Mavs, Yi Jianlian agree on deal

Texas is becoming familiar territory for Chinese basketball stars in the NBA. Yao Ming was a star for Houston, and now the league champion Dallas Mavericks are about to sign veteran free agent Yi Jianlian. According to sources with information on the deal, the club reached terms on a one-year contract with Yi on Saturday. Yi will join the Mavericks' D-League affiliate Texas Legends in nearby Frisco on a rehabilitation stint before joining the Mavericks, to help reacquaint the 24-year-old with full-speed basketball. The Mavericks have mostly been looking at centers to fill their 15th and final roster spot in the wake of Tyson Chandler's free-agent departure to the New York Knicks. Sources said Yi also considered signing with the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs before settling on Dallas.