Now that Ming is in the bag, rumors are that we have to give the SHangai Sharks a player (hehehe). Since its the season of trade proposals, here is mine: Rockets get: Ming A year's supply of Fortune Cookies, all of them with the fortune written "You will win a championship this year". Shangai Sharks get: The runaway freight train that is Jason Collier A low post enforcer like Dan Langhi 11 million...Yen (hehe, got them there) TRADE ACCEPTED
The NBA players' union would blow a gasket if it were even a possibility that one of their own was forced to go play in China to compensate for the Rockets drafting a Chinese player. I don't think there's any possible way that happens, unless some current Rocket actively pursues the opportunity to play there.
We're not sending them anyone. Unless it's someone who we have the rights to, but isn't playing with us. Kyle Hill or something.
The request for players as compensation has already been exposed as a groundless hoax. What the Sharks and ChBA want is a guarantee of assistance (coaching clinics, info, maybe scrimmages) from the team selecting Yao. As any good business person would, the ChBA wants to avoid Ming getting sucked away and draining the life from their system. It's a valid concern...but not a deal killer.