yi jianlian traded to washington wizards

This week, the New Jersey Nets traded Yi Jianlian to the Washington Wizards for Quinton Ross. According to league sources, the Nets sent the Wizards $3 million to complete the deal: Nets trade Yi to Wizards.

Five days after completing a draft-day trade with Minnesota to get Clemson forward Trevor Booker and Rutgers center Hamady N'Diaye, the Wizards formally welcomed them, albeit without the pageantry that accompanied the arrival of No. 1 overall pick John Wall last Friday. Two hours later, the team announced a deal for Yi Jianlian, a versatile but unpolished 22-year-old forward who has only showed flashes of his potential in the past three seasons in Milwaukee and New Jersey.

The Wizards sent swingman Quinton Ross to the Nets.

"It's the Great Wall of Chinatown," Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld said, before being informed that the team's top draft pick already has assumed that nickname.

The addition of Yi does open up opportunities in China for the Wizards.

"I don't think we're concerned about the marketing aspect," Grunfeld said. "I think we're much more concerned with the player that we're getting. [Yi] may not have found the right situation, but he's put up some good numbers and he's had some good experience. Our plan all along is to get young players, build with the draft, and this fits into our plan."

Yi was the number six pick in the 2007 draft by Milwaukee and has now been traded twice. He averaged career highs of 12.0 points and 7.0 rebounds last season, but was limited to 51 games because of injury. Will this finally be his chance to shine? More here: Washington Wizards trade for Yi Jianlian to bulk up front court.