NBA: Top 3D talents to start

Chapter 426 Return to Cleveland
(I was a bit too hasty when copying and pasting, and I didn’t get it right. I pasted the duplicate content later, and it has been modified. I’m sorry.)
"Unexpectedly, after going around for a while, I returned to Cleveland..."

Looking at Cleveland, which is not particularly prosperous, and even looks like a dilapidated countryside compared to Los Angeles, Wang Feng couldn't help shaking his head and sighing.

Accustomed to the prosperity of big cities, Wang Feng can understand why it is very difficult for small teams to introduce stars.

Not only is the difference in daily life environment, the exposure of this small city is also very low, unless it is a phenomenon-level top superstar like James, other players with slightly less strength play for teams like the Cavaliers, and their popularity is far away. It's not as high as being a substitute for the Lakers.

Fame and money are directly linked. Even if the strength is not enough to get a lucrative contract in the NBA, relying on some smaller advertising endorsements, ordinary players are enough to live comfortably.

In the next two years, Wang Feng needs to be the number one core team in Cleveland to lead his team to at least reach the finals, so that he can complete the task of upgrading the system and achieve his ultimate goal.

2+1 contract, player option in the last year, with an average salary of 3800 million.

This is Wang Feng's new contract.

The length of the contract is a bit low. The Cavaliers theoretically only have the right to use Wang Feng for two years. Whether they can use it for the third year depends on Wang Feng's mood.

In Wang Feng's plan, if the mission goal can be achieved within two years, then naturally he will not stay in the Cavaliers.

As a Chinese, he has no loyalty to the American team at all. You give money and I make money, and everyone gets what they need.

Under this premise, the value of big ball cities such as Los Angeles and New York is obviously higher than Cleveland by a few floors.

Although Wang Feng has not yet decided where his next home will be, he believes that there will be no team in the league that will not be interested.

Two years later, that is, in 2023, Wang Feng is just 31 years old, still at the peak of his career, and can maintain a strong competitiveness for at least four years, which is completely worthy of the competition of all teams in the entire league.

Of course, it's too early to consider the next home, and he hasn't even officially reported to the Cavaliers yet.

……

The Cleveland Cavaliers paid full attention to Wang Feng's arrival.

Team owner Gilbert is a sensible person. James' successful experience makes him very clear about the value that a phenomenal top star can bring to the team.

This is why he is willing to pay a lot of money for the team's future stud Wang Feng.

Even knowing that Wang Feng is likely to leave in two years.

What Gilbert considered was the vast Chinese fan market behind Wang Feng.

When Wang Feng joined the Cavaliers for the first time in 16, sales of the Cavaliers' jerseys and peripheral products skyrocketed in China, bringing the team a considerable amount of income.

After Wang Feng's statistical performance comparable to that of James in the finals in the 16-17 season, the Cavaliers are very eager to reach a contract extension with Wang Feng, and the priority is even higher than Irving.

It's a pity that Wang Feng's intention to go has been decided. Neither the Cavaliers management nor James tried to persuade him to stay.

Then Wang Feng joined the Lakers for four years and took off completely. Taking into account both personal data and team honors, he won three championships for the Lakers and brought considerable commercial value to the team.

Moreover, within a year of Wang Feng's departure, Irving and James also left the team one after another. When the entire Cavaliers only has Love as an All-Star player, just think about how bad the situation is.

The Cavaliers have endured for several years, relying on several high-ranking picks at the bottom of the league, and selected players such as Sexton and Garland one after another, before finally seeing a little hope of rising, but everyone knows that this is just a little bit. faint hope.

Whether it is Sexton or Garland, they only have the potential to become an All-Star, but there is also a huge gap between the All-Star and top stars like James, Wang Feng, Curry, and Durant.

No one knows when the next LeBron James will come to Cleveland again, and how long can their small city keep this "LeBron James"?
That is to say, at this level of consideration, the Cavaliers paid the price of the future and took risks in exchange for Wang Feng. They did not receive too much criticism from the Cavaliers fans and the sports media. big.

At the same time, Wang Feng led the Huaguo men's basketball team to defeat the American Dream Team to win the gold in the men's basketball finals of the Tokyo Olympics not long ago, which also made the Cleveland fans even more excited.

The contempt for the incompetence of the dream team and the love for the almost invincible Wang Feng reached their peak almost at the same time.

"The current Wang Feng is much better than LeBron! He was able to single-handedly defeat the dream team led by Durant's thick eyebrows. In this case, even if the Cavaliers' current lineup is mediocre, as long as there is Wang Feng, he should be able to have a lot of strength." Strong strength, right? After all, no matter how weak they are, these are all players who can play in the NBA, and they are better than Wang Feng's teammates in the Huaguo men's basketball team."

……

Taking the special car specially sent by the team to pick him up from the airport, Wang Feng shuttled through the streets of Cleveland.

Then he saw a huge poster of himself on a huge billboard hanging in the city streets.

"Wang Feng, welcome back!"

Wang Feng seriously doubted whether the driver deliberately took him around the route of these huge posters, because he had seen them several times along the way, and the shape and words of the posters were different each time.

He knew that the Cavaliers were expressing their welcome to Wang Feng's return in this way.

Teams in small ball markets are sometimes so humble, unlike the Lakers, which are rich and powerful and are full of superstars. Whether you can build a statue in front of the Staples Center depends on whether your contribution to the team is qualified enough.

Not long ago, some curious people asked this question on the official website of the Lakers.

Wang Feng, who brought the latest three consecutive championships to the Lakers, will the team erect a statue for him in the future.

The official response from the Lakers was ambiguous.

"We are very grateful for Wang Feng's contribution to the team, and the honors he has achieved are indeed enough to erect statues, but it is still too early to say these, Wang's career is not over yet, and it is not impossible to return to the team in the future. Playing in Los Angeles."

Wang Feng is not interested in whether the Lakers will build a statue for themselves.

This kind of thing is not a substantive honor, and as a Chinese, the traditional cultural education made him feel weird to be erected as a statue when he was still alive.

Closer to home.

The current lineup of the Cavaliers, if Wang Feng himself is removed, is a civilian lineup in the full sense. There is only one player in the team, Love, who has been selected as an All-Star, and has now been reduced to a role player. Last season, he averaged The data is only 12.2 points and 7.4 rebounds.

But it's certainly the perfect lineup for system quests.

Completing the two goals of the system upgrade task, winning two world-level championships has been achieved, and leading a team that has not been selected to the best team and All-Star players in the past three seasons to reach the finals is the next step Wang Feng's only goal at this stage.

And the Cavaliers' current roster isn't completely useless.

Jordan Poole, who was traded from the Lakers with Wang Feng, averaged 21 points and 22 assists in the regular season for the Warriors in the 18.5-4 season in another time and space.

In addition, after the opening of the free market, Wang Feng suggested that the players signed by the Cavaliers are all players who performed well in the new season, and they are excellent immediate combat power.

The only thing the Cavaliers lack is a second-in-chief like Jimmy Butler who has the offensive ability with the ball and can output stably.

But with Wang Feng's current personal ability, and the blessing of two badges that effectively enhance the strength of his teammates, the organizational core and the defensive core, even if he doesn't have a strong second leader, he is quite strong.

In Wang Feng's mind, he already has the idea of ​​the Cavaliers' starting lineup and main style of play for next season. What is needed now is to communicate with the management and coaching staff in detail after reporting to the team.

……

Wang Feng didn't wait long. The Cavaliers management personnel who were in charge of receiving Wang Feng first took Wang Feng to the residence arranged for him by the team, put away his luggage and other items, and then he was arranged by the general manager of the team. Welcome banquet.

I have to admit that the cards of top superstars are completely different. When Wang Feng joined Cleveland for the first time and later went to the Lakers, he didn't have such treatment at all.

The general manager of the Cavaliers, Kobe Altman, succeeded the former general manager David Griffin as the new general manager in July 17, but he is very familiar with Wang Feng, because before he became the general manager of the team, His position is the deputy general manager of the Cavaliers.

"Wang, welcome back to Cleveland, this will always be your home." Altman was very enthusiastic about Wang Feng's return.

Magic Johnson's achievements after taking office as general manager made all his peers jealous.

He won three championship trophies in four years as the general manager and built a dynasty team. What could be more glorious than this kind of resume?

But although Johnson's achievements are brilliant, not many colleagues admire his ability.

But anyone who knows a little bit about the inside story knows well, what does the Lakers dynasty have to do with him?
Wang Feng's original goal was the Lakers. Whether there is Magic Johnson, the general manager of the Lakers, he will take the initiative to contact the Lakers management. As long as the price is right, he will join the Lakers.

And with Wang Feng coming to the Lakers, it's not a secret that many of the Lakers' subsequent important deals were made with Wang Feng's benefits or even threats.

At the beginning, the Lakers were tempted by James, Leonard, Durant and other top superstars, but Wang Feng's attitude was very firm, and he was criticized by many Lakers fans for being narrow-minded and jealous.

Later, after acquiring Butler through a trade, the Lakers also had the idea of ​​not wanting to renew Butler's contract with a maximum salary. It was Wang Feng who publicly threatened to apply for a trade to leave the team to force the Lakers to renew Butler's contract, which led to the Lakers' three consecutive championships. The hegemony of the dynasty.

In the process of these stories, the management of the Lakers seems to be acting like a shit stick. If Wang Feng is not in the limelight and is extremely strong, if it is another player, it will be another story.

Altman had already experienced Wang Feng's desire to control more than a month ago.

Even if he hasn't officially joined the Cavaliers yet, Wang Feng has been unceremoniously pointing fingers at the Cavaliers' trade and signings.

Such behavior made Altman somewhat uncomfortable, after all, this was his right.

But Wang Feng is now a top superstar whose influence even exceeds that of James at his peak.

When James was in the Cavaliers, he had no less control over the team than Wang Feng. Also, the team had to find ways to trade for whatever teammates he wanted, and even he could partner with any coach he wanted. choose.

Although Altman, who has experienced the James period, will be a little upset, he can quickly adjust his mentality.

Not only that, but he can draw inferences about other cases from one instance.

"Wang, I think the strength of the current team's lineup is still a bit insufficient. We still have more than 1000 million salary space. Should we sign another player with certain strength in the free market to further strengthen the strength of the team? OK?"

Counting Wang Feng's 3800 million and Love's 3100 million, the current salary of the Cavaliers is only more than 9000 million, and it is even about 500 million short of the minimum salary line for the new NBA season.

Based on the league's salary cap of 21 million in the 22-1.12 season, the Cavaliers can still sign a player with an annual salary of around 1800 million.

Although with the TV broadcast contract taking effect, the salary cap of the league has skyrocketed, and the salaries of the players have also risen, up to 3000 million or even 4000 million super-maximum contracts, but an offer contract with an average annual salary close to 2000 million is still in the free market. Can compete for some players with good qualifications.

"I have thought about this issue."

Wang Feng thought about it, and without hiding it, he said directly: "Jarrett Allen, whose rookie contract of the Nets expires this year, is a good player and has a good ability to protect the inside frame."

"Jarrett Allen?"

Hearing Wang Feng's words, Altman's eyes lit up, and he was even very surprised.

Wang Feng's vision is better than he imagined.

Jarrett Allen has been one of the Cavaliers' inspection targets since last season.

The Cavaliers need a big inside player. They had previously traded for the former All-Star center, Andre Drummond, but the effect was not good.

Jarrett Allen is young, has excellent physical fitness, full of potential, and has the ability to become an inside defensive gate. The most important thing is that the price is not particularly expensive, and with the exploding salary space of the Nets, there is no way to match a A contract suitable for Jarrett Allen's strength.

Of course Altman does not know, Wang Feng is very clear, in another time and space, Jarrett Allen should have been traded to the Cavaliers by the Nets last season, and successfully completed the five-year $5 million deal with the Cavaliers this summer of the renewal contract.

(End of this chapter)