NBA backer king

Chapter 237

Seeing their silence, Pharaoh asked suspiciously: "Kevin, Dan, why don't you speak?"

The two looked at each other, and Kevin Johnson smiled and said: "It's nothing, I'm thinking about how to cooperate with you, and play another beautiful season. But don't think that I can be the same as last season. I am old, and I am not that monster of Jordan."

Old Wang stretched out his hand and patted Kevin Johnson on the shoulder and said with a smile, "Don't worry, I'm stronger than last season, just let me handle the ball."

Dan Marley said at this time: "Danny Manning has been seriously injured. Otherwise, the Clippers would not choose to trade him. I don't know how much strength he still has."

Kevin Johnson recalled, and said: "Last season, he played for two teams, and his combined scoring data should be 20+, but his physique is prone to injuries. It is hard to say how he will perform in the new season."

Lao Wang knows that Danny Manning, the No. 88 pick in 82, a talented inside player, suffered a ruptured cruciate ligament in his rookie season, which directly cast a shadow over the future of this genius. He only played [-] games in one season, but as long as he is no longer injured, his strength should be good.

Dan Marley said at this time: "The Bulls' Cobra Grant went to the Magic. The Bulls' strength has declined in the new season, but their strength is still quite strong."

"Grant gone?"

Lao Wang's brain immediately came to life. This is the main power forward of the Bulls. He is good at cutting inside and off the ball.

Kevin Johnson immediately poured cold water on him and said: "Do you know Grant's European substitute? It is Toni Kukoc, known as the Europa magician. He is also very strong, only with poor rebounding ability and defensive ability. His scoring ability and assist ability are not weaker than Grant's, and his long-range shooting ability is stronger than Grant's, and his ability to stretch is also stronger.

Lao Wang was stunned, and argued, "That's a loss, at least their bench is weaker."

"That's true." Kevin Johnson laughed.

"By the way, Barkley hasn't retired, has he?" he asked suddenly.

"No, I went back to Phoenix in the summer and asked Dr. Carter to give him a checkup. I'm going to persist." Kevin Johnson laughed.

"If Fliggy quits, Dameng will be cheated to death by him." Dan Marley laughed.

"He can't fly now." Kevin Johnson joked.

The friendship between the two of them and Barkley is just a one-year teammate. In fact, it is only average. It is not as good as their friendship with Lao Wang. The Suns are the home team of the three of them, and they are really their own. In the Suns, the friendship between the three of them can be regarded as an iron triangle.

The next day, on the 19th, Wang Tiejun went to the headquarters, found Colangelo, and learned about the current team's lineup.

Colangelo gave him a lineup list, and he looked at it. There were a few old players missing and a few newcomers added.

Insiders: Wang Tiejun, AC Green, Austin Thorpe, Danny Manning, Wayman Tisdale.

Forwards: Robert Horry, Antonio Long (swingman), Danny Ainge (swingman)

Outside: Kevin Johnson, Dan Marley, Elliott Perry (point guard), Wesley Parson (shooting guard).

"Sir, isn't Thorpe leaving?" Seeing Thorpe's name, he asked.

Colangelo nodded and said, "He wanted to leave, but the deal couldn't be completed. With the current lineup, I actually don't want to let him go.

Thorpe is 33 years old, and AC Green is also 32 years old. I guess their status will decline in the future.But until we fix them, they still have some use. "

"Sir, what do you think?" Old Wang asked.

Colangelo said with a smile: "Old K, you are still young, don't worry, the team's reinforcement is not something that can be strengthened just by thinking about it, it needs opportunities and time."

"I see."

Old Wang nodded. He knew that, if he wanted to strengthen a position, he really needed an opportunity.

Take the Bulls for example. After so many years, they finally found Clifford Robinson last year. This is because the original team could not keep up with the big contract offered by the Bulls.

Jordan has been with the Bulls for so many years, and the Bulls' management has also spent many years building a championship-level team. Now the Suns build a team with him as the core.

Colangelo added: "We're not sure about Danny Manning's body, but he joined as a free agent and didn't cost anything, so it's a good deal.

In addition, I hope to have some gains in the 96 draft, and I hope to complete reinforcements in two or three seasons. "

"Two or three seasons?" Old Wang nodded.

But he said seriously: "Sir, I don't care how the team strengthens, but I don't want it to be bad."

Colangelo was taken aback, and laughed a few times before saying, "Don't worry, how could I complete the team building in a bad way?"

He is the owner of the Suns, and it is impossible to choose to play badly, because that would be an absolute harm to Phoenix's ball market.

Moreover, although the team is aging, even if its strength is not as good as the Bulls and Mosaics, it is still considered first-class in the league. This season, it still has the strength to launch an impact on the championship. How could it be bad?
Even Jordan is one year older, and Dameng and Barkley are also one year older. The older they are, the more likely they are to suffer from injuries, and their state will decline. The Bulls and Mosaics in the new season may not be as strong as last season.

But thinking of this, he also thought that Kevin Johnson and Dan Marley in his team are also one year older. This year's team's outside strength should not be as good as last season.

In his future reinforcement plan, he also hopes to find two good rookies on the outside to fill the positions of Lightning and Thunder.

There is also Danny Ainge, who is almost 36 years old. The new season is the last year of his contract. He has already said that he will retire after this season. The bench also needs to reinforce a pitcher.

Of course, if Danny Manning can play a 20+ All-Star performance, the new season will be more promising.

Thinking of this, he suddenly thought of Wilkins.

Wilkins did not renew his contract with the Clippers, and there is no news of his next home. Do you want to contact him?
Wang Tiejun looked around with the roster and evaluated the strength of this year's lineup in his heart. He felt that it was not weak, but already very strong.

Of course, this strength is when the players are healthy. If there is an injury, it will be troublesome.

For example, Danny Manning, a guy with a ruptured cruciate ligament, is a big hidden danger to the Suns if his knee is injured again.

But as long as Danny Manning stays healthy, he feels that this year's lineup can even beat the Mosaic team.

You must know that Barkley has more and more physical injuries, his state will definitely decline, and the strength of the Mosaic team will also decline.

On his own side, he and Manning are the main players on the inside, and AC Green and Thorpe are the substitutes. The overall strength is even stronger than that of the Mosaic team.

On the outside, the Mosaic team is mediocre. Although Kevin Johnson and Dan Marley will decline, they should not be weaker than the Mosaic team.

So in comparison, this year is actually a very promising year to reach the finals.

The only three questions are whether Green and Thorpe can stay, and whether Danny Manning can stay healthy. These three people are very important.

He shared his thoughts with Colangelo, who agreed with him.

After sending Wang Tiejun away, Colangelo immediately asked someone to check Wilkins' information and began to analyze it.

Wilkins, nicknamed Human Movie Essence, Slam Dunk King, 82st pick in 35, forward and guard swingman, 26 years old this year, had 6+2+9 statistics last season, [-]th All-Star, [-]st scoring champion, [-]st best team, [-]th team, [-]nd team, and [-]rd team. Although he is old, his strength still exists.

If you get Wilkins, you can make up for the weakness of the Suns' lack of outside firepower.

And Wilkins, like Danny Manning, is a free agent without any cost.

The only thing to consider is whether the Suns' salary can bear the burden of a superstar like Wilkins.

Wilkins had a salary of 325 million last season. Based on his performance last season, if he is signed, at least this level must be maintained.

The salary cap for the new season is $1600 million, and he calculated the total salary of the team.

Old K is 236 million, Kevin Johnson 275 million, AC Green 647 million, Thorpe 258 million, Danny Manning 100 million, Dan Marley 300 million, Wayman Tisdale 85, Horry 150 million, Antonio Lang 33, Danny Angie 208 million, Elliott Perry 25, Wesley Parson 65, a total of 2382 million.

Among them, Suo Xian is going to be traded. Subtracting his salary, the total salary is 2124 million, which is still more than 500 million.

"Green?"

He muttered, the player with the highest salary in the team was the team's fifth scoring point last season, with an average of 12+8 per game. This performance, the salary is a bit high, and the price/performance ratio is too low.

You must know that superstars like Barkley and Pippen now have a salary of only 300 million a year, Ewing's new season is only more than 400 million, and David Robinson's new season is only 700 million. The three super centers are the highest.

He thought that in the playoffs, Thorpe and old K partnered well, and Green and Thorpe were both old, and he got Danny Manning, an all-star insider, should he trade Green?

It's not that he is reluctant to pay the luxury tax, it's that Green's performance is not worthy of his salary, and Green is also old.

In addition, Danny Manning must play the main power forward. Green can only sit on the bench, but he is the highest paid person in the team. It is not so luxurious for the Suns to let such a person sit below.

However, it is also difficult to trade Green, because the salary is too high, no team is willing to take over, and tactical coordination issues have to be considered, which needs to be discussed with head coach Westphal.

But even if the deal fails, he still wants to get Wilkins in. Although he needs to pay a luxury tax of 1000 million a year, he can maintain his impact on the championship.

A good record, combined with Phoenix, a city with reasonable spending power, can make the ball market better, sell tickets higher, and the ticket and advertising revenue for the playoffs is also very considerable. It can also attract more sponsors, and get more live broadcasts across the United States, and the favor of regional broadcasters.

All kinds of benefits add up, good operating income can completely offset the huge luxury tax, and let the team's operations enter a good state, which is much better than a bad one.

A big football market will never be rebuilt by rotten methods. Only those small markets, when the market is hopeless, will use rotten methods to rebuild the market.

Not only the Suns, but the Lakers, for example, are never bad. No matter how much money is spent, they must build a competitive lineup, just not wanting to hurt the market.

After thinking it over, he immediately contacted Wilkins' agent.

"What? That's a pity!"

The call got through, and as soon as he explained his intentions, the other party told him that Wilkins is now in Boston and has just signed a one-year contract with the Celtics.

Hanging up the phone in disappointment, he complained: "What did Wilkins think? How much does he hate the Eagles? How much does he hate the Eagles? How much money can a stingy team like the Celtics give him? And the Celtics are rebuilding, and they don't value veterans like him at all."

This side was disappointed, and Wilkins and his agent on the opposite side were also disappointed, and even more disappointed, looking at each other.

Because the Celtics only gave him a one-year contract of more than 200 million yuan, which means that he is not valued too much, and the Celtics are rebuilding. He can only be a stepping stone for newcomers here. If he had known that the Suns wanted him, he would have gone to the Suns.

Although the Suns are also rebuilding, they are rebuilding on the basis of having the cornerstone of reconstruction, and they still have the strength to win the championship. He wants to go to a championship-level team even more empty-handed.

Wilkins hated the Eagles.

After he was selected by the Jazz at the third position in the first round in 82, he was immediately traded to the Eagles. He never played a game in the Jazz, and the Eagles are his home team.

In this team, he played for twelve seasons, but the team abandoned him for a glass man, Danny Manning.

"Anyway, it's only a one-year contract. Why don't we go to the Suns next year after this year?" said his agent Murphy.

Wilkins smiled wryly. He will be one year older next year, so what else can he do?
If you sign the Suns this time, with him and Danny Manning on the outside, plus Kevin Johnson and Dan Marley, the Suns' outside scoring ability will not be weaker than the Bulls at all, and they can crush Mosaic and the Spurs. Maybe the Suns can win the championship.

The choice is wrong, time is fate, maybe God is doomed to have no crown in his life, he sighed in his heart.

……

The Suns failed to get Wilkins, so Colangelo decided not to move AC Green temporarily, so as not to weaken the team's strength. With the current market of the Suns, a luxury tax of several million is still completely acceptable. bearable.

The new season starts on November 11th. On the 4rd, the preseason game ends. On the 23th, the Suns return to Phoenix. On the 24th, the team gathers and the pre-game training for the 25/94 season begins.

At 08:30 this morning, Wang Tiejun arrived at the team headquarters.

I greeted the coaching staff first, and there is no change in the coaching staff in the new season, but Danny Ainge has started to participate in the work of the coaching staff. After retiring this season, he is going to join the Suns coaching staff. This is the only change.

He also greeted his old and new teammates, and there was no newcomer who disapproved of him. After all, strength and violence are all here. In today's NBA, even the three super centers, even Jordan, would not dare to act wild in front of him.

Even Danny Manning, the former No. [-] pick, was polite to him, and he didn't put on any airs of No. [-] pick.

He observed the situation of his teammates and chatted with them.

"Robert, have you practiced your shooting yet?" Horry was the first to find him.

Horry nodded and smiled, "Don't worry, old K, I practiced extra throughout the offseason. Especially the three-pointers, they are already very accurate."

Lao Wang nodded and said: "That's good, don't give you the ball, and you won't make a shot if there is an open spot."

"of course."

Holly nodded awkwardly.

"AC, what are you thinking?" Old Wang noticed that Green seemed to be in a bad mood, a little depressed.

AC Green glanced at Danny Manning, shook his head and said, "It's nothing, old K, I'm fine."

I know my own business, the team has introduced an all-star insider like Danny Manning, he understands that it will be difficult to get the starting position this season, so he is not in a good mood.

Moreover, his salary is the highest in the team. If he can't play the main force, the team might sell him and won't let a person with the highest salary in the team sit on the bench.

On the other side, there is Otis Thorpe, the hard-boiled brother. He didn't get many starts last season, and this season he has an extra Danny Manning. His mood is ten times worse than Green's.

What's even more annoying is that he asked for a deal, but he didn't complete it, so he could only reluctantly stay.

But he has already proposed a deal to the management through his agent. He is almost 33 years old and really doesn't want to stay here. He still has a little fuel, and he wants to go to a team that can play the main force.

The main position will allow him to get a bigger contract after the end of this contract. This is the most practical benefit, and he has to fight for it.

Pharaoh and the two chatted a few words, then walked away.

He understands the situation of the two, but the NBA is a place where the strong survive and the weak are eliminated. He has no way to help them, and it is impossible to help them.

Now he is worried that the two will ask for a trade. In fact, Thorpe asked for a trade during the offseason, but it was unsuccessful.

Once Green and Thorpe leave the team, the Suns' bench lineup will definitely decline, and this season will be very troublesome.

This is also a problem in team building. The interests of the team and the players are inconsistent, the interests of the main players and the substitute players are inconsistent, and the interests of the players and the coaching staff are inconsistent. Under various conflicts, it is really too difficult to build a stable and strong team, even a championship-level team.

Colangelo was also observing the players on the sidelines. The outside line was aging. In addition to the old K, the cornerstone of the team, the inside line was also very old and was still asking for a trade. He sighed in his heart that rebuilding was not easy.

(End of this chapter)