He said: "Clyde, your contract ends after this season. Come and help me next season?"
Drexler glanced at Lao Wang covertly and said in a low voice: "It depends on the situation. I am not young. I am in good condition and want to sign a big contract. This is my last chance."
Dameng glanced at Barkley quietly and whispered: "Charles has a lot of injuries. The management will not give him a big contract. Damn it, my contract is not big either. We have salary space. Come over here."
"We'll talk about it after we finish this season," Drexler said noncommittally.
"Contact me by phone." Dameng whispered.
Of course Lao Wang noticed the two people biting their ears, but he couldn't care less and didn't care.
His first purpose in the NBA is of course to make money. Fengshen Street is a bottomless pit. Now it is only building five floors of shops. In the future, it may be fifty floors. He doesn’t know how much he will invest, so he really wants to get a bigger contract for his next contract.
I have discussed the new contract with Hawksman a long time ago, and they both agree that he is on a 31-year contract and will be out of the contract after finishing this season.
Moreover, Mr. Colangelo has already communicated with Hawksman on the phone, hoping to conduct contract negotiations in advance and hoping that he can renew his contract in advance.
The salary cap for this season is 16 million US dollars. According to the offseason labor negotiations, the salary cap for next season will increase significantly, which is likely to exceed 20 million US dollars, so Hoxman has rejected Colangelo.
My husband's request to sign in advance is planned to be discussed after the new salary cap is released in the off-season. If this is not possible, it may be better to execute the last year of the contract.
And if he can get tens of millions of dollars or even hundreds of millions of dollars in a big contract with the Suns, the team's chances of keeping Drexler and Danny Manning will be very small. This is something Hawksman has already given.
He analyzed it.
He is the cornerstone of the Suns' reconstruction. Others can only choose promising rookies, coupled with a few good role players and a few veterans. If there is still room, they can deploy a second star.
most.
Such a lineup will not overwhelm the team's salary, and it is also a normal lineup configuration for a team. If the lineup is too luxurious, the Suns' market simply cannot accommodate it.
Unless those stars are brought in with a very low salary, like Danny Manning, one million dollars a year, this kind of good thing doesn't happen often.
Therefore, even if he knew that Drexler would leave the team next season, he would not care because he already knew it.
Of course, Hawksman also discussed another option with him, which was to leave Phoenix and go to a real big city.
"Los Angeles Lakers?"
He thought about the prospects described to him by Hawksman. He could get the greatest commercial value by going to the Lakers, and they would also be able to offer him a big contract. At the same time, the Lakers were also a team with a tradition of center forwards.
There is a lack of a big center like him, so the obstacle for him to go to the Lakers is not that big.
But he has thought about it and doesn't want to think about this problem for the time being. If the Suns can give him a big contract, he will stay.
As for commercial value, CAA is still very capable. If he stays in Phoenix, he also holds a lot of sponsorship contracts.
But it is not confirmed because Yu Feihong is in Los Angeles. If she is considering her problem, she should actually go to the Lakers.
It's just that being with someone is not a matter of a few years. He doesn't know whether Yu Feihong will stay after studying. He should discuss this issue with her first and then decide.
The 22nd, match day.
"Bang!"
In the opening game, Barkley missed six shots.
His face turned dark, Dameng's face turned dark, and the face of head coach Tomjanovich off the field also turned dark.
Lao Wang grabbed the rebound and the Suns attacked.
When he came to the frontcourt, the others pulled away, and he ran directly to the basket. Dameng did not defend, but circled around and defended.
The Mosaic team did not use a pack-and-team strategy, so Dameng was left to defend Lao Wang alone.
Because the Suns' lineup simply can't let go, AC Green, Drexler, and Dan Marley can all shoot three-pointers, and even the rookie Wesley Parsons, who is the main point guard, can also shoot three-pointers.
The reason why Parson is allowed to play the main role is for the purpose of cultivating new players. We will use this period of time to see if there is any value in cultivating them.
When he came to the basket and saw Dameng coming forward, Lao Wang quickly turned around, faced the left wing, stretched out his elbow, and blocked Dameng behind him.
At the top of the key, under the defense of Kenny Smith, Parson did not find a chance to pass the ball directly. He could only pass it to Drexler on the left wing.
After Drexler got the ball, three seconds had passed and Lao Wang had left the paint area, so he quickly passed it on.
Lao Wang received the ball in the low post on the left wing. While dribbling, Xiong stepped inward, stepped into the paint area, and made a breakthrough with the ball.
"squeak!"
Dameng, who followed, reacted very quickly and stopped in front of Lao Wang, blocking the breakthrough jump.
But at this moment, Lao Wang jumped up and threw a side hook near the basket.
Dameng's defensive reaction was also very fast this time, but no matter how fast it was, it was not as coherent as Lao Wang's movements, half a beat too slow.
Lao Wang's hook is a signature technical move that has been optimized by the system. It can be sudden and hit at the same step. From moving to getting up to take action, all the movements are designed. By the time Da Meng jumps up, the ball has already flown over his head.
.
Besides, even if he could keep up with the rhythm, he wouldn't be able to defend against this kind of sideways hook because the height of the shot was too high.
"brush!"
The water splashed and the ball hit.
This was the third hook shot that Lao Wang made in the first quarter. He made 5 nearly two-point hook shots. He felt good today and hit 3 of them.
Including offense at the basket and free throws, he already scored 16 points in the first quarter, with a shooting percentage of over 70%.
"Surrender, we are not something you can resist. If you continue to resist fearlessly, there will be a massacre." After Lao Wang succeeded, he did not let go of Da Meng, and trash-talked him for free.
He didn't lie. After ten minutes of the first quarter, at 27:21, the Suns were already leading by 6 points on the road. If the point guard hadn't been so bad and made three turnovers in a single quarter, the Suns would have led even more.
Dameng gritted his teeth and glanced at Barkley on the other side. The latter waved his hand, which meant to tell him that the hand feeling problem was beyond human control.
However, in the following time, Mosaic strengthened its perimeter defense, and rookie Parson made mistakes again and again. He was not a point guard, but a serious shooting guard, so he could no longer pass the ball to Lao Wang, and the score was evened in the second quarter.
.
In the second half, Perry replaced Parson. Although he is a serious point guard, he is just a role player and has no strength. Mosaic's point guard Kenny Smith is also a second-rate main point guard with much stronger strength.
, the Suns were greatly suppressed at the first position, their organizational functions were greatly lost, and their offense could not be organized.
In the end, the Suns lost the game on the road.
Back in the locker room, head coach Westphal discussed an issue with the coaching staff, which was about Danny Manning and AC Green.
Of these two players, Danny Manning is a star and Green is a basketball leader. The former is in danger of injury and has just returned, while the latter is known as the Iron Man and has a very high attendance rate.
Today, the Ironman started, Manning came on the bench, and both performed well.
The key is that Westphal noticed that Manning's starting position would cause some problems for the team.
For example, as a star player and the No. 1 draft pick, although he is a power forward, he is not willing to do dirty work. Especially some dirty work on the defensive end, he is very repulsive.
Although Lao K's defense ability has improved this season, it still cannot reach the height of Dameng's own defensive system. It is difficult to become a gate in the penalty area, and in order to protect Lao K, the power forward must step up, but
Manning can't accomplish this task.
Manning's own defense is mediocre, not as good as Old K, and his attitude rejects such responsibilities. The result is that the team's inside line is easier for opponents to break through than last season.
It's okay in the west, but if you encounter a bull, you will definitely be reduced to ashes.
At the same time, Manning still has a problem in the main lineup, that is, the offensive ability of the main lineup is too saturated, which means that a lot of offensive ability is wasted, and the substitute lineup does not have enough firepower.
Now he has an idea, taking advantage of Manning's return from injury, let him stay on the bench, or let AC Green play the main role.
Green is a standard basketball leader. He never complains about doing the dirty work for Old K. His offensive ability is much weaker, so that the offensive ability of the main lineup will not be oversaturated, but he also has the ability to stretch, which is suitable for the team.
tactics.
Manning's entry into the substitute lineup has strengthened the depth of the substitute lineup. At the same time, he can attack as much as he wants without having to do the dirty work for anyone. He is just right as the sixth man.
After they discussed it, they felt that the idea was good, and they discussed it with Colangelo, who also thought it was okay, so they decided on it.
Manning only has a one-year short-term contract with the team, and the contract is only 1 million US dollars, while last season he was 3.25 million US dollars. If he performs well with the Suns and renews his contract next season, the team will probably have to offer a new contract.
This is a big job with an annual salary of millions and a total salary of tens of millions (in reality, the contract extension is 40.98 million US dollars for 6 years).
But this is not in line with Colangelo's team building principles. He built the team with Wang Tiejun as the cornerstone. After Wang Tiejun finishes this season, he will probably choose to skip the last year of his contract next season, and he will definitely need to prepare for it.
A maximum-salary contract. If Manning is given another big contract, the salary space will be completely insufficient, and the luxury tax that needs to be paid will be too much.
In fact, the decision to replace the core after the last championship was also taken into consideration, because once Barkley renews his big contract, the Suns will not have enough salary space to keep Old K in the future, and he will easily be poached by other teams.
, so I can only choose one of the two and eventually trade Barkley.
In fact, Colangelo's plan is to use Danny Manning for one year, finish this season, and make every effort to renew the old K's contract.
Moreover, Drexler's contract only has this season left, and he will have to sign another one next season. Glider's statistics are better than Manning's, and he is estimated to have a higher annual salary and a bigger contract. It is very likely that the Suns can keep him.
Small.
He actually only wants to use these two stars for this season, but he will never be able to use them in the future. The Suns simply cannot accommodate them.
He has even prepared a contract for Lao K, and plans to discuss this issue with Hawksman at the appropriate time and strive to complete the renewal in advance.
So if Manning's starting position is taken away now, he has no objection.
After this game, the Suns rushed back to Phoenix without stopping. Next, they have two home games. They will play the Nuggets back-to-back tomorrow and the Mavericks on the 26th.
The schedule with the Mavericks is very interesting. We will play the Mavericks at home, then go to the away game overnight, and then play a back-to-back game against the Mavericks on the 27th.
After the post-game press conference, the Suns rushed back to Phoenix overnight.
It happened to be a vacation, and Yu Feihong arrived in Phoenix with her luggage. She had about ten days of vacation, which she would spend here. The two of them just cultivated their relationship and spent their time together.
On the 23rd, the Suns lost to the bad Nuggets in back-to-back games and suffered their sixth defeat of the season.
The team did not train on the 24th. In the evening, he was taking a medicinal bath at home. News came from China that the passports of his five cousins had been processed. He also received a job invitation letter and was applying for a visa.
.
"Tie Jun, the decoration of the martial arts hall is halfway done. Do you want to go take a look tomorrow?" asked Liu Changfeng, who was preparing for a medicated oil massage.
"I won't go. Just keep an eye on it for me when you have time." He shook his head.
"Tie Jun, I think we can hire a Chinese medicine practitioner. Acupuncture and cupping are quite effective," Liu Changfeng said.
"There are some in the United States. When you go to Los Angeles or New York someday, go to Chinatown and ask for a call. If you can't get one, find one from your hometown."
He did not refuse. If you are injured, such as a muscle strain, acupuncture and cupping are indeed effective. These are also very good paid services and should be established.
In his martial arts studio, boxing teaching is a basic project, and other projects should also be developed in order to generate more revenue. Just like an NBA team, peripheral income is also a large part of the revenue.
"Are you okay? It's time to eat." Yu Feihong's voice sounded.
"Okay, come right over." Lao Wang replied.
After a while, several people sat at the dinner table.
"Feihong, do you want to go to the away game with me?" Lao Wang asked.
Yu Feihong hesitated for a moment. She only had a dozen days of vacation in total. She didn't want to stay here alone, so she nodded and said, "Okay, then you can make arrangements for me."
"OK." Lao Wang smiled.
The 26th, match day.
Yu Feihong appeared at the Suns' home court for the first time and sat on the seat arranged for her by Lao Wang.
At eight o'clock, both sides announced the starting lineup.
Mavericks: Lorenzo Williams, Popeye Jones, Jamal Mashburn, Jim Jackson, Jason Kidd
Suns: Wang Tiejun, AC Green, Drexler, Dan Malley, Elliott Perry
In the home team's locker room, AC Green was a little happy when he heard his name appeared on the starting list.
Although he played well in the sixth man position, it would be better if he could play the main role.
Danny Manning was a little frustrated when he didn't hear his name being called. He hoped to return to the main position as soon as possible.
The coaching staff has not discussed the position issue with Danny Manning yet, and hopes to observe it for a while before making a final decision, so he does not know that he will have to play as a substitute in the future.
Ten minutes after the substitute came out, the starter was ready to play.
"Hey, old K."
In the player tunnel, Jamal Mashburn saw the Suns coming and greeted them proactively.
Mashburn was the No. 4 pick in the first round in 1993. He is a forward player with very high talent. In his rookie season, he scored 19.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.1 steals. He was good at both offense and defense. Last season, he made further progress, averaging 24.1 points per game.
His statistics are still good, his offensive and defensive attributes are still strong, and he is a rising star at the small forward position.
"Hey, old K." Jim Gibson also greeted.
He was the same year as Wang, the No. 4 pick in the first round of 1992. He is a shooting guard and very talented. He averaged 25.7 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game this season. He was the Mavericks' scoring leader last season and this season.
The remaining three main players of the Mavericks stood behind and did not say a word.
Lorenzo Williams and Popeye Jones were both drafted in the same year as Wang, and were also rookies in 1992.
The former is an undrafted player with marginal talent. He has changed six teams in three seasons and can play the main center in the Mavericks. That means the team's lineup is too bad.
The latter was the 14th pick in the second round, but did not play in the 1992/93 season. Last season was his rookie season, with 1,010 statistics. This season he also has double-ten statistics. His rebounding ability is what the Mavericks need.
Jason Kidd, a rookie in 1994 and the second overall pick of the Mavericks, became the main point guard when he came in.
These three guys are either fringe players, role players or rookies. They have no status in the Mavericks, let alone in front of Lao Wang. If Lao Wang doesn't take the initiative to talk to them, it's hard for them to speak.
The Suns had no problems with the Mavericks in the past two seasons, but Wang beat Mavericks power forward Terry Davis in his rookie season. The relationship between the two teams is very bad, and they are sworn enemies.
Why did Mashburn and Jim Jackson, the two best players on the Mavericks, take the initiative to say hello to Pharaoh?
First, Davis was seriously injured last season and his condition dropped drastically. He was originally average in strength, but now he has become a marginal player. Although he is still in the Mavericks, he has no chance and has no influence on the team at all.
The second reason is that Mashburn and the others have no grudge against Lao Wang.
Four of the five Mavericks starting players were not with the Mavericks in the 1992/93 season. Jim Jackson, the only one who was with the Mavericks that season, was not the main player. Moreover, he only played 28 games that season due to injuries and did not play with the Mavericks at all.
Lao Wang had met him, so in fact, the five of them had no direct problems with Lao Wang, and none of them wanted to offend a villain like Lao Wang, and he was a superstar-level villain.
Moreover, in terms of qualifications, Lao Wang is the starting center of the All-Stars. In terms of strength, Lao Wang is the scoring champion and MVP this season. He can crush them. Even Jim Jackson and Mashburn have nothing against Lao Wang.
The status of waiting is just that I can say a few words.
"Hello."
Lao Wang nodded casually and greeted.
The main players of the Mavericks are all young players. Jim Jackson and Jamal Mashburn are very talented and not too bad. Kidd is also very talented. The current record is actually not too bad, 12 wins and 10 losses.
If this momentum continues, there is a chance to reach the playoffs.
However, this kind of young team has momentum, but it is easy to collapse, and it is poor inside and has even worse stability. It is difficult to say whether it can make it to the playoffs in the end.
In this game, the Suns finally won at home.
Overnight, both teams moved to Dallas.
The 27th is a back-to-back game day.
Dallas is still one of the most racially discriminatory cities in the United States. The vast majority of people are white, and there are fewer and fewer people of color.
When Lao Wang appeared on the court, he still received huge boos. The Mavericks players were no longer hostile to him, but these local fans have not forgotten the shame he brought to the Mavericks.
Back-to-back away games, and such an away game full of racial discrimination, will be a test for the Suns' physical fitness and willpower.
Fortunately, the Mavericks also have the same background. The only advantage is that this is their home court.
Seeing those fans raising their middle fingers, countless filthy curses gathered into a loud noise, Wang Tiejun just wanted to give them a complete defeat.