no shortcuts in basketball

Chapter 135 See you in Chicago
houston.

Yao Ming is a little troubled now.

Now there is only one team offering him a five-year max salary, and it's one he didn't expect at all: the Cleveland Cavaliers.

But it makes sense.

The so-called transition from frugality to extravagance is easy, but from luxury to frugality is difficult. If you have tried 36D and let you use a tablet, you will definitely not be able to accept it.

Since there is an opportunity to have a new 36D again, who would refuse it?

Although the five-year max salary is very risky, it can allow the Cavaliers to quickly make up for the market lost due to James' departure, and possibly even more.

You must know that before Yao Ming went to the Rockets, even if the Rockets were in Houston, the Rockets owner Alexander was one of the poorest owners in the NBA.

But in the past eight years, he has become the middle class among the bosses.

And Yao Ming can still play now, especially can pack Artest.

If Yao Ming is really involved, the Cavaliers will start next season: Mo Williams + Anthony Parker + Artest + Jamison + Yao Ming. As long as Yao Ming is not injured, this lineup will guarantee the playoffs.

There is also the Chinese market, and there is no need to worry about selling tickets. The price is only to take two years of risk. This deal seems to be a good deal.

But this is from the point of view of the Cavaliers and Yao Ming. When going to Cleveland, there is always a feeling of going to the toilet of the mall, pushing the door and finding that the person in front of you didn't rush.

"Yao, Tom wants to meet with you."

Just when he was worried, Bill Duffy called him and told him a news.

Thibodeau?
Thibodeau was an assistant coach of the Rockets back then, and he built the Rockets' defensive system single-handedly, and he has a very good relationship with him.

When Thibodeau was officially announced as the head coach of the Bulls, he even sent a text message to congratulate him.

It's just this point why Thibodeau is looking for him?
It's impossible to pull him to play for the Bulls, right?

You must know that the Bulls already have Noah, so he will definitely not be able to go.

"When did he come?" Yao Ming couldn't guess, so he had to wait until we met.

"They're already in Houston."

Duffy's answer surprised Yao Ming again.

But since he is here, he must do his best to be a landlord.

after an hour.

Yao Restaurant.

Yao Ming met Thibodeau.

Not only Thibodeau, but also a white man who looks like Maitreya Buddha.

"Yao, how are you doing in Houston recently?" Thibodeau was not in a hurry to introduce Foreman, but first talked about the past with Yao Ming.

"Not bad." Yao Ming squeezed out a smile, but it was obvious that his brows that couldn't be stretched gave him away.

"Is it really good?" Thibodeau asked rhetorically.

"Well, it's not that bad." Seeing that he couldn't hide it, Yao Ming could only reply with a wry smile.

Seeing this, Thibodeau already knew it well, and he knew Yao Ming and he knew that Yao Ming was a very smart person, so he didn't make too many twists and turns, and then introduced to him: "This is the general manager of the Bulls, Gal Fall. Man."

Because Foreman was the general manager who took office only last year, Yao Ming hadn't met him yet, but when Thibodeau said this, he instantly understood.

Thibodeau really came to recruit him to the Bulls!
"Hello, Mr. Foreman." Yao Ming got up and shook hands with Foreman to say hello.

"Hello." Foreman had never had contact with Yao Ming before, but he was as humble as Thibodeau said.

"Yao, we would like to invite you to join the Bulls. You know that the Bulls are a very young team. We need players with rich experience like you to guide the team." After sitting down again, Foreman also Straight to the point.

"It was so sudden." Although Yao Ming had already guessed it, he was still very surprised when it was put on the table, because the Bulls had never expressed interest in him before.

"To be honest, our previous target was Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade also wanted to join us, so frankly speaking, you were not in our plan at the beginning." Foreman chose to use sincerity Speak up, because he knows that telling lies in front of smart people will backfire.

Sure enough, while Yao Ming was surprised by Foreman's words, his expression was much more serious than before.

"Then you know, they all chose to go to Miami, so Tom recommended you, he said you are the best player for us, you are tough, calm, experienced, hardworking, willing to help young people, the team, you have us All the qualities that are needed, I believe in him because what he says is the same as what I see."

Foreman's next words made Yao Ming feel very comfortable again.

He also really felt Foreman's business ability.

"Moreover, we all have the same goal now, the championship." Seeing the change in Yao Ming's expression, Foreman struck while the iron was hot.

Yao Ming had recovered by now.

He admitted that everything Foreman said was on his heart.

The Bulls have shown their potential last season, and his addition will make the Bulls a serious championship team.

Of course, the championship is also what he has always longed for.

Moreover, he can play with Xu Yong.

If it weren't for the fact that the Bulls had never contacted him before, and Foreman's sincere words just now, he would have thought that Xu Yong was a lobbyist sent by the Bulls in advance!
But think about it, Xu Yong should not be that kind of person.

"But you already have Joakim Noah." Yao Ming said.

This is the reason why he felt that it was impossible for him to join the Bulls before. Noah's shooting and moving speed cannot beat power forwards.

As for the Twin Towers?

Don't be funny, what age is this, that thing can't be played anymore.

"He's going to Houston."

Then, Foreman's words surprised Yao Ming.

You must know that Noah showed full talent and potential in the playoffs against the Cavaliers last season, and the Bulls just let it go?
"This is our determination to get you." Foreman said seriously.

When Thibodeau mentioned Yao Ming to him before, he really didn't think about it at all.

It's the same as Yao Ming thought, because of Noah.

In fact, if they were willing to use Noah as an addition when dealing with the contracts of Hinrich and Deng, they could still do it.

But the lineup of Rose + Wade + Xu Yong + Bosh + Kwame Brown, the inside strength is too poor.

As for the new insiders in the free market, because Tyson Chandler chose to implement the player contract option, there is no better one than Brown.

And in the previous wave, he thought it was okay because five players could play, but with this lineup, he had to consider the strength of the inside line, as well as the compatibility of Rose and Wade.

So even if he had no chance in the end, he was still reluctant to send Noah away.

But Thibodeau proposed a path that the family had never thought of, which made him a little enlightened.

If Noah is replaced by Yao Ming, it must be an upgrade, and the improvement is not a star.

And because Yao Ming is a free agent, the Bulls can also take this opportunity to send Hinrich out to free up new salary space for subsequent reinforcements.

Of course, the most important thing is, as he said before, Yao Ming can bring the most lacking game experience to the Bulls.

Their loss to the Celtics last season, including the loss of G5 against the Cavaliers, is a key factor.

"I think I have no reason to refuse, but I still have a personal request." Yao Ming continued.

"Contract? Don't worry, we will provide you with a five-year maximum salary offer." Foreman is the one who does big things.

"No, I was wondering... can I bring Ron Artest?" When Foreman said the five-year maximum salary, Yao Ming felt embarrassed to mention anything, but for Artest, He still gritted his teeth and opened his mouth.

"This is no problem. If we can get Ron, it will only further enhance the strength of our team." Foreman said with a smile.

In fact, the reason why he was willing to send Noah was also because he knew about the bond between Yao Ming and Artest. Based on his understanding of Mogou, if you really want to sign Yao Ming naked, Mogou will never give Artest.

Without Artest, Yao Ming would not have come.

This is the reluctance that children cannot be caught by wolves. As an agent, one thing you must learn is to choose.

Hearing this, Yao Ming completely lost his mind. He got up and extended his hand to Foreman, and said with a smile, "See you in Chicago."

……

"I'm leaving the Rockets." Xu Yong received another call from Yao Ming.

Xu Yong was very happy when he heard this.

Yao Ming finally chose to leave the Rockets, which is definitely a good thing for him.

"Where are you going?" he asked immediately.

"Guess first." Yao Ming tricked him.

"The Mavericks? Or the Lakers? It can't be the Cavaliers, right?"

The Mavericks and the Lakers are the two most suitable teams for Yao Ming. For the Cavaliers, he has seen rumors about making an offer to Yao Ming before.

"Neither, Chicago."

"Chi... what?"

Xu Yong was stunned, and he stood up the next second after he was sitting.

Yao Ming coming to the Bulls?
This is the god horse situation!

Even if he had an open mind, he never thought that Yao Ming would come to the Bulls.

"What? Don't you welcome it?" Yao Ming asked with a smile.

"How could it not be welcome! I wish we could play together!" Xu Yong said with a smile.

These two fellows from a foreign country are usually busy playing games, and they only meet twice a season, so it's not convenient to be teammates.

"I just met with Thibodeau and Foreman. I just talked about my intentions. The specifics depend on the transaction, but I should come with Artest."

"Perfect." Xu Yong gave an evaluation.

Among the players who can carry the Heat, Artest is definitely in the first gear. This wave of buy one get one free is comparable to an explosion.

The two chatted for a while about Yao Ming and Foreman's chat details, then hung up the phone.

But when he put down his phone, Xu Yong's mood was so complicated.

To be honest, he persuaded Yao Ming to leave the Rockets, including bringing Artest with him, purely to help Yao Ming solve the problem.

The result was inexplicable, and it became an assist for himself.

This wave is really unintentional.

Although he was somewhat reluctant to think that Noah was going to leave Chicago, after all, the latter became his hard-core younger brother after they settled their feud with him.

But thinking that it was Yao Ming who came, he instantly felt relieved.

Those who make big things don't care about small things, not to mention that he is just a player now, and he has no right to speak in the whole process.

That is, a feeling of urgency.

……

Fast forward to May 7th.

This is a critical time node in the free market, because after this day, the "July Freeze Period" will end. 【Note 12】

This also means that after this day, the players will start to officially sign the contract.

So those players who are still considering will basically make a decision before that.

After the Rockets and the Bulls went through see-saw negotiations, they finally reached a deal.

姚明和火箭队签下一份3+1+1的5年1亿的顶薪合同（后两年为球员选项），打包阿泰斯特和一个交易自猛龙队的2013年首轮选秀权，得到诺阿和洛尔·邓，以及一个价值1000万的交易特例。

Mogou was still a dog, and refused to accept Hinrich's contract. In the end, both sides gave in. The Bulls replaced Hinrich with Deng, and the Rockets sent an extra unprotected first round.

After the Big Three of the Heat detonated the free market, this wave of news once again caused violent shocks in the league.

The first person to be shaken was Stern, who was at the league headquarters building in New York at this time.

Stern nearly fainted out of breath.

James' decision has made him very angry, and his intervention has not stopped it.

Not to mention the infamy on James' back, all the hard work he put into James before was fed to the dogs.

It turned out that it was all right now, and he hadn't recovered from it yet, so he did it again.

Eggs cannot be put in one basket, especially Xu Yong and Yao Ming.

Last season's Yao Xu Derby's traffic was phenomenal.

As a result, the two of them are running in the same team now!
The league lost billions of dollars, and most of that money went to the Bulls.

This is definitely not what he wants to see.

But he happened to be as powerless as he faced ESPN before.

Although he is the president of the league, he has neither the right to interfere with the joining of free agents, nor can he stop a legal transaction.

……

Just as Stern was about to be stunned, the fans on social media were already in a mess, with all kinds of voices.

There is Jamie who has turned on the mocking mode and put on the coat of the Heat.

"The Bulls keep Noah, and then make a move to sign Boozer. There is still a little chance to play against the Heat. Now this lineup, two words, for nothing."

"The Bulls were black last year because James' teammates were not good enough. If you meet the Heat this year, you will definitely be swept away!"

"I'm dying of laughter. We haven't started to strengthen, and the opponent is gone. It's not too early to open champagne, isn't it?"

"Just in time, let's crush Kobe and win the championship. LeBron's era has finally arrived!"

"Arrogant face: Who else?!"

……

There are Houston fans who are yelling at Mogou.

"We just reached the Western Conference Finals last season, and the team let Yao go?!"

"This is really fucking. Noah and Dunga are not as good as Yao. We also lost Artest. God, what did the management think!"

"The Rockets don't deserve Yao. I hope Yao can win his championship in Chicago and slap the management in the face."

"This is really thankful. Mo Gou also said that he would definitely renew Yao's contract with a maximum salary. I want a refund!"

……

Of course there were also celebrating Bulls fans.

"Foreman is great. He did two things after he took office. He traded half the team for Xu, and now he has Yao. The Bulls are on the right path!"

"This is Yao. Although I am very reluctant to part with Noah and Deng, we have the best center in the league."

"Correction, Yao is only the top two center in the league, but he can just beat another top two center."

"I'm laughing to death. The management of the Magic team must be scolding their mothers now. The most important thing their general manager wants to pray this season is not to meet us in the playoffs."

"Deng is a very good player, although I would prefer Hinrich to be sent away, but this way we will not have ball possession problems next season."

"Don't forget Ron Artest! Yao, Xu, Artest, why do I feel that this lineup is a bit aimed at the Heat?"

"See you in Chicago!"

……

Miami.

James, who was having another party, was reminded by Paul and saw the news. He froze for a while and then covered his head with his right hand.

Yao Ming, Artest... a dead memory in his mind was attacking him frantically.

At the same time, Riley, who was tasting the latest red wine on the balcony on the second floor, watched the news for a long time, and accidentally knocked over the red wine glass on the table when he got up.

"Whoa~"

With a crisp sound, the wine glass shattered to the ground.

Looking at the broken glass on the ground, he couldn't help but lose his mind for a while.

After all the calculations, how could Yao Ming be missed?

No, I missed Foreman's determination.

It seems that in the coming season, the Bulls will become the Heat's rival in the Eastern Conference.

　Regarding the transaction, although it is explained in the text, I would like to add two more points. With the eyes of the sky open, Noah is the future double-team center. A lottery pick that has improved a lot in the third year, and is about to renew his contract. It is worth sending it out for Yao Ming. Then there is the problem of Deng. Deng's body shape is different from Artest. He can't play power forward. So with the arrival of Artest, he will become very tasteless, and there will be the problem of ball rights as mentioned earlier, and his contract is very long, which will affect the renewal of Rose and Xu Yong in the eyes of Foreman. So in the end he chose to compromise with Mogou. Although there are these problems, if Mogou accepts Hinrich, he will not send Deng away at this time. Then Mogou has a very distinctive personality in reality. He will definitely rob you if he seizes the opportunity. If you are not satisfied with him, the deal will fall through. In the end, after this wave of deals, the Bulls still have room for more than 800 million yuan, and there will be follow-up reinforcements, which are useful. Oh, by the way, and the two-year player option after the contract is not only the Bulls’ respect for Yao Ming, but also Yao Ming’s feedback to the Bulls, because if he really can’t play, he will jump out of the contract and retire. I checked the retirement contract. , if it's not like Bosh, it still seems to be included in the salary cap

　　
　
(End of this chapter)