Yao

By all accounts, stateside and overseas, the news all of Houston awaits is forthcoming. The Asian Games end within a week and indications are stronger than ever that Yao Ming will be cleared by the Chinese Basketball Association, formally signed by the Rockets and then introduced on U.S. soil by Oct. 20. Maybe even a tad sooner if the logistics work. The Rockets have maintained all summer that they were never worried, but you can be sure they like it better this way -- Yao's signing being widely described as a "when" now, not an "if."

Tax update could have Bucks seeing Redd
Last October, at the NBA's semi-annual Board of Governors meeting, owners were informed for the first time that there might not be a luxury tax after the 2001-02 season. Tuesday's Board of Governors session, in spite of a deceptively bland-looking agenda, could be newsy as well.

	Redd

There will be an update from deputy commissioner Russ Granik on expansion to Charlotte, perhaps even leading to a firm timetable for officially adding the league's 30th team.

Another luxury-tax forecast is also scheduled, and no team will listen more intently than the Milwaukee Bucks. Sen. Herb Kohl, the Bucks' owner, has been holding out for Tuesday's data to calculate the probable tax implications attached to matching Dallas' offer sheet to Michael Redd.

The Bucks' basketball folks are unanimously in favor of retaining Redd, who signed a four-year offer sheet worth $12 million -- including an opt-out after Year 3 that would make Redd an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2005. The decision, though, belongs fully to the Senator. If Kohl deems the tax projections too costly, he is expected to let Redd walk, much as Milwaukee needs Redd to help absorb the scoring load left behind by Glenn Robinson.

To Kohl, the wait for Tuesday's information is worth Redd missing the first week of camp. Obviously, if Milwaukee knew for sure it was matching the Dallas offer, it would have done so by now to prevent Redd from missing too much important stuff.

Go Canada
The countries mentioned so far as candidates for hosting next summer's Olympics qualifying tournament for the region: Brazil, Venezuela, Canada and Puerto Rico. Safe to say, to make conditions as cozy as possible for Team USA, you should be rooting for our neighbors to the north.

Marc Stein is the senior NBA writer for ESPN.com. E-mail him at marc.stein@espn3.com.