Announced! Hello, Li Kaier! Joins the NBA Western Conference Finals Team

It's official, the dust has settled.

The Timberwolves officially announced:officially signed Li Kaier, who will wear jersey number 12. Li Kaier previously played for the Timberwolves during the 22-23 and 23-24 seasons.

Last offseason, Li Kaier was traded from the Heat to the Jazz in a three-team deal. Before this year's trade deadline, he was traded from the Jazz to the Grizzlies. Recently, Li Kaier reached a buyout agreement with the Grizzlies and, after clearing waivers, is bringing his talents back to the Timberwolves.

In less than a year, he changed teams four times......

It's worth mentioning that, according to reporter Aryan, after Li Kaier entered the buyout market, the Nuggets attempted to sign him, but as mentioned above, he chose to return to the Timberwolves.

So far this season, the Timberwolves are fourth in the West with a 38-23 record. They have been eliminated in the Western Conference Finals for two consecutive years and are eager to go further this year; the Nuggets are fifth in the West with a 38-24 record and are also aiming to win the West and the championship this season.

Li Kaier was born on September 20, 1993. He is a 6'8" forward with a 7'3" wingspan, selected 30th overall in the first round of the 2014 draft. His NBA career averages are 6.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.0 steal per game in 21.4 minutes, with a field goal percentage of 48.1%. In the playoffs, he averages 5.1 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.9 assists in 16.3 minutes, shooting 49.5% from the field.

As the first naturalized player for the Chinese men's basketball team, Li Kaier has one-eighth Chinese heritage (his great-great-grandfather was Hakka from Guangdong). During the 2023 World Cup, he averaged 13 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game, but the team finished with a 1-4 record and failed to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Although there is no official statement, Li Kaier's tenure with the Chinese national team is essentially over.

As for new naturalization targets for the Chinese men's basketball team, the focus is on guard players, primarily selecting from CBA foreign guards, such as the Finals MVP Barry Brown Jr. from the Guangsha team. However, there has been no substantial progress so far.