the rest, only noise

Chapter 930 The Legends Are True
Like Louie's favorite missionaries, he is a man who is used to taking the initiative.

Kemp's agent, Tony Dutt, didn't think about coming to him to solve the problem until now, which is already a slow response.

Taking advantage of the juncture before the All-Star weekend to resolve Kemp's contract extension is the best result for the Knicks.

"Coach Lu, what do you think of Sean's performance in the Knicks?"

Dutt asked directly.

"Very good, improving every year." Louis laughed.

Louis has this kind of cognition, and Dutt feels that there is something going on today.

If you want to be like Elgin Baylor's old dog who looks down on Kemp's life and death not exceeding $450 million, what's the point?

"I said Sean is one of the five best power forwards in the world today, do you agree?" Dutt said conservatively.

"If you don't count Barkley and Ralph as power forwards, he is actually one of the three best power forwards in the world." Louis is not as conservative as Dutt, "Only Karl Malone and Danny Manningby He's better, and, at 24, he's the youngest of these guys."

Now Dutt couldn't figure it out.

If Louie knows all about these things, what's wrong with Kemp's extension?
The 24-year-old top three forwards in the league, according to the current salary cap, can't they give a contract extension of 500 million per year?
"So, he will be in a period of rapid rise in the next five years. You should agree with this point of view, right?"

Dutt asked cautiously.

"Of course, he improves every year, otherwise he wouldn't be our starter."

Dutt took a deep breath and started the showdown: "In this case, why did Sean's contract renewal negotiations progress slowly? Why are you unwilling to give him a top contract renewal contract?"

"Why do you say that?" Louis asked. "Isn't $440 million a year the maximum salary?"

Dutt said: "New York is a big market, and it has never been stingy with players. The players performed to their heart's content, brought greater commercial value to the team, and made more money. I don't think it's worth giving Sean 50 more. It's an overkill, and you even gave Patrick Ewing a $650 million-a-year contract extension last year."

"We do not lack money, and we are willing to give players more money, but we are not the Minnesota Timberwolves, not the Chicago Bulls, not the Indiana Pacers." Louis said, "We have John Stockton, Kevin McHale , Dennis Rodman, Reggie Miller. They all made outstanding contributions with cheap contracts. Even so, I am still willing to let Sean get more money than them, but I can't let him get more money than them. Benj more money."

Louie said flatly: "The Knicks are Patrick and Benj's team, and then everyone else."

But Dutt said: "No, Coach Lu, the Knicks are your team, and you can let whoever gets as much money as you want."

"Yeah, so I decided to let Sean get less money than Benj."

"No, Coach Lu, it's not fair!" Dutt said with resentment, "The salary cap changes every year. The highest standard salary two years ago is just an ordinary maximum salary today. This is what we must accept. One result. If Benjamin Wilson signed a 10-year, 4000 million contract, wouldn't you not let players other than Patrick Ewing get more money than him in the next four years?"

Louis smiled and said: "If Benj signed 10 million for 4000 years, it means that he is a person who only cares about the present and does not care about the future. Of course I will not stick to the bottom line for him. But the fact is unassumable. He did not sign such a long contract. , So in the past few years, as the core player of the Knicks, I want to make sure that his salary ranks among the top two in the team."

This feeling paralyzed Dutt.

What hinders Kemp from making more money is not his strength or other reasons, but the salary of a teammate is too low. In order not to threaten this person's status, other people are not allowed to make more money ?

Dutt wanted to leave, but he knew that if he really left, Kemp would really have to wait until the summer to test the free market.

Except for rich local tyrants like the Knicks, how many teams can offer Kemp an annual salary of 500 million?
Lakers?no space.

pioneer?no space.

Then, gone.

Other teams, even if they have space, are small workshops.

Even if there is a salary cap, before the emergence of strict maximum salary standards, through bird rights, each team has different maximum salary standards for players.

The maximum salary standard for a team like the Knicks is 500-600 million per year, while other teams may be 300-400 million per year.

Dutt wanted to leave, but Louis seemed to have no intention of staying.

Even, he leaned on the chair and drank a Coke.

According to Dutt's many years of negotiation experience, such physical movements often represent the end of the conversation.

"Coach Lu, is Patrick Ewing worth $200 million more than Benj?" Dutt wanted to drag Ewing into the water.

Louie knew that Ewing's damn contract would be a weapon for Dutt.

"Since you know that the salary cap changes every year, you don't know that Patrick has received the average maximum salary for two consecutive years before signing that contract. That contract is a recognition of him and a compensation for him. .”

Dutt's mentality began to explode: "Now the salary cap has also changed. Sean worked so hard to finish his rookie contract. Is it wrong to want to make a lot of money? Why can Patrick but not Sean?"

"Because Patrick is our core and Sean is not."

"Because Patrick is Patrick and Sean is Sean."

Louis looked at the disappointed Dutt and asked, "Any more questions, Tony?"

Dutt stood up with a gloomy face: "I have nothing to say."

"you are leaving?"

Holding a Coke in his hand, Louis asked frivolously.

Dutt said indifferently: "This is the only choice you gave me."

"Did I choose for you?"

Louis is like a scumbag who keeps teasing people's hearts. After messing up Dutt's mentality, he began to express his thoughts: "Didn't you always make requests before? I refuse your request and explain the reasons. Now , your proposal failed, so you plan to walk away, and you don’t even plan to listen to my suggestion?"

"I've been hearing that Elgin Baylor cliché for months," Dutt said impatiently. "I've had enough."

"Maybe I can innovate?"

Louis asked with a smile.

Walking out of Louie's office without a deal was the absolute worst possible outcome.

A glimmer of hope ignited in Dutt's heart: "I would like to listen to your advice, Coach Lu."

"I want to offer Sean a five-year, 5 million contract extension."

5 million in 2700 years?
540 million per year?
If Dutt wants to scold someone, if Louis wants to give it, why should their negotiations last for several months?
Originally, Dutt's bottom line has dropped to 500 million per year, and now Louis has 5 million in 2700 years?
The corner of Dutt's mouth twitched: "Coach Lu, what do you mean?"

"You may think I'm playing tricks on you, but it's not as simple as you think." Louie revealed the details of the contract, "5 million for five years doesn't mean that Sean will get 2700 million every year. As I said, I don't want him Benj’s salary is higher than Benj’s. Now Benj’s contract has only one year left, and Sean’s contract will not start until next year, so we only need to play tricks in the first year of the contract.”

Dutt understood now.

"Sean's new contract will be worth $440 million per year for the first year and $565 million per year for the next four years."

Louis grabbed the Coke bottle, and Dutt seriously doubted whether there was still Coke in it.

"This contract will end in 1998. At that time, the league is likely to sign a new TV contract, and the salary cap will increase again. The 28-year-old Sean can enjoy the salary cap explosion for the first time at that time." The big contracts brought about by the growth.”

Louie threw the Coke bottle into a trash can a few meters away.

There was no Coke in it.

"This is my suggestion. I don't know if you think it is feasible."

Obviously, he has already grasped the matter, but Louis said it seems that Dutt still has a choice.

"If you insist on waiting until the summer to test the free market, I also support you, because the management has done its best. At that time, even if other teams offer huge contracts, we will choose to match. This kind of matching is passive. , not our subjective wishes, I believe Benj will understand us."

Louis said with a smile: "If there is really a team willing to give Sean a huge contract in the summer."

Now, Dutt believes many of the legends surrounding Little Lu are true.

Legend has it that he instigated the Blazers to draft Michael Jordan in 1984;

Legend has it that he gave Ewing 10 million in 3000 years;
Legend has it that he suggested the Lakers trade Wilkins for David Robinson's signing rights in the summer of 1987.
These seemingly impossible things are very likely to be done by him.

It's about his handling of Kemp's contract extension.

This contract takes care of the feelings of many parties.

It didn't make Wilson lose face, nor did it make Kemp suffer, and the timing of Kemp's next contract was also considered.

"Coach Lu, if I had come to you earlier, maybe we would have settled the matter last year." Dutt was still angry when he thought of Baylor's face, "Your general manager is a stingy stupid dog."

Louie couldn't help but say a few words for Baylor.

"You should have come to me a long time ago. Elgin has no right to decide such an important contract extension. His attitude is to hope that you will give up negotiating with him."

Louis took out the draft of the renewal contract.

"I've been preparing for this contract for more than a month, but you didn't come here until now. You can't blame Elkin for this."

(End of this chapter)