Nets owner Joe Tsai has previously said he wants to add Chinese players to his Brooklyn team.
He may be getting his wish.
According to multiple reports out of China, and now the U.S., the Nets are on the verge of acquiring Yonxi “Jackie” Cui on a two-way contract.
The Nets and Orlando both have the most two-way spots available, with other teams either only having one or none at all, and Choi would be an intriguing candidate.
Net Daily Brooklyn is reportedly on the verge of signing Choi to a two-year contract.
And the 21-year-old, regarded as one of the most promising young players in China, would continue the Nets' recent push to develop young players.
Cui, a 6-foot-8 Chinese shooting guard He agreed to an Exhibit 10 contract with the Portland Trail Blazers.but was never officially signed.
According to reports from the Rose Garden, he was pursuing a two-way opportunity with another team.
All indications point to the Nets being that team, but the Nets have not officially confirmed or denied the reports.
Choi is a graduate of the NBA Global Academy in Australia, and NBA director of international basketball development Chris Eversole praised his defense.
He played two seasons with Guangzhou of the Chinese Basketball Association, averaging 15.7 points and 5.8 rebounds while shooting 46.1 percent from the field and 36.5 percent from 3-point range last season.
“He was a real joker. I thought that was really impressive and he was a guy that was willing to fail and take risks. Everyone thinks highly of him, from the staff to his teammates.” Ebersole told Hoopshype:.
“He's got really good feet and he plays really hard. Both on-ball defense and off-ball positioning, those things have served him really well.”
Brooklyn worked out Choi before the draft but didn't have a pick in June's draft.
Choi went undrafted and ended up playing in Portland's summer league, but the wing showed impressive shooting prowess in Las Vegas, which was expected considering he made 23 of 25 3-pointers during a drill during the G League's pre-draft training camp.
He will be the team's first Chinese player since Tsai bought Brooklyn from Russian oligarch Mikhal Prokhorov, but Taiwanese-American point guard Jeremy Lin was on the team when Tsai became a minority owner, and the two remain friends.
Choi and Lin also share the same agent.
