Chinese center Zhou Qi was traded by the Xinjiang Flying Tigers to the Guangdong Southern Tigers in exchange for star guard Zhao Rui, the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) announced on Friday.

It's rare for a country's basketball governing body to announce a trade in its league, but Zhou made a really special case after his fallout with the Flying Tigers, the association's decision to punish the team for improper behavior, as well as the Flying Tigers' decisions to first quit and then return to the CBA.

Zhou's move to the Southern Tigers will be a remarkable enhancement to the team's big-man depth, especially when Yi Jianlian is being held back by aging and injuries. Zhao has been one of the best among Chinese players in his position in recent years and should be able to help the Flying Tigers turn the corner sooner.

More importantly, Zhou finding a team where he can play competitive games regularly can help him improve his form and, thus, perform better for the Chinese national team, not just in the coming FIBA Basketball World Cup but also in other major international tournaments in the long term.

China played eight friendlies during their 38-day tour in Europe, losing all five games to European teams and winning three against Egypt, Cape Verde and New Zealand. The team's biggest highlight was naturalized forward Li Kaier (formerly known as Kyle Anderson). He scored a team-high 18 points and delivered the game-winning steal against New Zealand.

By contrast, Zhou missed two open layups in that game. He was still one of the best-performing players on China's side on the court, but far from himself a year ago.

Back in the World Cup qualifying tournament in 2022, Zhou was the spine of China on both offense and defense. His double-double of 16 points and 17 rebounds against Australia was the team's biggest highlight in that loss. Before that, he played a complete season in Australia's National Basketball League (NBL).

If we turn the clock back another four years, Zhou was nothing but dominant in the Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia, in 2018. He dropped 25 points, 12 rebounds and seven blocks to help China beat the Philippines, who were led by NBA guard Jordan Clarkson. Then Zhou contributed 15 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks in the final, leading China to beat Iran to win the men's basketball gold medal.

Before such an excellent performance, Zhou spent the 2017–18 NBA season with the Houston Rockets. He averaged 12 points, 6.5 rebounds and three blocks per game in the NBA Summer League in 2018.

Nonetheless, when Zhou couldn't play in competitive games on a regular basis, his performance slipped quickly and dramatically. For example, he hadn't played any game since February before going to Europe with the Chinese national team, hence the poor finishing work in the friendlies.

Zhou was waived by the Rockets in 2018 after the Asian Games and didn't join any CBA team. He didn't play any game in some six months before the World Cup at home in 2019. Then he had only nine points and 7.6 rebounds per game in the tournament. His poor throw-in against Poland cost China that key game. In their final competition against Nigeria, he was fouled out in 16 minutes and got only two points.

The huge difference in Zhou's performance between when he played regularly and when he didn't proved how important it is for him to stay hot in a competitive league so he can keep good form. Joining the Southern Tigers won’t help improve his form for the World Cup because there is no CBA game for him to play until late October. However, Zhou is only 27 years old and will play as China's franchise center for a long time. The national team will need him to stay sharp for more competitions in the future.