warrior godfather

Texas, San Antonio.

Tuk Tuk Tuk!
At the AT&T Center, there was a knock on the door of Popovich's office. The old coach who was studying the rookie scouting report did not look up, and said in a deep voice:

"Please come in."

pat.

The wooden door was pushed open, and Spurs general manager Buford strode into the office, sat down directly opposite Popovich, and said very excitedly:
"Greg, have you received the news? Butler is leaving the Warriors!"

Popovich threw the scouting report on the table and said:

"I've heard that. I didn't expect the Warriors to dismantle the core lineup just after winning the championship. I don't know what Ronan thinks..."

He shook his head, seemingly puzzled by the matter.

"No matter what's wrong with the Warriors, if Butler wants to leave, that's a good opportunity for us. As long as we can sign Butler, we also have a top striker, and we don't have to worry about opponents' targeting in the playoffs!" Buford waved Hands folded, expression very excited.

After he got the news, he saw the dawn of solving the stubborn problem of the Spurs striker, and immediately came to Popovich.

Popovich was not as excited as Buford, and his slightly cloudy eyes revealed the light of wisdom:
"Hehe, this matter is not so easy. The contract between Butler and the Warriors has expired, but the Warriors still want to "trade". The bargaining chip is the right to choose. Obviously, they have reached an agreement with Butler. Later trade, so Butler can sign the maximum contract, the Warriors can also get a little draft pick compensation."

"So if we want to sign Butler, we have to convince him first, and then we have to pay for the draft pick. This is not an easy task. Will Butler be willing to come to a small place like San Antonio? And he must have a maximum salary. , It may even be a super maximum salary, are you sure Pete will agree to give him such a big contract?"

Buford fell silent, and the excited expression on his face gradually disappeared.

Pete is Pete Holt, the owner of the Spurs, and the owner of Holtcat, the largest crawler tractor dealer in the United States.

This title sounds quite bluffing, but his asset size can only be ranked last among NBA owners. This is why the Spurs never pay the luxury tax, because they simply cannot afford the luxury tax.

Buford gritted his teeth and said:

"But this is our best chance. I believe in Pete. He is not so short-sighted. Tim, Tony, and Manu are old. We need a new core. Butler is the best candidate. Convince him that we won't have to worry about it for the next ten years!"

Popovich sighed softly:
"Okay, you go to contact Butler's agent, you can promise him a super maximum salary, and a position at the core of the team-but it will take two years, Tim still has gas in the tank, but he is old It’s very big. In two years, Butler will be the absolute core of the team. I hope this condition can impress him... For the Warriors, we can give draft picks, but it can be less or less, mainly to persuade Butler , If it doesn’t work, we can only offer him a maximum salary offer to see if the Warriors don’t match up.”

"Okay, I'll do it right away!" Buford agreed, got up and left.

Popovich watched Buford walk out of the room, stared at the empty wall for a while, lowered his head, continued to flip through the rookie scouting report in his hand, and murmured:

"Butler has already seen the prosperity of big cities, what attraction can San Antonio have..."

……

Chicago, Illinois.

Foreman, the general manager of the Bulls, was sitting in his study, looking at a few photos on the computer screen in front of him, frowning, lost in thought, as if struggling with something.

Before the finals were over, Rose found him and expressed his dissatisfaction with Thibodeau's coaching.

In fact, not only Rose, but the Bulls' management has long had opinions on Thibodeau's coaching.

They assigned Thibodeau a first-class lineup in the league, and Rose is also one of the few superstars in the league, but the Bulls fell to the Eastern Conference Finals for three consecutive years, and Foreman had already moved his mind to change coaches.

It would be fine if the Bulls only ate dumplings once, but they made it to the Eastern Conference Finals for three consecutive years, two of which they reached the tiebreaker with the Big Three Heat, and even won the match point first, which shows that the Bulls are capable, but they are not so good. in one breath.

It's time for the Bulls to seek a change, but Rose will definitely not be able to move, and the lineup is not reinforced, so the only way to do it is from the coach.

After reaching a consensus with Rose, Foreman fired Thibodeau, started the work of selecting coaches, and interviewed several candidates, but he still couldn't make up his mind.

Now there is no famous coach at home, and several candidates have no experience in coaching NBA teams. Foreman is a little hesitant as to who he should choose.

One of the candidates is very capable. Although he has not coached an NBA team, he has championship experience and is favored by Foreman.

However, the conditions he put forward made Foreman a little difficult to accept, which even included requirements such as participating in team transactions and arbitrarily deploying the lineup.

If Foreman agrees to these conditions, he will completely hand over the team to the new head coach, which makes him hesitate.

After all, this candidate is not a top coach with qualifications and prestige like Popovich. If he is really given those powers, who knows if he will make the team a mess?
"Ding……"

The sudden ringing of the mobile phone broke the silence in the room. Foreman shook his head, woke up from his contemplation, picked up the mobile phone, got up and walked to the window, stretched his shoulders, and answered the call:

"Hey, this is Gar Foreman... what? Jimmy Butler's contract extension with the Warriors has collapsed? He's leaving the Warriors? Are you sure?!"

Foreman's eyes flashed brightly, and his voice became dignified:

"...Sign first and then change...Okay, I see...You can ask again...Forget it, send me Jeff Austin's phone number, I will contact him personally...Do you have Butler's contact information No? Yes? Very good, send it to me...Okay, you can go to work."

"Huh..." Foreman put down the phone and let out a long breath.

He stared at the quiet and peaceful afternoon street outside the window, with a smile on his lips, turned around suddenly, came to the desk, looked at several photos on the computer screen, moved the mouse, and stopped on one of the photos.

"This is a good opportunity, a good opportunity that must not be missed. It seems that I don't have to worry about it anymore. This is God's instruction..."

Foreman whispered to himself, picked up the phone again, found a number in the address book, and dialed:

"Mr. Stevens, do you have time these days? I want to go to Indiana and have an interview with you..."

……

Oakland, California.

At ten o'clock in the morning, Zhang Yu woke up Shi Shiran, finished washing, sat at the dining table, and enjoyed a late breakfast.

Yesterday he first discussed work with Rick Wirtz and Larry Riley all afternoon, and then talked with Butler late at night. He was exhausted physically and mentally, and had a good sleep.

But before going to bed, he sent an email to Larry Riley, and the news that Butler was leaving the Warriors should have spread.

Thinking of the conversation with Butler last night, Zhang Yu paused in mid-air while lifting the bacon, and sighed.

Butler's idea of ​​asking for a super maximum salary is very firm, and he can't change Butler's mind.

However, Butler also agreed to Zhang Yu's proposal to sign first and then change. This can retain his bird rights and sign a larger contract in the future. The Warriors can also get some draft picks as compensation, which is a win-win operation.

Business is business, Zhang Yu and Butler are still in love, Butler said when he left:
"Boss, I have always respected you very much. Without you, I would not be able to achieve what I am today. If possible, I hope I can always play for you... But I also understand your difficulties. You are the owner of the team. You must Considering many issues, my contract is not only my contract, but also affects the renewal of other people. If everyone pays the maximum salary, the team will soon pay the super luxury tax. But I also have my demands, the ball The team can't satisfy me, I can only choose to leave...but you will always be my leader."

Zhang Yu watched Butler drive away, and stood outside the gate for a long time before returning to the room.

What he didn't tell, and can't tell Butler, is that he didn't give Butler a super maximum salary, not just for the luxury tax, but also because he knew Butler's upper limit, and for the future of the Warriors, he couldn't lock the Warriors' lineup structure.

The next ten years will be an era of teamwork, and dual-core and Big Three will become the standard equipment for the championship.

Now the Warriors can rely on Curry's single core to lead the team to win the championship, and even two consecutive championships. It is because of the flaws in the Heat's lineup that the Big Three are not suitable, and other teams have not launched an arms race.

But such a good time is about to pass. If the Warriors want to go further, they need more stars and a stronger lineup.

And Butler is still very far away from his peak, Leonard and Antetokounmpo are undoubtedly better choices.

What's more, there will be a fat man who likes to drink Coca-Cola to participate in the draft next year, and the pick he was selected is very different from his later achievements.

Zhang Yu couldn't refuse Jokic's temptation, and he could easily win two consecutive MVPs. He couldn't find any reason not to choose Jokic.

Although Butler is the No. [-] star of the Warriors, his current and future teammates are perverted. He will soon lose his status in the team. It is impossible for Zhang Yu to give the team's No. [-] or even No. [-] a super maximum salary. Short-term pain is worse than long-term pain, and it is better to make a rational choice now.

In fact, Zhang Yu also knows that it is a bit unreasonable for him to do so. After all, Butler is a meritorious player who helped the Warriors win two consecutive championships. Even if it is just for reward, he should give Butler a super-maximum salary contract.

Moreover, after giving up Butler, the short-term strength of the Warriors will inevitably be damaged. It will take one to two years for Leonard to grow to Butler's level. in danger.

But Zhang Yu gave up Butler now because the Warriors can win more in the future.

Merits are worth celebrating, but they are also dangerous.

Young players are more hungry, they lack honor, they are eager to prove their strength, and they will play hard when they go on the court.

And the team has everything, big contracts, championships, transcendent status... Their purpose of playing is no longer simple, and they are starting to feel tired of the long season. Compared with the championship ring, they want to prove themselves—— For example, the quota of XX superstars.

Why make sacrifices for the team when you already have a ring anyway?
The more meritorious deeds there are, the worse the atmosphere of the team will be. In the end, everyone thinks for themselves, leaving only the boss of the team struggling to support.

The most important thing is that meritorious service does not think that they are wrong, they think this is what they deserve, because they have made a lot of contributions in the process of winning the championship, so they deserve to enjoy preferential treatment.

But they seem to have forgotten that the NBA is a league of superstars, and superstars are the foundation of a team.

Without superstars, it is almost impossible for a team to win the championship. In the long history of the NBA, only the Pistons have done this.

But the Pistons encountered an OK combination due to infighting. If Kobe and O'Neal cooperated sincerely, the Pistons would have no chance.

Superstars are the foundation of a championship team and the team's greatest contribution.

When the superstar is still making sacrifices for the team, other people have no qualifications to put on the air of meritorious deeds and let the whole team fall into danger for his own obsession, which will be devastating to a team blow.

Of course, Zhang Yu doesn't know if Butler will become like this in the future, but he will not give anyone such a chance.

This is his ruthlessness as a capitalist and his helplessness as a head coach.

Those who can go up, those who can't go down, this is the law of the NBA.

Teams that don't abide by this rule will eventually taste the bitter fruit.

Zhang Yu's painstaking efforts to manage the Warriors are not for putting on airs and playing temper for certain achievements. Everything he does has only one purpose, which is to win more championships and build the Warriors into a great team. A giant team comparable to the Lakers and Celtics.

As long as it is something that is conducive to the Warriors winning the championship, Zhang Yu will do it without hesitation.

Butler's departure is not the end, it's just the beginning. Except for Curry, the Warriors have no one who is indispensable.

If anyone can't adjust his position and thinks that he has the same status as Curry, Zhang Yu will never be polite to him.

This is not because Zhang Yu prefers Curry, but because Curry is the strongest, and the NBA is a world where strength is king.

It's just that Curry is different from other superstars. He is too selfless and his personality is too humble, which makes it easy for others to get ahead.

However, Zhang Yu will not let this happen.

"It's a good thing that Butler is gone. Leonard is the starter, so he can grow faster..." Zhang Yu murmured to himself, put the bacon in his mouth, chewed it slowly, and swallowed it.

"Ding……"

At this time, Zhang Yu's mobile phone rang, and he picked it up to see that it was Stevens' phone.

"Hey, Brad, what can I do for you?" Zhang Yu pressed the answer button and asked in a low voice.