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Chapter 550 - 237. Crazy Offseason Part 1_2

Chapter 550: 237. Crazy Offseason Part 1_2

During the playoffs, the person who communicated with the coaching staff the most wasn’t from the Big Brother Group or the Struggle Team... it was Muhammad.

When it came to emulating the Spurs’ defensive strategy, cutting off the inside and outside connection of the Spurs team, Muhammad provided the coaching staff with a lot of suggestions.

The results discussed and decided by the inexperienced Big Brother Group couldn’t match up to what Muhammad accomplished alone.

Bickerstaff: "Kendrick took a pay cut to renew his contract, because he could be your teammate and earn endorsement fees. I am really puzzled, what kind of taste do your people have, thinking that Kendrick is cute? He even has so many fans in China? Nazr’s charismatic personality is much stronger than Kendrick’s, but Nazr hardly has any endorsements in China."

Zhang Yang: "In our country, ’cute’ also means looking a bit silly. But he isn’t just looking silly, he’s actually very astute; otherwise, he wouldn’t have considered these aspects."

Bickerstaff: "Indeed, Kendrick is smart. A reporter said your high scores in the playoffs were because others did the dirty work and you just needed to score, suggesting the FMVP should go to Duncan, the loser. Kendrick was even more anxious than you and argued with that reporter, winning a lot of your fans’ love."

Zhang Yang: "Speaking like that, I really like him as well."

Bickerstaff: "Haha, who doesn’t like to hear nice things. Now that the center position renewal is sorted, next we can focus on Gerald alone. He said he needs two weeks to think, let’s wait patiently. Two weeks should not delay our summer signings or trades, but although we say be patient, we’ve decided to go to Los Angeles tomorrow to talk face-to-face with Gerald. Michael will also be going..."

After chatting for a few moments and understanding the team’s renewal situation, Zhang Yang left the stadium to go home.

After Zhang Yang left, Carlisle said to Bickerstaff: "Bernie, when you talk to Jack, aren’t you a bit too direct?"

Bickerstaff: "Jack is too smart and very deep. It’s better to be straightforward with him, don’t treat him like other 19-year-olds."

Carlisle, reflecting on his few months of interaction with Zhang Yang at the Bobcats, nodded: "That’s right, it’s better to be straightforward in communicating with him. Also, telling him the specific details about the renewal could help him in negotiating with Gerald."

Bickerstaff: "That’s what I was thinking, but I think we won’t be able to keep Gerald."

Upon hearing this, Carlisle sighed: "Having too many geniuses is also a problem. The key issue is that all these geniuses are too young. The boss is willing to spend money, but we can’t just sign a bunch of minimum wage players after renewing four core players, right?"

Bickerstaff: "The best scenario would be a trade first, I hope we don’t end up like the Magic losing O’Neal without getting anything in return."

...

As Carlisle predicted, Zhang Yang planned to contact Gerald Wallace, but he wouldn’t go himself.

This time-consuming and possibly unrewarding task had to be handled by the boss.

After discussing the matter with Little Fat Boss, he readily agreed to take on the task of liaising with Gerald Wallace, being in San Francisco he could just go meet Gerald Wallace for a chat.

After agreeing, Little Fat Boss asked Zhang San to help him analyze the possibility of Gerald Wallace staying with the team.

The results of Zhang Yang’s analysis weren’t much different from Carlisle’s.

Felton said despondently: "Although I guessed it might be this way, it’s still quite upsetting, but people will come and go..."

After hanging up the call, Zhang Yang was also affected by Felton’s emotions and felt somewhat down.

When he was on his own thinking about it, he saw things more clearly, but when discussing it with someone else, the emotions welled up.

It had only been half a month since the championship night, the effort everyone put in together during the playoffs was still vivid in his mind.

When the emotions arrived, he didn’t suppress them; he let himself reminisce, something he had to get used to...

After a sleep, Zhang Yang re-entered a focused state.

No matter if Gerald Wallace stayed or left, improving his own strength was the most important thing for Joe himself.

After a day of training, by evening, Felton’s call came through.

The boss always acted swiftly, having decided only yesterday, he flew to Los Angeles this morning and had arranged a meal with Gerald Wallace.

Seeing Felton, who was always in a competitive state, personally come to persuade him, Gerald Wallace revealed his true thoughts.

The decisive factor in his decision to stay or leave was not the salary but rather the role in the team, the core status.

He believed that he had reached his peak as the second man in the frontcourt, having even won a championship, and now he wanted the core position in the frontcourt.

At the Bobcats, with Okafor in the forward position, it was impossible for Gerald Wallace to become the core of the frontcourt.

Zhang Yang had guessed that this was one of the reasons why Gerald Wallace decisively tested the free agency market, but he hadn’t realized it was the main reason.

It could only be said that the prince at heart still considered basketball his job, and if he thought he could make it, he would always aim higher, unaffected by emotional factors.

Players who consider basketball more as a job than a passion are just like that.

Winning a championship together wouldn’t affect Gerald Wallace’s decision to stay or leave.

However, Gerald Wallace expressed his position to Felton, stating that if he were to leave, he would do so by signing first and then being traded, to leave something behind for the team as a way to repay the favor of 2004.

If it weren’t for Bickerstaff’s discerning eye taking Gerald away that year, he might not have been completely wasted, but would have been delayed by the Kings for another year, having already lost three years, another year would certainly lower the heights he could reach.

Zhang Yang learned from Felton that Gerald Wallace had already rejected the Clippers’ offer of a 5-year maximum salary contract, feeling there was no future with the Clippers.

The league announced the 07-08 season’s salary cap was 57.94 million US dollars, the Clippers’ offer to Gerald Wallace was the highest, starting at 14.48 million US dollars, totaling 83.39 million US dollars over five years.

Gerald Wallace was more willing to accept the Lakers’ offer of a starting salary of 12 million US dollars for a total of 55 million US dollars over four years, but that too fell through because Kobe was flirting with the Chicago Bulls and had yet to decide whether to stay or leave; if Kobe didn’t stay, Gerald Wallace was not willing to go either.

Gerald Wallace was considering a team that surprised Zhang Yang — the Grizzlies.

After hanging up with Felton, Zhang Yang called Carlisle to convey Gerald Wallace’s current thoughts to the head coach.

Since Gerald Wallace had spoken these words, he definitely wanted to relay it through Felton to the management of the Bobcats; some things are less awkward to discuss between players, but it’s always hard to start the conversation with management.

...

The next day, July 9th, Zhang Yang continued his training, and after the morning session, the "Gate of Trials" notification arrived; 100,000 Shooting Values assembled, ready to unlock the trials, this time for 10 timelines!

A year had passed, and finally, there was another training opportunity, something he had long awaited.

On the 16th, next Monday, the training camp arranged by owner Joe would begin, led by the Legendary Trainer, Grove, with Ingles assisting.

He planned to complete the trials before the start of the camp; if he could learn new techniques, the development with Grove and Ingles’ help would undoubtedly be smoother, laying a good foundation from the start, and reducing missteps later on.

During a break at noon, Zhang Yang opened his laptop to check the news, curious about the soap operas of other stars.

He could calmly view Gerald Wallace’s situation because other teams were even more chaotic.

Parker, Kobe, Garnett, Kidd, Pierce, Ray Allen... a bunch of players requesting trades, the free agency market currently in disarray, with Gerald Wallace being among the least prominent in this group.

While Zhang Yang was enjoying the gossip, a phone call came in with explosive news... Yao Ming had joined the Chicago Bulls!

This trade also ignited what had been a poised free agency market!