All-round Athlete

Chapter 940 Complete the Puzzle

There is a July freeze period in the NBA, from July 1st to July 8th. This period is the period when the NBA conducts audits to obtain basketball-related income, and then calculate the salary cap for next season and so on. Since the salary cap and other restrictions have not been determined, this period of time is a short transaction freeze period. Although the free market is open during the freeze period and the team can approach players, the transaction will not be approved until after the 8th.

The freeze period in July is also the most active period in the free agent market. There will be more frequent contact between the team and the free agent, so those players who choose to jump out of the contract to test the free agent market will choose to jump out before July 1. contract.

The time when James chose to jump out of the contract was June 25, and he had two years left on his original contract, worth $42.7 million. Wade and Bosh chose to opt out of the contract on June 29, and there are two years left, with a total value of 41.8 million US dollars and 42.7 million US dollars respectively. Next, the fate of James will be the focus of the entire NBA. It has been reported that James hopes to return to his hometown of Ohio and return to the Cavaliers, and the Heat will definitely do their best to keep James.

The Big Three of the Heat are facing disintegration, leaving those free agents who are ready to hold their thighs missing a place to go.

In the NBA, there is also a lot of emphasis on holding thighs. Only teams that have proven that they have the ability to win the championship are "true thighs". This so-called proof must at least win a playoff champion in the East or West. For example, the Los Angeles Clippers have a good record in the regular season every year. Paul, Griffin and Jordan can be regarded as the "Big Three" in the team. The Western Conference finals, so it has always been called a "pseudo-strong team", not a real thigh.

In addition, teams like the Spurs are not "good thighs." Although the Spurs have relatively high odds of winning the championship every year, the Spurs are a team that pays attention to tactical coordination. If players cannot integrate into the tactical system, there is basically no room for them to play, and they may not even be able to hit the ball. .

Before that, the Heat had the existence of the Big Three, of course the "real thighs", but now, James may leave, the Heat are no longer the favorites to hug the thighs, but the Lakers, who just won the championship, have become the yearning for many free agents. The place.

The first one to hug his thigh was the demigod Vince Carter. The whole world knows that Carter wants a championship. He joined the Mavericks for a championship ring. Now that the three-year contract signed by Carter and the Mavericks has expired, he needs to find a new owner.

However, Carter made two requests. The first is not to accept the basic salary of the veteran. His annual salary in the Mavericks is 3 million US dollars, so he also asked the Lakers for this price. Based on Carter's performance last season, averaging 11.9 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game, shooting 40.7% from the field and 39.4% from the three-point range, the annual salary of 3 million is really worth it.

Another condition Carter put forward was a commitment to playing time. Obviously Carter didn't want to sit on the bench after coming to the Lakers. The Lakers can also agree to this. Anyway, the Lakers play running and bombing. As long as they can run and shoot three-pointers, they will have a chance to play, not to mention that Carter still has a good three-point shooting percentage.

The Lakers and Carter quickly reached an agreement. The Lakers offered Carter a two-year mini-middle class contract. This was the Lakers' first move in the free market.

In addition to Carter, another player who also played for the Mavericks last season, Sean Marion, also accepted the Lakers' one-year veteran's basic salary.

Compared with Carter, Marion's signing was much smoother. In an interview, he made it clear that the purpose of joining the Lakers is to get another championship ring, which is tantamount to saying that he is here to "hold the thigh".

Marion was still a starter for the Mavericks last season, averaging 10.4 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. Although it is nothing compared to his peak period, his 48.2% shooting rate is much better than many boys.

In history, after leaving the Mavericks, Marion defected to James and spent the last year of his career with the Cavaliers. Now, for Marion, the Lakers are obviously a better choice. Lakers coach D'Antoni used to be Marion's mentor. When he was in the Suns, Marion also used his strength to prove that he was good at playing D'Antoni's running and bombing tactics.

At the same time, the work of the Lakers to renew the contract is also mixed.

The Lakers offered Gasol a five-year contract of 85 million yuan. Although it is not a maximum salary, it is also a fat contract for the 34-year-old Gasol. After winning the championship this season, Gasol has also planned to die with the Lakers, so he decided to accept this contract. However, the two parties will formally sign the contract after the signing of the Lakers is over, so that the Lakers can free up salary space to sign free agents.

Nick Young also accepted his own middle-class contract. Nick Young is from Los Angeles, so the Lakers are naturally his first choice.

Bazemore and Whiteside also agreed to contract extensions. Although the four-year contract is a bit long, and the annual salary is only more than 2 million US dollars, it is already a rare fat contract for them. At least they can continue to play in the NBA for the next few years.

In addition, Metta Shiping and Wesley Johnson both continue to receive a one-year veteran's basic salary.

Among other players, Kaman knew that he would not get a contract extension and had already started negotiating contracts with other teams. Meeks insisted on a large contract with an annual salary of more than 8 million yuan, while Farmer hoped to get a middle-class contract. After Kupchak made it clear that it was impossible, the two also began to look for other next homes.

As for Jordan Hill, a lion came to ask for an annual salary of tens of millions!

Nash retired, and Kobe’s salary was reduced by 5 million compared with last season. In addition to the normal contract extension, the Lakers can theoretically free up 15 million salary space. Jordan Hill’s agent is looking for this salary space. , not to mention Kaman's departure, the Lakers are only left with Gasol and Whiteside inside, which is also the capital that Jordan Hill relies on. ,

The newcomer Jokic selected by the Lakers in the second round obviously did not make Jordan Hill's agent feel pressured. Whether an overseas player can gain a foothold in the NBA is still a problem, so the agent believes that Jordan Hill will not be treated. Hill poses a threat.

The matter of re-signing Jordan Hill was at an impasse, and Kupchak also made another move. He signed the former All-Star center Jermaine O'Neal with a one-year veteran's minimum salary.

O'Neal played for the Warriors last season, averaging 7.9 points and 5.5 rebounds per game, and became the team's starting center during Bogut's injury. Although the current O'Neal is not as good as before and can basically be ignored in terms of offense, but his body is still there, and he can also deal with the league's top inside players in terms of low-post defense.

The Lakers chose O'Neal to a certain extent because they were preparing to give up Jordan Hill. For the current bombarded team, Whiteside and O'Neal are enough for the inside who can't shoot three-pointers, and there is no need for another Jordan Hill.

...

""Los Angeles Times" reporter Brad - Tournell broke the news that a well-informed source revealed that the Kings reached an agreement with guard Darren Collison. Collison left the Clippers and will sign a one-year deal with the Kings. A fully guaranteed contract worth $16 million in three years. Many people have speculated that the signing of Collison by the Kings means that Isiah Thomas will leave Sacramento?"

After Zhang Guan saw the news, he immediately called Kupchak.

"Did you see the signing of Collison by the king?" Zhang Guan asked.

"Well, I found out two days ago. When Collison stepped out of his contract, the Kings had already started contacting him. In Los Angeles, there is nothing we can hide from us." Kupchak said.

"Can we offer Thomas?" Zhang Guan then asked.

"Thomas? What's the use of him, he's too short," Kupchak said.

"His scoring ability is very strong... Forget it, let's talk about the specific situation. I'll go to your office." Zhang Guan put down his phone after finishing speaking.

...

There are also several "big fish" in this year's free agent market. In addition to the Big Three of the Heat who jumped out of the contract, such as Nowitzki of the Mavericks, Anthony of the Knicks, Duncan of the Spurs, Ruhr Deng of the Bulls, Randolph of the Grizzlies and Lowry of the Raptors will all become free agents. In the restricted free agent market, the first-round rookies in 2010 and the second-round rookies in 2011 will become restricted free agents.

Among the rookies in 2010, many have already renewed their contracts with the team in advance, such as Wall, Cousins, Paul George, etc., and they all got a big contract of tens of millions. And there are also players who have not been renewed, such as Bledsoe and Hayward, who are now restricted free agents and allow other teams to offer, and their clubs obviously hope to lower the price.

As for the second-round rookies in 2011, less than half of them are still in the NBA. Among them, only two players are worthy of offers from other teams, one is Parsons of the Rockets, and the other is Thomas of the Kings.

The Rockets Parsons originally had a one-year contract, but the Rockets did not implement Parsons' last year's contract and took the initiative to make Parsons a restricted free agent. The Rockets originally wanted to free up salary space to sign Bosh, but Bosh chose to stay in Miami, and Parsons was also poached by a big contract from the Mavericks.

As for Thomas of the Kings, the real contract has expired.

Thomas was drafted with the 60th pick in the second round, which is the last one selected. There are two main reasons why the team is not optimistic about him. The first is that Thomas is only 1.75 meters tall, which is a bit too short to play in the NBA. The second point is that Thomas only participated in the election after graduating from university, and he is relatively older. A rookie, which also lowered his draft pick.

But Thomas has proved himself with his performance. He performed very well in the Kings last season, averaging 20.3 points and 6.3 assists per game, which is like the performance of an All-Star guard.

But even so, the Kings still have no plans to keep Thomas. They still use Cousins ​​​​as the core of the team, so as early as December last year, Thomas had already been put on the shelf.

In the offseason, Collison was even signed in the past. Collison's technical characteristics are similar to Thomas's, and his shooting percentage is also comparable to that of Thomas Jr., but 8 cm higher than Thomas Jr.'s. This is obviously telling the entire league that the Kings are not going to keep Thomas.

The Kings obviously made a mistake. Cousins ​​​​did not bring good results to the Kings, and was eventually traded to the Pelicans. The Kings also completely entered the rebuilding period, but at the same time, Thomas led the Celtics. He reached the second place in the East, averaging 29.4 points per game ahead of Harden, only with Westbrook, and he himself is also a popular candidate for the regular season MVP.

The most important thing is that Thomas Jr.'s salary is not high. Although Thomas Jr. performed well last season, it was difficult for him to get a big contract due to his height. In the eyes of many team managers, Thomas is not even a qualified player. starting guard. In the NBA with a surplus of point guards, Thomas averaged 20+6 per game, and it was difficult for him to exchange for a tens of millions of contracts.

Zhang Guan knew Thomas' potential, and he felt that Thomas should be recruited for the future of the Lakers.

There are still two years left on Kobe's contract, and Zhang Guan himself is planning to leave the NBA after playing for another season, because he will be preparing for the Rio Olympics in 2016, and he will need someone to support the Lakers' back line. Thomas Jr. is obviously a Not a bad candidate.

After Zhang Guan leaves and Kobe retires, the Lakers have Gasol and Whiteside on the inside, Thomas on the outside, and potential stocks like Jokic. The lineup is still very strong, and then they will sign another superstar. Like Durant, the Lakers will have another championship lineup.

...

Zhang Guan persuaded the management of the Lakers, and the Lakers offered Thomas Jr. for 40 million in five years.

To be honest, this is somewhat beyond Thomas Jr.'s current worth. Historically, Thomas Jr. only got a four-year contract of 27 million this season, with an average of less than 7 million a year. But now the offer of 40 million in five years makes many people think that the Lakers are stupid and rich.

"The Lakers are really generous. They offered Thomas Jr. for 40 million in five years! Such a short player is at most the second Nate Robinson! No, Thomas Jr.'s physical fitness is not as good as Nate Robinson. Nate Robinson can fly Howard's dunk, I'm afraid it will be difficult for Thomas Jr. to complete the dunk!" Someone immediately commented on the Internet.

The Kings have seven days to consider whether to match the offer. There is no doubt that the Kings will not match. They have signed Collison to replace Thomas, so Thomas has long been out of the King's plan.

As for Thomas, he has long been eager to join the Lakers. Thomas' father is a Californian and a die-hard Lakers fan. Influenced by his father, Thomas has always wanted to play for the Lakers. During the draft that year, Thomas also participated in the Lakers' rookie training camp. However, due to their short height and old age, the Lakers didn't care about Thomas at the time.

...

With the addition of Thomas, the Lakers' roster has reached 14 people, which means they still have one spot left. In terms of salary space, the Lakers can also offer a contract of about 4 million, and they can also sign a good role player.

The Lakers originally planned to give Rashad Lewis a contract. As a big man who can shoot three-pointers, Lewis was an important helper for the Big Three in the Heat last season. However, Lewis did not pass the final physical examination. He had a hidden danger in his knee and needed surgery, and it would take half a year to recover at the earliest. The Lakers obviously couldn't wait for half a year, so they had to give up signing with Lewis.

In the end, the Lakers and free agent Chris Humphries reached a three-year 11 million contract.

Humphries has just finished a two-year 24 million big contract. He was in the Celtics last season, averaging 8 points and 6 rebounds in 20 minutes per game.

This player has a high sense of presence outside the game. In the past few years, he often appeared in American entertainment news, and was often feared by the paparazzi because he married the American entertainment celebrity Kim Kardashian. However, this marriage only lasted for more than two months, and Kardashian generously gave Humphries a breakup fee of 10 million US dollars. Humphries also has a lot of backbone and doesn't ask for a penny.

However, this player's presence on the court is very low, and sometimes his playing time is not even stable. As a power forward, his height of 2.06 meters suffers a disadvantage in matchups, but if he is placed in the position of a small forward, his speed cannot keep up with the opponent. His strength is very good, he has a good mid-range shot and a three-point range, but his low-post offensive ability is almost zero. In terms of strength, I am really sorry for the annual salary of 12 million.

However, based on an annual salary of 4 million, Humphries is considered overvalued. His three-point shooting ability is also what D'Antoni needs.

In fact, the Wizards also took a fancy to Humphries. He offered Humphries an annual salary of 13 million for three years, 2 million more than the Lakers. But Humphries finally decided to join the Lakers. The championship ring and the attractiveness of Los Angeles cannot be exchanged for a mere 2 million.

Subsequently, the Lakers used the Bird clause to sign the 5-year contract with Gasol. At this time, the Lakers' salary exceeded the luxury tax threshold. But for the Lakers, paying the luxury tax is nothing more than normal.

So far, the Lakers have assembled the 15-man roster for next season, namely Guan Zhang, Kobe, Gasol, Nick Young, Bazemore, Whiteside, Metta World Peace, Johnson, Carter, Marion, Thomas, Rodney Hood, Jokic, O'Neal and Humphries.