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The still-rebuilding Brooklyn Nets are close to signing Yongxi “Jacky” Cui, a 6'8″ Chinese shooting guard, on a two-way contract. Nothing official has been reported yet, but Cui's Weibo account (a Chinese social media app) recently started following a few Nets players, and some Chinese basketball X accounts hinted at the deal.
Cui, just 21 years old, attended the NBA Global Academy in Australia in May and has received loads of attention since then. Despite going undrafted during the 2024 NBA Draft, he was added to the Portland Trail Blazers' Summer League roster and awarded some limited game experience.
Jacky Cui(崔永熙) | 🏀🇨🇳
THE NEXT LEVEL👉 #nba @BrooklynNets
Will be received NETS TWO-WAY
#china #usa #tiktok #NBAHandlesWeek pic.twitter.com/wdiDprjeBo— MSTHoops (@MonkeySmallTalk) August 30, 2024
The youngest player on the Chinese basketball team at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Cui—pronounced “tsway”—decided to skip playing college basketball in the United States and instead chose to play in the Chinese Basketball Association. In two seasons with the Guangzhou Loong Lions, he has progressed rapidly. In the 2023-24 season, he is averaging 15.6 points per game.
What's next for Nets, Cam Thomas in 2024 rebuild
Kyrie Irving? Gone. Kevin Durant? Gone. Same with Mikal Bridges, Spencer Dinwiddie and Royce O'Neale. All gone.
The Nets have 13 first-round picks in the next five NBA drafts, including four in 2025. Perhaps a look at the small army of young talent cultivated by the Oklahoma City Thunder over the years can provide a blueprint for the Nets. The new nucleus of the team, Cam Thomas, their 2021 first-round selection out of LSU, has a lot placed firmly on his shoulders.
Last year, with more added to Thomas' plate, he averaged 22.5 points, along with 3.2 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 31.4 minutes per game. He'll turn 23 during the NBA preseason and while there won't be many wins in 2024-25, Thomas and Co. will be forced to endure hardships as the Nets only have time—and draft picks—on their side.
There is a silver lining hanging in the distant horizon, as Miami Heat superstar Jimmy Butler has publicly said he might like to play for the Nets in 2025. He's in the second year of his three-year, $146M contract, and the third season is a player option.
REPORT: The Nets are a potential destination for Jimmy Butler in 2025 free agency, per @NYPost_Lewis.
“The six-time All-Star is the most accomplished standout on that list not named James, and he likes Brooklyn, according to sources close to the player.” pic.twitter.com/iwLoaVsT0u
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) August 31, 2024
Butler laid out his plans in June, stating that he intended to play out the 2024 season and seek a new deal in 2025 via Shams Charania.
“Jimmy Butler, he's going to play out next season under his current contract with the Heat,” Charania said. “I'm told he will not be signing an extension with the Heat or any other team ahead of his opt-out in 2025 free agency. This clears up any notion of a trade demand out of Jimmy Butler. He intends to play out next season.”
Should the Nets give him all that money at age 36 in 2025? They'll cross that bridge when they get to it.
In the meantime, the regular season slow burn of a Nets' rebuild begins on the road against the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday, October 23, at 7:30 p.m. EST.
