The 2020 CBA offseason was widely regarded as one of the most intense and strategically complex transfer windows in recent memory. With few high-quality free agents available, 22-year-old rising interior talent Fan Ziming became the prime target for multiple championship contenders, including Guangdong Southern Tigers and Beijing Shougang.
Fan Ziming, who had initially appeared close to joining Guangdong, was sensationally intercepted by Beijing Shougang at the last moment. The Beijing management pulled out all the stops, offering a record-breaking transfer fee, attractive asset packages, and a customized contract laden with special privileges.
Few could have predicted that what was then hailed as a game-changing acquisition would, within just a few years, become one of the most cautionary tales in CBA professionalization.
**Beijing’s Expensive Interception Dashes Guangdong’s Plans**
In the summer of 2020, Fan Ziming’s contract with Guangzhou Loong Lions expired, making him a free agent. In the previous season, while on loan to Xinjiang Flying Tigers, he had delivered consistently solid performances despite playing alongside superstar Zhou Qi. He averaged 9.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game with a remarkable 59.8% field-goal percentage, displaying maturity well beyond his years.
Standing at 2.11 meters and weighing 116 kg, Fan possessed an ideal frame for a modern center, with strong low-post moves, a reliable mid-range jumper, and excellent court awareness. His skill set made him a rare, developable cornerstone for any team.
All three traditional CBA powerhouses—Guangdong, Beijing, and Guangzhou—moved quickly. Guangdong, desperate to find a successor to Yi Jianlian in the paint, was the most aggressive early on. General Manager Zhu Fangyu personally led negotiations, offering rotation players Du Runwang and Zeng Fanri, plus a substantial cash package. Media outlets widely predicted Fan would end up in Guangdong.
However, just as a deal seemed imminent, Beijing Shougang accelerated their pursuit. General Manager Qin Xiaowen publicly stated the club was willing to exhaust all available resources to land Fan. According to official CBA filings, Beijing ultimately sent Zhao Yanman on a permanent transfer to Guangzhou and Sun Haofeng on loan, plus a reported 30 million RMB in development fees.
To seal the deal, Beijing added unprecedented sweeteners: a record signing bonus, a guaranteed starting center role, and a rare “trade veto clause” written into the contract—the first of its kind in CBA history. They also signed Li Muhao to block any backup plan from Guangdong, creating a closed-loop reinforcement strategy.
Guangdong’s Zhu Fangyu was left empty-handed and expressed rare frustration on social media, hinting that his team’s strength may have provoked such a strategic response.
**Max Contract and Trade Veto Trap Team, Star Center’s Decline**
Fan Ziming initially lived up to expectations in Beijing. In his best season, he averaged 14.6 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 2.8 assists, earning a spot on the CBA All-League Second Team and a call-up to the Chinese men’s national team. He was widely viewed as a future starting center for the national squad.
During the 2021 offseason, Beijing moved quickly to extend his contract. Behind the scenes, there were talks of a blockbuster trade involving Zhou Qi and Xinjiang, with Fan as the centerpiece. But Fan himself opposed moving to Xinjiang, and the deal fell through.
To stabilize the locker room, Beijing upgraded Fan’s contract to a four-year max deal, solidifying the trade veto clause as a legally binding core term. Such a clause is extremely rare in the CBA, reflecting the club’s immense faith in his value. Initially, Fan responded positively, taking on a bigger role and posting 14.4 points and 7.1 rebounds that season.
But the turning point came in August 2024, when Zhou Qi finally joined Beijing Shougang. Fan was once again relegated to a backup role behind the star center. This change had a severe psychological impact. Without any major injury, Fan’s performance plunged dramatically: his averages dropped to 6.9 points and 4 rebounds per game. He went from an All-Star regular and national team candidate to a fringe rotation player.
The decline has only worsened. Now at age 28—supposedly his prime—Fan is averaging a mere 3.1 points and 2.3 rebounds this season. He has been benched during crucial moments and has seen his playing time shrink to career lows. On the court, he frequently misses open layups and commits unforced turnovers, consistently landing on the CBA’s “Shaqtin’ a Fool” highlights. His post-game celebrations, once lively, have become the subject of mockery.
What makes the situation truly painful for Beijing’s front office is the trade veto clause that was once a symbol of trust. Now, as the team seeks to optimize its roster and free up salary cap space for extensions of players like Zhao Rui and Zeng Fanbo, that clause prevents any trade involving Fan. His max contract runs through the summer of 2027, creating a structural obstacle.
Meanwhile, Guangdong—who lost the bidding war—has built a deep interior rotation featuring Yi Jianlian, Wang Shaojie, Zhang Mingchi, and Xu Xin. Fans joke that the jerseys they once shed tears over have now become napkins at championship banquets.
**Conclusion**
Looking back at that sensational 2020 signing, six years have drawn a definitive conclusion. Beijing Shougang’s massive gamble—breaking conventional norms to land Fan Ziming—has resulted in a max contract that is both difficult to digest and impossible to offload.
Fan Ziming’s rapid decline is not due to physical deterioration or serious injury but rather a combination of psychological letdown, erratic role definition, and shattered confidence. And the very contract clause designed to secure his loyalty has become a shackle on the team’s future.
In the next three years, can Beijing use CBA rules to find a way out of this contractual deadlock? Can the 28-year-old Fan rediscover his form and transform from a “celebration reel” back into a national-team-caliber center? The answers will be written on the court.