Signed! A four-year max contract! Key guard of the Chinese men’s basketball team.

Congratulations!

This is the best reward after clinching the silver medal at the Asian Cup.

The Zhejiang club has officially announced the extension with Cheng Shuaipeng, as reported by a leading domestic basketball platform.Cheng Shuaipeng and Zhejiang have reached a four-year, type-D max contract agreement, with his annual salary peaking at 6 million RMB.

In this year’s Asian Cup, Cheng averaged 10 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game, boasting a 42.9% three-point success rate. Notably, in the final against Australia, he scored 12 points on 4-of-7 shooting, playing a crucial role in China’s runner-up finish.

Born on June 3, 1999, Cheng is now 26 years old. Standing at 1.91 meters, he is a combo guard and has played for Zhejiang for eight seasons. In the 24-25 season, he appeared in 40 regular-season games, starting 22 times, averaging 28.2 minutes, 11.8 points, 2 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.1 steals, with shooting percentages of 41%, 35%, and 85.2%. In the playoffs, he averaged 27.7 minutes, 12.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and had shooting splits of 42.3%, 46.2%, and 100%.

Across eight seasons, he reached the playoffs seven times. In 2023, Cheng led Zhejiang to the finals, though they were swept 0-4 by Liaoning. That postseason, he averaged 34.5 minutes, 14.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.5 steals, with shooting splits of 40.5%, 39.3%, and 77.1%. He notably hit a buzzer-beater to eliminate Shenzhen in Game 4 of the second round.

With Wu Qian now serving as player-coach, Wang Yibo joining Qingdao, and Yu Jiahao heading to Spain’s Bilbao, Cheng Shuaipeng, returning from national team duty, will be given even greater responsibility by Zhejiang in the upcoming season. He is now undoubtedly their top domestic star and is expected to have the best season of his career.

Last season, Zhejiang finished ninth in the league with a 30-16 record and lost 1-2 to Yang Hanshen’s Qingdao in the first round of the playoffs. It will be difficult for them to contend for the championship in the short term, so with less pressure to win it all, Cheng can play more freely.

It’s worth noting that on November 28 and December 1 this year, the Chinese men’s team will play two games against South Korea, officially starting their World Cup qualification campaign for a spot in the 2027 tournament. Barring any surprises, Cheng Shuaipeng is expected to be called up again by coach Guo Shiqiang.