Bateer Says Willing to Play Any NBA Team

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, October 01, 2002

Bateer Says Willing to Play Any NBA Team

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NBA player Menk Bateer said on Tuesday that he is willing to play for any NBA team in a response to reports that the Chinese center is going to be traded to the Detroit Pistons from the Denver Nuggets.

"I hadn't heard anything about my possible move until you told me," Bateer told Xinhua after a training session with the Chinese team.

"I am willing to play for any NBA team," he added.

The Nuggets said that the Detroit Pistons will trade forward Rodney White to the Nuggets for a first-round draft pick and two players on Tuesday.

The deal will send White to Denver for the draft pick, forward Don Reid and Bateer. White is expected to join the Nuggets for the start of training camp on Tuesday when the trade will be announced.

The teams agreed to the deal in principle last week, but couldn't finalize it until Tuesday because players can't be traded twice in less than 60 days under NBA rules. Denver acquired Reid and a first-round draft choice from Orlando on Aug. 1 for a second-round pick in 2004.

White averaged 3.5 points and 8.0 minutes in 16 games after being taken by the Pistons with the ninth overall pick in the 2001draft. He entered the draft after playing one season at Charlotte.

Reid played four seasons in Detroit after being drafted in the second round by the Pistons in 1995. He signed with Washington as a free agent in March 2000, and played two seasons with the Magic before being traded to Denver.

Reid played 68 games last season, averaging 3.3 points. He has career averages of 3.4 points and 2.9 rebounds.

Bateer became the second Chinese player in the NBA in February, joining Wang Zhizhi of the Dallas Mavericks. He averaged 5.1 points and 3.6 rebounds in 27 games with Denver last season. Yao Ming is set to be the third Chinese to play in the NBA.

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