Former Windermere Prep star Fanbo Zeng to sign NBA deal

Former Windermere Prep star boys basketball player and one of China's top prospects, Fanbo Zeng, has agreed to a contract with the Brooklyn Nets of the NBA. This comes after the 22-year-old forward had a stellar campaign in the Chinese Basketball Association last season, averaging 14.7 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game on 41% shooting from three as a member of the Beijing Ducks.

"Zeng plans to sign with the Brooklyn Nets, in another attempt to break into the NBA," a statement by his management team said. "The road ahead is long and arduous, and stepping out of one's comfort zone will certainly not be easy. However, in one's prime, one should live with no regrets, going all out to realize one's dream."

A 6-foot-10 sharpshooter, Zeng played for the Southwest Orange prep school for two seasons, earning All-State honors and being named the FACA 3A Player of the Year in the 2019-20 season. Following his breakout sophomore season, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Class of 2022 hooper returned to China and did not complete his final two seasons with the Lakers. 

”It was an absolute honor to coach Fanbo," Lakers coach Brian Hoff said in a statement released by the school in 2021. "Fanbo brought humility and a strong work ethic to our program each day. These two traits, along with his obvious special talent, will allow him to have great success. ... I cherish our relationship and will always be grateful to have been his coach.”

In 2021, having originally committed to play college basketball at Gonzaga, Zeng instead chose to join the NBA's youth development team, the G-League Ignite. He played in 22 games for the Ignite, averaging 5 points and 2.3 rebounds per game. Following his season with the Ignite, Zeng played four games for the Indiana Pacers' summer league team before spending the next three seasons playing in China. 

Zeng is expected to sign an Exhibit 10 contract with the Nets — which is a one-year, non-guaranteed deal for a minimum salary — that will allow Brooklyn to have him as part of its training camp roster. Under this type of contract, the Nets can convert his contract into a two-way deal — meaning he'd spend time playing for the Nets and their G-League affiliate — or offer a bonus to convince the player to join its G-League team.