Chapter 654 NBA’s Big Contract Era

After the Bobcats won the championship, in order to establish a dynasty, the most important thing this summer was to convince O'Neal and Key, Roy and Aldridge to stay.

Key and O'Neal, one is 37 years old and the other is 38 years old. At this age, it is indeed time to retire and enjoy life at any time.

Especially since both of them have achieved their career goals this season.

In fact, the two of them do have the idea of ​​hanging up their boots after this season, and they also have other plans for their future careers. For example, the eldest brother is ready to work as an NBA coach and continue his basketball career. As for O'Neal, he is already preparing to work in the media industry and has even signed a contract with TNT.

However, after in-depth exchanges with Chen Xiao, Keyi quickly agreed to play for another year. At the same time, Keyi will also serve as an assistant to Jordan, Cole, and Curry in the Bobcats, and will usually be more involved in the team. Although he does not have the title of player-coach for training, tactics and other coaching work, he is the actual player-coach of the Bobcats.

There is also O'Neal. Chen Xiao did not call O'Neal to ask him to stay for one more year. Instead, after Kidd announced that he would continue his career with the Bobcats, O'Neal took the initiative to tell the team that he was also willing to play for one more year. However, O'Neal has conditions. He hopes that he can work part-time in the media of TNT.

This means that O'Neal hopes to be able to freely arrange his own time, participate in games when he wants to participate in games, and participate in media work when he wants to participate in media work. If other people have such a request, the Bobcats and Jordan will definitely not agree.

But O'Neal is different. It's not that his importance to the team is different, but that he really doesn't need to play in every game with the Bobcats.

His time has indeed always been very free. However, last season, even if he was not playing games, he had to fly around with the team. But now, if he has media work, he does not need to fly with the team. Just fly away.

This is certainly acceptable.

In fact, the most difficult thing to accept among O'Neal's conditions is that O'Neal hopes that the program he hosts can follow everything about the Bobcats next season, including being able to enter the locker room.

Anyone who knows the NBA knows that the team's locker room is the most private place, and other people and the media are absolutely not allowed to intervene.

Therefore, Boss Qiao was very hesitant about O'Neal's request.

Why not refuse but hesitate?

Because the Bobcats are different from other teams, too.

There isn't that much discord in the Bobcats' locker room, and there isn't that much unhappiness and undercurrent.

Chen Xiao has always had the final say in the Bobcats' locker room. The relationship between everyone is very harmonious, and there seems to be no problem even if they are exposed to the sun.

And just like TNT and O'Neal said, if the Bobcats are willing to open the locker room for TNT and viewers across the United States and the world, then the Bobcats will gain huge attention next season.

This is something that Jordan, as the team owner, would find hard to refuse.

There are few disadvantages to opening the locker room, but there are many benefits. To be honest, Jordan is still very excited.

But, again, opening the locker room is not something he, the boss, just needs to agree to. It also requires Chen Xiao's permission.

Although Jordan's reputation has been at its peak after leading the Bobcats to two championships, his commitment to Chen Xiao has not changed. Chen Xiao still has the final say on major team matters.

In this matter, Chen Xiao did not refuse.

Of course Chen Xiao knows that after opening the locker room, showing everything about the team in such a big way will not only make the team no longer have secrets, but also attract a lot of firepower, making others think that the Bobcats are too arrogant, like fighting It’s like the landlord has made his name known directly.

If the Bobcats don't win the championship next season, they will definitely become the laughing stock of the entire world.

Just like in history, Barcelona in the 19th year of football, 3-0 Liverpool at home in the Champions League, was reversed 4-0 by Liverpool in the away game. Barcelona, ​​which opened the locker room, collapsed after the failure.

The whole world knows what the expressions of so and so looked like after you were shocked and reversed, and so and so cried again, etc. Who can bear this?

Originally, there were winners and losers in competitive sports. If you lose, you can just lick your wounds in private. But now your embarrassment of licking your wounds is exposed in front of the whole world. This is really hurtful.

Mou Ya even directly stated that after losing, he wanted to disappear from this world.

At that moment, He was definitely not the only one Barcelona wanted to disappear from the world. After all, although He was not so clean on the court, he was definitely a determined player.

Even Brother Ya can't stand it, let alone others.

However, in the end, Chen Xiao agreed and opened the locker room. This was pressure, but it was also motivation.

It depends on how you look at it.

Chen Xiao felt that for those who wanted to establish a dynasty, there was no way out.

If the locker room opens and fails in the end, he will definitely be the biggest victim, and he is willing to bear the pressure.

After meeting the requirements of Anthony and O'Neal and allowing him to stay in the Bobcats for two years and play for another year, the Bobcats will begin the contract extension work for Aldridge and Roy.

The Bobcats now have a total of 15 players, among whom only Chen Xiao and Granger have big contracts. Chen Xiao will have a maximum salary of 18 million next season.

The contract Granger signed with the team is 60 million for five years, and 11 million for next season.

In addition, everyone else is either in the middle class, on a rookie contract or with a basic salary. However, the Bobcats' rookies are not low in picks, so next season, the Bobcats will exclude Roy and Aldridge, and the others will The total salary is almost 50 million.

It can be seen that the Bobcats' salary space is still quite healthy.

Therefore, by renewing Roy and Aldridge's contract this time, the Bobcats can offer an annual salary of more than 10 million, and they will definitely not wrong them.

After all, in business, no one will have trouble with money, and Chen Xiao will not interfere in the contract renewal of his younger brothers, especially at this critical moment.

Because the whole world knows that after the next collective bargaining agreement, the league’s salary cap will increase significantly. When is the next collective bargaining agreement?

It was exactly 2011.

If the labor agreement is just re-signed, player wages will not actually increase much. The key is that the new media broadcast contract will also start in 2011.

The current NBA broadcast contract is a two-year, $2.5 billion transitional contract between the NBA, TNT and ESPN after the expiration of the 2008-2009 season. Because the popularity of the NBA in the United States has skyrocketed, how big will the next contract be? It’s not easy to evaluate, so let’s temporarily overdo it.

In 2007, the two parties signed a two-year, 2.5 billion over-broadcasting contract.

In 2009, after two years of negotiations, the two parties finally agreed on a nine-year broadcast contract worth US$240, which would be implemented starting from the 2011-2012 season.

24 billion in 9 years, exceeding 2.7 billion each year, almost twice the previous figure.

Such a large amount of water has entered the NBA's salary pool. Even if the players' share of the collective bargaining agreement remains unchanged, NBA player wages will skyrocket.

It is for this reason that Chen Xiao’s five-year contract ended in 2010-2011. Many people predict that if Chen Xiao’s next contract is signed with the Bobcats, he will have all player rights such as Bird Rights. , can sign a five-year contract of up to 200 million yuan, becoming the first 200 million contract player in the NBA.

I have to say that the rookie in 2002 really caught up with the good times.

Chen Xiao, Yao Ming, Wade and Ron Howard, the four kings of the 2002 class, are considered the biggest winners. The era of big contracts has begun, and they can get the biggest contracts.

The next beneficiaries are the 2007 class led by Durant and Oden. In 2011, when their rookie contracts expired, they were able to sign a big contract. Although it was not as big as Chen Xiao and others, considering that it was theirs The second contract will also be very exciting in the future.

The era of super-large contracts in the NBA is coming. While some will benefit, of course there will also be unlucky ones.

The 2006 rookies, led by Roy and Aldridge, are definitely the unluckiest.

In 2010, their rookie contract expired, and this was the last night before the light came.

It is precisely because of this that many rookies in the 2006 class are seeking maximum salary extensions.

Maximum salary of 85 million in 5 years.

Although the rookies in the 2006 class signed contracts when the era of big contracts came, not all of them could get a maximum salary of 30 million per year, or even none. After all, it seems that the strongest rookie in the 2006 class was Roy. and Aldridge.

However, even if it is impossible to sign a five-year, $150 million contract in the era of big contracts, signing a five-year, $150 million contract is casual for both of them, right?

In fact, there are still many players who have the ability to sign a five-year, 100 million contract in the era of big contracts, such as Roy, Aldridge, Adam Morrison of the Celtics, Rudy Gay, and Barton Gnani et al.

So, you think, are these players getting more and more angry?

Of course, in the end, these players will choose, either to sign 3+1 with a player option, or to sign a maximum salary for 5 years.

For 3+1, the team may not be willing, but for 5 years, the team is willing, but the players are not very willing. The final result of the game is that the high-quality players in the 2006 class are looking for maximum-salary contracts, and those with 85 million in 5 years kind.

As the two strongest players in the 2006 class, Roy and Aldridge are naturally the first to bear the brunt.

And this is the difficulty for the Bobcats to renew Roy and Aldridge.

Giving Roy 85 million for five years is no problem. There will be no resistance from the team. After all, Chen Xiao's contract is about to expire. As the team's de facto second boss, Roy enjoys the highest salary in the team. Contract, there is no problem with this.

But Aldridge has some problems.

Because Granger's feelings need to be taken into consideration.

Granger was a rookie in 2005. He actually fell before dawn. Although the 2005 class was not as unlucky as the 2006 class, it was actually about the same.

After all, in 2008, everyone in the NBA saw that the next contract would be huge, and Granger naturally knew it when he renewed his contract with the Bobcats.

Of course, he can also seek a five-year 80 million maximum salary extension like Bynum and Monta Ellis in the same class, or he can seek a 3+1 70 million contract extension like Deron, who was a member of the 2005 class. The best rookie, he signed a 3+1 with the Bulls, with a player option for the final year, which he forced the Bulls to sign. As the current leader of the Bulls, he has the qualifications to force the team.

Although Granger does not have the influence of Deron on the team, he expressed his unwillingness to stay with the Bobcats, gave up his Bird Rights, and sought a trade. The Bobcats sent him away. If he signed with the next team, he could also achieve a 3+1 of goals.

But Granger didn't do that. Not only did he choose to sign a five-year contract with the Bobcats, but it was not the maximum salary. In order to respect Chen Xiao, he signed a five-year contract worth 60 million.

The reason why Granger made such a choice is that he is really grateful, not only to Chen Xiao, but also to Jordan.

He felt that as a rookie who was not so promising, his journey all the way to this point was all thanks to his master Jordan and his half-master Chen Xiao.

When facing a player like Granger who gives great respect to the team, boss and head coach, do you have to consider his feelings and dignity?

In the Bobcats, the team's status is of course Chen Xiao's.

Except for the two veterans Kidd and O'Neal.

Among the remaining star players, Rose is the second player. The second player of the team in Jordan's mind is also the second player of the team recognized by everyone.

Next are Rose and Granger.

Rose's strength is obvious to all, and he is also the top pick. Although he is in the first tier, he is ranked ahead of Granger.

Aldridge is another step below Granger and Rose.

This is easy to understand. Last season, Chen Xiao, Kidd, O'Neal, Rose, Granger, and Roy of the Bobcats were all selected as All-Stars, but Aldridge was not selected.

In this case, if you re-sign Aldridge with the maximum salary, would this be disrespectful to Granger?

If Roy and Aldridge are renewed with a five-year, $85 million contract, the Bobcats' total salary next season will exceed $80 million, and they will have to pay more than $10 million in luxury tax. Of course, Jordan and the Bobcats are Those who are willing to hand it over are willing to keep Aldridge and Roy.

You can even give Aldridge a maximum salary and give Granger some work. After all, Granger and Aldridge are not related to Randolph and Darius Miles. When they were in the Trail Blazers, because of the size of their contract, In contrast, Randolph and Myers had a direct falling out.

The contract renewal between Roy and the Bobcats went very smoothly. Before July 1, the Bobcats and Roy reached a pre-signing agreement for a five-year, 85 million Tingxin contract extension.

The Bobcats and Aldridge had some differences over their contract renewal work.

Aldridge wants to sign a 3+1 contract.

Even if Aldridge wants to sign a five-year maximum salary contract, the Bobcats can do the work, because after all, this is Aldridge's sacrifice for the team, although it is not as big as the sacrifice of Granger.

However, if you want 3+1, that means you are not sacrificing for the team, but pursuing the maximization of your own interests. There is really no way to explain this to Granger.

"LaMarcus is not that kind of person. He wanted to leave, but he couldn't speak out, so his agent said he wanted a 3+1 contract."

Chen Xiao and Jordan thought of this almost at the same time after receiving Aldridge's request from Aldridge's agent.

After spending so many years with Aldridge, they are both smart people. How could they not understand that Aldridge is definitely not the kind of person who puts his own interests above the team's.

At the same time, it is also clear that his personality is relatively shy, and there are things that he can clearly say directly, but he is embarrassed to say them due to various concerns.

Finally, he told Chen Xiao and Jordan in a more tactful way that he wanted to leave.

"It seems that the fact that All-Star LaMarcus was not selected this year will hurt him far more than we imagined."

Six of the team's seven stars were selected, but Aldridge was not selected. Fans are making fun of him, and experts are also making fun of him.

Will this only bring embarrassment to Aldridge?

Now it seems that it is not only embarrassing, but also hurt.