EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Forwards Kenyon Martin and Aaron Williams underwent surgery Thursday, eight days after the New Jersey Nets were swept by the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals.

        Martin had bone chips removed from his right wrist, which had been bothering him for the second half of the season. He is to wear a cast for five weeks before beginning rehabilitation, the team said.

        Martin led the Nets in scoring with a 14.9 average in 72 games.

        Williams, who played in all 82 games for the second consecutive season, had arthroscopic surgery on both knees to remove debris. No rehabilitation date was given.

        The Nets finished with the best record in the Eastern Conference and advanced to the Finals for the first time.

        HORNETS: The NBA promised Thursday to tell an ownership group what it must do to bring an expansion team to Charlotte in time for the 2003-04 season, but stopped short of setting a franchise fee.

        That fee is a crucial cost for Steve Belkin's group because it will determine how much he can pay toward a required new arena.

        Belkin is hopeful the figure will be in the $200 million range, which he said his group already has secured.

        YAO MING: Chinese center Yao Ming and his agent made their final offer Thursday on how they would compensate the Shanghai Sharks if the Houston Rockets make him their No. 1 pick in the NBA draft next week.

        The 7-foot-5 Yao must reach an agreement with the Sharks, his team in China, before he can get clearance from the Sharks and the China Basketball Association to leave his country and play in the NBA.

        NBA DRAFT: Western Kentucky shotblocker Chris Marcus and Purdue scoring star Willie Deane were among 24 players who withdrew their names as early entry candidates for next week's NBA draft.

        The 7-foot-1 Marcus is Hilltoppers' alltime leader in blocks with 212, while Deane led the Boilermakers in scoring with 17.3 points per game last season.

        The remaining early entry list released Thursday by the NBA includes 42 high school and college players and five international players.

        Among those eligible are Jay Williams, Carlos Boozer and Mike Dunleavy, who helped Duke to the NCAA tournament championship two years ago, and Chris Wilcox, a member of this year's national championship team at Maryland.

        The draft is set for June 26 at Madison Square Garden.

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