Congratulations! A top-tier CBA guard has secured the first maximum-salary contract of the offseason.

No empty talk—straight to a maximum salary to keep him.

The Tianjin team officially announced that they will give Lin Ting-qian a full max-salary renewal contract, worth 6 million RMB per year.

This player, born on October 31, 1999, is a combo guard standing 1.95 meters tall with a wingspan of 1.92 meters. He was the third overall pick in the 2020 CBA draft.

Lin Ting-qian has been with the Tianjin team for six seasons, maintaining a stable scoring output each year. His CBA career averages are 16.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 1.8 steals per game, with field goal, three-point, and free-throw percentages of 42.8%, 32.7%, and 77.5%, respectively. He has also earned three All-Star selections and one domestic second-team honor.

Next, Lin Ting-qian will represent the Chinese Taipei team in the third window of the World Cup qualifiers, facing the South Korean men's basketball team and the Chinese men's basketball team. In the previous second window, he performed exceptionally well against the same opponents, shooting 15-of-24 from the field for a 62.5% accuracy, totaling 40 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists across two games.

It is worth noting that Tianjin surprisingly let go of David James, who has confirmed his move to Goyang Sono Skygunners, the runner-up of the Korean KBL league. The KBL season largely overlaps with the CBA schedule (typically from October to May each year).

James spent four years in the CBA, all with Tianjin, showcasing outstanding skills and full professionalism. He was even a popular candidate for naturalization by the Chinese men's national team. In 159 games (149 starts), he averaged 32.2 minutes, 22.2 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game, with shooting percentages of 48.9%, 36.9%, and 82% from the field, three-point line, and free-throw line.

Of course, it is possible that James may return to the CBA in the future. As mentioned, this type of foreign player is always highly sought after, but he might not rejoin his former team Tianjin; instead, he could join a playoff or even championship-contending team.

As a well-known underdog in the CBA, Tianjin has consistently ranked near the bottom of the league. Last season, they managed only 13 wins and 29 losses, finishing 18th in the standings. Not long ago, they won the 2026 third overall pick in the draft lottery. The last time they made the playoffs was the 2021-22 season.