Nets’ Chinese prospect for year with ACL tear

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Nets wing Cui Yongxi — otherwise Westernized as Jacky Cui — has been ruled out of the rest of the season with a torn ACL in his left knee.

The 6-foot-7 shooting guard, on a two-year two-way contract, is expected to make a full recovery for next season.

“Yeah, definitely we don’t want to see that for anyone,” head coach Jordi Fernandez said. “But the reality is this is just part of professional sports. We will support him. He’ll get the procedure he needs to get, and then he’ll be on his way to recovery.

“He has to stay positive. For the most part all of us contacted him. … He’s in good spirits. He’s a positive kid. And we’re going to do whatever it takes, whatever we can do to help him recover. And it’s part of life, too.”

The Nets do not automatically get a spot to replace Cui.

They would have to cut him and would just owe him his salary as a two-way. But he’s currently still on the roster, and there are no indications that’s changing anytime soon.

Nets owner Joe Tsai, the co-founder and chairman of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, has been open about wanting a Chinese player on both Brooklyn and the Liberty.

The 21-year-old Cui is widely considered the best young prospect on the Chinese National Team.

Coincidentally, Cui’s next appearance for Brooklyn could very well be in next year’s preseason trip to his native country. The Nets will play a couple of games against Phoenix on Oct. 10 and Oct. 12 in Macao.

Cui got hurt in the first half of Long Island’s game Wednesday.

He’s logged just 10 minutes with Brooklyn over five NBA cameos, scoring three points on 1-of-7 shooting, but he had started to show some improvement lately in the G League.

In his last game before getting hurt, he had 14 points, four rebounds and three steals.

“He’s a guy that just brings positive energy every day,” Fernandez said. Smile on his face. He just brings happiness, ready to work, and every group needs that positive energy, work ethic. And he kept getting better every day.”

Trendon Watford was a healthy DNP.

Fernandez had told him Noah Clowney, working his way back, was going to be getting most of his minutes in the rotation Friday.

But when they went to him on the bench, he wasn’t loose.

“He was just not loose to play, and I didn’t want to chance anything to get hurt or anything,” Fernandez said. “He has to be ready. He has to be loose. When you’re on the bench, you have to be ready to go. And then if you’re not, then it’s hard to play.”