Chapter 1 The Start of Free Agency

On July 1st, as soon as the free agency market opened, Kupchak was the first to dial the Timberwolves' front office.

With the intention of being helpful and believing that everyone's well-being is paramount, Kupchak proposed a deal to the Wolves that they couldn't refuse.

"You're really willing to trade Bojan and Nick to us?"

On the morning of July 1st, after repeatedly confirming with the Lakers the trade assets they were willing to offer, the Wolves' management was dumbfounded.

Because they really couldn't understand...

Why the Lakers were being so generous this time!

As a promising playmaking forward, don't be fooled by Bogdanovic's average stats of only 8.5 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 3.9 assists last season for the Lakers...

Because Bogdanovic's stats were achieved while playing for a top-tier team like the Lakers, his trade value and future appreciation potential were naturally incomparable to those players who racked up impressive stats on bad teams.

"If given enough ball-handling opportunities, I believe he can produce an average of '18+5+5'!"

After the Timberwolves' front office informed the Lakers that they intended to send Bogdanovic to Minnesota, the current Wolves' coach, Flip Saunders, immediately realized the value of this trade for the Timberwolves.

"Next season, Little Su (Wiggins' nickname) will still need time to level up.

He needs a perimeter partner who can handle the ball to help him.

Bojan can perfectly fulfill this role!" After forcefully suppressing the excitement in his heart, Saunders said to the Wolves' front office.

"What about Nick (Young)?" the Wolves' front office asked.

Last season, due to the intense competition within the Lakers...

And the fact that he would always affect Su Feng, Kobe, and Rondo's stat-padding efficiency when he was on the court...

Therefore, apart from winning a championship ring with the Lakers, Swaggy P spent most of his time as a "garbage time" player who was responsible for playing during "garbage time."

However, Saunders was also very optimistic about Nick Young's development on the Timberwolves.

Because Saunders, who watched the Lakers' playoffs from start to finish, was very clear that the Lakers' second unit could even dominate the vast majority of teams in today's league.

"You can't just look at Nick's stats from last season.

Right now, we're in need of a player on the bench who can score like Nick!" Saunders replied to the Wolves' front office's question.

In fact, Saunders' optimism about Nick Young...

Was mainly due to the fact that he had coached Nick Young during his time with the Wizards.

In the 2010/11 season, under Saunders, Nick Young averaged 17.8 points per game for the team, with overall and three-point percentages of 44.8% and 39.7% respectively, making him the Wizards' leading scorer at the time. (Note 1)

"Wait, are the Lakers really willing to trade Bojan and Nick to us? Who do they want from our side?" Saunders suddenly asked the Wolves' front office, as if he had just remembered something.

"They don't want anyone.

Just one of our first-round draft picks," the Wolves' front office replied.

"A first-round draft pick? They're really dreaming!

We're definitely going to continue to rebuild (tank) next season, wanting our first-round draft pick next year, even if Bojan and Nick are a good fit for us, it's impossible!" Saunders said to the Wolves' front office, feeling like he had suddenly woken up from a dream.

"No, they don't want our first-round draft pick next year.

But the one in 2017," the Wolves' front office continued on the phone.

Saunders: "!!!"

Holy sh*t!

So, good things really do fall from the sky?

Although ever since the Timberwolves became the Huskies...

A Wolves' pick could even be exchanged for a dozen worthless superstars like Howard in some years.

But in Saunders' opinion, after the Lakers traded Bogdanovic and Nick Young to the Timberwolves, plus Rubio and Wiggins...

The Timberwolves would only need to rebuild for one more year, and at the latest, they could challenge for the playoffs again in the 2016/17 season.

Therefore...

After clarifying the assets that the Lakers wanted from the Timberwolves...

Saunders almost immediately said to the Wolves' front office on the phone: "Agree to this trade! Since the Lakers are taking such good care of us, we can't waste their efforts, can we?"

Awesome, Lakers bros!

No wonder they have some historical ties with Minnesota!

Look at the Lakers'格局 (geju, overall situation/pattern/mindset)!

Even after they got rich, they didn't forget their poor little brother back home!

"Do you need to add top-three protection to this first-round draft pick?" In Los Angeles, Kupchak asked, playing hard to get before officially deciding to trade with the Timberwolves.

"Hey, Mitch, aren't you underestimating us too much? With Little Su leading the way, we might even compete with you for the Western Conference title in 2017!

What top-three protection? We're all family here, why be so polite!" The Wolves' front office said on the phone, feeling like Kupchak was looking down on them.

And so it was.

Because the Timberwolves' salary cap space was just enough to absorb Bogdanovic and Nick Young's contracts, the Lakers quickly completed their first trade of the summer.

After sending out Bogdanovic and Nick Young, the Lakers received the Timberwolves' first-round draft pick in 2017 in return.

Online, the media generally believed that this trade by the Lakers was a prelude to the team starting to slim down its roster.

After all, the upcoming new super luxury tax penalty standards...

In everyone's opinion, even a powerhouse like the Lakers would inevitably feel the pinch.

As for the Timberwolves, who had successfully "robbed" the Lakers, they received a rare A-grade trade rating that the Timberwolves' front office hadn't received in a long time.

Without a doubt.

If you didn't have the hindsight of a time-traveler...

No one could refuse this trade.

But at this moment, Kupchak, who had unwavering faith in Su Feng's vision, believed that this 2017 Wolves' pick would become the game-winning move of his career as a general manager!

"Don't be ridiculous, completing a rebuild in the short term?

Don't even mention three years, even if you give them another five years, they won't be able to do it!

On the surface, a lineup of Little Su, Ricky, Bogdanovic, plus Nick Young off the bench looks great...

But with the Timberwolves' completely rotten corporate culture...

They'll never be able to revive in the short term." Previously, when analyzing the Timberwolves' future for Kupchak, Su Feng said.

"If we ask them for a first-round draft pick in 2015 or 2016.

They definitely won't agree.

Because next season, they'll definitely continue to tank.

And 2016...

In their opinion, even if their rebuild goes smoothly, they're likely to get a high pick in 2016.

So, the 2017 first-round draft pick is our real target."

In this life, the main reason why Su Feng was so sure that the Timberwolves would continue to be bad for a long time

Was because the NBA directly awarded the Timberwolves the first overall pick this year.

So Su Feng was very clear that Mark, who inherited Stern's balancing act, would definitely not award the Timberwolves the first overall pick again next year.

Therefore, without Towns, and with Butler living so comfortably on the Warriors...

Relying solely on Wiggins and Lu Yi-Zhong...

If this Timberwolves team could rise, Su Feng would be the first to cut off his head and send it to Kobe as a basketball.

In addition, on the surface, the Lakers, who lost two key players in a row, suffered a great loss.

But with Bogdanovic deciding he wanted to leave, and Nick Young being a dispensable asset for the Lakers...

Being able to use two players that the Lakers no longer needed to get back a draft pick that was very likely to become a top-three pick in the future...

To be honest...

In Su Feng's opinion, the Lakers couldn't have made a more profitable deal this summer.

Although Su Feng admitted that this trade did involve a bit of gambling on his part.

But because the Timberwolves were the ones at the poker table with the Lakers this time...

So, to paraphrase the words of the "God of Gamblers" Jordan:

Only a fool wouldn't choose to go all-in!

On the 1st, after sending away Bogdanovic and Nick Young, Kupchak immediately contacted Boris Diaw and Shane Battier, who became free agents this summer, as suggested by Su Feng.

The former could fill the void left by Bogdanovic's departure, as the Lakers needed a backup point forward.

And he could also serve as a mentor for the young Jokic.

As for the latter, although he was already 35 years old, in limited playing time, Battier's defensive experience and his three-point shot could help the Lakers improve their bench strength.

Of course, most importantly...

These two veterans, who were both willing to accept only a minimum salary, could help the Lakers further free up salary cap space.

Cheap and practical.

Plus, they were both eager for a championship.

Therefore, for this Lakers team that was increasingly lacking motivation, Diaw and Battier were undoubtedly the best choices for the team this summer.

And in the process of communicating with Diaw and Battier's agents...

Kupchak encountered almost no obstacles and signed them to a two-year veteran minimum salary and a one-year veteran minimum salary, respectively.

In this life, because Su Feng had already moved to Miami when Diaw joined the Raptors, this man named "Diaw" unfortunately missed the opportunity to join forces with the Feng Emperor.

For Diaw, who was 32 years old, his only thought at the moment was to retire with a championship ring.

Therefore, he couldn't refuse the offer that Kupchak made to him.

And Battier was even more miserable...

Because he dedicated the most valuable peak of his career to the Trail Blazers that ended in failure...

And because Battier didn't play with Yao Ming in this life, his popularity in China was not enough for Chinese shoe manufacturers to offer him a contract that could increase his extra income...

Therefore, when he learned that the Lakers were willing to offer him a one-year veteran minimum salary, Battier, nicknamed "The President", who was originally thinking about retiring, immediately picked up his basketball and walked back to the training ground.

Retire... retire my a**!

Didn't he see that Garnett, who had screwed him over for most of his life, had won a championship ring with the Lakers?

And since Garnett could freeload, why couldn't he?

After settling the two veterans.

While Kupchak patiently observed the changes in the free agency market, the Lakers also reaped an unexpected surprise this summer.

"What did you say!

The Clippers intend to use a sign-and-trade to exchange Eric Bledsoe for Shaun Livingston?"

In early July, just as Su Feng was starting to prepare to train Jokic and Middleton, as well as a certain jerk who couldn't wait to take his Finals MVP trophy out with him every day, Kupchak's phone call almost made Su Feng's back snap.

In this life, due to the butterfly effect brought about by Su Feng, many players' career trajectories had changed.

And among them, besides those who had become better, there would naturally be unfortunate people who were not recognized and mixed worse and worse.

Obviously.

Bledsoe, nicknamed "Blood", in Su Feng's previous life, was exactly that unfortunate person.

Because the Clippers' coaching staff had poured more resources into Lillard over the past two years, Bledsoe had only been able to get an average of 16.8 minutes of playing time in the recently concluded 2013/14 season.

As everyone knows.

In the NBA, whether a player can put up good stats

Is directly related to the average playing time he can get.

In addition, in the Clippers' coaching staff's opinion, the team's future would be built around Lillard and McCollum...

So Bledsoe had already become a dispensable asset on the Clippers this summer.

Valley 轥</span>Los Angeles, after carefully analyzing the Clippers' current roster, Su Feng quickly understood why the Clippers were interested in Livingston.

Because for the current Clippers, whose offensive ceiling was not bad, they were lacking a player like "Livingston Jordan" who didn't need too much playing time and could provide stable output for the team in limited playing time.

Admittedly, everyone could see Bledsoe's talent.

But...

No matter how good the talent, it had to be converted into combat power.

In addition, Clippers owner Sterling's previous "telephone gate" incident also cleared the last obstacle for this trade.

Because as the person in this league who hated the Lakers and the Buss family the most...

Although Sterling's hatred for the Lakers was entirely due to his own reasons...

As long as Sterling was still there, the Clippers would never engage in this mutually beneficial trade with the Lakers.

"Su, are you sure we want to trade Shaun?" Kupchak asked on the phone before deciding to make the trade.

"I talked to Shaun before, after getting his fifth championship ring, he now wants to enjoy the rest of his basketball career more.

Eric has speed, is full of energy, plus we still need to give Spencer (Dinwiddie) some room to grow next season, so in my opinion, this trade is more beneficial to us." After sighing, Su Feng, who was also very reluctant to part with Livingston, said to Kupchak.

No way.

In this life, Livingston's career was just too perfect.

Therefore, even Su Feng couldn't guarantee that Livingston would still be as motivated on the court as he used to be.

And, don't think that Bledsoe's short-term effect on the court might not be as good as Livingston's.

But after he and Kobe retired, Su Feng was very clear...

At that time, Bledsoe only needed to pad his stats a little bit to get the Lakers a lot of rebuilding chips.

Without a doubt.

Young and energetic Bledsoe was exactly the kind of player the Lakers needed to consider for the future.

"Su, thank you for calling me specifically to tell me about this.

Actually, even if you didn't say anything, I wanted to talk to you about it."

After hanging up with Kupchak, Su Feng immediately dialed Livingston's number. As a result, before Su Feng could finish speaking, Livingston told Su Feng on the phone that he was recently considering changing teams to earn his retirement money.

"Oh, Mitch is planning to trade me to the Clippers?

That's great.

Because I just bought a house in Los Angeles two years ago, so I don't even have to move, and I can usually freeload at your house." On the phone, after learning that Kupchak was planning to trade him to the Clippers, Livingston said to Su Feng with an excited look.

After the NBA's salary cap skyrocketed, it wouldn't be difficult for Livingston to get a sincere retirement contract in the future.

However, it was different on the Lakers.

Because this summer, the Lakers would definitely give Su Feng and Kobe a decent super contract...

Therefore, Livingston was very clear that even if he didn't leave the Lakers now, he would have to say goodbye to his brothers sooner or later.

After all, in the NBA...

Who would complain about earning more money?

In this life, the six years in Los Angeles can be said to be the peak of Livingston's life.

So, when he learned that he could still trade a promising rookie for the Lakers...

Livingston not only didn't feel sad about his upcoming departure, but he also thought that this way of leaving was more acceptable to him.

And after hanging up with Livingston...

Su Feng also realized why Little Buss always had the luck of a fool.

In fact, with the future batch of rookies that Kupchak had chosen for the Lakers, as well as Tatum, who was strongly recommended by Kobe but ignored by Aunt Jeanie...

You can't help but notice.

In fact, compared to the " Ganges Battleship" that Aunt Jeanie and Pelinka assembled by overdrawing the future, Little Buss not only inherited the emotional side of Old Buss, but also, in terms of team building philosophy, he was more inclined to sustainable overfishing.

Yes, in Su Feng's previous life, after he was reborn, under the leadership of Aunt Jeanie, the Lakers did win the championship again.

But for a powerhouse like the Lakers...

A championship once every ten years, or once every twenty years...

Is that really considered a passing grade?

You have to know that in the NBA...

Each team and each player has its own different positioning and standards.

For example, for some teams, the success is to end the tanking period and complete the rebuilding as soon as possible, so that fans can watch a few more free games every year.

Another example is someone who just needs to touch the Western Conference Finals floor before, touching the Western Conference Finals floor is considered a success.

Try to imagine it!

Even without Su Feng.

If Little Buss continued to be in power...

Then, with Little Buss's personality, in 2017, do you think he would abandon Tatum, who was strongly recommended by Kobe?

And even if Kupchak didn't recruit any superstars for the Lakers after that...

To be honest, the Lakers composed of young players such as Randle, Ingram, and Tatum may not have the combat power to fight those universe teams in the future.

In this life, thanks to the Lakers' excellent corporate culture...

Look at the people like Little Gasol, Green, and Livingston...

Which one of them doesn't think of the Lakers first before leaving?

July 14th.

After the Clippers completed the contract extension with Bledsoe, a restricted free agent, with a 5-year contract worth only 28 million, with the last year being a team option, the Clippers then sent him to the next door and traded back Livingston from the next door.

Online, for this trade...

Although emotionally, the Lakers fans felt as uncomfortable as Su Feng...

But for this mutually beneficial P.Y. behavior between the big brother and the second brother...

Other fans thought that...

The Lakers and the Clippers both got what they wanted in this trade.

To be honest, Su Feng thought that Bledsoe's cost-effective contract was outrageous.

Because in Su Feng's impression, starting from the 2014/15 season, until before he traveled, Bledsoe's annual salary had never been less than 10 million.

Unfortunately...

"Blood" couldn't suppress Lillard, the local snake.

So, Bledsoe could only accept the bad luck that he had to accept.

July 15th.

After the recruitment work was successfully completed, the Lakers officially reached a 5-year contract extension with Rondo, worth 72 million US dollars.

On the day of officially renewing his contract with the Lakers, Rondo said with excitement that he was very grateful to the Lakers for giving him long-term trust, and in the future, he would repay this Lakers with his actions.

Overall, the Lakers made a big profit with this contract renewal with Rondo.

Because after the salary cap skyrocketed this year, people generally believed that the Lakers would have to use a contract worth hundreds of millions of dollars to impress Rondo.

But, people's pursuits are different.

Just like at this moment, after finishing a day of hard training in the training hall, Jokic's only pursuit was to drink a bottle of cola.

"Su, I can't stand it anymore!

If you still allow him to drink cola after training, then... then... then..." On the side, watching Jokic, Kobe, who had always been strict with himself and even stricter with others, became anxious.

Hearing this, after smiling, Su Feng said: "Then what, then...

After you finish training, don't you want to pester me to make you a pizza?"

Kobe: "......"

Can that be the same!

Cola, is that something that professional basketball players can touch on weekdays?

"Don't worry, I'll let him control his desire to drink cola and eat junk food a little bit." Patting Kobe on the shoulder, Su Feng continued.

"Anyway, if he can't lose weight before the team officially assembles...

Then, I will never agree to him representing the Lakers in the competition at that time." Kobe said to Su Feng with a serious look.

"Okay, Coach Kobe." Su Feng nodded.

Kobe: "......"

No!

Why do you make it sound like I'm a basketball bully?

I......

I just want my teammates to become better!

These days, after the Lakers have completed several trades and signings one after another, Kobe always feels that the Lakers' dynasty road next season has become more and more difficult.

Because in the case of not using the God's perspective to look at the future...

Most basketball players, after achieving success, will trust more those teammates who have fought side by side with him.

Kobe is naturally no exception.

However, after adding two rookies and exchanging five strong catfish for the Lakers in one go...

Su Feng believed that as long as the Lakers could stay healthy next season, then they would still be the strongest team in the current league, without exception.

"Oh, by the way, have you asked Mitch when he plans to hold our signing ceremony?" After suddenly remembering something, Kobe asked.

Hearing this, after nodding, Su Feng said: "Of course, it must be on your 36th birthday.

This is your best birthday gift."

In fact, Su Feng and Kobe had reached a verbal contract renewal agreement with the Lakers as early as after the championship parade.

However...

For the sake of that **** sense of ceremony...

Little Buss and Kupchak hoped to formally renew their contracts with Su Feng and Kobe on August 23rd, Kobe's 36th birthday.

Look, what is brotherhood basketball!

Fake brotherhood basketball, brothers reduce their salaries together, and the tactical arrangements have to depend on other people's faces.

Real brotherhood basketball, the boss, the general manager, and the star players are inseparable from each other. Not only must you get the top salary, but you must also be the decision-maker of this team.

In this life, after gradually getting acquainted with Su Feng, Kupchak and Little Buss didn't worry at all that they wouldn't be able to complete the contract renewal with Su Feng.

Because in the past seven years, the sincerity that this Lakers has given Su Feng...

Is completely incomparable to all other teams.

Little Buss, who always only talked about feelings and not money with Su Ke, was very clear.

Compared to the so-called top salary.

At the contract renewal ceremony, which is likely to be the last contract in Su Feng and Kobe's career...

What the Lakers need more is a sense of dignity and atmosphere.

"I only have one request for Su and Kobe's contract renewal ceremony.

That is, this contract renewal ceremony must make Shaquille O'Neal want to cry when he sees it, make Michael Jordan regret being a human being, and let the whole world see our respect for these two veterans!"

On the day of formally handing over the work of preparing the Su Ke contract renewal ceremony to Kupchak, Little Buss said.

……

ps: Short and cute, long! Short and cute, can be gotten along with! Short and cute! Strong!