EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey, October 30, 2009 (AFP) - Chinese forward Yi Jianlian has his contract option for the 2010-2011 NBA season picked up by the New Jersey Nets on Thursday, securing his fourth season in North America.

Yi will be paid slightly more than $4 million under the contract option exercised by the Nets, who also used third-season options on Brook Lopez and Courtney Lee but declined to give forward Sean Williams a fourth year.

Lopez's deal will pay him $2.41 million with Lee taking home $1.34 million.

The Nets dropped their season opener Wednesday at Minnesota with their second game of the new campaign at home Friday against reigning Eastern Conference champion Orlando.

"I want to have a good season," Yi said. "What I worked on last summer (was) my body and getting to the basket."

Yi make moving better to the basket in pre-season games. That along with improved strength and confidence inside the lane has shown Nets coach Lawrence Frank that Yi is worth keeping around.

"He's playing better. He's playing more confidently," Frank said. "He still has a lot of work to do but I think you definitely see some growth."

Yi was selected with the sixth overall selection in the first round of the 2007 NBA Draft by Milwaukee and was traded to the Nets a year later.

The 7-foot Asian star started in 52 of 61 games last season for the Nets, averaging 8.6 points and 5.3 rebounds in 23.3 minutes. He hit 38.2 percent from the field, 77.2 percent of free throws and 34.3 percent from 3-point range.

Yi, who played for China at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics, missed 16 games with a broken little finger on his right hand in January at Milwaukee.