA will be made clear after the Asian Games,'' which end Oct. 14, Li Furong was quoted as saying from Busan, South Korea, by the official Xinhua News Agency.

Li, a deputy director of the State General Administration of Sports, didn't say what issues remain to be worked out.

Yao still needs approval from the Chinese Basketball Association before signing a contract with the Rockets. The NBA team doesn't expect there to be a problem, team spokesman Nelson Luis said Sunday.

According to the Houston Chronicle, The Rockets are hoping to have Ming in town by Oct.20th, the date of their 5th preseason game.

Chinese officials have said Yao's dealings with the Rockets would not be affected by the dispute over the Dallas Mavericks' Wang Zhizhi, who angered Chinese sports officials by not reporting for training with the national team.

"Wang's issue with the Chinese team will not affect Yao's NBA future,'' Li said.

Bob Finnan of the Morning Journal reports: Good deal?

The Cavs might have acquired point guard Milt Palacio for nothing in return. Officially, Cleveland sent a second-round draft pick in 2008 to Phoenix for the journeyman guard. However, there might not be a second round in 2008.

The current collective-bargaining agreement ends after the 2003-04 season (if owners pick up the option on the final year of the pact). Many owners are in favor of eliminating the second round and it was discussed during contract negotiations in 1998.

In Cleveland Cavalier news: Second-round pick Matt Barnes signed a non-guaranteed contract yesterday with the Cavs and will be in training camp Oct. 1. There was some talk of the UCLA forward playing in Europe this season.

Free agent point guard Smush Parker, an undrafted rookie from Fordham, has agreed to come to training camp with the Cavs. Like Barnes, the 6-4, 190-pounder won't get any guaranteed money.

Two big men also are coming to Cleveland's camp, 6-10 forward/center Casey Shaw of Toledo and 6-10 forward/center Ike Nwokondo of Long Beach State. Shaw played in Rome last year and Nwokondo in Venezuela.

The Cavs had also kicked around the thought of bringing high school forward DeAngelo Collins to camp, but decided against it. Besides some baggage, Collins has been nursing a knee injury. He was thought of as a possible first-round pick in the 2002 draft.

Also, point guard Vonteego Cummings, who played with Golden State and Philadelphia last year, apparently is going to Denver's camp instead of coming to Cleveland. His agent, Lon Babby, thinks he has a better shot of making the Nuggets' roster, despite the fact Denver has 17 guaranteed contracts. The Nuggets might waive veteran point guard Mark Jackson.