There is a July freeze period in the NBA, which runs from July 1 to July 8. This period is the period when the NBA conducts audits to determine basketball-related revenue, and then calculate the salary cap for the next season, etc. Since the salary cap and other restrictions have not been determined, this period of time is a short transaction freeze period. During the freeze period, although the free market is open and teams can contact players, the transaction will not be approved until after the 8th.
The July freeze period is also the most active period of the free agent market. There will be relatively frequent contact between teams and free agents. Therefore, those players who choose to jump out of their contracts to test the free agent market will choose to jump out before July 1. contract.
The time James chose to opt out of his contract was June 25. He still had two years left on his original contract, worth $42.7 million. The time Wade and Bosh chose to opt out of their contracts was June 29, with two years left, with a total value of US$41.8 million and US$42.7 million respectively. Next, James' stay will be the focus of the entire NBA. There has been news that James hopes to return to his hometown of Ohio and return to the Cavaliers, and the Heat will definitely do their best to keep James.
The Heat's Big Three are facing disintegration, leaving those free agents who are ready to take advantage of the lack of a place to go.
In the NBA, there is also a certain emphasis on having a big team. Only a team that has proven that it has the ability to win the championship is a "real team." This so-called proof must at least win an Eastern Conference or Western Conference playoff championship. For example, the Los Angeles Clippers have a good regular season record every year. Paul, Griffin and DeAndre Jordan are also considered the "Big Three" in the team. The Clippers' coach is also a famous coach Rivers, but they can never score. Western Conference finals, so it has always been called a "pseudo-strong team" and not a real team.
In addition, teams like the Spurs are not "good players." Although the Spurs have relatively high odds of winning the championship every year, the Spurs are a team that pays attention to tactical coordination. If the players cannot be integrated into the tactical system, there is basically no room for performance and they may not even be able to hit the ball. .
Before that, the Heat had the existence of the Big Three, who were of course "real thighs." But now, James may leave, and the Heat are no longer the favorites. Instead, the Lakers, who just won the championship, have become the yearning for many free agents. The place.
The first person to hug his thigh was the demigod Vince Carter. The whole world knows that Carter wants a championship. He joined the Mavericks just for a championship ring. Now that the three-year contract Carter signed with the Mavericks has expired, he needs to find a new club.
However, Carter made two demands. The first was not to accept the veteran's minimum salary. His annual salary in the Mavericks was US$3 million, so he also asked for this price from the Lakers. Judging from Carter's performance last season, averaging 11.9 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game, shooting 40.7% from the field and 39.4% from three-point range, the annual salary of 3 million is really worth it.
Another condition put forward by Carter is the commitment of playing time. Obviously Carter does not want to sit on the bench after coming to the Lakers. The Lakers can agree to this. Anyway, the Lakers play a run-and-gun game. As long as they can run and shoot three-pointers, they will have a chance to play, not to mention Carter has a good three-point shooting percentage.
The Lakers and Carter quickly reached an agreement, and the Lakers offered Carter a two-year mini-middle-level contract. This was considered the Lakers' first move in the free market.
In addition to Carter, another player, Shawn Marion, who also played for the Mavericks last season, also accepted the Lakers' one-year veteran's minimum salary.
Compared with Carter, Marion's signing was much smoother. In an interview, he made it clear that the purpose of joining the Lakers was to get another championship ring, which is equivalent to saying that he came to "hug someone's thigh."
Marion was still a starter with the Mavericks last season, averaging 10.4 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. Although it is nothing compared to his peak period, his 48.2% shooting rate is much better than many young men.
Historically, Marion joined James after leaving the Mavericks and spent the last year of his career with the Cavaliers. Now, for Marion, the Lakers are obviously a better choice. Lakers coach D'Antoni was once Marion's mentor. When he was with the Suns, Marion also proved that he was good at beating D'Antoni's run-and-gun tactics.
At the same time, the Lakers' contract renewal work also has its ups and downs.
The Lakers offered Gasol a five-year, 85 million contract. Although it is not the maximum salary, it is also a good retirement contract for the 34-year-old Gasol. After winning the championship this season, Gasol also planned to stay with the Lakers forever, so he decided to accept this contract. However, the two parties will formally sign the contract after the Lakers' recruitment is completed, so that the Lakers can free up salary space to sign free agents.
Nick Young also accepted his contract, which is equivalent to the middle class. Nick Young is from Los Angeles, and the Lakers are naturally his first choice.
Bazemore and Whiteside also agreed to contract extensions. Although the four-year contract is a bit long and the annual salary is only more than 2 million US dollars, it is already a rare and lucrative contract for them. At least they can continue to play in the NBA in the next few years.
In addition, Ci Shiping and Wesley Johnson will continue to receive the veteran's basic salary for one year.
Among other players, Kaman knew that he would not get a contract extension and had already started negotiating contracts with other teams. Meeks insisted on a large contract with an annual salary of more than 8 million, while Farmar hoped to get a mid-level contract. After Kupchak made it clear that it was impossible, the two began to look for other homes.
As for Jordan Hill, a lion came and asked for tens of millions of annual salary!
Nash retired and Kobe Bryant's salary was reduced by 5 million compared with last season. In addition to the normal contract renewal, the Lakers can theoretically free up 15 million in salary space. Jordan Hill's agent is targeting this salary space. What's more, with Kaman's departure, the Lakers only have Gasol and Whiteside left inside. This is also the capital that Jordan Hill relies on. ,
The rookie Jokic selected by the Lakers in the second round obviously did not put any pressure on Jordan Hill's agent. Whether an overseas player can gain a foothold in the NBA is still a question, so the agent believes that Jordan Hill will not be pressured. Hill poses a threat.
The matter of renewing Jordan Hill's contract reached a deadlock, and Kupchak also made another move. He used a one-year veteran's minimum salary to sign former All-Star center Jermaine O'Neal.
O'Neal Jr. played for the Warriors last season, averaging 7.9 points and 5.5 rebounds per game, and became the team's starting center when Bogut was injured. Although the current O'Neal is not as good as before and can basically be ignored offensively, his body is still there, and he can also cope with the league's top inside players in terms of low-post defense.
The Lakers chose O'Neal Jr. and were also preparing to give up Jordan Hill to a certain extent. For this current bombing team, Whiteside and O'Neal are enough for insiders who can't shoot three-pointers. There is no need for another Jordan Hill.
…
"Los Angeles Times reporter Brad Tunnell revealed that a well-informed source revealed that the Kings have reached an agreement with guard Darren Collison. Collison will leave the Clippers and will sign a one-year contract with the Kings. A three-year, fully guaranteed contract worth a total of $16 million. Many people have speculated that the Kings signing Collison means that Isiah Thomas will leave Sacramento?"
After Zhang Guan saw the news, he immediately called Kupchak.
"Did you see the Kings signing Collison?" Zhang Guan asked.
"Well, I knew it two days ago. When Collison jumped out of his contract, the Kings had already started to contact him. In Los Angeles, nothing can be hidden from us." Kupchak said.
"Can we make an offer for Thomas?" Zhang Guan then asked.
"Thomas? What's the use of him? He's too short." Kupchak said.
"His scoring ability is very strong... Forget it, let's discuss the specific situation in person. I'll go to your office." After finishing speaking, Zhang Guan put down his phone.
…
There are also several "big fish" in this year's free agent market. In addition to the Heat's Big Three who have jumped out of their contracts, they include the Mavericks' Nowitzki, the Knicks' Anthony, the Spurs' Duncan, the Bulls' Luol Deng, Randolph of the Grizzlies and Lowry of the Raptors will become free agents. In the restricted free agent market, the first-round picks in 2010 and the second-round picks in 2011 will become restricted free agents.
Among the 2010 rookies, many have already renewed their contracts with the team in advance, such as Wall, Cousins, Paul George, etc. They all received a multi-million contract. There are also players who have not yet been re-signed, such as Bledsoe and Hayward. They are now restricted free agents and allow other teams to make offers. Their owners obviously hope to lower the price.
Less than half of the second-round picks in 2011 are still in the NBA. Only two players among them are worthy of offers from other teams. One is Parsons of the Rockets and the other is Thomas of the Kings.
Parsons originally had one year left on his contract with the Rockets, but the Rockets did not execute the last year of Parsons' contract and took the initiative to make Parsons a restricted free agent. The Rockets originally wanted to free up salary space to sign Bosh, but Bosh chose to stay in Miami, and Parsons was poached by the Mavericks with a big contract.
As for Thomas of the Kings, his real contract has expired.
When Thomas was drafted, he was the 60th pick in the second round, which was the last one selected. There are two main reasons why the team is not optimistic about him. The first is that Thomas is only 1.75 meters tall, which is too short to play in the NBA. The second point is that Thomas only participated in the draft after graduating from college and is relatively older. rookie, which also lowered his draft stock.
But Thomas has proven himself with his performance. He performed very well with the Kings last season, averaging 20.3 points and 6.3 assists per game. He was like an All-Star guard.
But even so, the Kings still have no intention of keeping Thomas. They still use Cousins as the core of the team, so they had put Thomas on the shelf as early as December last year.
In the offseason, Collison was signed in the past. Collison's technical characteristics are similar to Thomas's, and his shooting percentage is similar to Thomas, but he is 8 centimeters higher than Thomas. This is obviously telling the entire league that the Kings are not prepared to keep Thomas.
The Kings obviously made a mistake. Cousins did not bring good results to the Kings, and was eventually traded to the Pelicans. The Kings also completely entered a rebuilding period, but at the same time, Thomas led the Celtics. He reached second place in the Eastern Conference, averaging 29.4 points per game, ranking ahead of Harden, only behind Westbrook, and he himself is also a popular candidate for regular season MVP.
The most important thing is that Thomas' salary is not high. Although Thomas performed well last season, it is difficult for him to get a big contract due to his height. In the eyes of many team managers, Thomas is not even a qualified player. starting guard. In an NBA with a surplus of point guards, Thomas averages 20+6 per game, and it is difficult to get him a multi-million contract.
Zhang Guan knew Thomas' potential, and he felt Thomas should be hired for the future of the Lakers.
Kobe Bryant's contract still has two years left, and Zhang Guan himself is planning to leave the NBA after playing one more season, because he will prepare for the Rio Olympics in 2016. By then, he will need someone to support the Lakers' defense. Thomas Jr. is obviously that person. Not a bad choice.
After Zhang Guan leaves and Kobe Bryant retires, the Lakers will have Gasol and Whiteside on the inside, Thomas on the outside, and potential stocks like Jokic. The lineup will still be very strong. When the time comes, they will sign another superstar. For example, with Durant, the Lakers will have another championship-winning lineup.
…
Zhang Guan convinced the Lakers management, and the Lakers offered Thomas 40 million over five years.
To be honest, this is somewhat beyond Thomas' current worth. Historically, Thomas only received a four-year contract worth 27 million this season, which averaged less than 7 million a year. And now the offer of 40 million over five years makes many people think that the Lakers are stupid and have too much money.
"The Lakers are so generous. They offered Thomas 40 million in five years! For such a short player, he is at most the second Nate Robinson! No, Thomas's physical fitness is not as good as Nate Robinson. Nate Robinson can fly. If he dunked over Howard, it would be difficult for Thomas to complete the dunk!" Someone immediately commented on the Internet.
The Kings have seven days to consider whether to match the offer. There is no doubt that the Kings will not match. They have signed Collison to replace Thomas, so Thomas has long been no longer in the Kings' plans.
As for Thomas, he has long been eager to join the Lakers. Thomas' father is from California and a die-hard Lakers fan. Influenced by his father, Thomas has always wanted to play for the Lakers. During the draft that year, Thomas also participated in the Lakers' rookie training camp. However, because he was too short and too old, the Lakers didn't care about Thomas at all.
…
With Thomas, the Lakers' roster has reached 14 people, which means they still have one spot left. In terms of salary space, the Lakers can still offer a contract of about 4 million, and can also sign a good role player.
The Lakers originally planned to give Rashard Lewis a contract. As a big man who can shoot three-pointers, Lewis was also an important helper of the Big Three in the Heat last season. However, Lewis failed the final physical examination. There was a hidden danger in his knee and he needed surgery. It would take half a year to recover at the earliest. The Lakers obviously couldn't wait half a year, so they had no choice but to give up signing Lewis.
In the end, the Lakers and free agent Kris Humphries reached a three-year, 11 million contract.
Humphries just finished a two-year, 24 million contract. He averaged 8 points and 6 rebounds in 20 minutes with the Celtics last season.
This player has a high sense of presence off the court. He often appeared in American entertainment news in the past few years and was often feared by the paparazzi because he is married to the American entertainment socialite Kim Kardashian. However, the marriage only lasted for more than two months, and Kardashian generously gave Humphries a breakup fee of US$10 million. Humphries was also very courageous and didn't ask for a penny.
However, this player's presence in the game is very low, and even his playing time is sometimes inconsistent. As a power forward, his height of 2.06 meters suffers when facing off, but if he is placed in the small forward position, his speed cannot keep up with his opponent. He has good strength, a good mid-range shot, and a three-point range, but his low-post offensive ability is almost zero. In terms of strength, I am really sorry for the annual salary of 12 million.
However, based on an annual salary of 4 million, Humphries is considered a great value. His three-point shooting ability is also what D'Antoni needs.
In fact, the Wizards also took a fancy to Humphries. They offered Humphries an annual salary of 13 million for three years, which was 2 million more than the Lakers. But Humphries finally decided to join the Lakers. A championship ring and the attraction of Los Angeles cannot be exchanged for just 2 million.
Subsequently, the Lakers used the Bird clause to sign the five-year contract with Gasol. At this time, the Lakers' salary has exceeded the luxury tax threshold. But for the Lakers, paying the luxury tax is completely normal.
At this point, the Lakers have assembled a 15-man roster for next season, namely Zhang Guan, Kobe Bryant, Gasol, Nick Young, Bazemore, Whiteside, Ci Shiping, Johnson, Carter, Marion, Thomas, Rodney Hood, Jokic, O'Neal and Humphries.
(End of chapter)