The Brooklyn Nets announced Wednesday that Fanbo Zeng, the 22-year-old 6’11” small forward who is one of China’s top young players, has been waived. The team also waived Malachi Smith, a 6’6” shooting
guard who they had signed Tuesday in their effort to get to the salary cap floor under the CBA.
Later Wednesday, the Nets announced they have signed Grant Nelson, the 6’11” 23-year-old Alabama big who went undrafted in June, turning down an offer to be taken in the second round, saying he preferred to be a free agent so he could ultimately sign with Brooklyn. He played for the Nets in Summer League. He presumably will wind up in Long Island.
The moves bring the Nets roster to 19, one more than the maximum allowed. However, the current configuration is 17 standard deals and two two-ways. That means they will still have to cut someone on a standard deal (as well as Nelson) before Monday’s cutdown deadline. They also have the option to add a third two-way. Zeng had hoped he could get the two-way but he played only 10 minutes in the first China game, recording only one steal, angering Chinese fans who contend he did not get enough of an opportunity to make his case.
Despite the limited minutes and production, Zeng told Chinese media he thought he had made progress vs. the Suns…
He did not play in the second game vs. the Suns in Macao. Nor had he played in the Nets first preseason game vs. Hapoel Jerusalem on October 4.
Zeng is one of China’s top young players having won the CBA’s Most Improved Player award and a spot on the All-CBA first team as a small forward with 3-and-D credentials. His G League rights now automatically transfer to the Long Island Nets. He has said he hoped his opportunity with Brooklyn would help him re-start his NBA career. He had played with the G League Ignite team and for the Indiana Pacers Summer League team three years ago.
Indeed, Mfon Udofia, Long Island’s head coach, told ND’s Scott Mitchell before training camp that he had worked with Zeng over the summer and saw his potential.
“Fanbo, first of all, is a really good human being,” Udofia told Mitchell. “High character individual. Then, from the basketball side, he has a really good skill set, can shoot the ball, and his athleticism is good. I’m excited to coach him, excited to have him, and I think he’ll play very well for both teams.”
Should Zeng decide to play with Long Island, the Brooklyn Nets would not retain any NBA rights to him. Choosing to stay in the U.S. and not return to China would also have financial repercussions for Zeng. He could make upwards of a million dollars a year playing for his old team, the Beijing Ducks, in China while a G League gig would pay him slightly more than $100,000 including the bonus he’d receive if he stays with Long Island for 60 days.
Steve Lichtenstein on his substack criticized the Nets for signing Zeng, contending he was not NBA ready and that the move was all about Joe Tsai wanting a Chinese player on his team.
I’m over it now, but the ploy I assume was spurred by ownership to play an obviously undeserving China native during Friday’s exhibition had me seething. Ok, maybe if you’re going to have Zeng on the training camp roster, giving him six minutes during the second and fourth quarters can be justified as a goodwill gesture to the hosts. But did the Nets have to play him in the overtime? The Suns targeted Zeng mercilessly by forcing him to switch onto their ballhandlers, where he got toasted, and then the Nets rarely passed him the ball on offense.
Joseph Tsai, from all appearances, wants a player of Asian descent on the team. The Nets gave a similarly ill-suited Jacky Cui five games last season before he suffered a horrific knee injury.
Tsai has been open about wanting Chinese players on both his teams going back to 2019.
“I’ve been on record saying if there’s good Chinese players, I would do anything to help them come — if they want to come play in the NBA, I would do anything to help them do that,” Tsai emphasized to NetsDaily in May 2019. Tsai also said he’d leave any such decision to his basketball people. Zeng, for his part, has said he’s never met Tsai.
As for the two-way opening, Brian Lewis reported Tuesday that the Nets have not ruled out signing Drew Timme, cut Monday along with Dariq Whitehead, to the two-way spot. It’s also possible that Nelson could compete for the opening.
Playing for Alabama this season, his second in Tuscaloosa, Nelson averaged 11.5 points on 52/26/68 as well as 7.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.2 blocks. Previously, the Devils Lake, N.D. native had played for North Dakota State where he got the nickname “Dakota Durant.”
Nelson’s signature moment took place in the 2024 NCAA Tournament. He reached another gear in the Sweet 16, scoring 24 points and 12 rebounds to go with five blocks to upset No. 1 seed UNC.
At the NBA Combine, Nelson got high marks, particularly in agility tests, setting the Combine record for the shuttle run and finishing third among 60 prospects in lane agility. The drills assess a player’s speed, body control, and ability to change direction.
Nelson had been tagged as an Exhibit 10 signing in preseason, but when he didn’t appear on the 21-man Nets training camp roster last month, his agent told the Tuscaloosa News that he “anticipated” Nelson would sign an Exhibit 10 later in the preseason.
