Capítulo 1325: Chapter 533: Final Battle (Part 1)

In an unnoticed corner, the 21st player of the Spurs, and the 21st player of the Timberwolves, also submitted retirement applications to the league, agreeing with their respective teams to buy out and pay the remaining salary in installments, leaving the court.

Bryant’s retirement was long decided, Kevin Garnett’s retirement was foreseeable, Tim Duncan’s retirement was unexpected.

Since 2010, there has been continuous media speculation about Duncan’s retirement, but each time he brought fans surprise again, and this time, just after the Spurs had their best overall offensive and defensive performance in team history, people thought Duncan was setting sail again when he suddenly ended his career.

The era’s superstar batch of giants, who dominated the basketball world for about 20 years since the ’96 Golden era, stopped writing the era’s chapter the moment the microphone fell from Bryant’s hand, officially becoming a part of basketball history.

A dynasty established, infinite glory, but when the free market opens, you look back and the team has become a wasteland.

Nash and Bryant retired one after another, and Bryant’s retirement made the management decide not to renew Gasol’s contract, so the 36-year-old Gasol joined the Spurs with a 3-year 50 million deal to succeed Duncan, continuing to pursue the championship with Parker, Ginobili, Leonard, and Aldridge.

In the just-ended season, Kent Bazemore, who averaged 11 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.5 assists, received an unbelievable offer, joining the Hawks with a 4-year, 80 million deal.

Wayne Ellington received a generous offer of 5 years, 40 million, joining the Miami Heat.

Marcus Thornton received a 2-year, 15 million offer from the Wizards and chose to join.

Sacred joined the Pelicans with a one-year, 2.2 million deal.

Even Tarik Black, who averaged 4 points and 6 rebounds as a backup center last season, received a 1-year, 6 million offer from the Rockets.

Nick Young also received a 1-year, 5 million inquiry from the Warriors.

Over the past year, the Lakers’ management, which was fully committed to the dynasty endeavor, seemed unprepared for the salary cap to skyrocket from 73 million to 99 million. After ending the ‘Bryant + Gasol’ dual tactical core era, they were caught off guard by the poaching efforts of various teams.

Seeing Mike Conley sign a 5-year, 150 million contract with the Grizzlies, and the Cavaliers renewing James with 2 years, 63 million, Jim Buss felt like his words from two years ago about giving Bryant the same treatment as Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan sounded like they were from last century.

Plus, you opted out of the last year’s contract of the 3+1 player option before the draft, becoming a completely free agent, leaving the Lakers with only 5 players at this point, two of which are on rookie contracts, totaling less than 18 million in salary. There’s also the 19-year-old Serbian center Ivica Zubac selected with the 29th pick in the first round, and the University of Oklahoma senior point guard Isaiah Cousins selected with the 29th pick in the second round, neither formally signed.

You’re ready to complete the renewal quickly, allowing the team to stabilize and rely on your attraction to bring in sufficiently outstanding players to join.

The failure to immediately complete the renewal is because the new veteran designated terms will be introduced on June 30—being in the NBA for at least 7 years, not changing teams in the last 3 years, selected at least twice in the All-NBA Teams or winning 1 MVP or DDPOY in the last 3 years, being an unrestricted free agent… You meet all these conditions to use this term for renewal, similar to veterans with 10 years or more of league experience starting with a salary cap 35% renewal.

You meet all these conditions, so naturally, you want to choose the largest contract.

Your renewal negotiation with the Lakers proceeds smoothly. Just as you’re about to renew with an initial salary of 34.65 million, totaling 209 million over 5 years, and exceeding 45 million in salary the last year of the deal, you receive a call from a childhood friend.

James Harden: Jack, Kevin and I have discussed it, we’re ready to go our separate ways and do our own thing, let’s play together! Are you coming to me here or are you renewing with the Lakers and I’ll come to your place? Oh, and DeMar is also ready to join us! Plus, I’ll secretly tell you, Kevin says he’s going to team up with Curry.

You immediately halted the renewal with the Lakers.

The Thunder Team’s owner’s stinginess is well-known, to avoid luxury tax payment, Harden and Westbrook are pitted against each other, forcing one of them to leave, which doesn’t meet your expectations of an owner, and the Toronto Raptors management’s notoriety is common knowledge.

And Los Angeles, starting from your high school days, has always been your base; you don’t need to hesitate, you directly let Harden and DeRozan come to Los Angeles.

When you told Buss, Kupchak, and Budenholzer the news, they were all stunned, with eyes wide open and mouths agape, as they were trying to find a second-in-command with sufficient strength.

Not just a second-in-command, now you even have a third-in-command!

But when management got news from Harden that Durant would be joining the Warriors, even with you, Harden, and DeRozan sitting opposite the desk, they were again left mouth agape.

A few days later, the Warriors officially announced, giving up the matching rights to Harrison Barnes from his home team, and signing Durant to a basis max contract (salary cap 25% initial salary) with an initial salary of 24.75 million, totaling 80.34 million over 3 years.

Curry, Thompson, Durant, Green, Iguodala forms the core five, shocking the league, Durant gets caught in public criticism for not even taking the 7-year veteran max, instead taking a pay cut to the basis max to join the league’s second strongest team, a more vicious act than teaming up.

Durant stated in an interview: I chose the toughest road.

He meant that this decision requires unimaginable courage for normal people, but it subjected him to even worse criticism.