Chapter 985 984. The Beginning of Chaos (Please Subscribe and Vote)

With the end of the finals, many players who have reached player options or team options, players and teams have begun to make decisions, whether to opt out of player options or exercise player options, or to give up team options or exercise team options.

At this time of year, more or less, there is some movement of players, and naturally some are happy and some are worried.

The Spurs' Bunch Wells jumped out of the player option of the 1+1 contract signed last summer. He averaged 17.5 points and 7 rebounds per game in the Finals and averaged 23 points and 11 rebounds per game in the Suns series. With the statistics on the board and the bold talk of an annual salary of tens of millions, the Spurs are starting to have a headache.

On the Timberwolves side, the contract renewal between the madman Sprewell and the alien Cassel has been a commotion from the beginning to the end of the season. It has been more than two months since the Timberwolves' season ended, and it is still... We couldn't reach a good deal, but Cassel was okay. He was simply dissatisfied that the Timberwolves could only give him a mid-level contract because he didn't have bird rights. It's no wonder the Timberwolves nor Cassel. Cassel has no shortage of championships, so where did he get the salary? Go where you want, that's normal.

As for Sprewell, he had the Bird Rights to extend his contract. After the finals, the Timberwolves immediately offered him a three-year, 21 million-dollar contract. However, after hesitating for a few days, Sprewell refused, and In an interview, he said: "I can't accept 7 million a year. I can't support my family. My performance is worthy of an annual salary of tens of millions..."

There is nothing wrong with what Sprewell said. With his experience, skills and competitiveness, if he plays well, his annual salary of tens of millions is not a problem.

But... the biggest problem is that some of the things he has done in the past, such as conflicts with coaches, conflicts with teammates, etc., have long made his reputation bad. If he left the team directly without saying these words, he might not have the ball. The team will give him a big contract because of his outstanding performance in the past two years.

But Madman's remarks discouraged many teams that wanted to get him, including the Spurs, who wanted to use Madman to replace Bonchy Wells.

Just when people were watching Bonci Wells and Sprewell's demands for big contracts and the quarrel between the teams, a signing was reached.

On the evening of June 20, 2005, Tracy McGrady announced that he would opt out of the player option, and the Hawks held a press conference to announce a five-year, $90 million contract extension for Tracy McGrady!

In the morning, Liu Mang tricked McGrady into Price's office. McGrady, Schwartz talked with Coach Kruger and Price all day, and finally finalized the new contract in the afternoon.

After watching the team's first day of trial training, Liu Mang attended the press conference for Tracy McGrady's contract extension.

The Eagles officially announced that they will renew McGrady's contract for five years with a starting salary of 15.9 million, 4+1 with player options, and a total contract of 90 million US dollars.

90 million in 5 years. This salary surprised Liu Mang!

Originally, McGrady signed for six years. Based on this season's salary cap, he could get up to 113 million in six years. Even if he signed for five years, he could get up to 95.39 million in five years.

Although the salary is still more than 1.5 million U.S. dollars more than last season, with a starting salary of 15.9 million U.S. dollars, compared with the highest starting salary of 16.83 million U.S. dollars, it is nearly a million U.S. dollars more. In total, the total salary of the entire contract has been reduced by more than 500 U.S. dollars. Ten thousand!

Even though the league's estimated revenue this season is only the same as last season, due to the impact of the Palace of Auburn Hills incident, the increase in total revenue is not as expected before the start of the season. However, according to estimates from professional financial institutions, the league's total revenue is still slightly higher. With the increase, the salary cap next season will at least not be lower than this season. That is to say, the total salary McGrady gave up is more than 5 million!

Liu Mang knew that McGrady had taken a salary cut and renewed his contract, with an average salary cut of about US$1 million per season, which was quite surprising.

Don't underestimate the $1 million. This is the salary reduction amount determined by McGrady and Schwartz after long talks with Coach Kruger and Price.

Since the contracts of McCarty, Persson, and Mourning expired, McGrady only reached a contract extension. The actual renewal was submitted after the summer reinforcements were completed, so the salary space occupied by McGrady is still US$14.6 million.

Even with three qualifying offers for expiring contracts, the Hawks' total salary has dropped to $62.19 million, which just brings the team's total salary below the luxury tax threshold. After selecting a rookie, it does not take up salary space before signing. , McGrady gave the Hawks the opportunity to use the mid-level exception!

Liu Mang chatted with Schwartz and understood that Tracy McGrady signed a 5-year contract not for 6 years, but for consideration of the next contract. After 5 years of playing at the age of 31, he can sign for 5 years with a maximum salary. In 2010, he When renewing the contract in advance, you are actually not yet 31 years old. A long-term contract can be signed up to the age of 35, which is 5 years.

If you sign for 6 years and play out, you will be 32. Even if you renew the contract in advance, you will still be 31 years old. The maximum you can get is a 4-year contract, just like Kobe, who is one year older than him. In 2011, Kobe was 32 years old and could only renew for 3 years. Maximum salary.

Nowitzki renewed his contract for four years in 2011 with an average annual salary of 20 million. On the one hand, he is willing to cut his salary. On the other hand, he cannot renew the contract for four years without cutting his salary, and can only get a three-year contract. Nowitzki is two months older than Kobe.

Mainly because Kobe and Nowitzki no longer cared about one more year's salary at that time. Anyway, they could sign contracts at will as long as the extension did not exceed two years, and their teams were willing to give it.

McGrady is signed for 5 years now, and even if he is traded later, he can still keep the bird rights, and he can sign for another 5 years after the contract expires. If he takes out the player option in advance, he will be 29 and less than 30 years old at that time, and there will be better ones. operating space.

If it were just a salary cut, a cut of US$1 million per season would not cause such a big response. McGrady's contract extension was basically expected by the media and fans.

However, McGrady's salary cut just allowed the Hawks to use the mid-level exception, which was different. For a while, McGrady became a model of "cutting salary and renewing the contract"...

…

…

McGrady's contract extension is the top priority for the Hawks in the summer. What the Hawks have to do is to ensure the three-eagle combination of Liu Mang, McGrady, and Jason Terry, which is the backbone of the Hawks' offense.

Moreover, Liu Mang has shouted out that he has won three consecutive championships, so he must be on the safe side, maintain his strength, and strengthen his lineup.

Whatever Coach Kruger said to Liu Mang, it seemed too normal. This guy was not only big-hearted, but also a little wild!

The ambitious kind!

Having said it all, let’s do our best for three consecutive championships...not just do our best, but do our best from the beginning!

McGrady has agreed to take his wife and son on a trip, and the Hawks are still working hard for the next contract extension and draft.

Liu Mang is also very busy now.

Who should be selected in the draft?

The first few picks in 2005 are indeed great, but the players in the late first round and second round of 2005 either have role conflicts with existing personnel on the team, such as Lou Williams and Monta Ellis. Although it is easy to use, with Jason Terry, these two people are not needed at all. It is enough to have an evergreen player like Jason Terry on the bench who has not been injured all year round.

Liu Mang discussed with the coaching staff that the players needed can be roughly divided into three types. One is players with impact, three-pointers, and defensive attitude, that is, 3D players. Ariza was originally very good, but the team did not Time to cultivate, has been traded away.

The second type is a stable backup point guard, such as Jarrett Jack, who was passed by Liu Mang.

The third type is the substitute insider. Even if Mourning is retained, Mourning is one year older and there are still many problems.

After three days of draft training, on June 23, Liu Mang finally submitted a list. As for whether the team should select two with the current draft picks, or use as many as four draft picks in 2006. Liu Mang has no control over the right to conduct transactions.

Now that the team has more and more management personnel, Price has invited many consultants to study it, and Liu Mang only needs to provide opinions.

Of course, Liu Mang's opinion is the most important in Price's opinion.

Some people just have talent. Price had to lament this. Liu Mang just has that kind of "talent".

When Liu Mang determined the draft reference candidates provided to the team, the Eagles did something...

Coach Kruger wanted to "help" Jarrett Jack, the mature point guard produced by Georgia Tech, and invited Jarrett Jack to participate in trial training for three consecutive days. He also invited Jarrett Jack to participate in a separate trial training. "Inadvertently" Revealing their intention to trade up the draft pick for Jarrett Jack, who is projected to be in the middle to late first round...

…

The Eagles started preparations for next season immediately after the finals, and started their summer plans early for three consecutive championships.

Other teams in the league also have their own affairs.

Over in Houston, a top agent is extremely excited right now!

Bill Duffy, who has stars like Steve Nash, Yao Ming, Carmelo Anthony, Baron Davis, Elton Brand, etc., is now in a state of ecstasy.

"Yao, are you sure? This will make you a villain. Of course, if you are sure, I will bear all the responsibilities. This is all what I did to trick you for money and has nothing to do with you." Bill Duffy was very worried. Said sincerely.

Yao Ming smiled and shook his head: "Bill, this is my own decision. You don't have to bear the infamy for me."

The reason why Yao Ming chose Bill Duffy to be the American agent of his Yao team was because of Bill Duffy's sincerity.

Bill Duffy's ability to become a top NBA agent and sign so many young talents relies on two weapons: sincerity and kindness.

Before Yao Ming entered the NBA, he saw the commotion in China and knew that he would not be short of money after entering the NBA. Therefore, the agent he wanted was not the kind who was very capable and able to bargain with NBA teams. Yao Ming wanted more. He is a sincere agent, just don't cheat him.

Bill Duffy's ability is not the most outstanding. For example, his negotiations with sponsors have been criticized, but he can become the third agent in the NBA. In the 2004-05 season, the salary of his players and The endorsement income has reached 112 million US dollars, which is higher than the commission income of Schwartz, who has a group of rookie contracts, because of his sincerity.

Bill Duffy is very good friends with his players. If the work he does is lacking, he is willing to pay for the players' losses. In the summer of 2003, his Heat player Anthony Carter exercised his player option. Before the last moment, Bill Duffy was busy renewing the multi-million contract of Baron Davis, the No. 3 pick in 1999, and forgot about Anthony Carter, resulting in Anthony Carter only scoring one point in the summer. Minimum salary contract.

Bill Duffy did not shirk his responsibility. Without any hard and fast rules, he gave Anthony Carter $3 million. The $3 million was almost Bill Duffy's income for the entire year in the 2002-03 season.

As a result, Bill Duffy's reputation soared, and he signed Elton Brand, the No. 1 pick in 1999, who fired his former agent because the contract could not be negotiated; Nash, Carmelo Anthony and others also joined in. under his banner.

Yao Ming did not originally hand over his American career to Bill Duffy, but after that, he completely handed over his American career to Bill Duffy and fired many domestic players in Yao's team who opposed this matter. broker.

Hearing Yao Ming's words, Bill Duffy felt as if he would die for his confidant.

Bill Duffy would rather miss the opportunity to make a fortune than serve some players who are not sincere. It is absolutely impossible to have no money, but money does not mean everything. In the profit-driven professional sports world, there is also a breath of fresh air.

Liu Mang signed Schwartz, and Yao Ming signed Bill Duffy to join his team. They are both treasures.

Of course, although Bill Duffy is a sincere person and does not consider money as his first consideration, it was clear from the beginning that Bill Duffy did not want Yao Ming to play in Houston.

Alexander's stinginess has broken out a new world! Bill Duffy knows that Yao Ming, as a Chinese, has a somewhat foolish and loyal character. Of course, he also appreciates this character. The two are the same kind of people.

But if I don’t like Yao Ming playing in the Rockets, I just don’t like it.

However, Yao Ming had never mentioned his future plans to anyone except for a few two or three people before this, including everyone on Yao's team and even his girlfriend Ye Li.

Now the time has come. After the finals, Yao Ming saw that Liu Mang had won two consecutive championships. He couldn't sit still and decided to implement the plan he had been holding back for a long time.

Yao Ming has been thinking about it since the finals. As the time for the free market to open is getting closer and closer, Yao Ming finally made a decision. He did not notify the rest of the Yao team and only called Bill Duffy, who was solely responsible for his American affairs. At home, Bill Duffy was shocked, then ecstatic, after hearing Yao Ming's goal.

After confirming that Yao Ming's idea would not be shaken, Bill Duffy and Yao Ming had a detailed discussion and were ready to start the plan.

"Yao, you should have told me this earlier." Bill Duffy complained.

"How about it? No way?"

"No, nothing is impossible, but in this case, I can't even take the responsibility. You have to be prepared to be scolded."

"Haha, with Ace supporting me, I'll be fine."

"Haha, Yao, when did you become a master..."