This Forward is Not Serious

This Brooks is not Peter Brooks. He is a swingman who will play the main role in the championship-fighting Grizzlies in the future. He is offensively online and defensively strong.

Moreover, he was Canada's U18 ace. He played in college for three years before participating in the draft, so his combat ability and maturity are very high.

So it's no wonder why Walken Dean spent millions of dollars directly buying draft picks to select him.

Compared to Anunoby, he may be able to get a chance to play earlier with the Nets and help the Nets earlier.

Moreover, in this wave of drafts, there is a forward swingman and a forward and guard swingman. Walken Dean has made up for all the shortcomings of the Nets at once.

Of course, rookies are just rookies, and this wave can only be regarded as a guarantee for the Nets.

For a championship-level team like the Nets, the real reinforcement comes from the free agent market later.

There has been a lot of noise in the free market this year.

The biggest reason doesn't need to be guessed, James' decision 4 is likely to come.

The news that Durant knew before began to be reported by some gossip media.

Although the source of the news is not as convincing as the one from ESPN, flies do not bite perfect eggs, and more than one media is reporting on it, which shows that there is a high probability that it is true.

However, this kind of exposure is not a good thing for James and the Pelicans. The reason is simple. The Warriors have no reason to be beautiful.

Theoretically, the best way for James to go to the Pelicans is for James to sign for Cousins.

In this way, the Warriors will not let James go in vain. While getting Cousins, they can also take the opportunity to get some draft picks.

Cousins ​​doesn't know how far he can recover. It is definitely the best if he can recover. Even if he cannot recover, his contract will expire and he will be released after one year.

But the crux of the matter is that sending James to the Pelicans is not in the interests of the Warriors.

Because this is tantamount to changing directions to help the Pelicans form a team!

The combination of James and Davis is already strong enough. If there is another third giant, even if he is at the level of Jrue Holiday, the Pelicans will suddenly become the favorite team to compete for the championship.

The Warriors have created a powerful enemy for themselves.

In this kind of transaction between the same division, you must not only consider your own interests, but also be wary of your opponents. This is unavoidable.

Therefore, the exposure of this news seems to have caused some changes in things that were not unexpected.

Of course, except for James, this year is a big year for free agents.

For the Warriors, in addition to James jumping out of his contract, Curry's "child labor contract" has finally expired.

In addition, Paul of the Knicks, Griffin of the Clippers, Hayward of the Jazz, Millsap of the Hawks, Nowitzki of the Mavericks, Randolph of the Grizzlies, Raptors The team's Lowry and the Pelicans' Holiday are all big-name players.

And in terms of rotation-level players, Carter, Livingston, Iguodala, Jeff Teague, Redick, Korver, Gallinari, George Hill, Rudy Gay... there are many of them. Strong players, there are also many famous players.

Therefore, the lively tone of the free market this year cannot be changed. It depends on how lively it will be in the end.

…

In the blink of an eye, the door to the free market officially opens.

On the first day of opening, several signings were announced immediately.

The Warriors and Curry reached a five-year, 201 million contract. This contract with an average salary of 40 million is also the largest contract in NBA history.

The skyrocketing salary cap has made many veteran players jealous.

This wave is the real dividend of the times.

But for Curry personally, this is finally recognized financially. You must know that there is only one child labor contract in history.

In addition to Curry, Griffin also signed a five-year, 170 million maximum salary contract with the Clippers on this day.

Although the Clippers struggled and Griffin failed to lead the team further, losing Griffin is a price they cannot afford.

While the teams were busy, the Nets also started taking action.

Walken Dean got on a plane and went to Memphis himself.

Here, he met a person, the same person he and Lin Ying mentioned by chance when chatting:

Vince Carter.

Speaking of old Carter, his career experience is also legendary.

Not long after his debut, he was called the man who "saved NBA ratings" because of his explosive dunks.

However, after being stepped down by Bowen several times, he fell from the altar. He also fell from being a rising star with the opportunity to become the spokesperson of the league to an ordinary All-Star.

After that, it was difficult for him to regain his former courage, and he looked like he would fade out of the league like his old cousin McGrady, but then he actually showed his youth. This is 2017, Kobe has retired, and McGrady is still in the commentary box. He has been commentating for several years, and he is still playing in the NBA and is in pretty good shape!

Last season, he averaged 24.7 minutes per game, still contributed 8 points, and shot over 38% from three-point range.

He has transformed from a dunker into a 3D player, and with rich experience, coupled with his leadership role, it is no wonder why he has been able to survive in the league.

The reason why Warken Dean is needed to run to Memphis is because Carter is a little different from those veterans.

Other veterans hope to be a champion before retiring, but Carter is not like that.

His idea can be understood this way: as a veteran cadre, he can be active for as many years as possible.

So his first principle when choosing a team is playing time.

This is why Dean Walken went to Memphis in person. He had to make Carter feel sincere and make clear Carter's position after arriving with the Nets.

The conversation between the two was quite long and the content was unknown, but soon, it turned out that the conversation went smoothly.

Because the very next day, ESPN broke the news about the Nets' signing.

They signed old Carter with a one-year, 7 million contract!

Compared to Brooks and Anunoby, Carter Sr. is the one who truly fills the void left by Curry Jr. and Johnson's suspension.

Moreover, a 7 million contract is equivalent to the previous mid-level exception of about 5 million. The Nets not only gave Carter the playing time he wanted, but also gave him enough respect.

And at the same time as Carter was signed, the Nets also announced that they had reached a contract extension with Rose and Nene.

25 million in 3 years.

For Rose, after playing a good season, this is not the biggest contract he can get, but it is the longest.

This is very important for an emotional person.

Although a long-term contract does not necessarily mean a long-term stay, the possibility of a long-term stay is definitely greater.

And Rose definitely wants to stay with the Nets to fill the regrets he had made many years ago. The role of sixth man/starter suits him, and he has no reason to leave.

As for Nene, he renewed a three-year contract worth 10.9 million yuan with the Nets.

The contract is not expensive at all, and the final year is partially guaranteed.

Like Rose, Nene also wants to stay with the Nets for a long time.

In this way, the Nets' core rotation lineup is basically there.

Starting line-up: Bradley, Ariza, Durant, Lin Ying, Jokic.

Rotation: Rose, Carter, Nene.

Just need to add another striker, or let Zhou Qi, Anunoby and others fill in, and the rotation will be stable.

As a team that has won two consecutive championships, the Nets don't have to worry at all in this regard.

The free market has just begun, and there are many players who want to come to the Nets. Warken Dean has finalized the most important players, and then he just needs to wait in Brooklyn for others to come to him.

…

New Orleans.

Pelicans general manager Dell Demps was on the phone constantly in his office.

When he finally put down the phone, he felt like his head had grown a little bigger.

After the decision was made to form the Big Three for James, he was doing everything he could to send Cousins ​​away.

But just like in history, no one in the league was interested in Cousins' contract when his injury expired. No one in the league is interested in Cousins' contract this year!

This sounds weird, but it makes sense.

Cousins' temper is too explosive and he is simply not qualified as a core player. And a very cruel thing is that he has not played in the playoffs yet!

In addition to his personality, he also has the qualities of being possessed by a degenerate spirit.

As for letting Cousins ​​play non-core, this may be difficult to do.

So this has created the current situation.

But if Cousins' contract cannot be dealt with, there is also a question whether James will come to the Pelicans.

After all, the Big Three of James + Cousins ​​+ Davis sounds unreliable because of how crowded the frontcourt is.

In the end, he had no choice but to call Paul Fu.

…

"Dale Demps just told me to trust the process."

At James' private mansion in Los Angeles, Rich Paul immediately went to James' home after making a phone call with Demps and told him the exciting news.

The so-called trust process is to wait for a season and check with Cousins ​​first. If it doesn't work, wait until Cousins' contract expires before forming a new Big Three.

James frowned when he heard it.

Damn trust the process!

He would only believe this kind of thing when he first entered the league. Now that he has experienced so much, it is just a waste of his time.

The reason why he just frowned and didn't curse was that if he didn't go to the Pelicans and team up with Davis, he would have to go to the Lakers and team up with George.

This sounds very good, but the crux of the problem is what Paul Fu said before, this is no different from the previous team mode.

If you can't choose the best, you might as well stay with the Warriors shamelessly.

"You can't give away the draft picks if you're cheating on them?"

At the end, James asked Rich Paul back.

Rich Paul shook his head.

If James goes to the Pelicans, the Pelicans' draft picks will go from lottery to late first round, instantly worthless.

However, there is a plan that Rich Paul has discussed with Demps, but Demps is more resistant to it: adding Jaylen Brown to the Cousins ​​trade.

Brown's potential has been realized. If he joins in, let alone sending away Cousins, the Pelicans can also get back a good immediate combat capability.

However, if the Pelicans had such courage, they would have risen long ago.

This seems to be trapped in an infinite loop.

"Actually, there is another solution."

Rich Paul hesitated and spoke to James.

James looked at Rich Paul in confusion.

He could feel that the method Paul Fu said should be somewhat special.

Maybe, it's a little exciting.

…

There is no news about James' decision, but fans are not surprised, because judging from the previous three decisions, James usually waits until the last moment to press the buzzer.

This used to be more about attracting attention, but this year I'm afraid they didn't expect that James was in trouble.

Moreover, at this time, the Warriors took the lead and blocked James' retreat.

They signed Gordon Hayward to a four-year, $128 million contract.

Although Hayward is much inferior to James in terms of strength, he is from the academy and has a relatively gentle personality.

After experiencing last season's finals, the Warriors management also realized that running-in is more important than strength.

After James has determined that he will not stay with the Warriors, it makes no sense for them to send Green away, so keeping Green and striving to strengthen in the free market is their current strategy.

Signing Hayward is already the best solution for the Warriors in the free market.

This time, James seemed to be cornered.

He can only go to the Pelicans or go to the Lakers and join forces with George.

…

Los Angeles.

Lakers general manager Mitch Kupp now faces a tough decision.

Just now, he had an in-depth exchange with James' agent, Paul Rich.

But after the exchange, he was already like Pelicans general manager Demps, one head bigger than the other.

James is willing to come to the Lakers, which is the good news he received.

But the bad news is that this will put a huge reputational burden on the Lakers.

Because this will involve some transactions, the Lakers will also cause violent turmoil.

And this kind of turmoil will not only cause the Lakers to break the previously established team system, but will also put the team under great pressure from public opinion.

This is not even something he can decide alone.

So after thinking for a while, he got up and went straight to Jim Bass.

This decision was too big to be made by him alone.

…

Brooklyn, Barclays Center.

Lin Ying and Durant were sweating profusely in the training hall.

After enjoying more than a week of vacation, the two began to prepare for the new season.

The rough period in summer is a rare leisure time of the year for many players, but for them it is another opportunity for improvement.

Although technically speaking, they no longer have much room for improvement, they strive for excellence, and the game state is maintained not by talking but by training.

After training, the two took off their jerseys, squeezed the "water" and threw it aside, put on their coats and sat there to rest.

Both of them were playing on their phones.

Durant was looking at what else was worthy of his attention on social media recently, then picked up his phone and started chatting.

"When will we decide on 567? Can we make a large-scale documentary?"

"You are targeting LeBron. How can Cousins ​​be so worthless? Everyone wants to stop LeBron from forming a team!"

"Hey, why is the whole world against LeBron? He just wants to win the second championship!"

…

Durant was very involved, while Lin Ying was chatting with Dean Walken via text message.

While they were training, Dean Walken sent him a text message and told him about the Nets' latest signing.

The Nets have made some signings in the past few days, but they are all insignificant.

For example, they signed Michael Beasley, a mutual friend of Lin Ying and Durant.

After Beasley was traded to the Nuggets, he was trained as a core player for a period of time, but his playing style and personality still restricted him.

After the Nuggets selected Wiggins, he was traded away from the team and began his wandering career.

He even went to play in the domestic CBA before, and then returned to the NBA with good performance, but it was inevitable that he would become a wanderer.

Now, the Nets need an experienced veteran on the front line, and because of the special relationship with the Gemini, this opportunity is given.

Another example is that they signed veteran Raymond Felton on the back line.

His role is the same as Jack's last season, as the third backup point guard and then stepping in when needed.

And he has another advantage compared to the previous Jack. He is younger and fully capable of playing as a backup point guard on other teams.

As for choosing the Nets, who doesn’t want a championship?

But today, Dean Walken and Lin Ying are not talking about this kind of signing that has little impact on the overall situation, because the Nets have signed another important rotation:

PJ Tucker!

Warken Dean used a 4-year, 32 million contract to bring him from Toronto in the north to New York!

Tucker's characteristic is defense, and he is also the first player with this label signed by the Nets in the summer.

Lin Ying was very happy when she saw this.

Tucker is still a very likeable player, especially as a player. Not only his own strength, but also his mental attributes are full. He is the kind of player who will always remain excited no matter how far behind he is. He is very contagious.

However, one detail is worth noting. The Nets did not use the mid-level exception to sign Tucker. Even because the signing exceeded the cap, the mid-level exception automatically became a mini-mid-level exception.

You don't need to guess to know that what Lin Ying told Durant before was right. This mid-level player is reserved for James Johnson.

But even without using exceptions, the Nets' current rotation has become very solid.

Therefore, this signing can be said to be crucial, taking another solid step towards the Nets' dynasty journey.

"What's going on with all this news?"

Lin Ying was chatting when Durant suddenly came over.

Lin Ying turned his head in confusion, and then noticed the message on Durant's phone.

"Anthony Davis expressed dissatisfaction with the management's operations."

This is somewhat interesting.

Because this can be understood in two meanings.

First, Davis was dissatisfied with the management's decision to put Kentucky alumnus Cousins ​​on the trade shelf.

Second, they are dissatisfied with the Pelicans' slow progress in trading Cousins.

Two understandings, two completely different meanings.

The subsequent impact of this news will certainly be considerable.

Because although Davis has always attracted attention from the outside world, it is more because of his talent and performance.

No one knows what his character is like.

And these two understandings are the thoughts of two people with completely different personalities.

"What do you think it means?"

Lin Ying turned to look at Durant.

"AD is still a very good player. I think he should be complaining about the management. After all, the Pelicans should be his team. If LeBron goes, it will become LeBron's team."

Durant expressed his understanding.

Lin Ying smiled and nodded, but did not speak. This was an understanding.

"What do you think?"

Durant couldn't help but ask after seeing Lin Ying's reaction.

"I think you're right."

When Durant heard Lin Ying's answer, he happily reached out and put his hand on Lin Ying's shoulder, looking as smart as me.

But Lin Ying then spoke again,

"But who knows? We are not familiar with AD, and time will give us the answer soon."

Lin Ying said it very honestly. Will Davis become the second Davis like in history? The answer may not take long.

…

One wave has not subsided, and another wave has arisen.

Just as James' side was unresolved, unexpected situations began to occur on the Knicks' side.

Although the Knicks were massacred by the Nets in the Eastern Conference Finals last season, the team that did not make the playoffs last season suddenly entered the Eastern Conference Finals. This improvement is quite amazing. It takes time to maintain the lineup...

It should also be difficult to pass the Nets.

It is precisely because of this that Paul also hesitated to renew his contract with the Knicks.

Although Paul values ​​money more, how could a competitive player like him not want a championship?

Moreover, regardless of his ability, he can earn a maximum salary. He has only played in the Knicks for one year, and there is no relationship with the home team.

Considering his age, this may be the last big contract of his career and the last chance to win the championship.

Whether to become the next Stockton or compete with Nash for historical point guard status may be decided this time.

Even during this sensitive period, some people say that Paul may team up with James to play.

After all, the members of the 2008 Dream Team, the Big Three of the 2003 generation, Paul Anthony, have all played together with each other.

It's normal for Paul to want to play with James!

And after seeing the changes in the Knicks last season, no one will question the compatibility of Paul and James.

Because essentially, both Paul and James are players who are compatible with any teammate.

As long as they think about it, the power of their combination will be quite terrifying.

This is where things get more and more interesting.

…

Los Angeles, home of Jim Bass.

After hearing Kupchak's report, Jim looked very shocked.

For a moment, he didn't even know what words to use to describe it.

It's a pity that Old Bass is no longer here, otherwise he would definitely want to run to Old Bass to make a decision.

"Mitch, what do you think? Don't worry too much, we are just discussing."

There was no one else in the room at this time, so he could only seek Kupchak's advice.

"From the perspective of business and team competitiveness, I think we should make such a decision; but from the perspective of team culture and brand, I don't think this is a wise choice."

Of course, it was impossible for Kupchak to express his position. He just made an analysis of the essence of the matter.

Well, that sounded like complete nonsense to Jim, because everyone could tell.

When Kupchak left, Jim was still struggling.

Finally, after hesitating for a long time, Jim decided to ask his sister Jenny to come over to discuss it.

The culture and brand of the Lakers were built by Buss. If it were destroyed in his hands, he would not be able to sleep well at night.

"I can help you, as long as you are willing to let me be responsible for the management of the team."

Jenny is quite real.

These children of Old Bass were all raised as children when they were young, resulting in very different personalities.

The eldest Johnny Bass is a bit like Zhu Biao, the most capable of all the children. He was also very successful in the management of the Los Angeles Sparks in his early years.

It's just that his direction is somewhat similar to Zhu Biao's. He was "dead" in his sports career. He was obsessed with the music career and gave up the family inheritance early.

Jim, the second oldest, has a gentle personality and is a nice person, but he obviously does not have the talent and strategy of old Bass. His management of the team is similar to Prokhorov's, with a decentralized style.

To a certain extent, you can understand him as Zhu Yunwen.

When Bass Sr. was still alive, "Magic" Johnson once advised Bass Sr. to give up the idea of ​​letting Jim inherit the family.

However, the Lakers have maintained a high level of competitiveness because of Kobe and the butterfly effect brought by Lin Ying.

In this context, an owner who is less involved in team operations is actually a good thing for the team.

But with Kobe retiring, the Lakers instantly reached a crossroads.

It is impossible to win the championship by maintaining the current lineup, because the team is too old and may have to work hard to win in the playoffs.

So the Lakers now need some courageous decision-makers.

The third child, Jenny Buss, is such a person.

Although Jenny is a woman, she has excellent business operation skills and a very smart mind. She is a standard strong woman.

Well, you can think of her as the female version of bankrupt Zhu Di.

When Phil Jackson was still with the Lakers, she was in love with Jackson and had great control over the team.

It's just that old Buss appointed Jim to take over, and the Lakers have always been stable, so she has no chance.

Now she can see hope.

She knew very well that what would happen to the Lakers next was something that her weak brother would never be able to bear.

Of course, Jim is not the kind of person who would back down when threatened.

The first exchange between the two ended on bad terms, but Jim did not feel relaxed and happy. Instead, he felt that the pressure on his shoulders was increasing.

…

Free agency continues, and some key signings are coming.

The Hawks traded for Howard and then let go of Paul Millsap.

The reason why they let Millsap go is simple. Millsap is an older rookie and is now 32 years old.

This age is still a golden age for a defender, but it has obviously reached a period of decline for a short inside man.

After being given up by the Hawks, Millsap signed a three-year, $90 million contract with the Knicks.

The Knicks' intention with this wave of operations is obvious, and they want to use this method to retain Paul.

Just kidding, everyone calls him Paul.

On the other side, Lowry also chose to renew his contract with the Raptors with a three-year, $100 million contract, and the Raptors also retained the core competitiveness of the Twin Stars.

In addition, the Spurs also signed Rudy Gay at a base price of 17 million for two years, and their competitiveness has been greatly improved compared to last season.

At this time, the free market also began to come to an end.

During this process, news of friction between Davis and the Pelicans continued to break out.

And one of them seems very intriguing.

Davis changed his agent.

And his new agent is none other than Rich Paul!

Davis got James and an agent!

And after changing agents, Davis disappeared from the news.

Just when the outside world thought that this matter might come to an end, Rich Paul spoke out!

But he's not doing it for James, but for his new client Davis!

Rich Paul claimed that the Pelicans completely ignored Davis' personal wishes in team operations and made him feel no respect, so he hoped that the team could send him away, and he hoped to send him to the Lakers.

At this time, social media exploded.

Because the news between James and the Pelicans has not yet been released, Davis actually applied for a trade!

And he also became the second player after Paul George to be designated as a next player in his contract!

It was really calm before, and then it became rough in the blink of an eye.

The Pelicans were very passive, but they had nothing to do.

Because times have changed. How could any player dare to threaten the management like this before?

But you dare to do it now. If a player wants to leave and you force him to stay, the player can have a psychological problem and refuse to play. He also clearly tells you that the contract will not be renewed after it expires. You have to trade even if you don't want to trade.

Professionalism? That thing has almost been replaced by the rising so-called player interests!

And just when the fans took out the melon seeds and peanut squid rings and prepared to enjoy the show, what happened next told them:

This is just the beginning.

Because not long after Davis' wave started, a piece of breaking news came from the Lakers.

Jeanie Buss has been promoted to Lakers president of basketball operations!

Before that, she was the vice president. Although the difference was only one word, it was the difference between real power and fictitious position.

This personnel adjustment means that the Lakers have suddenly changed.

Before the fans could react, even more exciting news came.

As free agency nears its end, negotiations between the Lakers and Pelicans are moving faster than many expected.

After a series of bargains, the Pelicans finally sent Davis to the Lakers.

The specific plan for the transaction between the two parties is:

The Lakers sent Paul George, two future unprotected first-round picks, and a first-round pick swap many years later to acquire Davis from the Pelicans!

George's trade value is not much lower than Davis, but the Lakers added three first-round picks in this deal.

It can be seen that the Lakers are eager to complete this deal.

This is somewhat puzzling, because whether it is George or Davis, if they lead the team alone, it will be difficult to play in the Western Conference, let alone against the Nets.

This seems to be changing the situation without changing the medicine, and they have lost so many draft picks for no reason.

But soon, the doubts of the outside world were solved.

Because James posted a personal status on social media:

"I will bring my talents to Los Angeles. I will continue the Black Mamba's basketball spirit with the Lakers and continue to fight for basketball!"

James' decision four is here!