The longest river

Chapter 216 Who wouldn't want a bigger role?
A few days later, the Trail Blazers held a grand championship parade in Portland.

This year's parade was very different from last year's because it incorporated Portland's local characteristics, which was what Yang Shuai experienced as the "city of bridges" when he first arrived in Portland.

Fans gathered on the bridge, and then the parade passed underneath by boat.

This unique way of marching once again caused a media sensation.

Last year it was the Roses motorcade, this year it's the parade boats. When it comes to creating romance and generating buzz, the Portland uniformed team is far ahead.

However, the Trail Blazers' championship parade had just ended when fans' attention was drawn to another piece of breaking news.

Jordan and the Wizards have fallen out.

"Pollyn is a complete scoundrel."

This is what Jordan said publicly in front of the media.

"We don't think Michael would be a good manager."

Pollin offered a seemingly reasonable response, taking into account the Wizards' roster changes over the past two years.

Although neither Jordan nor Pollin offered a detailed explanation, astute fans have already pieced together the general outline of the story by combining it with news from when Jordan joined the Wizards.

Jordan likely had a private agreement with the Wizards, and as he told the media, he would receive a management position and, most importantly, a 5% stake in the Wizards after his retirement.

However, it is clear that Pauline did not keep his promise, or more accurately, his verbal promise.

Some fans analyzed that Pollin was taking this personally as revenge for Jordan's angry criticism of him over the collective bargaining agreement years ago.

But that view is not the mainstream, because for capitalists, if there is money to be made, they are willing to kneel down for anyone, let alone be criticized.

(Allen: You better not be talking about me)

(Crawb: He was actually talking about me)

Therefore, it is more likely that the 5% stake in the verbal agreement between the two parties was not a gift, but a purchase.

Pauline is not Allen after all; he is not as wealthy and powerful.

Pollin promised Jordan that he would sell him 5% of the shares at the price Jordan paid when he joined the company, which is the most likely scenario.

However, with Jordan's addition, the Wizards' market value soared, and Pollin was unwilling to sell his shares to Jordan at the original price.

This is like promising someone 100, but now offering 150 or even 200. Pauline is unwilling to do it.

As for his reply about Jordan not being a good manager, just take it with a grain of salt; such things are utterly insignificant in the face of personal gain.

However, from Jordan's perspective, you can completely understand why he swore.

The Wizards' market value increased because of his joining, yet Pollin chose to default on the contract for such a small gain. He was not only a petty person, but also extremely foolish.

Therefore, the fans' final conclusion was: verbal promises are worthless, especially with capitalists.

A wave of unrest, a wave of up again.

Just as fans were analyzing the ins and outs of the incident between Jordan and the Wizards, another piece of news broke by the media, which attracted all media attention.

The "side contract" between Joe Smith and the Timberwolves has been revealed.

Many fans were puzzled when Smith signed a minimum salary contract with the Timberwolves.

Because whether it was rejecting the Warriors' big contract extension or his value in the free market at the time, Smith didn't deserve to go that far.

At the time, fans had some doubts, but that was all they had. After all, Smith was a free agent, and it was his freedom to sign whatever contract he wanted.

But now the fans finally understand.

The so-called "side contract" is a contract that is publicly disclosed, while there is another contract in private; therefore, it can also be called a "dual contract".

Smith's current contract is a deal where he first signs a low-priced contract with the Timberwolves, and then, once he acquires the Bird exception, they sign a new, larger contract with him.

Because of Garnett's contract, the Timberwolves have very little salary cap space left, making this their only way to strengthen the team.

However, this practice clearly violates league rules, and if other teams did the same, the entire league would be in chaos.

The league acted swiftly and subsequently severely punished the Timberwolves.

Joe Smith's contract was voided, the Timberwolves were fined $3.5 million and forfeited five years of first-round draft picks, and even Timberwolves general manager Taylor resigned.

Such a severe punishment directly jeopardizes the Timberwolves' future.

Some fans feel sorry for Garnett because the Timberwolves finally looked like they were on the verge of a comeback last season.

Of course, some fans think that Garnett brought this on himself, because if he hadn't signed that huge contract with the Timberwolves, the Timberwolves wouldn't have had to resort to such an extreme method to strengthen the team.

Of course, fans couldn't help but sigh: verbal agreements may be unreliable, but they are much safer than written agreements.

After all, even if it were Jordan, if he really had a written agreement with Pollin, the league would still have to punish him.

(Allen: I need to keep the agreement hidden.)

……

On June 29, the 2000 NBA Draft was held at the Target Center, the home court of the Minnesota Timberwolves.

If 1999-2002 were among the less well-known draft years in NBA history, then 2000 was the least well-known of them all.

Even from Yang Shuai's perspective as a time traveler, this is true.

This is a year without superstars, and even All-Star players are extremely rare.

This can be seen from the draft results.

The number one pick in this year's draft is Kenyon Martin from the University of Cincinnati.

The second pick is Stromile Swift, who is known for "only dunking".

Of the remaining lottery picks, apart from Mike Miller, who was once a teammate of LeBron James, most of the others were names that Yang Shuai had never heard of, such as Demar Johnson and Jerome Moise.

However, Yang Shuai's "third eye" finally came in very handy this time in the talent show.

The Trail Blazers selected Michael Redd with the 29th pick in the first round. He was a left-handed player in high school who once made Coach Yang wonder if he had mistaken him for someone else.

After graduating from West City High School, Reed went to Ohio State University in Ohio, where he led a relatively weak team to the Final Four in his sophomore season, making a name for himself.

During his three years at Ohio State University, Reed averaged 19.6 points per game, demonstrating a strong scoring ability.

However, Reed's physical and dynamic talents are relatively average, and as Yang Shuai knew before, he lacks outside shooting ability, and his scoring is basically all based on his breakthroughs.

There are tons of guards like him in the US, and his shooting form is even a bit odd. If it weren't for the fact that he led his team to the Final Four of the Madness League during his college years, he would most likely have been left out even in this super weak year.

In fact, Reed's current draft stock is in the late second round, so using the late first round to draft him would be an absolute gamble.

Actually, Whitsit preferred to draft "Mad Dog" Madsen to strengthen the interior, since Barkley had already announced his retirement after the season ended.

However, Yang Shuai wanted to select Reid and insisted on favoring this former rival, and Whitcht eventually listened to his advice.

After all, he's just a late first-round draft pick, and there's absolutely no need for him to have a conflict with the team's star player over this.

Of course, there is an even more important point. Before that, in 1997, in order to prevent Seattle from losing its football team, Allen directly bought the Seattle Seahawks, who wanted to relocate.

Then, in the new season, the Seahawks hired renowned coach Mike Holmgren to serve as both head coach and general manager. Meanwhile, Whitshire, as the Seahawks' president, needed to spend more time fighting for power.

Therefore, the Trail Blazers' approach is to prioritize stability.

When July 1st arrived, the annual free market officially began.

Compared to last year, the free market is clearly receiving more attention this year.

Besides the expiration of superstar free agent contracts like Grant Hill, the more important point is that the 1997 draft class will also be facing contract renewals this summer.

This includes both Duncan and McGrady.

What's special is that before the 1998 Collective Bargaining Agreement came into effect, there were no regulations on rookie contracts, so the concept of "restricted free agents" didn't exist.

In other words, this year's rookies can still go wherever they want, and their original teams can't keep them.

This is why players like Mourning or Marbury were traded when they couldn't reach an early contract extension agreement with their original teams.

Although compared to the past, since the maximum salary is now fixed and the Bird exception allows the original team to offer players longer and higher-paying contracts, the original team still has certain advantages.

However, that advantage is very small.

Therefore, the pursuit of Duncan and McGrady will inevitably create a fierce battle in this summer's free agency market.

Even when free agency began, there were already reports of the Lakers pursuing Duncan.

Yang Shuai was not in the United States at the time; before the free market, he had already embarked on a new trip to Asia.

However, this year it's not a new group of five tigers together; it's just him alone.

After all, Iverson and Carter have already made a name for themselves, and Yang Shuai no longer needs to boost their popularity.

Yang Shuai's arrival this time was given even greater attention. This time it wasn't hot pot, but a very formal meal, because Li Yuanwei, deputy director of the Basketball Management Center, was also present.

During the meal, he took the initiative to talk to Yang Shuai about many things.

From his words, Yang Shuai could sense that the other person was a person with great vision and ambition.

He wants to make the CBA more market-oriented, instead of sticking to the old ways as it is now.

However, from his words, Yang Shuai also sensed that his ideas were limited by the times and the system.

“Director Li, you know that you can’t push a group of people forward. The best way is to let them move forward on their own.”

"what do you mean?"

"If a Chinese player can enter the NBA, I believe more people will accept the NBA."

Even though he was a time traveler, Yang Shuai, who was a high school student in his previous life, naturally didn't understand officialdom and the system. His only advantage was his knowledge of history.

Historically, it was Yao Ming's arrival in the NBA that truly opened up the Chinese market for the NBA.

His purpose in saying that was simply to reduce the obstacles Yao Ming would face when he entered the NBA.

"I think so too."

Li Yuanwei's answer surprised Yang Shuai.

Of course, Li Yuanwei's ideas differed from Yang Shuai's; he was more concerned with the interests of those within the system.

Just like Yang Shuai said, only by letting those people know that there is profit to be made will they be willing to follow his ideas.

"So I thought that when you participate in this event, you can boost the morale of our players."

Yang Shuai made an "OK" gesture, and Li Yuanwei immediately toasted him.

During his last trip to China, Yang Shuai had already generated a lot of buzz for Yao Ming, which also increased the NBA's attention to Yao Ming.

It was even better than he had expected, because the Nets, who got the number one draft pick this year, were considering having Yao Ming try out.

While it's not as certain as becoming the number one draft pick for the Rockets in history, it's still a chance.

The next day, when Yang Shuai attended the event, he met the person Li Yuanwei wanted to help promote and publicize, and he was suddenly stunned.

The two of them tacitly agreed yesterday, but unexpectedly, it ended up being a misunderstanding.

He thought it was to help Yao Ming, but it turned out to be Wang Zhizhi!

But on second thought, it would be more reasonable to bring in Wang Zhizhi.

Since Yao Ming had already spoken up for him last year, further support wouldn't have much effect.

Wang Zhizhi, on the other hand, helped the Bayi team achieve a five-peat this season and is about to participate in the Olympics. If he helps strengthen the team's reputation, there is a chance that he can enter the NBA this year.

For example, Sun Yue in history was also selected first, and then went to the Lakers after playing in the Olympics.

After regaining his composure, Yang Shuai seized the opportunity to shower Wang Zhizhi with praise, making Wang Zhizhi blush with embarrassment.

Yang Shuai was not familiar with Wang Zhizhi, but he suddenly realized that Wang Zhizhi's entry into the NBA would be of great help to him.

Because Yang Shuai had dinner with Li Yuanwei last night, they chatted about some things related to the CBA, and Yang Shuai gained a basic understanding of the current state of the CBA.

To put it bluntly, the Bayi team has too many members from the national team, making it dominant.

The only team that has a chance to compete with them is the Shanghai team, where Yao Ming has grown into a star.

Unfortunately, Yao Ming's entry into the NBA was contingent on winning a championship in the CBA. So, wouldn't it be the best news that the core player of his biggest obstacle to winning the championship left the CBA?

Li Yuanwei also put in a lot of effort. The director of the Basketball Management Center, including Xin Lancheng, was present. After hearing Yang Shuai's praise, their expressions changed visibly.

Yang Shuai is the MVP who just won two consecutive NBA championships.

Li Yuanwei's ten thousand words are not as valuable as Yang Shuai's single sentence.

Moreover, Yang Shuai's emergence opened up the Chinese market ahead of time, and Chinese fans' calls to see Chinese players enter the NBA are growing louder.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, if Wang Zhizhi can perform well in the upcoming Olympics, his entry into the NBA is inevitable.

Because information dissemination was not well-developed in this era, Yang Shuai received a whole host of messages after returning to Portland from his trip to China.

This includes Jordan and the Wizards, the Timberwolves, and of course, some free agents.

The Lakers pursued Duncan very aggressively, but Duncan himself wasn't very enthusiastic about joining the Lakers.

Unlike most players, Duncan was quite averse to big cities like Los Angeles. As evidenced by the constant news reports about Shaq and Kobe, he had virtually no privacy in Los Angeles.

Of course, this is only one aspect. More importantly, Duncan didn't want to be Kobe's sidekick.

What Kobe did during his many years with the Lakers can be summed up in one sentence: vying for leadership.

Ironically, the Orlando Magic were the team with the most rumors about Duncan.

The Magic have been clearing salary cap space in preparation for this summer.

They intend to build a Big Three lineup of Hill, McGrady, and Duncan.

Duncan was also somewhat interested in joining the Magic, given Popovich's aggressive playing style that led to his serious injury. McGrady was also excited about the opportunity to play alongside Duncan.

He actually said that sentence directly in front of the reporters.

"I've never played with a top player before, and that's something to look forward to."

This statement directly hit his Kings teammate Chris Webber hard.

However, it's clear that McGrady doesn't want to stay in a small market like Sacramento any longer.

Nike also doesn't want him to stay here any longer.

Of course, for Yang Shuai, all of these were just things he was watching from the sidelines.

What really concerned him was that Whitsett came to him and talked about the predicament the Trail Blazers were facing.

The Trail Blazers also have two rookies from 1997: Billups and Cato.

The Rockets offered Cato a six-year, $30 million contract.

Yang Shuai felt that the Rockets' management must have gone mad when he heard this.

In this era, $500 million is basically the price of a starting center, but Cato was just a substitute for the Trail Blazers.

Not only Cato, but Billups also received a near-maximum contract offer from the Pistons with an average salary of $700 million.

All of this proves something: members of championship teams have an inherent aura.

However, salary was not the reason why Whitcht approached Yang Shuai.

Allen was having a great time, and the money was no problem for him if he wanted to.

"Chauncey doesn't want to continue playing here."

"Arvidas (Sabonis) wants to retire."

Wattfak?!
Yang Shuai has experienced many ups and downs, but he was still a little shocked when he heard this news.

I just went to China, and when I came back you're telling me this family is going to fall apart?
"What's the reason?"

"Changxi said he wanted a change of environment, and Avidas said he was tired."

"Let me talk to Changxi first."

Yang Shuai had just announced his intention to take over the dynasty, so he had to do something about it.

The next day, Yang Shuai invited Billups to his home for dinner.

After a brief chat, Yang Shuai also talked to Billups about contract renewal.

"If it's a matter of money, I can get the management to give you the top salary."

Although Billups' stats last season were certainly not enough to earn him a max contract, Yang Shuai was well aware of Billups' ability.

"It's not about the money, I just want a change of scenery."

"To be honest," Yang Shuai frowned.

“I…Hansen, I want to play a bigger role.”

Billups immediately told the truth: Yang Shuai had helped him so much back then, and he couldn't hide it from Yang Shuai.

Upon hearing this answer, Yang Shuai fell silent for a moment.

Duncan didn't want to go to the Lakers because he didn't want to be Kobe's sidekick;

He always sought a bigger role on the team when he was with the Pacers.

For a talented player, who wouldn't want a bigger role?
Billups was the third overall pick in the draft, but he's currently playing just a regular starting role for the Trail Blazers.

"Don't worry, I'll sign first and then exchange it."

Billups also knew that the Trail Blazers were a super team, and signing directly with other teams would be a waste of valuable players.

The reason why the Warriors insisted on re-signing Cuminga is essentially because of this.

Seeing this, Yang Shuai nodded and didn't say anything more.

Just like in his locker room speech, Billups has always been making sacrifices, and he can't force the other person to keep doing so because of his own selfish desires.

If Billups leaves, then we'll have to see what Whitchett, this "trader," does in the free market.

Although it's a sign-and-trade, it doesn't have to be a player from the Pistons roster; a third party can be brought in to handle it.

However, if it's a sign-and-trade deal, it's unlikely that the players they get will be better than Billups, and the Trail Blazers' strength will inevitably be weakened next season.

And there's Sabonis too.

Since the other party had already returned to their home country after the season ended, Yang Shuai could only contact them by phone.

Yang Shuai had even more to say to the older comrades, since the older they got, the more they cared about honors and achievements.

However, during the conversation, Yang Shuai learned the reason why Sabonis wanted to retire, which differed somewhat from what Whitchett had said.

He felt that Pippen's act of throwing a towel in his face during the Finals was disrespectful.

If he were young, as a descendant of Slavs, he would definitely have fought with the other party and wouldn't have given up easily.

But now that he's reached this age, has a knee injury, and has two championship rings, he might as well just retire.

After hanging up the phone, Yang Shuai leaned back on the sofa and fell into deep thought.

He now understands why there are so few dynasty teams in history, because this final year is also the most difficult part.

This is all under the condition that the boss is willing to spend a lot of money and has already avoided the salary issue.

After leaning back on the sofa for a while, Yang Shuai sat up again, having completely shaken off his depressed mood.

Even if Billups and Sabonis are gone, his goal of seizing the dynasty will not change; it will just be more difficult.

If you back down when faced with difficulties, you are not worthy of being the face of the alliance, let alone ruling an era.

There's still no follow-up on Billups' case, but there's been a new development regarding Jordan's situation.

Jordan ultimately chose to join the Warriors' management team.

Yang Shuai was stunned when he saw the message.

Jordan had been active in the Eastern Conference before, so why did he suddenly move to the Bay Area?
He thought Jordan would go to the Hornets.

The only reason he could think of was that the Bay Area was close to Las Vegas, the "gambling capital".

Or perhaps Jordan also has his eye on the internet industry and wants to invest in the Bay Area?
Regardless, Jordan bought a 5% stake in the Warriors, becoming a minority owner of the team.

As time went on, the free market progressed rapidly.

Duncan was close to joining the Magic, but in the end, perhaps Popovich made some promises, or perhaps Duncan, like Jordan back then, never intended to leave his original team.

In conclusion, Duncan ultimately chose to sign a maximum contract with the Spurs.

However, the Magic still became the biggest winners in the free agency market, acquiring the remaining two big names, Hill and McGrady, forming another super backcourt duo in the league.

The Kings acquired Doug Christie, a 3-and-D type shooting guard, in a sign-and-trade deal for Tracy McGrady.

On that very day, Whitchett suddenly rushed to Yang Shuai's house in a great hurry.

"Hansen, do you still want Pippen?"

These familiar words left Yang Shuai momentarily dazed.

Fortunately, through Whitsit's subsequent explanation, Yang Shuai learned the purpose of the other party's visit.

After talking with Billups, Yang Shuai told Whitsit the results, including the real reason Billups wanted to leave, so Whitsit wouldn't force him to stay.

Whitsit has now found a way to solve the Billups problem, and that is... to trade Pippen.

The reason Billups felt there was a problem with the role was essentially because of Pippen's presence.

Pippen is the Trail Blazers' best playmaker, and Carlisle will naturally concentrate more ball possession on Pippen for the sake of the team's record.

That's the fundamental reason why Billups became known in the media as a "point guard who dribbles past half-court and shoots spot-up threes."

If Pippen is traded away, the role Billups wants will naturally come back.

Regarding Pippen's performance during his time with the Trail Blazers, his contribution to the team's first championship was more positive than negative. However, last season, especially in the playoffs, his impact was more negative.

This is especially important for the Lakers' performance, since the Lakers are the Trail Blazers' main long-term rival in the West.

“I’ve spoken with Chauncey, and if Pippen is traded, he will choose to stay.”

Whitchett had also come prepared.

However, it's also clear that Billups held back when communicating with Yang Shuai before, but that was understandable.

Because stating this bottom line is tantamount to making Yang Shuai choose between him and Pippen, putting Yang Shuai in a difficult position.

Yang Shuai doesn't have much affection for Pippen, and last season Pippen and Barkley had a conflict. If he weren't the team leader, he would have sided with Barkley.

Including the Finals game where Pippen scored 6 points, which gave him a taste of what it's like to be Jordan.

So his attitude remains the same as before; he won't actively request a trade for Pippen. But if he had to choose between Billups and Pippen, he would always choose Billups.

But the key question is, who would want Pippen?

Pippen initially signed a five-year, maximum contract with the Trail Blazers, with his salaries for the next three seasons being $17.5 million, $19.2 million, and $21 million.

Regardless, the Trail Blazers have already won two championships, so Pippen's contract is definitely worthwhile.

But based on Pippen's performance last season, his contract was actually a bad one.

"It can't be Los Angeles, can it?"

Yang Shuai made a guess.

Phil Jackson once said he wanted Pippen to go to the Lakers.

Moreover, as we can see from last season, Harper is now more of a defensive role player, and the Lakers definitely need someone who can organize the team's offense.

Whitchett shook his head and then presented the deal he was already negotiating.

"Sean?"

Yang Shuai was quite surprised when he heard this answer.

Kemp is the Cavaliers' core player.

No, Kemp is in about the same boat as Pippen right now.

Although Kemp still contributed 17.8 points and 8.8 rebounds last season, his field goal percentage dropped to 41.7%, which was purely due to his shot attempts.

Alcohol abuse, uncontrolled weight gain, and even flour inhalation have ruined what could have been a top-five superstar in the league.

If we're talking about something better than Pippen, it's probably Kemp's contract. Although he still has four years left on his contract, he'll be making $11 million next season, and his salary in the final year won't even reach $15 million.

And his physique, which even Jordan envied, but which seemed indestructible no matter what.

"They'll also be adding Bob Surra."

Whitchett added.

Sura was a prospective perimeter player for the Cavaliers. After his rookie contract expired, he signed a six-year, $28 million contract with the Cavaliers, and he still has four years left on that contract.

He could just match the salary gap between Pippen and Kemp, and could also become the Trail Blazers' starting point guard next season.

苏拉上赛季在骑士队打出了生涯最好的一季，场均有13.8分3.9板3.9助攻1.2抢断，三分线外场均出手4.5次有36.7%的命中率。

He is now a 3D player with some organizational skills.

If possible, Yang Shuai would certainly prefer Hamilton, but that is obviously unrealistic. Hamilton performed well for the Cavaliers last season, which is why the Cavaliers were willing to trade Sura.

That's the cruelty of the NBA; the competition among players in the same position is always the most brutal.

"Shawn was the rookie I drafted in Seattle. We've always been in touch, and he told me that after seeing us win the championship that day, he had a new desire for basketball."

Whitsit then went on to say some things that Yang Shuai wasn't quite aware of.

"go a head."

Yang Shuai finally nodded.

Because this isn't a choice between Kemp and Pippen, but rather a choice between Billups and Pippen.

Moreover, trading Pippen has another advantage: Sabonis might not have to retire.

Whitsit acted quickly, and the very next day, the Trail Blazers officially announced that they had reached a trade agreement with the Cavaliers.

The Trail Blazers traded Pippen and a second-round draft pick to the Cavaliers for Kemp and Sura.

After the trade was completed, Billups also reached a 6-year, $4800 million contract extension with the Trail Blazers.

However, the Trail Blazers did not try to keep Cato, but instead let him go to the Rockets.

Just as Yang Shuai had predicted, after Pippen was traded, the Trail Blazers' management persuaded Sabonis again, and he indeed chose not to retire.

This means that while the Trail Blazers' perimeter strength will decline in the new season, their interior strength will be greatly enhanced by having three players on max contracts.

All I can say is that only Allen's team in the league can play like this.

Of course, with Yang Shuai having already led the team to two consecutive championships, Allen will definitely increase the team's investment.

After all, why wouldn't he want the Trail Blazers to become a legendary team like the Bulls, and for him to become a legendary NBA owner?
Everyone thought the matter would be settled, but a subsequent transaction took everyone by surprise.

(End of this chapter)