The Brooklyn Nets made a fascinating signing on Saturday.
Michael Scotto reports that the Nets have signed Fanbo Zeng, a 6-foot-10 forward from China.
Most recently, Zeng has played for the Beijing Ducks in the CBA, averaging 14.7 points (53% FG, 41% 3FG), 4.6 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game.
But his hoops journey has been much more winding than that.
He was a Gonzaga commit five years ago but never made it to campus. He instead played for the G League Ignite team.
After a season with the G League Ignite, Zeng signed on with the Indiana Pacers for Summer League action.
He didn’t stick around the NBA at that point, though, instead returning to China.
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There were rumors earlier this summer that the Nets had inked the 22-year old to a contract, but nothing was more concrete until the latest report.
It seems like Brooklyn wouldn’t have minded getting Zeng over to play in Summer League, but that didn’t happen.
Reports out of China also indicate Zeng may be injured. One report says Zeng fractured a vertebra on a hard fall in April and will miss the Asia Cup because of it.
Zeng is likely most intriguing to the Nets because he’s a 6-foot-10 dude with a 7-foot-2 wingspan who just shot 41% from 3.
The Nets already have five first-round picks to incorporate, so it’s not clear what the Zeng fit will be.
But for a team trying to build something from the ground up like Brooklyn, Zeng looks like a worthwhile chance to take.
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