Owner Joe Tsai dreamed it, his front office may be making it a reality. The Chinese 2-3 position Yongxi Cui (2m01, 21 years old) would be on the verge of signing a “ two-way contract » with the Netsafter finally declining a counter-type ” Exhibit 10“, or an invitation to the Blazers camp.
Considered one of the best Chinese prospects, the one nicknamed “Jacky” had already been scouted by Brooklyn, who had invited him to see him more closely before the Draft, as had Indiana and Portland.
The Nets, however, did not have a draft pick, and the player was ultimately not selected by another team. At present, he would be looking for one of these “secondary” contracts to try his luck in the NBA, and Brooklyn could be tempted, convinced by the player's qualities as an outside shooter and the fighting mentality.
A shooter with a strong mentality
A starter last season in the CBA, and seen at the 2023 World Cup, Yongxi Cui averaged 15.7 points and 5.8 rebounds with the Guangzhou Long Lions, with a 36.5% success rate at 3-point range. But beyond his technical skills, particularly on the outside shot, which he was able to showcase during the Summer League with Portland and at the G-League Elite Camp (achieving 23/25 during the 3-point shooting exercise), it is his state of mind and his fighting mentality that would also have convinced the New York front office.
Having worked with him during the player's time at the NBA Global Academy (Canberra) from which he graduated before starting his career as a professional player, the NBA's director of “International Basketball Development” Chris Ebersole has nothing but good things to say about him on this point.
“I found him so impressive, willing to make mistakes and take risks,” he told HoopsHype. “Everyone, from our team to his teammates, thinks highly of him because of that. He has very good footwork and plays very hard. Those ingredients, both defensively and positionally without the ball, serve him well.”
We imagine that the Nets have also thought about the business aspect and the exposure they could benefit from on the Chinese market with this kind of recruitment, for a fairly measured investment.
Exhibit 10 : Gateway to a “two-way contract” since this contract signed at the time of training camp binds the player to the G-League franchise. The clause is accompanied by a bonus of $5,000 to $50,000, valid only if, once cut, the player commits to the affiliated G-League franchise and stays there for at least 60 days. The clause also allows the NBA franchise to convert the contract into a “two-way contract” before the regular season. If it does so, the player also receives the aforementioned bonus.
Two-way contract : Designed to create a new bridge between the NBA and the G-League, this type of contract allows each team to secure the services of one or two additional players, to have them play mainly in their affiliated development league franchise but also up to 50 appearances on the NBA game sheet.
