Former NBA center Monk Bateer Monday was officially announced to be transferred to Xinjiang Guanghui for the upcoming 2007-08 season of the Chinese Basketball Association League (CBA).

Bateer, 32, who took one year off after playing for the Beijing Ducks in the 2005-06 season, signed a one-year contract with Guanghui this summer which was reportedly worth of 4.2 million RMB (about US$555,556).

The Ducks claimed the priority right for signing Bateer, who joined club in 1988 when he was only 13 years old, but the league office said that Bateer is a free player one year after the expiration of his contract with the club, according to the transferring and contract rules.

"The league office registers Bateer as a Xinjiang Guanghui's player for the new season according to the rules. His move to Xinjiang Guanghui is legal," said Chai Wensheng, official of the office at a news conference.

The office also registered former national head coach Jiang Xingquan as Guanghui's head coach, instead of Zhejiang Cyclones', Chai announced.

Jiang has one year left on his contract with the Cyclones, but claimed he didn't receive salaries after the end of the 2006-07 season, which forced him to sign another two-year contract with Guanghui.

"It's a legal affair if coach Jiang was involved in any contract breach with the Cyclones," Chai said.

The office denied Beijing Aoshen's return after two-year absence as the club insisted to move the home court to Macao of China.

CBA banned Aoshen in 2005 as the club refused to send his players to play for the national teams.

In another dissension involving lawsuit, former Henan Renhe's forward Wang Lei was transferred to Bayi Fubang, as the office announced.

(Xinhua News Agency September 10, 2007)