NBA: I am the card dealer

Chapter 418 Who is the Lakers’ heartthrob?

But what Xue Liancheng didn't know was.

There is actually another person in Kupchak's office on the other end of the phone.

The phone was on speakerphone, and the conversation between the two was naturally heard by that person.

And this person is none other than Jim Buss, the Lakers' current talk man.

That is, the son of old Bass.

When Kupchak hung up the phone, Jim Buss said coldly: "Xue Liancheng's tone is really quite serious. Is he teaching us how to run a team?"

Kupchak smiled awkwardly, "Jim, he is the future of the league, and it is normal for him to have some say."

Jim Bass: "Is it normal to threaten us?"

Obviously.

As the owner and helmsman of the team, he was unhappy to be overridden by a player.

Russell + Ingram is not finished yet, but Randall is still needed. Randall is not finished yet, and he actually needs two first-round picks.

James Johnson looks very fierce, but in fact he is quite fierce. He once practiced boxing, and he is still very good. He is not a showman, and he is definitely not a joke when he is called a boxing champion.

How is this different from robbery?

The plan to get George might have failed.

Johnson is 206cm tall and weighs 108kg. He can be used in three or four situations and is quite strong on the defensive end.

Mainly, the Lakers also have a tradition of thinking about the abacus.

If it was last year, it should still be possible. After all, George had just returned from a broken leg at that time, and no one knew how George would eventually recover.

three days later.

Therefore, stabilizing Xue Liancheng and pleasing Xue Liancheng became their top priority.

When Xue Liancheng heard this, he secretly thought that it was true.

In just a few words, the two of them had already made plans.

We not only want to achieve results, but also want to preserve the future of the team.

How can there be such a good thing in the world!

Kupchak obviously understands the essence of things better than the simple Jim Buss, "I don't think it's important. No matter how they develop, no matter how good their talents are, they can't grow to the level of Xue Liancheng. With Xue Liancheng, , we will have a broad future, and even have a new business card of the NBA, so retaining Xue Liancheng is the most critical thing and the most important thing."

Since George is impossible, he can only settle for the next best thing.

……

Xue Liancheng still recommended James Johnson to Kupchak.

……

After a pause, he continued: "Only by achieving results can we have a greater chance of winning and kicking Jenny and others out of the team's decision-making team."

After all, what the Lakers lack most are good defensive players, not offensive players.

Kupchak quickly smoothed things over: "Xue is not an ordinary player. He has shown great dominance within two years of entering the league. He has proven that he can lead the team to success, so what kind of players does he need? He is better than anyone else." We all know that, so he still has to be involved in free agent signings and trades.”

Or to be more precise, there is a tradition of poaching.

of course.

Besides, there don't seem to be many All-Star-level small forwards who are good at both offense and defense. It doesn't seem to make much sense to have functional players who are just good at offense.

Jim Buss: "Then let's give up Russell and Ingram. In fact, it doesn't hurt to think about it. George is now an All-Star, good at both offense and defense, and it saves training time."

After hearing this, Jim Buss finally behaved and softened his tone, "Well... that's right. Only by making it to the playoffs again next season, and even reaching the Western Conference finals, can I achieve my goal, but... I think... To trade for George, it will definitely require a huge price. My requirement is to try to keep the newly selected Ingram and last year's rising star Russell. If possible, it is best to keep both."

Kupchak finally smiled and said, "Mr. Bass, you really have great wisdom."

Jim Buss finally came to his senses, "Yes! Yes! Yes! According to Xue Liancheng's development trend, the Lakers will have extremely strong competitiveness in the next ten years. Maybe they can create another dynasty and keep him. It’s really the most important thing, even at all costs.”

Kupchak: "Yes, George is only 26 years old. He is at his peak age. In the future, with the two as the core, he will be very competitive. There is no need to cultivate anything else."

So there is no problem at all in sacrificing them to please Xue Liancheng.

This is a typical need to have both.

Thanks largely to the appeal of Los Angeles, celebrity shows are no joke.

Now, they have once again acquired top superstar Xue Liancheng, and the rise of the Zijin Dynasty is inevitable.

Although Russell and Ingram are very physically gifted, they are still just newcomers after all. No matter how they grow wildly in the future, they will never reach the level of Xue Liancheng who leads the team to win consecutive championships.

Coupled with the fact that they are good at seizing opportunities and dare to stud, this is how the superstars of the Zijin Dynasty gathered.

Kupchak finally responded. The Pacers' trade conditions were Russell + Ingram + Randle + 2 first-round picks.

In other words, George is more expensive.

After last season's verification, George is still the same George. He may lack some speed and explosive power, but he is still very strong. He has absolute influence on both offense and defense, and his average points per game have not decreased but increased.

From the basketball emperor Chamberlain, to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, to the most dominant center O'Neal, to the modern Gasol, their path to glory is actually a history of blood and tears of poaching.

finally.

However, the position of small forward is generally tight, and other teams may not be willing to let him go.

As expected, the Pacers opened their mouths. This is not a transaction, this is robbery.

of course.

In fact, he has some strength on the offensive end and has a certain three-point ability, but his shooting is not stable.

Last season with the Raptors, he played 57 games and only played 16 minutes. He averaged 5 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game. He was relatively versatile, shooting 47.5% from the field and only 30% from three-point range. %.

All in all, this is a relatively good role player, but not much better.

After all, James Johnson's talent is not very good, he does not have strong explosive power, his speed is not too fast, his wingspan is not outstanding, and his jumping is not at the level of a master.

It just looks mediocre in every aspect and gives people a very low-level impression.

but.

It is worth mentioning that according to historical trajectory, James Johnson will join the Heat next season, where he has achieved his worth.

Played in 72 games, his playing time increased to 27 minutes, averaging 12.8 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. His overall shooting percentage was 47.9%, his three-point shooting percentage also increased to 34%, and he averaged 1.1 three-pointers per game.

The number of offensive plays has obviously increased, and he also has a good defensive performance.

Overall, he should be able to take on important responsibilities at the small forward position.

One day later, Kupchak brought good news. It only took 2 years and 1000 million to win the player.