Big guns scramble to retain stars

Intrigue abounds as several high-profile players face uncertain futures ahead of new CBA season

With uncertainty mounting over the future of star players, a turbulent summer has signaled a power shift in the CBA landscape as the league gears up for an unpredictable title race.

For the first offseason in a long while, intrigue abounds over where several out-of-contract All-Stars will suit up next term.

CBA rules dictate that players cannot simply choose a new club by themselves. Even if a player's contract has run its course, he cannot leave that team if it offers him a max extension－a controversial rule designed to protect franchises and encourage the development of homegrown talent.

Leading the glittering cast of "restricted free agents" are national team players Guo Ailun, Zhou Qi and Zhao Rui, who are all expected to don new jerseys in the 2022-23 campaign but remain subject to the decisions of their former clubs－respectively, defending champions the Liaoning Leopards, perennial powerhouses the Xinjiang Flying Tigers and 11-time league title winners the Guangdong Southern Tigers.

None of those teams appear willing to release their key assets, with negotiations in stalemate with only two weeks to go before the Aug 31 registration deadline.

Keen for fresh challenges, point guard Guo strongly suggested earlier this month he wants to leave Liaoning, having played with the franchise for 12 years and helped the Leopards claim a second league title in June.

Liaoning, however, has so far refused to let go of Guo, who averaged 21.5 points, 6.5 assists and 3.7 rebounds last season. The club insists it will stick to the CBA rules to hang onto the 28-year-old unless he opts for a move overseas to play in the NBA or Euroleague.

"Guo was cultivated and promoted from our own youth system …h(huán)e has already become a symbol of this team. We hope he can stay with us and fight for the next championship," Liaoning said in a statement.

"We believe the NBA and Euroleague can offer Guo better chances for development, which will benefit the Chinese national team. To this aim, we will give him our full support despite the loss of our club's interest."

Both Guo and Zhou Qi are currently in France as part of a national team training tour as the squad prepares for the 2023 FIBA World Cup Asian qualifying window later this month.