Pick Westbrook

Chapter 196
Li Lai thought for a while calmly.

Back then, the Bucks signed Westbrook with 4 million in 1650 years and George Hill with 4 million in 600 years. Because both of them are first-round rookies, they have fixed templates in the contract. +2+1 contract.

But Dragic is a second-round pick, and the Bucks only used a 3-year 300 million contract to keep him.

Judging from his performance on the court and his contribution to the team, Dragic should be in the same position as George Hill no matter what, but his salary is much less than the opponent.

Hammond said: "We have determined the team options for the contracts of Westbrook and George Hill, so this season we can use the salary of the rookie bonus period to use them for another year."

"But I'm afraid we will have to discuss the early renewal of the contract between the two next season. At that time, there is no doubt that our team's salary will explode."

"That means the only thing we need to address this season is Dragic."

"Should I continue to use him for one year according to the existing contract and let him test the free market next year, or offer him an early renewal contract?"

"Of course, regardless of the final outcome, we will implement his final year team option."

Li Lai had already expected this scene.

No matter what, Dragic's new contract will exceed the middle class exception, so after renewing Westbrook and George Hill this season, the Bucks' team salary will undoubtedly exceed the luxury tax threshold.

According to the league's current regulations on the luxury tax, when the team's total salary exceeds the luxury tax threshold of 0-500 million US dollars, it needs to pay 1 US dollars for every 1.5 US dollar exceeded.

如果超过奢侈税起征点500-1000万美元，每超出1美元需要缴纳1.75美元，1000-1500万区间，每超出1美元需要缴纳2.5美元，1500-2000万区间，每超出1美元需要缴纳3.25美元
When the team's total salary exceeds the luxury tax threshold of 3500-4000 million US dollars, it needs to pay a huge sum of 1 US dollars for every 5.25 US dollar exceeded.

In order to sign Ariza last season, the Lakers had to pay a luxury tax of 2143 million US dollars to the league.

"Of course, the luxury tax also has a repeated trigger clause, also known as the super luxury tax."

"As long as the luxury tax is paid for three of any four seasons, then the part of the season that exceeds the luxury tax trigger point needs to pay an additional $1 in tax for every $1."

"This is also the reason why the Celtics will announce the reconstruction this season, because they have paid the luxury tax for three consecutive years. If they continue to pay this season, they will have to trigger the terms of this super luxury tax."

Hammond paused, thinking of the super team that appeared this season, and said seriously: "The Heat signed Ray Allen with a special transaction over the salary cap, so their luxury tax this season will reach 2021 million. Dollar."

"Second only to the Lakers who won Garnett and need to pay a luxury tax of 2400 million."

"In addition, the New York Knicks will also pay a luxury tax of 1992 million U.S. dollars this season, and the Bulls also have a lot of luxury taxes of 1700 million U.S. dollars."

Hammond's meaning is already obvious. If the Bucks don't make good use of Dragic's signing, it will be a huge sum of money to pay the luxury tax when Westbrook and Joe Hill re-sign next year. payment.

Li said: "There is no problem when I pay the luxury tax. The team should have this kind of awareness if they want to win the championship. As long as every money we spend in our hands is worth it, then it doesn't matter."

Hammond said earnestly at this time: "I have already contacted Dragic and his agent, do you know how much they want?"

Hearing this, Li Lai frowned nervously.

Dragic is famous for his love of money and lust in the locker room. He has a hunch that the salary the other party wants will never be low.

Hammond stretched out his hand and said, "1200 million!"

hiss!
Li Lai gasped, even though he had already made up his mind, he was still shocked after hearing this number.

This price can almost sign an All-Star player, and Yi Jianlian in the team is only 1400 million.

Hammond knew that Li Lai would be very embarrassed when he heard the price, so he continued: "With Dragic's age and ability, and the height he may reach in the future, his value in the free market is about Around 800 million."

"This salary is high enough, and the salary we want for Richard Jefferson is only 900 million."

"Of course, we are a championship team, and it is inevitable that some teams want to poach corners, but Dragic is worth 1000 million at most in vicious competition."

"The salary premium of 1200 million is too much."

On this point, Li Lai agrees surprisingly with Hammond.

Of course he wants to keep the championship lineup, and the relationship between Dragic and George Hill has always been very good, and the opponent can also bring a lot of output to the team on the bench.

What's more, Dragic was personally selected by Li Lai, and he should stay if it is emotional or reasonable.

However, if he really has to pay a salary of 1200 million to keep Dragic, then Li Lai really can only say that he is a fool.

Hammond suggested at this time: "Why don't we trade Dragic to strengthen our striker position?"

This suggestion only stayed in Li Lai's mind for a second before he quickly rejected it with a shake of his head.

"For the team, we need Dragic, the role of the backcourt engine, and we just won the championship. We should not make drastic changes to the championship lineup."

"Privately speaking, Dragic is the player I selected, and I can use him smoothly, so don't talk about this suggestion in the future."

Of course, among the reasons why Li Lai did not take the initiative to choose to trade Dragic, there is another point that he did not make clear to Hammond.

He hopes to turn the Bucks into a giant team, so he hopes to give a signal to all players in the league like the Mavericks.

In treating players, the Bucks are sincere.

But Li Lai's words still made Hammond sigh in frustration. He thought this was the disadvantage of the team's management as the head coach.

At the beginning, Popovich was also the general manager and head coach of the Spurs, but after he also faced such problems, he resigned from the position of general manager without hesitation and accepted the development consultant of the Spurs instead. character of.

It is because it is easy to feel compassion for the players you like when you serve as the team's management and head coach at the same time.

Hammond has seen Li Lai trade away Bogut, Michael Reid and Morris Jr., but when facing Dragic, Li Lai has already lost the courage of the past.

Hammond doesn't know whether such a result is a good thing or a bad thing for the Bucks, but he hopes it is a good thing.

"But the 1200 million salary that Dragic wants and the small forward position we still have to reinforce, how are you going to solve these two problems?"

"If you really want to offer Dragic $1200 million, I will fight you hard!"

"As the general manager of a team, I would never allow such a premium player contract to appear."

This is not the first time that Li Lai has seen Hammond's firmness in dealing with issues of principle, which instead makes him trust Hammond even more, because the other party can always help him stay awake.

At this time, Li Lai is also planning to let go of Dragic's contract first. After all, the Bucks have the right to sign and match him, and he can also sign on the cap when renewing the contract.

So no matter what the next total salary of the Bucks is, and whether they have reached the luxury tax trigger point, they can renew Dragic.

Instead, the most worrying thing now should be the reinforcement at the small forward position.

Big Apple.

Maddie is packing his luggage.

This is the fourth time in his entire career that he has packed up.

For the first time, after being selected by the Raptors, I happily went to Toronto in the north with my parents.

In addition, there are the lofty ambitions when he went to the Orlando Magic, the white horse silver gun when he made the championship declaration when he went to the Houston Rockets, and now he packs up and leaves from New York City.

McGrady knows what the general manager of the Knicks traded him for, isn't it just for money.

Even if the Lakers who reached the Finals and the Bucks who won the championship are not opponents of the Knicks in terms of team revenue, it is conceivable what economic benefits McGrady has brought to this team.

But now, the Knicks are not going to take him.

In addition to the fact that the Knicks got the little melon Anthony and the bully Stoudemire in this year's trade market, they are preparing to hit the playoffs, and because McGrady can no longer bring more economic value to the team.

"If you love him, please send him to New York, because heroes are most loved here."

"If you hate him please send him to New York, because forgotten heroes are the favorite here."

"Do you remember who are the famous players in the history of the Knicks?"

"no one knows."

Fans in this city don't even know who their greatest player ever is because they're always looking forward.

McGrady even dared to say that, as long as the little melon Anthony and the bully Stoudemire lose their dominance in their peak years, the city and the fans here will forget them without hesitation.

Regardless of the fact that the entire Big Apple city is cheering for these two people to join at this time, their memories of heroes will always be short.

McGrady smiled bitterly, the one who was abandoned was the best example.

Of course, McGrady is very grateful to the Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni, because the opponent really treats him as a team leader and gives him unlimited shooting and ball possession.

Playing under Mike D'Antoni has always been extremely free.

It's just that this kind of treatment also made McGrady realize the reality. He is really not the white horse and silver gun at his peak.

He averaged 28 minutes of playing time per game, started every game, but only scored 9 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists, and his shooting percentage came to a career-low 36%.

beep. beep. beep.
At this time, Maddie's cell phone rang suddenly, and he glanced curiously, it was his father calling.

Although his parents divorced when McGrady was young, and McGrady was also raised by his mother, his father's shadow has always been present in his entire growth experience.

Maddie's dad is extremely competent.

"Hey dad?"

McGrady sorted out her depressed mood, tried to maintain a smile and said.

But there was no sound on the other end of the phone, as if the other party was trying to keep silent.

"dad?"

"what happened?"

"Can you hear me?"

McGrady moved the phone to his face and looked at it, frowning.

The phone keeps communicating, but why is there no sound on the other end?
Just as McGrady was about to hang up the phone, the other end of the phone finally spoke.

"Son, are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine, Dad, what's the matter?"

"Well, where are you now?"

"Big Apple, but I'm going home right now, you know I have to wait for the next contract."

"Son, is there somewhere around you to sit down?"

When Maddy heard this, his heart tightened suddenly, and he paused and said, "Yes, Dad, there is a stool next to me."

The other end of the phone suddenly cried, "Son, can you sit on the stool and listen to me?"

McGrady had a premonition of something, and sat on the bench a little at a loss, "Dad, I have already sat down, please tell me what happened."

The other end of the phone remained silent again, only intermittent sobs, and the choked sound that the other party tried to speak several times but failed to say.

After a few minutes, Maddie's father finally said, "Son, your mother, Melanise, passed away this morning."

boom.
The phone fell to the ground, and Maddie slumped from the stool to the ground as if struck by lightning.

"My mother is gone."

In November 1997, McGrady's childhood friend Henry Andrews died in a car accident.

In October 1999, Vanessa Jones, who loved Maddie like a sister, was shot in the head with a pistol by her broken-up boyfriend, one of the four best friends.

In December 1999, one of McGrady's other best friends who grew up together, his cousin Ryan McGrady, who was like a brother, died of an asthma attack while playing.

In May 2001, Tracy McGrady's younger brother Jaylen McGrady died of cancer.

In June 2001, Corey Bass, Maddie's cousin and one of the foursome he grew up with, was shot and killed in a robbery.

So far, only the lonely McGrady is left in this buddy group of four, this memory about the "Xiaoshan" in childhood.

But the tragedy still didn't spare poor McGrady, and it even got worse.

In March 2003, Eric Anderson, the brother who had saved McGrady's life at Auburndale High School, was hit by a stray bullet while watching a street fight.

In March 2004, his great-grandmother, Johnny Ruth Green, who raised McGrady during his impoverished childhood, died of a heart attack.

In March 2005, Tracy McGrady's cousin, Carol Johnson, who led McGrady into the basketball world, died unexpectedly.

In February 2006, Arroyo Harris, the mother-in-law who had a very good relationship with McGrady, died of Parkinson's disease.

In September 2007, McGrady's grandfather, Eddie McGrady, died.

And today, July 2010, Maddie's mother, Melanise, passed away.

Since McGrady entered the NBA in 1997, eleven relatives and friends have left him.

After hearing the news of his mother's death, McGrady fell to the ground and cried bitterly, and even wanted to ask God above his head loudly, what did he do wrong to punish him like this.

More importantly, McGrady himself has been suffering from congenital scoliosis all his life.

All the doctors determined after diagnosing McGrady as a child that it was impossible for him to make it to the NBA with his body, but the miracle is that McGrady did it.

But the price to pay for this is that McGrady has never played a full season in his entire career. Even after the No. 13 season that has been played, he only played 1066 games out of 814 games.

The attendance rate is only 76%.

It is equivalent to McGrady missing a quarter of games every season.

McGrady remembered the 08 playoffs. When Yao Ming was injured and was reimbursed for the season, he forced himself to play a closed game with all the injuries and fought against the Jazz in six games.

Although it was a pity to lose 4:2 in the end, but that time, the Rockets lost with their heads held high. That time, McGrady also won the respect of the Rockets management, teammates, and everyone, but that time, it also became McGrady's last super giant performance.

After the closed game, McGrady will find it difficult to return to his peak state. He originally thought that the Rockets would give him the respect he deserved, but he did not expect that after only one year, Dog Mo would trade him to the New York Knicks without hesitation. team.

At this time, McGrady finally cried, prostrating on the ground and crying loudly.

Even when he was notified of the trade by the Rockets management, he didn't cry so sadly.

The news of his mother's death became the last straw that crushed McGrady. At this moment, he curled up on the ground like a poor child, extremely pitiful.

(End of this chapter)