No one expected that the first wave of big money this summer would come from the Portland Trail Blazers, offering three maximum salaries in a row, which made countless people cry "fuck you."
Of course, strictly speaking, as long as a team is willing to burn money, a team can pay three maximum-salary contracts, just like the Big Three model that gradually emerged in the league after the Celtics.
Generally speaking, in the Big Three model, as long as one is cultivated by oneself and can hold bird rights, the remaining two can be acquired through free market transactions.
The so-called bird rights are the Larry Bird clause.
This means that a player can have Bird Rights by playing for the same team for three consecutive seasons without being bought out or changing teams as a free agent.
The most important effects brought by the Bird Rights are two. First, the parent team can use higher annual salary and longer contract to renew the contracts of players with Bird Rights; second, it allows cap extensions.
Compared with the previous Big Three of the Celtics, the Heat, the Lakers F4 and the current Big Three of the Cavaliers, the Trail Blazers were all personally selected and trained by the Trail Blazers. So from a rule perspective, the Blazers
The player does not need to clear space and can directly provide maximum salary contracts to three people.
Although after giving the three maximum salaries, the Blazers' total salary and possible luxury tax in the next few years will be quite staggering, in terms of operations, the Blazers management is indeed the easiest.
After settling the three young players, Ors successively communicated with players who were interested in staying on the team, and also successively secured new contracts for a group of players.
For example, Batum, Button, Beverley, Yi Jianlian, Connett Lee, Moreau and others all reached agreements with the team in July to continue to stay in Portland.
Of course, some people stay and some leave.
After the end of this season, Garnett and Matthews officially became free agents, and they entered the trade market after the trade deadline began.
There is no need to say much about Garnett's next destination. Everyone knows that Garnett will be the last game of the old wolf king's career.
In comparison, Matthews is the one who deserves the most attention.
Matthews, who was born in 1986, is only 29 years old now. This 1.96-meter shooting guard is in his prime. In the 6 seasons he played for the Trail Blazers, he has fully demonstrated his excellent offensive and defensive skills.
Almighty attributes.
More importantly, he was the main shooting guard for the Trail Blazers' two consecutive championships last year. He is extremely experienced in competitions and is still in his prime. He is a perfect championship puzzle piece, enough to attract any team aspiring to win the championship.
Team's attention.
Not only are the teams interested in winning the championship next season, but the moment the relevant message was posted, more than a dozen teams immediately pounced on it.
That's the all-around warrior Matthews who just won two championship rings as a main player and averaged 15 3 3 1 per game during the two consecutive championships!
And since he is not yet 30, he still has 3 to 5 years of peak life in theory.
Because Matthews is a restricted free agent, the Trail Blazers can match any offer from other teams. In other words, although Matthews is a free agent, it is the same as having a contract. The Trail Blazers hope to meet their demands.
Only the chips will be released.
After several rounds of negotiations, some teams withdrew one after another.
Including the Lakers, who were eliminated in the first round this summer, it's not that the Lakers are unwilling to match, but that the Trail Blazers don't want to add a strong rival in the Western Conference next season.
In the end, the Trail Blazers reached a deal with the Knicks, the famous enemy in the East. The Knicks matched the 4-year signing agreement worth 78 million yuan reached by the Trail Blazers and Matthews, snatching this player from among the powerful players.
Almighty warrior.
Matthews expressed great satisfaction with the arrangement given to him by his old club.
Now that he has rings, and more than one, he has become more and more devoid of desires when it comes to pursuing honors. Then there is only one goal left in his mind, which is to focus on making money.
Therefore, at the press conference where he officially signed a contract with the Knicks, Matthews specifically thanked his old club for not embarrassing him, and even burst into tears to express his deep gratitude:
"The six seasons he has played for the Trail Blazers will be the most unforgettable journey in his career. I would like to thank every Trail Blazers fan who has supported him and every good teammate he has fought alongside."
Matthews left, got on the cash car driven by Knicks, and left contentedly.
However, before leaving, Matthews still greeted Wang Zelin.
In this regard, Wang Zelin also expressed his understanding that the next three consecutive championships are destined to be more difficult than any previous championship. Faced with such difficulties, not everyone can still strictly demand themselves to maintain a high competitive level.
Since some people want to leave, they have nothing left to stay.
As soon as the Trail Blazers and the Knicks reached a deal, Wang Zelin also expressed his blessings for Matthews on Twitter:
"Goodbye, my brother! But next time we fight, I won't show mercy!"
After Wang Zelin stood up and set an example, the Trail Blazers, from the management and coaching staff to the players and fans, also expressed their blessings for Matthews.
With the departure of Matthews, the Blazers' starting five that lasted for three seasons have come to an end. If nothing else happens, Will Barton is very likely to become the team's lineup next season.
…
Throughout the first half of July, the Trail Blazers could be said to occupy half of the headlines, and in the second half of the month, another piece of news quickly made it onto the hot search lists in the United States and the United States.
One wave has not subsided, and another wave has arisen.
While most people's focus was on the Trail Blazers, breaking news also broke out on the Clippers.
According to ESPN writer Tony Jackson, Griffin and Clippers assistant equipment manager Mathias Testi had an argument in a hotel. The two lost control and got into a fight.
The result was a loss for both teams. Testi suffered multiple facial injuries, and Griffin suffered a broken hand in the conflict. It is expected that he will need a rest period of 2 to 3 months before he can return to the game.
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! Although Griffin issued an apology letter on Twitter afterwards, this rather unexpected farce still triggered heated discussions in the outside world.
You know, equipment managers are often the staff who manage the equipment of a team. They are responsible for the management of the players' sneakers and jerseys, and are even responsible for part of the players' diet.
It is reported that Testi originally had a good personal relationship with Griffin, but the two of them broke out into a physical fight that resulted in injuries, which was really surprising.
Not long after, Testi made the official announcement: he would no longer work for the Clippers in the new season.
Just when everyone thought that this was the end of the Clippers' fortunes, this was not the real breaking point.
Griffin's farce was at best a topic for fans to talk about after dinner. What really caused a new wave of shock in the league was that two days after this incident, Paul submitted a trade request to the Clippers management!
Yes, you heard it right, Paul actually took the initiative to apply for a transaction!
As early as July 2013, the Clippers officially announced a contract extension with Paul. The two parties signed a five-year maximum salary contract worth 107 million yuan.
It has only been two seasons since he has played fully. Logically speaking, Paul will not have the player option until the last year of the contract extension, which is 2018.
But now, it seems that he can't wait any longer.
…
…
Across the ocean.
National team training base.
Just when Wang Zelin was following the trainer for mid-range shooting training, Yi Jianlian rushed into the training ground in a hurry. When he saw Wang Zelin, he said quickly: "Zelin! It's a serious incident! Paul has applied for a trade!"
"What the hell? Which Paul..."
Wang Zelin hurriedly asked, Yi Jianlian took a few breaths, and then said: "Chris Paul submitted a trade application to the Clippers!"
When Yi Jianlian, who was squatting in the toilet, read the news on his mobile phone, he was so frightened that he immediately clamped down hard, quickly ended the fight, and rushed out to inform Wang Zelin.
Wang Zelin shook his head. Even he, who is familiar with the trajectory of historical development, was shocked just now.
At the end of the season, he had a hunch that big changes would definitely happen this summer.
You must know that in the history he is familiar with, Paul only left in the summer of 2017, which is now two years earlier!
And the first person in my memory who took the initiative to apply for a trade to the team during the contract period was Paul George!
Even though both of them are named Paul, when it comes to influence, the gap between them is huge.
Although many competitors have emerged this season, Paul still maintains his position as the number one point guard in active service, instead of being directly replaced by Harden like Kobe.
When the news of his trade request came out, it was even more shocking than the Trail Blazers' three maximum salaries in three days.
And this time, at least half of the teams in the league will look for the Clippers immediately.
If it weren't for Lillard, the Blazers' management would probably want to join in the fun.
"A group of bloodthirsty ants..."
Suddenly, his cell phone rang, and when he connected it, it was a call from Orsi.
“Are we going to try to make an offer?”
This is the purpose of Orsi going to Wang Zelin.
This was the first incident in the history of the NBA where a superstar actively asked a team to trade him. Orsi, who was sleeping most of the night, woke up instantly after hearing the news. After thinking briefly, he called Wang Zelin as soon as possible.
The other party is Chris Paul after all!
Although 58 has been ridiculed for so many years, if there is a chance to get this famously stable court brain, not many people will be able to resist the temptation.
If it is feasible, even if Lillard is used as a bargaining chip, Paul Aldridge and Wang Zelin will become an even more terrifying Big Three lineup!
"I don't recommend doing that!"
Hearing this, Wang Zelin frowned and expressed his thoughts.
Let’s not talk about whether the Trail Blazers can get Paul over. Even if they do, it won’t be of much benefit to the Trail Blazers.
The Trail Blazers' current lineup, even though Lillard's organizational skills are far inferior to Paul's, a top-level field control master, is by no means ordinary, and it is above the standard when looking at the league.
What's more, when the main force is on the court, Wang Zhelin can also cooperate with Lillard to provide high-position support, so that the distribution of ball rights is reasonable.
Moreover, Paul is a traditional defender who needs to hold the ball for a long time to organize. If he really comes, Wang Zelin will definitely have to change to playing without the ball. If he really wants to transform into an insider like Jordan, what is the difference between self-defeating martial arts?
Whether it is now or Wang Zelin's impression of Paul, this guy has never been a good off-ball player.
Especially during the lightbulb combination with Harden, when the two of them were on the court at the same time, there were not enough points visible to the naked eye.
Because Harden also plays with the ball as a core player, and Paul also has this attribute, it is difficult for the two of them to play a 1 1 ≥ 2 role.
What's more, after trading for Paul, the ultra-high luxury tax that the Trail Blazers will face in the next few seasons is also a big problem.
Although the Trail Blazers now have three maximum salaries, strictly speaking, Wang Zelin and Lillard are still within the rookie contract period. The Blazers will have to wait until next season to actually pay the ultra-high luxury tax.
Next season, the team will only have Aldridge, a man with a maximum salary of 20 million, and Wang Zelin and Lillard are still in the rookie bonus period, and this year happens to be the crucial period for the Trail Blazers to win three consecutive championships.
As long as they grasp the final rookie bonus of the two, the Trail Blazers management can make a difference in the trade market this summer.
But once Paul is traded, the team will have two maximum salaries next season, and the room for maneuver will drop off a cliff. They will also have to consider the future contract renewals of Batum and Jokic...
If you really get such a great man, the future of the Trail Blazers will be worrying!
Besides, according to St. Paul's lofty character, after joining the Trail Blazers, will he be willing to be the second child, or even the third child?
This is also a potential problem.
"Nell, you just need to know one thing, whether it's me, Damien, Barton or Nikola, we will only be stronger next season. We never need to form the so-called Big Three!"
Wang Zelin conveyed his meaning on the phone very seriously and stopped Orsi's thoughts.
Starting from the Big Three of the Celtics and then to the success of the Heat brothers' basketball, everyone seems to think that if you want to succeed in the league, you must work together.
The influence of this group-building culture is so bad that Wang Zelin doesn't like it very much.
There are currently four main players left by the Trail Blazers. Aldridge was selected in 2006, Batum was selected in 2008, Wang Zelin and Lillard were selected in 2012, and the four main players were selected by the Blazers themselves. and cultivated.
The Trail Blazers' road to winning the championship is completely different from that of the giants. Wang Zelin does not want to destroy the good team atmosphere and team culture of the Trail Blazers because of an outsider.
After Wang Zelin expressed his stance, Orsi quickly agreed.
Even the oldest Aldridge in the current main lineup of the Trail Blazers has just turned 30 and is in his prime. In addition, last season's rookie Jokic has also established a good chemical reaction with the team. He can play the role of the team's sixth man very well.
After thinking about it, Orsi also discovered that as long as the Trail Blazers maintained their current lineup, they were destined to have a terrifying invincible record.
Perhaps, he was really confused by Paul.
After his emotions were suppressed, Orsi regained his senses and sat on the bed, took a few puffs of cigarette, put down the phone, and fell back to sleep.
It seems that this summer is destined to be crazier than ever before, but this has nothing to do with the Trail Blazers. He just needs to watch the show.