The Strongest Bishop in the NBA

Jordan was acquired by the Wizards from the Clippers. He only played for two years with the Wizards. Because of this, the two years did not trigger the conditions of the Bird clause. The Wizards can give Jordan the maximum salary. It's no different than any other team.

The salary space of the Wizards is currently very healthy. There is no problem in renewing Jordan with a maximum salary, but the team must also consider the renewal of Curry Harden and others.

Based on the strength of these two players, the future is sure to renew the contract with the maximum salary. In this case, if Jordan renews the contract with the maximum salary in advance, the salary space of the Wizards will inevitably explode directly.

So this summer, in the eyes of most people, there is a high probability that Jordan will be let go by the Wizards.

Without Jordan, McGee and Whiteside alone are not enough to support the inside of the Wizards. Selecting a powerful inside player is an important task for the Wizards this summer in the eyes of others.

I'm afraid no one would have guessed that Wang Xiao didn't even consider an inside player.

The center of the Wizards, the main job is to block rebounds and defend.

So in Wang Xiao's case, even if Jordan leaves, relying on McGee and Whiteside is more than enough for the Wizards.

...

Wang Xiao originally thought that Jordan might talk to him in advance, or his agent would take the initiative to find him to communicate with him about whether he would renew his contract.

But what he didn't expect was that it was Harden's agent who contacted him first.

Harden's agent is Rob Pelinka, one of the famous NBA agents, and the biggest star under his banner is Kobe Bryant.

In addition to Kobe and Harden, Pelinka also has clients such as Caris Kaman, Andre Iguodala and Eric Gordon, and he is extremely proficient in this business.

Wang Xiao realized something when he received a call from Pelinka.

as expected.

"Coach Wang Xiao, I am here this time for my client, which is your player James Harden."

On the phone, Pelinka's words were very flat, as if he was discussing a business deal, which was indeed the case.

"Not long ago, I just had an in-depth conversation with my client. He expressed that he was slightly dissatisfied with his current role and positioning in the team, and hoped to get more opportunities."

Finally, what should come has come.

Wang Xiao actually knew that such a thing would happen sooner or later, it was just how long it would take.

In another time and space, after playing as a substitute for the Thunder for three years, Harden still hopes to stay with the Thunder, even if he continues to be the sixth man in the team.

But the Thunder's management team didn't give him a chance to stay, and forced Harden away with a very arrogant attitude.

And this also helped Harden. After going to the Rockets and becoming the core of the team, Harden quickly showed that he was not inferior to Durant and Westbrook, and became one of the few top superstars in the league.

In the Wizards, Wang Xiao gave Harden many privileges, such as more playing time than most starters.

For example, when he is on the court, the ball is in his hands most of the time. Even if Curry is on the court, he will take a little back and play off the ball.

Another example is to enjoy the same level of training bonus as Curry in the training module...

This also made Harden's strength soar, winning the best sixth man award for two consecutive years.

But there is a saying that goes well, with as much ability as you have, you will have as much ambition.

The Thunder version of Harden just won the award of the best sixth man in the contract year, and everything is still on the rise, which also makes him willing to stay in the big environment of the Thunder and continue to train himself.

But the Wizards version of Harden has won the Sixth Man of the Year award for two consecutive years, and now he has more things in his sights.

He is no longer satisfied with continuing to be a substitute, he also wants to be the team's starter, the core that truly dominates the team's games...

Wang Xiao understands this idea very well, very understandingly.

In his opinion, a person's ambition also determines his future achievements, and no soldier who is willing to be a soldier can become a general.

Players like Kobe and James, when they joined the NBA, also wanted to be the number one in the league and the strongest one.

What Wang Xiao didn't know was that there were two other important reasons why Harden mustered up the courage to arrange for his agent to communicate with him.

The first is Curry.

At the age of 22, Curry has become the youngest regular season MVP in the history of the league. This is an honor that Curry can brag about for a lifetime, but for Harden, it is like a fishbone stuck in his throat. In my arms.

It was also a rookie in 2009, Harden was the second pick, and Curry was only the sixth pick (he was traded to the Wizards after being selected by the Timberwolves)

But now, the No. 2 pick has won the Sixth Man of the Year for two times, but the No. 6 pick has won the MVP of the regular season, the highest honor as a player.

It is inevitable for anyone to have an idea. After all, with Harden's current level of play, if he is the main core of the Wizards, then he has a high probability of winning the regular season MVP.

...

Second, at the critical moment of the Eastern Conference finals, Wang Xiao decisively chose to abandon him.

Although it was nothing at the time, but thinking about it afterwards, Harden always felt that the head coach didn't seem to trust him.

Because when Curry and George are targeted or feel bad, Wang Xiao will not replace them immediately, but will patiently adjust the lineup to try to get them back to form.

Adding these two things together, plus playing as a substitute for two seasons, he wanted to try the feeling of starting, so Harden contacted his agent and wanted the agent to communicate with the coach.

It is very common for an agent to communicate with the team on behalf of the player, discussing the player's playing time and positioning on the court. After all, not every player can be eloquent and can fully express his ideas.

Harden's agent said a lot, and what he finally expressed was that Harden wants to start next season and get more tactical support.

This requirement is reasonable, and it is also a normal thing for a player who can contribute 20+8 per game in the regular season.

but……

"Unfortunately."

Wang Xiao sighed, and said to Pelinka on the phone: "In my plan for next season, Harden will still play as a substitute. This is very important to the team's system, and I will not change it. .”

"Coach Wang Xiao..."

Pelinka was stunned for a while, apparently he did not expect Wang Xiao to refuse so decisively, he thought for a while and said: "You have to know, my client has averaged 20+8 All-Star stats per game this season. , and he's only 21 years old! You can't let such a young player with potential play off the bench all the time. Submit a transaction request."