Zeng joins Nets camp eyeing a second tilt at NBA

Young Chinese forward Zeng Fanbo will fight once again to make a foray into the NBA, reportedly signing an Exhibit10 contract with the Brooklyn Nets as the excitement builds for the franchise's preseason trip to China.

Zeng, a 22-year-old former NBA G-League prospect, will take part in the Brooklyn-based club's preseason training camp and will possibly join its trip to Macao in October to play two exhibition games against the Phoenix Suns, Zeng's team confirmed on Sunday.

The statement released by "Zeng Fanbo Studio", the official account of his management team on Weibo, confirmed an earlier report by Michael Scotto of HoopsHype that the Nets had agreed to a deal to add the promising Chinese national forward to its training camp roster for the 2025-26 season.

Scotto's initial tweet did not elaborate on details of the deal, but multiple reports have indicated that it was an Exhibit10 contract, a non-guaranteed deal that allows a player to join a team's preseason camp for workouts and scrimmages, with the club entitled to either waiver the player or sign him before the regular season tips off.

Representing Beijing Ducks in the CBA's 2024-25 campaign, Zeng averaged a career-high 14.7 points, shooting 41 percent from 3-pointers, 4.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.5 blocks in 37 regular-season games, marking his best year in the domestic league since joining Beijing in 2022.

The 6-foot-10 (2.08-meter) forward contributed 15 points to go with 4.2 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per night in five playoffs appearances, helping the Ducks reach the semifinals, where he hurt his back in a hard Game 2 fall against the Shanxi Loongs, ending his best season prematurely.

Zeng won the league's Most-Improved Player award, was selected into the All-CBA First Team and has emerged a solid "3D" role player with strength in perimeter defense, shot-blocking and 3-point shooting.

Zeng did not require surgery, and, after undergoing an effective rehab program in Germany, he's been recovering well, according to his team.

"Zeng's begun training and, hopefully, he will be in prime condition and ready for the training camp challenge. We expect to see him on court during the preseason China games," said the statement by his team.

"It will be a long and tough road, and it's never easy to step out of the comfort zone, but he's determined not to have any regrets. He will never hesitate to chase after his dreams."

Zeng became known in the US by playing 22 games with the G-League Ignite during the 2021-22 season, where he averaged 5.0 points and 2.3 rebounds hampered by injuries.

He then went undrafted in 2022, having also represented the Indiana Pacers in that year's summer league, before signing with the Ducks to begin his pro career in the CBA.

The Nets, owned by Joe Tsai, chairman of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, signed Zeng's national teammate Cui Yongxi to a two-way contract before the 2024-25 season as part of the franchise's effort to tap deeper into the Chinese market. Cui, however, was cut by the team in December after suffering a serious left knee injury that has kept him sidelined up to now.

By bringing another young Chinese prospect on board, the franchise is expected to draw wider attention when it plays against the Suns at the 14,000-seat Venetian Resort in Macao on Oct 10 and 12.

China is pushing its best to join the NBA for higher-level drills that will help them develop and better contribute to the national team at major international meets. With approval and support from the CBA, both Yang Hansen, the Portland Trail Blazers' overall 16th draft pick this year, and Zeng, passed up playing for Team China in the FIBA Asia Cup, which tips off on Tuesday in Saudi Arabia, to join their respective NBA teams' training camps.