As per the new regulations after labor-management negotiations and the request made by Su Feng, the Raptors' management team quickly reached an agreement with Duffy on a five-year contract worth approximately $54 million. The starting salary was $9 million, and the final year was a player option. A verbal agreement including a no-trade clause was also added to the contract.

Because Su Feng didn't have Bird rights with the Raptors, according to the verbal agreement reached by both parties, the Raptors planned to officially complete the contract renewal with Su Feng on July 1, after the free agency market opened.

However, just as team general manager Glen Grunwald and owner Chad were preparing to pop champagne to celebrate their success in retaining Su Feng...

Next door, Grizzlies owner Griffiths, who had been hit hard, refused to accept it.

This year, with the Raptors winning the championship, Vancouver's fans had long become Raptors fans.

Looking at the Grizzlies' sluggish ticket sales, and then looking at the Raptors' explosive attention...

How could Griffiths not be anxious?

Back then, when the Raptors and Grizzlies joined the NBA together, they were brothers in misfortune. But now...

And thinking about the Raptors' future filled with anticipation after re-signing with Su Feng...

Griffiths admitted, he was jealous.

On the 22nd, at the league's owners' season summary meeting, watching Chad constantly asking Jerry Buss about the contents of a championship parade during the meeting breaks, Griffiths said at the meeting:

"I really can't imagine someone like Su..."

Currently, there are quite a few teams willing to offer Joe Smith a large contract. In this life, without the restriction of the illegal contract, not only is Joe Smith's future brighter, but also, without the league's punishment, the Timberwolves' future will be even more promising.

And in a daze, Su Feng, who had already skewed history, was preparing to participate in the team's championship parade while also looking at the list of the 1999 NBA draft, lost in thought.

In the 1999 NBA draft, there were two famous international players.

One was Andrei Kirilenko, nicknamed "AK47."

And the other was Manu Ginobili, nicknamed "The Argentinean Magician."

In Su Feng's previous life, these two would be selected by the Jazz and Spurs with the 24th pick in the first round and the last pick in the second round, respectively.

Judging from the two draft picks that the Raptors have this year, if they want to select Kirilenko, the Raptors must trade up.

Because the Raptors performed excellently in the 98/99 season, their two draft picks this year are relatively late.

However, Su Feng didn't plan to spend any effort on these two great players this time.

Because both Kirilenko and Ginobili had a fatal problem, which was that they both had contracts with their European teams.

If Su Feng remembered correctly, Kirilenko would have to wait until 2001 to land in the NBA, and Ginobili would be even later. He would have to wait until 2002 to land in the NBA.

In Su Feng's previous life, the reason why these two weren't drafted high in the 99 NBA draft was related to their contracts with their European teams.

And for the current Raptors, there is no doubt that immediate combat power is what the Raptors need most.

In addition, Su Feng is sure to leave the Raptors in the future, so he doesn't want to work hard to cultivate new talents for the Raptors.

You know, by the time Ginobili and Kirilenko finish leveling up, Su Feng might have already left the Raptors.

Moreover, even if Su Feng could use his persuasive skills to convince Kirilenko and Ginobili to join the NBA early, it would be useless.

Because the NBA restricts the team's buyout fee for international players, even if Raptors owner Chad wanted to spend money this time, he couldn't do it.

Therefore, under Su Feng's hint, Davis quickly handed his reinforcement plan to Glen Grunwald.

There are many high-quality rookies in the 99 draft, so if they can trade up, they should trade up as much as possible.

And if they can't trade up, then use these two draft picks as bargaining chips to trade for a meat shield who can defend against Shaquille O'Neal.

For Su Feng, who knew how perverted O'Neal would be next season, in his opinion, if the Raptors want to defend their title next season, they must start planning now on how to sink this fathead fish.

After all, with a lineup composed of O'Neal, Kobe, Rice, Lewis, and others, from the perspective of on-paper strength, this Lakers team is definitely stronger than the one in Su Feng's memory.

As for the opponents in the East...

Not to mention opponents like the Pacers and Heat.

And after practicing for another year, who knows how strong the Celtics will become next season...

To be honest, the Raptors' chances of defending their title next season are definitely galactic-level difficulty.

"This championship was snatched at a critical moment..."

On this day, touching his receding hairline, Su Feng silently sighed in his heart.

Because if he hadn't snatched this championship this season, he really didn't know how long he would have to wait to win a championship in the future.

In short, it's good to be ahead at the start.

But if he forgets his respect for this era because of this, then it's only a matter of time before Su Feng is overtaken...

...

ps: I never expected that this chapter would almost be blocked. I almost lost all my hair checking the information. (There will be a 200 roll tonight, I will continue writing, including the 9th, I still owe 2 chapters!)

ps2: You lick, I lick, less sarcasm, you praise, I praise, A Qiao updates like coming home.