Milwaukee Bucks may finally get its top pick Yi Jianlian of China under its helm after days of stalemate between the two as the 7-foot forward has not embraced the club as the 6th ranked draftee of last month's NBA draft.

Chinese basketball star Yi Jianlian, in the top ten for Thursday's NBA Draft, endures a throng of reporters with a smile during a news conference in New York, Wednesday, June 27, 2007. The NBA Draft will be held Thursday at Madison Square Garden. [AP]

Sports Illustrated quoted a unanimous official of an Eastern Conference team as saying that NBA David Stern was going to intervene in the stalemate by nudging Yi to stay with the Bucks.

"Why not Bucks? Yi should take serious with the draft result - that is the rule," most netizen hoop fans voiced their aversion at Yi's hesitation to sign with his new club even two weeks after the draft while most of the picks of other teams have reported in.

Instead, he reunited with his national teammates right after the draft in Las Vegas, where they competed for NBA Summer League against several NBA teams.

The 19-year-old sank the game-winner shot 0.4 seconds before the buzzer to lift Team China an 85-84 win over Cleveland Cavaliers in Las Vegas on Monday, marking their first victory after two consecutive defeats in the Summer League.

"He is dominant and most rivals have to foul on him (Yi) when he shoots. It is great that China won," said Bucks general manager Larry Harris, who has been campaigning for Yi's commitment to his club.

"Everything goes well and what all we have to do now is to wait and see," the manager said, implying that he had foreseen support from the League watchdog, who does not allow draftees to select clubs.

However, Chinese media and fans increasingly believe Yi's agent Dan Fegan is the main barrier preventing the player committing to the Bucks.

The agent has been trying to get Yi escape from the Milwaukee to other cities where there are more China-born citizens to ensure Yi's market prospect.

"In NBA, it is teams who choose draftees, not the other way round," basketball commentator and former Chinese national team coach Zhang Weiping said.

Xu Jichen, also a commentator echoed Zhang, "If you want to join in a game, you must obey the rule of the game first," he said.

The forward finally met with the Bucks general manager Larry Harris and coach Larry Krystkowiak in Bucks' jersey last Friday, according to Milwaukee media. The report said the club's new pick has accepted the invitation to look around the city together with his teammates and family.