2024-2025 NBA preseason is in full swing, and according to the schedule, the Nets will face the Clippers on October 9th, giving Chinese player Cui Yongxi a chance to make his preseason debut. Since signing a two-way contract with the Nets on September 20th, Cui Yongxi has been participating in team training camp and has quickly integrated into the team, forming a strong bond with his teammates off the court.

Although the Nets are in a rebuilding phase and have relatively low expectations for the upcoming season, as a two-way contract player and rookie making his NBA debut, Cui Yongxi will face challenges and difficulties that are foreseeable. Like most two-way contract players, the competition for playing time at his position will be fierce, and he may spend a lot of time playing in the development league.

Cui Yongxi has stated in interviews that he is mentally prepared for this. "On the court, I need to do what I can do well, not to compete with the starting players for the ball. The first thing young players need to focus on is defense, and the second thing is to seize every opportunity created by the team's star player and make the most of it."

Cui Yongxi traveled to the United States this summer to participate in NBA draft training camps with teams including the Nets, Grizzlies, Jazz, Pacers, Trail Blazers, and Knicks. After failing to be drafted, he earned a spot on the Trail Blazers' summer league team and eventually secured a two-way contract with the Nets.

Through months of hard work, Cui Yongxi not only earned a contract but also gradually adapted to the intensity of NBA training and the team's atmosphere. He has quickly integrated into the Nets, and recent videos posted on social media show him fluently communicating with teammates in English, joking around during the team's media day, and even inviting All-Star player Ben Simmons to greet Chinese fans via video.

Cui Yongxi revealed that his teammates, except for Cameron Johnson, call him "Jacky," and they recently had hot pot together. This lucky encounter with assistant coach Juwan Howard, who played alongside famous Chinese players like Wang Zhizhi, Mengke Bateer, and Yao Ming, has continued the wonderful connection between Chinese players and Howard.

Cui Yongxi will be the seventh Chinese player to play in the NBA, following in the footsteps of Wang Zhizhi, Mengke Bateer, Yao Ming, Yi Jianlian, Sun Yue, and Zhou Qi. The last time there was a Chinese player in the NBA was during the 2018-2019 season, and Cui Yongxi will face a completely different challenge than his predecessors.

As a two-way contract player, he will be both a member of an NBA team and a player in the development league. While an NBA team can have two two-way contract players, most of them spend the majority of their time playing in the development league. This is the most realistic situation that Cui Yongxi will face.

The Nets' training camp roster consists of 20 players, with 15 having standard contracts, Cui Yongxi and Jarrett Martin as two-way contract players, and three with training camp contracts. Among the 20 players, except for Cui Yongxi and Jarrett Martin, all the others have NBA experience. Cui Yongxi, born in 2003, is the fifth youngest player on the team.

The Nets' roster lists Cui Yongxi as a forward, but NBA's official website lists him as a guard. It is likely that his role on the team will be as a shooting guard or small forward. In addition to Ben Simmons, Cameron Thomas, Cam Johnson, and Dennis Schroder, Cui Yongxi will also have to compete with numerous role players for playing time.

In a previous interview, Cui Yongxi mentioned his potential role on the team and expressed that he wants to start as a "3&D player" (a player who excels in defense and three-point shooting) and then consider other aspects. He has a positive mindset, saying, "I don't know how long I can play here or how far I can improve. But I only know that staying here for as long as possible will be of great help to myself and the (Chinese national) team."

Unlike the regular season, the NBA preseason primarily focuses on team chemistry and evaluating player performance. Cui Yongxi will likely have opportunities to play in preseason games, but the real challenge lies in the regular season. As for when he will make his NBA regular-season debut, Cui Yongxi will need to be patient and wait for his chance.