Jerome James's expiring contract is still very popular. Several teams in the league who want to free up salary space next season want it, but what they bring out are also some bad chips. This is not what Presti wants. , so Presti thought about it again and again, and still felt that it was more appropriate to buy out Jerome James' contract.
This kind of buyout is very simple, just give the person a lot of next season's salary. The contract is fully guaranteed. At this point, Presti wondered, doesn't Isaiah Thomas know how to avoid it? Risk, when signing a long-term contract, do you add team options or partial guarantees? The contracts we get are all for five or six years, there are no options in the middle, and they are fully guaranteed. I really don¡¯t know what to expect. What people say is good.
After entrusting the assistant of the player affairs department to talk to Jerome James about the buyout, Presti turned his attention to these players. After the buyout, the team would have three spots, but if Von Weaver is added If there are four target players, who should be chosen? After receiving Grant Hill's physical report issued by the Phoenix Suns team doctor, Presti took a look at it and asked the team doctor to confirm it. He signed first in the finals. Grant Hill.
Last season there were no small forwards, but this season there are several more. And after signing Grant Hill, the team still has not solved the shooting guard problem. What should we do?
Grant Hill's negotiations went very smoothly. At the age of thirty-six, he no longer had any thoughts about money. In addition, he had already made enough money in the past. The only thing left was his love for basketball and his desire for a championship. In pursuit, he even said that he could significantly reduce his salary, but it would be best to guarantee a certain amount of playing time. He was not willing to sit on the bench for a season and then retire with a championship ring. He wanted a championship that he could personally participate in.
There is not much of a problem with this request. After communicating with Jeff Van Gundy, Jeff Van Gundy also recognized Grant Hill's ability, especially because of his injury, his confrontational ability was not strong, but he used his own wisdom to make up for it. Jeff Van Gundy is still very satisfied with the deficiencies on defense.
What impressed Presti most was that the Phoenix Suns were willing to offer Grant Hill a two-year contract extension worth more than $6 million, but Grant Hill was willing to come to the SuperSonics for a two-year veteran's minimum salary of $4 million. This sincerity impressed Presti, so both parties quickly announced the news.
Although Grant Hill is not a top star, at least he has been, or has been close to it. Even if such a player is older, he will be more sensational than signing those unknowns. In addition to making people a little worried about his injuries , but he played all the games for the first time in his career last season, which shows that his health is almost good. In addition, it is rumored that he rejected the Phoenix Suns' big contract and chose the SuperSonics. At this point, He is very popular with fans, so Grant Hill's arrival has been welcomed by many fans, and the resentment against the team some time ago has been wiped away.
After signing Grant Hill, it means that there is one less option and one less quota. For this newly released championship team, many teams and media are analyzing their performance this summer. What kind of lineup will be formed? At present, it seems that the strength of this team has not declined much with the turmoil. This has disappointed many teams, but their main players are under contract, and the SuperSonics The team also rejected any trade proposals about them. It is not that easy to break up this championship. At most, they can lure players whose contracts have expired, but except for Coupard, others have little value.
For players, this means one less opportunity that the Sonics can provide. Von Weaver has lost patience with the team, but the work of letting agents contact other teams is also not going well. Many players The team expressed its willingness to give him a chance to try out, but it was unwilling to provide him with a formal contract. This meant that no matter which team it was, it would have to live a precarious life. This was something Von Weaver was not willing to do. Forget it, I'm still waiting here. At least the team still has a chance.
Presti initially wanted to confirm these two spots as soon as possible. Whether it is Allen Iverson or Stephon Marbury, they are relatively powerful players, and if they are used well, they will definitely help the team. , and they are role players. Even if they don't work, they won't do much harm to the team. However, Presti soon discovered that the two of them were not popular in the free market, and no team was willing to give them a chance. Presti wasn't in a hurry anymore. It was still very early before the season started anyway, so he just had to confirm it before the start of training camp.
If other teams are willing to give them a chance, the Sonics won't feel it's a pity. Anyway, they are not necessary players. Presti will never sign the kind of players who are being robbed.??On the contrary, he is willing to do things like checking for advantages.
Faced with the situation that no one was paying attention to Allen Iverson and Stephon Marbury, Presti also quietly shelved the signing of the two of them, allowing the evaluation department to collect as much information as possible and come up with more detailed results. At the same time, it did not completely cut off the contact between the two parties, but only gave them a little hope.
Time passes day by day. Stephen, Yao Ming, and even Kevin Durant are busy with their own business activities. The teams in the league are still busy with signings and transactions. The Los Angeles Lakers and the freedom within the team are still busy. Player Lamar Odom completed the signing, Ben Wallace returned to the Motor City Detroit, and the New Orleans Hornets traded Tyson Chandler to the Charlotte Bobcats for Emile Okafor. Several unheralded free agents, such as Eric Diogu, Sheldon Williams, and Drew Gooden, have all received contracts. Allen Iverson and Stephon Marbury still have not found anyone willing to join them. The contracted team, so although he was dissatisfied with the Sonics' slack, he still dared not completely cut off contact.
At this time, the Portland Trail Blazers suddenly announced that they had reached a five-year, 78 million contract extension with Brandon Roy. Although Brandon Roy's body has not fully recovered, he is still continuing to recuperate and receive treatment. However, after several observations, the Portland Trail Blazers believed that Brandon Roy's future was still very promising, so they completed an early contract extension with Brandon Roy, although it was not a full maximum salary. , but it's close, which is pretty good for a player who has had a serious injury and is still recovering.
Finally, in mid-September, when training camp was about to begin, the Sonics could no longer wait. At the same time, the players also lost patience. Stephon Marbury publicly stated that due to the inability to find a suitable team in the league, He is preparing to play overseas for his team, and his destination is Europe or China.
The Memphis Grizzlies have also expressed interest in Allen Iverson. Carlesimo knows that if he really wants to sign him, he can no longer hesitate. Fortunately, Allen Iverson is still more inclined. The Sonics, and the Memphis Grizzlies, are also reluctant to spend big in order to avoid the luxury tax, which means the Sonics don't have to face salary competition.
After negotiations between the two parties, the contract was set at two years with an annual salary of US$3.2 million. Allen Iverson was a little dissatisfied. A player with an annual salary of nearly US$20 million was suddenly allowed to receive more than US$3 million. , I do feel quite disappointed, but there are really not many teams in the league that are interested in him. He even wants to go overseas to play in anger, but when he hears the salary, it is not even as good as here, and he also has to face life and environmental problems. He is not too willing to change.
Even at this time, Allen Iverson still brought four entourages. Seeing his reluctance, Presti was not very satisfied. If he had such emotions, his performance would definitely not be that good. Go, to be honest, Presti already regretted it a little at this time, but now it's too late to regret it, so he has to wait and see.
After signing Allen Iverson, the Sonics signed Von Weaver with a two-year base salary. Although Allen Iverson can also play shooting guard, Presti still wants to be safer.
As a result, the Sonics' roster is Stephen, Yao Ming, Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Serge Ibaka, Kurt Thomas, Coupard, Travis Outlaw , Earl Watson, Duffy, Nick Collinson, Omikaspi, Grant Hill, Allen Iverson, Von Weaver, exactly fifteen.