Chinese basketball center Menk Bateer has been invited to play San Antonio Spurs' summer competition and is likely to have his contract renewed with the NBA champions, reports said on Thursday.

Bateer, whose contract with the Spurs expired at the end of last season, has not played in the playoff but became the first Chinese player to win a champion's ring.

"The Spurs has invited him to play the summer league from July 12 to 20, which means that the possibility is there for Bateer to get a new contract," the Beijing Evening News quoted Bateer's agent Xia Song as saying.

Xia was also optimistic about Bateer's NBA future, even if the Spurs do not renew his contract.

"Bateer is a free agent now and he can find a job in other clubs," Xia said.

Bateer is the second Chinese basketballer to join NBA, after LA Clippers center Wang Zhizhi but before Houston Rockets' sensation Yao Ming. 

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