Undrafted Chinese basketball prospect Cui Yongxi is taking his talents to the NBA! 🎉 The 21-year-old has signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Portland Trail Blazers, his agency announced Friday, following his unselected status in the 2024 NBA Draft. While not the fairy-tale draft night many hoped for, this deal keeps Cui’s NBA dreams alive—and could pave the way for a *major* glow-up. 💪
What’s an Exhibit 10 contract? Think of it as a golden ticket 🎫 to prove yourself: It’s a one-year, minimum-salary agreement that lets teams convert it into a two-way contract before the season starts. If waived, Cui could join Portland’s G League affiliate, keeping him in the development pipeline.
Cui trained with six NBA teams pre-draft—including the Nets, Knicks, and Grizzlies—and will now ball out 🏀 in the Las Vegas Summer League starting July 12. In an interview with Tencent Sports, he reflected on his U.S. experience: \"I’ve soaked up new training methods, playing styles, and even how they handle nutrition,\" he said, adding that competing against U.S. players helped him \"match their pace.\"
But Cui also highlighted a gap in youth development systems: \"Kids here start professional training as early as 8 or 9 years old with expert coaches,\" he noted, suggesting China’s system could benefit from similar infrastructure. 🇨🇳 vs. 🇺🇸 basketball culture? We’re here for this convo. 💬
Will Cui become China’s next NBA star after Yao Ming? The Summer League will be his first big test. 🔥 #UnderdogEnergy
