warrior godfather

That afternoon, the three of Zhang Yu visited Clay again, then left Los Angeles and returned to the Bay Area.

An hour and a half later, the plane landed at San Francisco International Airport, and the three parted ways.

Curry went home, but Riley proposed to have dinner with Zhang Yu, and Zhang Yu readily agreed.

The two came to a restaurant they frequented. At the table, Riley asked his own question:

"Ronan, when did you offer Clay a contract extension?"

"Just today, on a whim." Zhang Yu said with a smile, "I'm sorry, I didn't have time to let you know."

Riley waved his hand indifferently:

"You know, I didn't mean that. It's just that Clay just suffered a serious Achilles tendon rupture. It's not clear whether he can recover and to what extent he can recover. You just offered a 1 million contract. It's really... A little sloppy."

Zhang Yu said:

"I know your concerns, but as I said today, Clay is the team's eternal contribution. He has contributed a lot to the five championships. I can't just kick him out after he is injured. It's too inhumane. , It is also not conducive to the construction of team culture."

"But before..." Riley hesitated to speak, "Well, I get it, I hope Clay can recover well."

Zhang Yu smiled and said:

"I guess you want to talk about me sending Jimmy and Kawhi and Drummond away, right?"

Riley nodded slightly.

Zhang Yu explained carefully:
"Klay's situation is different from them. Jimmy and Kawhi are pursuing bigger contracts and higher status. Drummond can't compete with Giannis, but Klay suffered a serious injury and was reimbursed for the season. He sends it off."

"Actually, according to the original plan, I was planning to send Clay away in two years. Except for Stephen, I will not allow anyone else to stay in the Warriors for the original group of veterans - except for Jimmy, who unfortunately chose to leave. As for Kawhi, Drummond, Clay, relying on their meritorious status, they are bound to ask endlessly for maximum salary, ball rights and even the status of team leader."

"A team can't accommodate so many maximum salaries, and there can only be one leader. Stephen's personality is too gentle, and he can easily be robbed of the right to speak, so I won't be able to win the first two championships. won't stay."

"However, after Clay was seriously injured, he will definitely not be able to return to his peak, and he will no longer be able to claim the position of team leader. If he can accept the position of a substitute, I am willing to give him a premium contract, which is a reward for merit."

Riley was overwhelmed and sighed:

"To be honest, I always thought that you didn't want to give Jimmy a maximum salary and wanted to control the size of the luxury tax, so you sent them away one by one. I was very worried, whether Giannis and Andrew would also be sent away in the end , what will the fans think about the culture of the Warriors... But now, I don't worry about it."

"Stephen is indeed not a tough leader. It's hard for others to say. If Drummond has been playing as the starter, he will definitely not be satisfied with his current team status. If he sends them all away, there will be no situation where the tail can't be lost."

Zhang Yu smiled and nodded:

"That's right, Giannis and Andrew's performance will get better and better, but their personalities are not strong, and they lack qualifications. They also respect Stephen very much. As long as they don't want to leave, they can stay forever. Jay, It's the same with Laurie."

Riley quipped:
"You are the only one in the league who dares to play like this. If you change to another team, how dare you just send away the team's achievements. If you can't find a good enough replacement, you will be scolded to death by the boss and fans."

Zhang Yu laughed loudly and said:
"If you want to achieve extraordinary achievements, you must do extraordinary things. If you want to establish a dynasty in the 21st century, how can you not dare to take risks? Only those incompetent people will stick to their old ways!"

……

After the three of Zhang Yu left, Clay rested for two days before slowly recovering from the effects of the operation.

Although he could only lie on the bed, his energy had completely recovered.

The agent also truthfully told Zhang Yu's contract renewal offer and his request to Clay:

"...This is Ronan's original words. As long as you are willing to fight, he will renew your contract with an annual salary of no less than 2000 million, but the main position cannot be guaranteed..."

The manager peeked at Clay and found that his face was very ugly, so he quickly explained:
"Of course, I think this is an exaggeration on purpose by Ronan. He said you, you are the eternal meritorious service of the Warriors. He will definitely not let the team's meritorious service be used as a substitute. In the current lineup of the Warriors, there is no one who can replace you. As long as you recover from injury, you will definitely be the absolute main force!"

Clay shook his head slightly and sighed softly:
"No, you don't know Ronan. He always does what he says, and he never does or says things that are not sure. Since he said that, he is ready to do it. It seems that he is very optimistic about Jie. Len Brown, I think he can grow into a starter in just one season, hehe..."

"But you helped the Warriors win five championships! You are a warrior!"

Clay lowered his head and fiddled with the sheets:

"Merit? Merit is what the Warriors lack most, and Ronan will never give special treatment to anyone just because of merit. Jimmy, Tyson, Kawhi, Drummond... They are all team meritorious service. Their qualifications are no worse than mine, but what happened? They were all sent away, and I have nothing special about them."

The manager was silent, organized his language, and then said:
"Then compete with Jaylen Brown. This operation was very successful. At that time, as long as you play in a better state than Jaylen Brown, you can get back the starting position."

"Competition?" Clay snorted disdainfully, "Why should I compete with a rookie? You tell Ronan that I won't sign this contract, and I don't want to play as a substitute. I want the maximum salary, and I want to start!"

The manager was taken aback for a moment, then said in surprise:
"But didn't you say that Ronan won't treat you differently just because you are a hero? Will he agree to your request?"

Clay sneered:
"It's up to him to answer or not, but I'm only injured, not useless. When I recover from my injury, I will be stronger than I am now! Only the maximum salary is worthy of me, and I will not compete for the starting lineup." Position, have you ever seen a five-time guard and a rookie compete for the start?"

"I want the position of team leader. If Ronan doesn't give it to me, I will go to another team. There must be a team willing to give me a maximum salary. I will prove again on the field that I am still that super shooter!"

Clay's attitude is very firm, but the agent doesn't think so.

He felt that the conditions given by Zhang Yu were good enough. The 4-year 1 million contract was a risk for a player who suffered a serious Achilles tendon injury.

As for Clay saying that he wants to prove himself again, it sounds too unreliable, and it is safe to be safe, so he persuaded:
"I also believe that you can return to your best condition, even stronger than now, but after all, it will take a lot of risk. The contract given by Ronan is already very sincere, and this will not be your last A contract, you can wait for the contract to be executed, and then sign a maximum salary pension contract. I can also have a good talk with Riley, change the 4-year period to 3 years, or change the last year to a player option , it will be convenient for us to renew the contract in advance..."

However, the agent's persuasion could not shake Clay's mind.

Clay usually seems to have a restrained personality, but his spirit is no less than that of Curry. He has always thought highly of himself, which is reflected in his style of play.

This allowed him to play many classic scenes that have been recorded in history, and it also allowed him to play many extremely ugly games.

It’s just that Clay’s defense is always on the line, and there are teammates such as Curry, Butler, Leonard, etc. His strikes have little impact on the team, but he can take away opponents in a wave of explosions, which left a deep impression on the fans. impression.

Although he has now encountered a serious injury that may destroy his career, his heart is still undiminished, and he is still extremely confident. He looks down on contracts below the maximum salary and regards competing with Jaylen Brown for the starting position as an insult to himself. .

No matter what his agent tried to persuade him, he would not let go, and insisted on the maximum salary + absolute main force status, otherwise he would never renew his contract with the Warriors.

The manager's persuasive persuasion was fruitless, but in desperation, he could only agree to Clay's request and pass it on to Riley. Riley didn't dare to neglect, so he immediately passed it on to Zhang Yu.

After Zhang Yu learned of Clay's request, he was not surprised at all. He just sighed softly and said with some regret:
"Since this is the case, you can't blame me for being ruthless. I have already given my sincerity. Clay is ungrateful. I will never pin the future of the team on a player who has suffered a serious Achilles tendon injury—no matter who he is. "

He turned to Riley:
"Go and expose the offer we made to Klay and the demands made by Klay, so as not to confuse the fans. I abandoned Klay. But before that, you contact Bill Duffy and negotiate the contract extension. , since Clay can't keep it, give the money to Andrew."

After the trading market opened, under Zhang Yu's instruction, Riley and Wiggins' agent Bill Duffy started contract renewal negotiations, but the two sides have always had differences.

The condition Riley gave was $5 million in five years, but Bill Duffy asked for $1 million in four years, which is almost the same as Antetokounmpo's annual salary.

The two sides talked several times, but they failed to negotiate, so they had to temporarily put the negotiation on hold.

This time, Clay rejected the conditions given by Zhang Yu, and the differences between Riley and Bill Duffy seemed a little trivial.

Riley looked unbearable, but still agreed:

"Okay, I'll do it right now."

Riley said, getting up to leave Zhang Yu's office, but before he left, he asked a question:
"Ronan, I have a question for you..."

"Ask." Zhang Yu responded casually.

"What if you replace Klay with Stephen? What will you do if Stephen gets an Achilles tendon injury? Will you continue to build the team around him?"

"..." Zhang Yu's movements froze suddenly.

Riley seemed to know the answer, nodded slightly, opened the door and left.

Behind him, Zhang Yu's eyes lost their focus and stared straight ahead without saying a word for a long time.