Nets owner Joe Tsai has said in the past that he’d love to have a Chinese player on the roster in Brooklyn.
He might be getting his wish.
Multiple reports out of China — and now stateside — have the Nets on the brink of adding Yongxi “Jacky” Cui on a two-way contract.
The Nets and Orlando have the most two-way spots available, with both having two while every other team has either one or none. And Cui would be an intriguing flier.
NetsDaily reported that Brooklyn is close to inking Cui to a two-year deal.
And the 21-year-old — viewed as the top young prospect in China — would continue the Nets’ recent youth movement.
Cui — a 6-foot-8 Chinese shooting guard — had agreed to an Exhibit 10 deal with the Portland Trail Blazers, but never officially signed it.
The Rose Garden report said he was pursuing a two-way opportunity with a different team.
All signs point to the Nets being that team, though they would not officially confirm or deny the reports.
Cui graduated from the NBA Global Academy in Australia, where NBA Head of International Basketball Development Chris Ebersole praised his defense.
He’s had two solid years with Guangzhou in the Chinese Basketball Association, averaging 15.7 points and 5.8 rebounds last season on 46.1 percent shooting and 36.5 from deep.
“He was really, truly like cracking jokes. I just thought he was so impressive, willing to make mistakes and take risks. Everybody, from our staff to all his teammates, thinks so highly of him because of that,” Ebersole told Hoopshype.
“He’s got really good feet and plays super hard. Those ingredients, for both on-ball defense and off-ball positioning, serve him well.”
Brooklyn worked Cui out before the draft, but had no picks in June.
Cui went undrafted and ended up going to Summer League with Portland. The wing showed a nice shooting touch in Las Vegas — fully expected, considering he hit 23-of-25 in the 3-point shooting drill at the G League’s pre-draft workout camp.
He would be Brooklyn’s first Chinese player since Tsai bought the team from Russian oligarch Mikhal Prokhorov. However, Taiwanese-American point guard Jeremy Lin was on the roster when Tsai became minority owner, and the two have stayed friends.
Cui and Lin also share the same agent.
