Chapter 531 The honeymoon period is over
Since this draft is a big year for insiders, although John Wall, who has basically locked up the top pick, is a point guard, after Wall, more than half of the top ten favorites are inside players.
Therefore, this is a good year for teams looking to find a core inside player.
As long as they pick high enough, they can find a variety of insiders in the draft.
But for the Sonics, these high-ranking talents have nothing to do with them.
The more players Sam Presti works out, the less confident he becomes in selecting available players in the draft.
Because the talent in this draft class is concentrated at the head, those players worthy of attention will be selected in the first 20 picks of the first round, with no chance of falling into their hands.
Just when Presti was worrying about draft candidates, he thought of Yu Fei.
It was Yu Fei who reminded him before the draft to pay attention to DeAndre Jordan, who had no chance of being squeezed out of the lottery at that time.
As a result, teams skipped over Jordan one after another because his skills were too rough and his mind was immature, leaving the Sonics with a big omission.
Yu Fei also suggested Alonzo Key last year. As a result, although Key is not a second-round pick like Jordan, he is definitely a player worth signing.
Currently, Presti has locked in Washington University's Quincy Pondexter, a 3D wing who is slightly undersized but has outstanding wingspan.
However, he may not fall to the 29th pick.
After much thought, Presti decided to call Yu Fei to see what he thought about the draft.
"Sam, how's the job going?"
Yu Fei is still on vacation and does not seem to be planning to participate in this draft.
"Fry, what do you think of this year's draft?"
"I don't have any opinion." Yu Fei said, "But if I had the No. 1 pick, I would not choose John Wall."
Presti likes to talk about drafting with Yu Fei, because Yu Fei is the kind of person who proves that he does have a good eye for drafting.
Therefore, even if what he just said sounds rebellious - like a teenager in adolescence who doesn't want to follow the crowd - Wall has been ranked No. 1 in the past decade and was recognized as the No. 1 pick before the draft began.
ESPN's draft expert Chad Ford believes that Wall has Rose's speed and Nash's organizational ability. He is like a Kidd with better athletic ability. If he can develop a stable shooting hand, he will definitely be the league's future leader. Point guard.
These compliments are undoubtedly excessive, but Wall's talent is unanimously optimistic in the industry.
After all, the point guard position is not like other positions where you can sell talents that are visible to the naked eye.
Due to the position of point guards, most of them are the shortest players on the court. Therefore, talent, skills and golf intelligence are the focus of scouts' consideration.
In terms of talent, Wall's speed is full, his golf intelligence is unquestionable, and his figure is very good. The only thing that needs to be improved is his shooting.
How could such an extremely stable number one talent fall outside Yu Fei's eyes?
"Oh? Then who will you choose?"
Yu Fei's voice sounded very relaxed: "I will trade down, exchange the No. 1 pick for a lower lottery pick and future draft picks, and then use that lottery pick to select Paul George."
When the name Paul George appeared from Yu Fei's mouth, Presti knew that Yu Fei knew this draft class very well.
George was not a popular draft name before this year, even though he is already a sophomore.
Because he was unknown in high school, just an ordinary three-star high school student. Three stars means that his ranking is outside the top 100 at the same level.
Miraculously, he developed again after entering college. He is now 203 centimeters tall and has shown good defense and smooth shooting ability. However, because the league he is in is a D1 minor league, his competitiveness is doubtful. He also did not have a dominant performance to lead the team into March Madness. Therefore, many scouts doubted whether he could realize his talent at the NBA level.
This has led to George's draft stock hovering on the edge of the lottery.
Yu Fei's ability to name George proves that he is familiar with this year's draft.
But unfortunately, the top pick in Yu Fei's eyes is beyond the reach of Supersonic.
The pick is too high. If they want to get George, they will have to tear down the championship lineup.
However, some dynasty teams will decide when they achieve three consecutive championships, "Three consecutive championships are enough. If others can't survive if they continue to defend the championship, let's start rebuilding"? Obviously, no one would do that.
So Presti wants to know what Yu Fei thinks of those players at the end of the first and second rounds.
"Fry, we are looking for suitable rookies, do you have any recommendations?"
Presti felt like he was falling.
He used to hate Yu Fei dictating the draft, but now he is vaguely looking forward to Yu Fei recommending a DeAndre Jordan-style legacy to them.
This is difficult for Yu Fei.
Looking at this draft, the trend is very obvious.
Yu Fei looked at the draft predictions from major websites. Among the lower-ranked players, he was only impressed by Hassan Whiteside and Jeremy Lin.
They definitely don't need a center like Whiteside anymore. As for Jeremy Lin, influenced by Yu Fei, he does not suffer as obvious industry discrimination in this life as he did in his previous life.
His so-called "I'm faster than Wall but no one cares" no one cares in this world.
All major draft prediction websites have him ranked in the first half of the second round.
Although the Sonics have a draft pick at the end of the first round, they prefer to use this pick to select a 3D wing, because Roy will fully recover next season, and backup guards are not their most urgent need.
However, Yu Fei also knew that Roy was often injured and might need major repairs one day.
"Jeremy Lin from Stanford University is good," Yu Fei said, "I don't know much about the others."
Presti has inspected Jeremy Lin and has a good impression of the young man, but there is a high probability that he will not fall to the 29th pick in the second round. Selecting him with the 29th pick in the first round seems a bit wasteful.
What the team needs most right now is wings, and the playoffs have proven this. Multifunctional wings will be useful anyway, while guards and shooters are not.
"Fry, it's time for you to find a time to talk about contract renewal."
Presti spoke up.
Objectively speaking, Yu Fei is about to become an unrestricted free agent.
The contract he signed with the team two years ago will expire this summer. Now Seattle has become his place of dominance. The dynasty is built, the team stays, and the new arena is expected to be put into use before 2016. .
He had no reason to leave the team, so for both parties, it was just a matter of going through the process and signing the contract.
"Not now." Yu Fei revealed something that the management has been unwilling to face. "Before the labor and management parties reach an agreement, as a representative of the player camp, I will not sign with any team."
This is the most worrying thing.
In the latest labor negotiations, management reiterated the conditions set during the All-Star Weekend, with small-market owners insisting on a hard salary cap and reduced player profit sharing.
Naturally, the players union disagreed, and both parties broke up.
More and more information indicates that the NBA may be suspended, and the differences between the two sides this time are far greater than in the summer of 1998.
Owners then were just trying to close salary cap loopholes; now, they're actually trying to take a cut from labor.
As the newly promoted GOAT, Yu Fei is not only the representative of the players, but also the leader of the players. Although he does not hold any position in the players' union, he can convey an attitude just by sitting aside during negotiations.
In this case, he cannot take the contract with him.
Presti is just a wage earner. He has no stake in either the superiors or the subordinates. The only thing he has to do is to complete his work before a complete shutdown.
"Then let's talk after the problem is resolved."
Presti hung up the phone.
"Aren't you on vacation?"
At this time, Yu Fei was lying lazily on a beach chair in Florida, eyes slightly narrowed, enjoying the warmth of the sun. Next to him, Christina was wearing a bright yellow bikini and walked lightly to him with a naughty smile on her face.
Christina's fiery red hair shimmered in the sun, highlighting her fair skin and perfect figure. Her plump curves are even more alluring against the backdrop of the bikini. Her plump butt and slender waist form a sharp contrast, and her slender legs are particularly eye-catching on the beach.
"No way, I'm a busy man." Yu Fei responded softly, his eyes following Christina's figure. She sat down next to him, and under the light, her figure looked even more graceful.
It's hard to find the right words to describe his current relationship with Christina.
Perhaps, "phase couple" is more appropriate, just like the legendary couple on the set.
The two had old feelings for each other, and then there was an exchange of interests. Yu Fei agreed that Christina would join his movie to play the second female lead, thereby maintaining her popularity as a TV personality of the year, and she also warmed up with the enthusiasm of a MILF. Yu Fei.
Yu Fei likes this status quo. They each get what they need. To a certain extent, it is very pure.
Later, Yu Fei called Christian Leitner.
After Laettner became an official agent last year, he represented Stephen Curry, James Harden and DeMar DeRozan on Yu Fei's recommendation. This year, Yu Fei suggested that he get Paul George's agency rights.
Lightner did so.
In less than two years, Laettner has gone from newbie to rising star in the agent world.
Because both Curry and Harden showed star qualifications in their rookie seasons.
"Is there any news?" Yu Fei asked casually, "For example, some teams that don't seek improvement feel that the first-year players they just selected will not be successful and want to sell them at a low price. Is there any such news?" Frye, when did you become the general manager?”
Yu Fei laughed, and squinted to see Christina staring at him sideways, so his restless hand fell on Christina's Titan Peak, which would get 100% head-turning rate wherever she went.
Once again, silicone is crumbs, only natural ones are worth holding onto.
"I heard that Cleveland is planning to send Danny Green away." Laettner probably didn't expect this news to help Yu Fei. "This young man is not qualified and can't even play in Cleveland."
Not qualified?
"Do you think Kristen Stewart is qualified?"
Yu Fei suddenly said something that left Leitner confused.
"Huh?" Lightner tried to answer, "I think it's good, it's pretty."
"So would Danny Green."
Just as Leitner was wondering how the two events were related, Yu Fei's phone had already hung up.
So Laettner went to check Green's rookie season data.
Appeared in 20 games, averaging 2 points per game, with three shooting percentages of 38%, 27% and 66%.
Therefore, there is a reason why he cannot play with the Cavaliers.
Laettner even doubted whether he could play in the G League.
However, just because he is so bad, if the Sonics want to get him, the price will be very low.
As long as the Sonics are willing to hand over a second-round pick, the Cavaliers will probably agree without even thinking about it.
Half an hour later, Yu Fei sent a text message to Presti, asking him to try to get Danny Green.
After Presti went to check on Green's situation this past season, he felt the same as Laettner.
He really didn't know what strengths this player, who looked like a piece of shit from the panel data, had caught Yu Fei's attention.
Maybe they are friends?
But being bad has its advantages, and it would be easy for the Sonics to get Green.
If doing so would please Fei, Presti couldn't think of a reason not to do it.
So he went to ask the Cavaliers for a price.
The Cavaliers are also very kind. They ask for a second-round pick. As for whether to give it to this year's second round or future second rounds, it is up to the Sonics themselves to decide.
It seems like the Cavaliers have reached a point where they can't stand having Danny Green on the roster.
Then Presti called Yu Fei and expressed that he would use the 29th pick in the second round to exchange for Danny Green.
Yu Fei, who had already entered the sage mode at that time, said calmly: "This will be the most cost-effective transaction you have ever made."
Whether it's the most cost-effective, Presti doesn't know.
But it would certainly be a deal that would damage his reputation.
Even if the second-round pick is no longer valuable, it should not be traded for a player like Green who has been proven by the second-worst team in the Eastern Conference to be unqualified to play in the NBA.
June 20 is less than a week away from the draft.
It was an ordinary day until the league announced that the Sonics would use the 29th pick in the second round of 2010 to acquire Danny Green from the Cavaliers.
"A dollar for a cent? This is why I love the NBA," Bill Simmons said on Twitter.
"The Seattle Times" thinks the situation is not optimistic: "We should give Sam Presti more praise, otherwise he will be like Jerry Krause and ruin the dynasty because he did not get enough respect. Good job, Sam, but it would be better to do less deals like this!”
Mark Stein made a sharp comment on ESPN: "Danny Green averaged 2 points per game with a 38% shooting rate last season and was eliminated by the Cavaliers - that's a ball that even LeBron can't stay. Team. Sam Presti actually traded a valuable second-round pick for Danny Green? I wonder how Frye feels now."
Then there is Danny Green, the new Sonics player that no one expected.
In the hours after the deal was announced, his Twitter account gained 20,000 followers.
A small number of these people are SuperSonics fans who express their blessings to him, and a large number of them are Yu Jiajun who traveled around after the season.
"If you dare to trick Da Fei, you will be dead!"
They left messages on Green’s past tweets.
This scared Green, who had not yet figured out the situation, and quickly tweeted his stance: "Please rest assured, I will not let down the team's hopes. Playing in the NBA is my dream, and I will do anything for this."
Soon after, Yu Fei liked the tweet, which then increased Green's follower count by tens of thousands.
However, Yu Fei and Christina's intimate behavior on the beach was quickly exposed by gossip websites.
Yu Fei was very angry. These candid photos of dogs were really disgusting. Couldn't this GOAT have some privacy and fun? I'm going to sue them!
However, as long as you are a celebrity, you will inevitably be noticed, and that is what paparazzi do.
Presti is very grateful to Yu Fei. When he was besieged by the public, Yu Fei suddenly made big news and diverted the public's attention away from the second-round pick for Green.
But if you think about it carefully, isn't this deal Yu Fei's own intention?
I bet both news were caused by GOAT, but GM took the blame?
Presti quickly put those chores aside because the draft wasn't over yet.
After many days of investigation, Presti chose Quincy Pondexter and Jeremy Lin as the 29th pick in the first round.
Because in his opinion, Green's reinforcements are basically in vain.
It is a dream to expect Green to strengthen the team's wing depth in the new season, so the second-round pick is considered useless.
Then the first-round pick will be used to continue to strengthen the wings.
The SuperSonics conducted a second trial training with Jeremy Lin and Pondexter. Jeremy Lin's overall quality is even better. Presti believes that he has great hope of becoming a guard who has played in the NBA for more than 10 years, but the best and most Suitability has always been an unclear multiple-choice question in the draft.
Since ancient times, management has had formulas for solving problems.
Weak teams choose the best, and strong teams choose the most suitable.
Presti has finalized his first choice of Quincy Pondexter to prepare for Jeremy Lin's draft strategy.
June 24
The day before the NBA draft, labor and management held their last negotiations before the offseason in New York.
If an agreement cannot be reached in this negotiation, the NBA will be suspended when the draft is over.
The employer pretended to take a step back during the negotiations and decided to withdraw its request for a hard salary cap.
And this in itself is a clause that the players union will never accept.
As early as the 1980s, when the two sides almost came to a standstill over the salary cap issue, the players' union's attitude was clear: either a soft salary cap or no salary cap.
This kind of empty, card-making negotiation that puts forward a condition that the other party cannot accept at all, and then withdraws it during the negotiation to show concessions, thereby requiring the other party to make concessions, makes Yu Fei feel that the upper class of American society has some problems in this kind of matter. path dependency.
That's all they'll do.
Because they think they have absolute strength.
Management has never regarded labor as an equal partner.
Derek Fisher, the chairman of the union, snorted coldly and said: "Since you are so 'generous', we can't be too stingy. Well, our original demand was to return the league to the state it was in before 1983. We You want the salary cap to be abolished. Since you no longer insist on the hard salary cap, we will no longer ask for the salary cap to be abolished.”
Later, union vice president Billy Hunter said: "However, starting from the new season, we must receive 58% of the dividends from the television broadcast agreement. This is non-negotiable!"
Boss Joe, a die-hard member of the small market, was anxious: "This is fucking impossible! The 57% bonus given to players in the last collective bargaining agreement has already caused us heavy losses. They actually want 58% this time?"
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You must know that this labor war was initiated by the employer. The employer has no objection to the status quo. It is the employer who feels that it has suffered a loss and wants to break the contract and divide the cake again.
Now they are actually going to break the contract?
What kind of rebellion is this?
"Before I joined Seattle, the SuperSonics had been losing money for years." Yu Fei suddenly spoke, speaking at a methodical speed with astonishing momentum, "Now, my boss, Mr. Clay Bennett, made a profit in the season that just ended. 150 million U.S. dollars. But I can’t get a cent from these profits. Isn’t that a problem? Let alone 58% of the profits, even if we want 60%. Of course.”
Jordan was furious: "You want to kill all the small market teams?"
"Do you have to blame me for your poor management?" Yu Fei sneered, "If you can't live, don't live."
In this way, the honeymoon period between Yu Fei and the employer is over.
He was the savior who defeated the evil empire on behalf of the capital, the GOAT who upheld the right path, and was recognized by everyone as the best in history.
Now, he is the defender of the players' interests. As the leader of the players' camp, he has only one appeal, which is to protect the interests of all players.
No way, GOAT is very busy.
The last labor negotiation before the draft broke down as expected.
David Stern told a reporter from the New York Times that day: "If the two sides cannot reach an agreement after the draft, the league will be completely shut down."
(End of chapter)