Depth: Cui Yongxi, the Rebel, Finds His Comfort Zone in the NBA

A couple of days ago, on the deadline for registering players for the new CBA season, Guangzhou Loong Lions pre-registered Cui Yongxi, leading many to speculate that Xiao Cui might not be able to pursue his career in the NBA. However, the situation has taken a surprising turn. Multiple authoritative media outlets have confirmed that Cui Yongxi will sign a two-way contract with the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets. Through this two-way contract, he aims to secure a guaranteed deal in the future. A two-way contract pays nearly $600,000 annually and is not counted against the salary cap. For such reports, the Nets have neither confirmed nor denied them.

In the past two seasons, Cui Yongxi played for the CBA’s Guangzhou Loong Lions. Last season, he averaged 15.7 points and 5.8 rebounds per game, shooting 46.1% from the field and 36.5% from three-point range. This summer, after going undrafted in the NBA draft, he participated in the Summer League with the Portland Trail Blazers. Due to limited playing time during the Summer League, Cui Yongxi’s performance was average; he played three games, averaging 7.2 minutes per game and scoring 3.0 points, far below his performance in pre-draft workouts where he once hit 23 out of 25 three-point attempts.

The 21-year-old Cui Yongxi is not necessarily the most talented player domestically to challenge the NBA, but he is the first to choose to step out of his comfort zone. Previously, several NCAA teams had invited him to join, yet he chose the hardest path—playing professional basketball in the CBA. Recently, according to veteran NBA and Trail Blazers reporter Sean Highkin, Cui Yongxi had the opportunity to sign an Exhibit 10 contract with the Portland Trail Blazers, but he did not sign it immediately, instead opting to pursue a two-way contract with an unspecified team. Now, it seems that his efforts have paid off with interest as he gains the attention of an NBA team.

The public opinion regarding Cui Yongxi’s signing with the Nets is mixed. Some point out that the Nets are looking to sign domestic players to increase their influence. Foreign media mentioned that as one of China’s most promising young players, Cui Yongxi has a large fan base domestically. Sources said that during the Las Vegas Summer League, the Trail Blazers’ training and games attracted a large number of Chinese media focusing primarily on Cui Yongxi (similar to when Yi Jianlian played for the New Jersey Nets over a decade ago).

In fact, Joe Tsai, the owner of the Nets, had stated back in March 2019 that his team could introduce a Chinese player: “I’ve publicly stated that if there are excellent Chinese players who want to play in the NBA, I will do everything possible to help them. If we have a Chinese player on our team, I would be very happy. China is a country with a large population and a passion for basketball, and the government also places great importance on sports development. I believe it’s just a matter of time.” Therefore, providing such opportunities to players who strive for their homeland deserves applause. Of course, signing Cui Yongxi indeed helps further enhance the popularity of the Nets among Chinese NBA fans.

The Nets have 3.5 times more followers on the Chinese social media platform Weibo than they do on American social media platforms: 7.2 million followers on Weibo, compared to barely over 2 million in the United States. At the end of last year, Mailman, a Shanghai-based sports consulting firm, released a survey analyzing the NBA’s influence in China, where the Nets have now become the third most popular NBA team domestically, behind only the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Lakers. To put it another way, if Cui Yongxi were not capable of playing, the Nets would not be interested in signing him. According to Ebersol of the NBA International Department, Cui Yongxi has the ability to stay. In his view, besides shooting potential, Cui Yongxi’s best skill may be his defense.

Moreover, he believes that compared to previous Chinese players in the NBA, Cui Yongxi has a natural sense of relaxation: “He really has a great sense of humor. I find him very impressive, never shying away from making mistakes and willing to take risks. From our staff to all his teammates, everyone values this quality in him.” Who was the last player to receive such praise? Yao Ming? Local journalist Ajayi Browne pointed out in his report: “Cui’s footwork is very good, and his attitude towards the game is very positive. These qualities are very helpful for both on-ball defense and off-ball positioning.”

In fact, these are also KPIs set by Cui Yongxi himself. When asked in an interview in the United States what he considered his best skill, Xiao Cui said: “My best skill is defense because in my life, I can’t let everyone beat me. I enter a state of intense focus. So, I can’t let players defeat me every time, score on me. Defense is my job.” Later, when asked why he wanted to be an elite defender, he said: “On the court, everyone’s goal is to score. It seems like you can’t do anything else, and defense is often seen as a dirty word, something many players are unwilling to focus on. But if you can play good defense, especially on the NBA stage, it must be very special for you.”

Additionally, the Nets are a rebuilding team that has previously turned two-way contracts into guaranteed contracts. As of 2024, the Brooklyn Nets have signed two players who previously held two-way contracts, Jalen Wilson and Keon Johnson, to standard but partially guaranteed contracts. One of them is a homegrown draft pick of the Nets, while the other is a player who went through many twists and turns before establishing himself in the NBA. Alongside Cui Yongxi, the Nets have also signed 20-year-old, 6-foot-6 wing player Jalen Martin to a two-way contract.

Finally, after eight years of waiting, Cui Yongxi becomes the first Chinese basketball player to enter the NBA since Zhou Qi in 2016, bringing with him a lot of expectations. Whether literally or metaphorically, Cui Yongxi’s journey has already surpassed the scope of his personal achievements.