Two days after Tosan Evbuomwan was waived by the Nets comes word that Chinese forward Fanbo Zeng is headed Brooklyn possibly to replace him on the team roster.

Fanbo, a 6’11” 22-year-old, has been training in Phoenix with Vaughn Compton who posted about his travel…

The third man in the photo is Duan Ran, Fanbo’s Chinese trainer since he returned from playing with G League Ignite in 2020. After Mike Scotto reported the agreement between team and player on August 3, his manager, Fanbo Zeng Studio, released a statement noting that he was rehabbing from a back injury suffered during the CBA playoffs. A China basketball observer told ND at the time that the injury was not major.

Specifically, his manager said this of his prospects:

“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,

“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.”

Although there’s been no specifics about Fanbo’s role with Brooklyn, it appears an Exhibit 10 and a two-way are both seen as possibilities.

Although Fanbo did not play for Team China in the recently concluded FIBA Asia Cup, he’s viewed as one of the country’s top young players. Zeng won the league’s Most-Improved Player award, was selected into the All-CBA First Team and has emerged a solid 3-and-D role player “with strength in perimeter defense, shot-blocking and 3-point shooting,” China Daily reported.

This will be Fanbo’s second attempt at the NBA. After playing high school ball in Florida — and making All-State — Fanbo accepted then turned down an offer from Gonzaga to play in the G-League.

Zeng played 22 games with the G-League Ignite during the 2021-22 season, where he averaged 5.0 points and 2.3 rebounds in a season hampered by injuries.After being tabbed as China’s top young prospect by ESPN, he went undrafted in 2022 but was signed to a Summer League contract by the Indiana Pacers, before signing with the Beijing Ducks to begin his pro career in the CBA.

As China Daily also noted earlier in August, signing another Chinese player will further the Nets fan base in that country.

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.

The Nets currently have 21 players under some sort of contract, the max permitted for training camp. So, before signing Fanbo, the Nets will have make another move.