The Los Angeles Lakers and Chinese star Yi Jianlian are in the final stages of completing a deal for the forward to return to the NBA, said league officials who were not authorized to speak publicly about the contract.
Yi's contract would be for the veteran's minimum of $1.139 million that could reach "several million more" in incentive bonuses.
But the deal hasn't been completed yet because Yi and the Lakers are still waiting for clearance on several fronts that could "happen soon or could take a while," one of the officials said.
The official said Yi's Chinese Guangdong team first has to sign off on the deal and then send it to the Chinese Basketball Association to sign off on. Then the CBA has to send to the contract to FIBA, the federation that governs international basketball competition, to sign off it. Then the contract goes to the NBA for approval.
One official said Mitch Kupchak, the Lakers' general manager, had been interested in signing Yi for the 2015-16 season, but couldn't get a deal worked out.
Yi, 28, was drafted sixth overall by the Milwaukee Bucks in 2007. He last played in the NBA during the 2011-12 season with the Dallas Mavericks.
Listed at 6-11 and 243 pounds, Yi averaged 7.9 points and 4.9 rebounds per game during the five years he played in the NBA.
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