The toughest man in the NBA

Chapter 307 We don't want that Luther
After the finals, the James team got busy.

This season, the Big Three of the Heat exercised their player options at the same time and jumped out of the contract.

The industry generally believes that the Big Three may collectively cut their salaries in order to make room for the Heat, introduce one or two super insiders, and once again hit the championship.

However, James didn't think so.

In the half month between the end of the finals and the opening of the free agent market, James called all his confidants and started round after round of serious talks.

These include:

Wife, Savannah
Broker, Rich Paul
Life Assistant, Randy Mims
Media Strategist, Adam Mendelsohn

Head of Other Industry Investments, Maverick Carter
James has not yet determined his direction. If he can win the championship, everyone will be happy. Staying in the Heat to defend the title, or going to other teams to save the world is a sweet treat.

But the Heat were swept away in the end, and James looked old and exhausted in the process, and he did not give a qualified report card.

The vast majority of fans even believe that:

Even if it wasn't the sun, they would have to be hanged and beaten when they met the only Spurs who broke the undefeated golden body of the sun...

This seriously affected James' market.

However, James is very stubborn. He set three bottom lines for the team:

First, the new club must have the potential to win the championship.

Second, you must get a maximum salary.

Third, we need a big ball market!
Here's why the talks went on for a dozen rounds, still clueless:
These three conditions are really too harsh, do you think you are a butcher?
Tuman's contract expired last year, and he did not make such excessive demands. Instead, he immediately renewed his contract with the Suns when the free agent market just opened.

Tuman signed the full maximum salary, including the "Ross Clause" and "Larry Bird" clause:
The starting salary is 1891 million, with a total of 2.1 million US dollars in six years.

This is something that other teams cannot offer, not because they cannot afford it, but because without these two special clauses, other teams can only offer a six-year contract of 1.78 million yuan, which cuts off their thoughts early and does not affect others Home business isn't it?
Now that James comes out, the support team is scratching their heads.

Leaving aside other top salaries and a big ball market, which team would dare to say that it "has the potential to win the championship" except for the Suns?
The Suns don't need James, they don't even need reinforcements.

If you want to go to the sun, let alone the maximum salary, it is a veteran contract, no one wants it!

Tu Man can say that he will accompany all his teammates to retire, "All teammates, play until retirement", the youngest of them, Robin Lopez, is only 26 years old...

Wake up, Emperor!

The support group had a brainstorm, but they couldn't untie the knot...

Until the opening of the free agent market on July 7, the support team did not come up with a specific plan, so they could only take one step at a time.

However, the expected situation of thirty teams looting did not happen.

After waiting all day, except for the Heat, only a few teams tentatively asked the price, and everyone's first question was——

Is Mousse willing to take a pay cut?

James turned the tables on the spot. Although he was robbed of the MVP by Rose and Tuman in the past four years in the Heat, and he did not get involved in scoring, rebounding, assists, etc., he still won the best team for four years. .

Is bean buns not suitable for dry food?
The emperor is still the five best players in the league!
one……

Anger is anger, money still has to be earned, how can you play petty temper?
In the end, Savannah calmed the emperor's "Thunder Fury" in her unique way, and everyone returned to the conference room.

The Heat can't go back. Pat Riley is very tough. He has repeatedly asked James to cut his salary. The reason is the root of the Siya King——

In the past four years, the Big Three have locked up the salary space, and it is impossible to introduce high-quality insiders!

After some discussion, everyone agreed that:
Maybe the generous Gilbert will ignore the past and create a lineup with "championship potential" for the emperor?

As a result, the James team released certain hints to Cleveland in the media, for example, he was homesick, missed the villa in Akron, and the children were going to school in Akron...

Gilbert, however, was very rigid.

He did not leave any retreat for himself and James, and openly stated:

"We don't need that Luther! The Cavaliers are not trash cans, they can come and go when they want. He ran to Miami to hug his legs. Did he win the championship or the MVP?"

He has a reason just now. In the past two seasons, the chemical reaction between Irving and Yi Jianlian has become better and better. After the introduction of Luol Deng, the strength of the striker has been further enhanced.

He even won 50 wins last season, ranking third in the Eastern Conference, only winning four games less than the Heat of the Big Three. How could he embrace that traitor's thigh?

What's more, the team already has Yi Jianlian and Luo Er Deng, two masters with an annual salary of tens of millions, and is planning to renew Irving's contract with a maximum salary of 5 million for five years. Where is the spare money for James?

Does the luxury tax cost money?
Cleveland dealt a fatal blow to the emperor. After Gilbert's "rejection" fermented, the teams that hoped to compete for the championship were discouraged. More fish belly came forward, trying to use him to boost the market...

It is impossible to get rid of the belly, it is a mouthful of poison, the record will not be improved in the future, and the next contract will definitely be loose. James is already 30 years old, and he can't afford to wait!

In the end, on the data sheet in front of James, there were only four teams left:

Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks and Dallas Mavericks
However, before they could reply, the Lakers took the lead in announcing that they had renewed the team leader with a two-year contract of $4850 million——

Kobe Bryant!

After experiencing a fatal Achilles tendon rupture, the Lakers still gave Kobe a big contract that exceeded outside expectations. Faced with media doubts, the Bass family supported Kobe, bluntly saying that this contract was out of Kobe's loyalty and glory.

This may be Kobe's last contract, and the "trade veto" is still reserved in the contract. The Lakers used this method to get Kobe to the end.

This contract blocked James' way to Los Angeles. In the next two years, as long as the Black Mamba is alive, he will always be the soul of the Lakers, and the emperor can only be the second child.

This is not what he can bear.

With only the Bulls, Mavericks and Knicks left, Rich Paul began to travel frequently in Dallas, Chicago and New York, of course the focus is on Chicago, after all, their team is better.

Rose tore the cruciate ligament before the 2011-2012 playoffs, and was absent for the next season. In the 2013-2014 season, he tore the meniscus again and played only ten games.

Perhaps, this is an opportunity for a new king to come?

The only obstacle is the Bulls' starting small forward --

Jimmy Butler!
In the two seasons that Rose was reimbursed, he was quietly transforming into the toughest small forward in the NBA. In the previous season, he averaged 13.1 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.9 steals per game, and was selected to the All-Defensive Team.

Moreover, he is very cheap, only 200 million next season!
(End of this chapter)