The Lakers celebrated for several days before the players went into vacation mode. But Zhang Guan was an exception. When the players began to enjoy their vacation, Zhang Guan sat in the conference room with the Lakers' top management. They were going to discuss the future of the Lakers.
"Zhang, we have to confirm one thing first. Do you plan to continue to implement next year's contract?" Lakers general manager Kupchak asked, and everyone in the entire conference room looked at Zhang with earnest expressions. crown.
What Zhang Guan signed was a two-year contract with a salary of 10 million US dollars a year. The second year was a player option, which means that Zhang Guan could jump out of the contract and become a free agent in the second year.
Whether Zhang Guan will fulfill his second-year player option is crucial to the Lakers. This year's Lakers championship depends entirely on Zhang Guan. Whether Zhang Guan stays or not will directly affect the situation of the Lakers and even the entire NBA next season.
"There are actually no major sports events next year. I don't mind playing for another year." Zhang Guan said.
"That's great!" D'Antoni breathed a sigh of relief first.
Kupchak went on to say: "Since you are willing to stay, then next year, we will definitely build our team with you as the core. Another thing I want to tell you is that Nash has expressed to me his intention to retire. , if there are no accidents, we will apply to the league in a few days. If Nash is willing, I think we can give him an assistant coach position."
"Nash is retiring!" Everyone didn't seem to find it strange, but instead acted as if it was natural.
Nash is already 40 years old. In terms of age, it is time for him to retire. Moreover, Nash joined the Lakers at that time just to pursue a championship ring to make up for the regret of not winning many championships in his career. Now that the championship has been obtained, Nash has no need to continue playing with injuries. .
Kupchak continued: "Nash has one year left on his contract, which is worth $9.7 million. If he chooses to retire, we will have $9.7 million more salary space next season. Kobe's salary next year will be $23.5 million. , 7 million less than this year. Gasol’s 19.29 million contract this year has also expired. In addition, there are Jordan Hill’s 3.56 million, Kaman’s 3.18 million, and other players with basic salaries. The cumulative If it comes down, we will have close to 40 million in salary space to operate this year. Of course, this includes contract extensions for players, so in theory, in addition to normal contract extensions, we can also sign a first-class star."
"So does Gasol have the intention to renew his contract?" Buss asked.
"I haven't talked to Gasol's agent yet, but I think it's not difficult to renew the contract. Gasol has been in Los Angeles for six years, and we are still a competitive team. There will still be opportunities next year. I have great hope of winning the championship, and Gasol should choose to stay," Kupchak said.
"Paul is already 34 years old!" Bass paused and then said; "Although I don't know how many more years he can play, he has dedicated the best time of his career to our team. I think we should give him a lucrative long-term contract, what do you think?"
Although Buss Jr.'s management ability is far inferior to that of his father Buss Sr., and even much worse than his sister Jenny Buss, he is still willing to spend money on the team. This is something that the Buss family members It's almost the same. No matter who is in charge of the Lakers, they are willing to spend money. Paying the luxury tax is normal for the Lakers, and therefore the Lakers can become a long-lasting giant.
If calculated according to the maximum salary, Gasol can sign a five-year contract with a starting salary of 20.64 million US dollars and a total of 118 million US dollars. However, Gasol will be 39 years old in five years. Even if he can still Playing is not worth more than 26 million US dollars a year, so it is impossible for Gasol to get such a high contract. According to Gasol's current situation, the Lakers should be able to offer him a fully guaranteed contract worth about US$100 million over five years. For the 34-year-old Gasol, this is definitely a humane pension contract.
Just listen to Kupchak continue to say; "We can talk about Gasol's appointment first. He has been playing for six years. We can use the Bird clause to renew the contract without worrying about salary cap restrictions. Before that We can try to sign free agents. In addition to Gasol, we should also renew other players, right? Among our team, only Kobe and Zhang Guan have guaranteed contracts."
"We just won the championship. I think there will be many people who want to seek big contracts! After all, players who have experience in the finals will double their worth." Buss Jr. said.
"Indeed." Kupchak nodded and continued: "Apart from the veterans, the only two people who clearly want to stay are Nick Young and Whiteside."
Nick Young is a native of Los Angeles, so he is eager to stay and play in his hometown, even if he will lose some money, he will not hesitate. What's more, Nick Young is also considered a celebrity in Los Angeles, and his advertising endorsement income can make up for the loss in his salary. If it were another city, it might not have as good a business environment as Los Angeles.
As for "Whiteside" Whiteside, he has just returned to the NBA. Although he performed well in the playoffs, the performance time in a playoff is still too short. There is no shortage of blue-collar players in the league, so at this stage He mainly hopes to find a formal contract so that he can continue to stay in the NBA. He is not the most concerned about the amount of the contract.
"We can give Nick Young a four-year mid-level contract, and he should accept it. He is from Los Angeles and wants to stay in Los Angeles. The Lions will definitely not ask. As for Whiteside, I think we can give him A two-year base salary with a team option for the second year," Kupchak said.
"I have other suggestions." Zhang Guan, who had been silent all this time, suddenly said: "I think Whiteside is a player with great potential. We can try to give him more salary and more years."
"Zhang, with all due respect, Whiteside is already 25 years old. How much potential can a 25-year-old player have? What's more, there is no shortage of blue-collar workers in the league. Whiteside's character may become a problem in the locker room. A time bomb," Kupchak said.
After Whiteside returned to the NBA, the first thing he received was a two-year base salary of less than one million. The Heat at the time were also not optimistic about his potential. They felt that a 25-year-old athlete could no longer make any big progress, but they did not expect that Whiteside would Bian averaged a double-double and won the block title. Then the Heat offered him a four-year, $98 million contract in 2016. At that time, it was said that the Mavericks had offered him a five-year maximum salary of $130 million.
In the next four years, Whiteside will be on the rise and even become the top center in the league, so binding Whiteside to a long-term contract is definitely a sure profit. As for four years later, if Whiteside is still outstanding, a giant like the Lakers will not be stingy with a big contract.
Just listen to Zhang Guan continue to say: "Mitch (Kupchak), please believe in my vision, I think Whiteside is worthy of our training. After all, he is a big man and has excellent athletic ability. Such a player, It won’t hurt if you stay a few more years.”
"Mitch, just do what Zhang wants! Give him a four-year contract, with a total amount of less than 10 million." Bass said.
"Okay." Kupchak nodded. Whiteside's base salary is approximately US$8 to 9 million. If he is given a four-year, US$10 million contract, the starting salary will be US$2 million. Kupchak does not have to argue with Zhang Guan over the US$1 million difference. After all, Zhang Guan is the core of the team and one of the team's shareholders.
Kupchak continued: "Kaman has made it clear that he is seeking a big contract with an annual salary of tens of millions. We may not be able to keep him."
Kaman's salary this season is 3.18 million. The former All-Star center originally chose to join the Lakers in order to increase his worth and seek a large pension contract. Now that Kaman holds a championship ring, his worth has naturally increased significantly. What he desires is a big contract with an annual salary of tens of millions, or a long-term contract with an annual salary of about 8 million. The Lakers obviously cannot meet Kaman's requirements.
"It doesn't matter, Kaman is not in our future plans anyway. He is not suitable for my tactical system. Whiteside should be able to fill Kaman's gap." D'Antoni said.
In D'Antoni's tactical system, there is indeed little need for a bulky center like Kaman. In comparison, although Whiteside does not have shooting ability, his athletic ability is what D'Antoni needs.
"In addition, Jordan Hill also hopes to get a big contract of more than 8 million. Meeks may ask for a salary above the middle class. Farmar probably will not accept the veteran's basic salary. I will try to lower the price first. In comparison , it will be easier for Wesley Johnson to renew his contract, and players like him will not have a high value in the free market." Kupchak said.
Wesley Johnson is getting the veteran's minimum salary this season. This kind of player is a bit too high and too low. His personal characteristics are not very obvious and his efficiency is not very high. He is not very qualified as a 3D player. If he is a starter, some On the weak side, and as a substitute, his efficiency is unsatisfactory. This kind of player is not very popular in the free market. Unless it is to cooperate with specific tactics, he will not get a big contract.
In comparison, Meeks and Farmar both have a three-point shooting percentage of more than 40%, and are more popular in the free market. Meeks, for example, although his defense is average, his offensive efficiency is very good. Nowadays, With experience in the finals, it is not difficult to get a mid-level contract from another team.
Farmar played in Turkey last year and just returned to the NBA last season. Although he has won many championships with the Lakers, he has not made a lot of money in his career, so now Farmar hopes to pursue a good job. The veteran's basic salary is definitely not enough to satisfy him.
And Jordan Hill, once recognized as a potential stock, actually has no potential to tap. If this type of insider is cheap, some teams will need it, but if it is expensive, no one will care about it.
Jordan Hill's annual salary last season was US$3.56 million, which is considered a relatively normal value. In the history of the Lakers, due to Gasol's switch to the Bulls, there was no more suitable candidate inside, so they offered Jordan Hill a two-year, $18 million contract, which was considered to be more than Jordan Hill's true worth. . But now, if there is no problem with Gasol's contract extension, it will definitely be impossible for Jordan Hill to ask for a big contract from the Lakers.
"I plan to give Ci Shiping another year of the veteran's basic salary. We need his defense and experience. Marshall is a team option next season, and his contract is only 920,000, and it is a non-guaranteed contract. We can lay him off at any time. I think his contract for the next year can be implemented first. As for Bazemore, I want to hear your opinions." Kupchak continued.
"Bazemore is an excellent 3D player, and his defense is what we need. I suggest giving him a four-year contract, which is acceptable to everyone below the mid-level level." Zhang Guan said.
"Mini middle class? Is it too high?" Bass asked.
Bazemore's salary this season is a base salary of $790,000. The primary goal of this kind of player is to stay in the NBA. Although Bazemore's statistics with the Lakers are pretty good, after all, he only performed well for one season. According to Bazemore's performance, there will definitely be no problem for him to continue to stay in the NBA, but there will not be a lot of premium in terms of salary. What's more, Bazemore is still a defender. The most indispensable thing in the NBA is defenders. It is normal for defenders to be underpriced.
Historically, Bazemore did not get a contract extension from the Lakers, and then went to the Hawks with an annual salary of 2 million. Then he started as a substitute, slowly built up his worth, and finally got a four-year, 70 million contract. . So Bazemore is definitely worth a mini-middle class.
"The mini-middle class is the upper limit. We can discuss the details with Bazemore slowly, but I am more inclined to give him a long-term contract, such as 2+2, with team options for the next two years. I think if he is given a chance, He should be able to continue his current state." Zhang Guan said.
Kupchak glanced at Buss Jr., and when he nodded, he said, "Okay, I will talk to Bazemore. I will continue to follow up on the contract renewal of other players, and I will Keep communicating with everyone. The next topic is about the draft. We have a first-round pick this year! We haven’t had a first-round pick for a long time.”
Thank you jeffreyjoshu for the 10,000-point reward!
(End of chapter)