Don't talk trash to him.

Chapter 215 Su Wan, will you leave or stay?

It is quite common for NBA owners to be unwilling to spend money due to personal financial problems.

For example, the Brooklyn Nets were later sold to a Russian tycoon.

As soon as he got the team, he spent a lot of money to form the crazy "Big Four".

As a result, he failed to win the championship, and coupled with the turbulent international economic situation, his assets shrank by nearly half, so he immediately sold the team and ran away.

There was also the Rockets owner who, when he first took over the Rockets, spent a lot of money to form the "light bulb combination" of Chris Paul and Harden, and they were a strong contender for the Western Conference championship for several consecutive years.

As a result, the epidemic hit, and problems arose in the industry. Investment in the Rockets was immediately cut.

The Rockets have also entered a period of rebuilding.

This is human nature. You can't let your boss go bankrupt and then invest a large amount of money to maintain the current lineup, right?
Although this approach has a very American flavor of "I would rather die than let my friend die."

but……

The subprime mortgage crisis had not yet broken out at this time, and the Simon Group should have received news of it in advance and started adjusting their capital chain to avoid being affected in the future.

Herbert was an open-minded person as he was able to find Su Wan to talk to him as soon as possible under such circumstances.

Su Wan could understand his approach.

But he also has to start thinking about what his next move should be.

His rookie contract expires this summer.

Even if the hope of winning the championship this year becomes slim.

With three championships in four years and a "dynasty", Suwan is still the phenomenal rookie who is expected to surpass Michael Jordan in his achievements on the court.

Su Wan doesn't care about rebuilding the team.

He is only 23 years old and has plenty of time to wait for the Pacers to rebuild a "king's team".

But the most important thing is that the Pacers can't keep this lineup...

You can't spend two years building a team, then win a championship, then spend another two years building the team, and then win another championship, right?

If this were Su Wan's team, he as the boss would definitely have no objection.

The problem is that he is also a "worker".

If you don't do it for yourself, you will be punished by heaven and earth!

He should have considered...

What kind of choice is most beneficial to him!
The car drove past the Mariners Tower. While waiting for the traffic light to change, Su Wan looked at his poster in the night and at the Indiana people passing by. He found that many people looked at his poster first and then at the Mariners Tower.

Polis was undoubtedly his "city of believers".

About half a month had passed since Suwan's conversation with Herbert. New Century Financial Corporation declared bankruptcy, the "subprime mortgage crisis" hit, and the entire American stock market was in chaos. The confrontation between Artest and Larry Bird also changed from a "cold war" to a "hot war" on that day.

Artest is a fool, but his agent is not a fool.

The main business of the Simon Group is real estate. Under the impact of this wave of "real estate bubble", they can only hope for the best. There is no way the Pacers will renew the contracts of both Artest and Suwan at the same time this summer.

Therefore, they had to take the initiative and ask Larry Bird for a contract extension.

Big Bird showed a rare bit of impatience.

The reason for his impatience was that the contract renewal with Su Wan was not going smoothly.

Taillon relayed Suwan's words that they still insisted on waiting until the end of this season before discussing the contract renewal issue.

The other members of the Pacers were also feeling insecure.

They have no contractual influence though.

But as the major owner of the Pacers, the Simon Group was really worried that their boss would sell them out in order to save money due to all kinds of rumors.

It's not groundless worry...

Artest's contract renewal costs money, not to mention Suwan's.

What can the team do if it wants to keep both of them?
Trading these players to free up salary space is the most direct and effective way.

Tinsley and several other players have been playing solo more often on the court.

Coupled with O'Neal Jr.'s season-ending injury, the Pacers experienced a "7-game losing streak" during this period.

I don’t know which aspect was the last straw that broke the camel’s back.

At the end of January, the Pacers dropped from first to third in the Eastern Conference. Artest's agent negotiated a new contract with him many times but to no avail. In anger, the "Beast" said directly in front of the media: "If I don't see the contract extension I want before the All-Star Weekend, then trade me before the All-Star Weekend!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the whole of Indiana exploded.

The management was extremely angry, the fans were also in a bad mood, and some Indiana media started to dig up old issues, just like when they were arguing with their girlfriends.

Every city has its own quirks.

Especially for these small cities, this is probably the pride under the inferiority complex.

The Magic management really doesn't like players to give them instructions and make extra requests. Even a player of Tim Duncan's level who wanted his family to sit on the team's private plane was rejected.

The Pacers' management said it's okay for you to make a fuss, but you can't make it public.

Take the Artest contract issue for example.

No matter how many harsh words you say in private, it’s okay, but if you threaten me with a transfer in front of the media, I’m sorry, you want a transfer, right?

Then I will trade you!

This is how Artest left the Pacers.

Of course, this actually depends on the person. If Suwan asked for a contract extension now, they would probably immediately offer a big contract... Well, the current situation is that the Pacers are waiting for Suwan to sign the new contract, but Suwan has not signed it.

They really can't get to that step.

Artest was actually regretting it. He couldn't stand the instigation of the reporter who interviewed him at that time. His blood boiled and his mind went blank. He only thought about venting his anger. When he said it out loud, he was shocked himself.

Is this what I said?

This is what bipolar disorder is like!
But what he said was what he said. In order to maintain his self-esteem, Artest could only stick to what he said. This is just like a man who is stubborn when he sees his girlfriend bringing up the past and says the word "break up" without thinking.

Sometimes there is no other reason for going further and further away, just two words:

face!

To put it bluntly, the Pacers were not even willing to give Artest an "ordinary maximum salary", which made "The Beast" very sad.

But he was a little afraid to see Su Wan.

But Su Wan just said with regret: "I didn't expect it to come to this!"

At this moment, he wished he was in New York, or in a team owned by a rich owner. All this might not have happened.

Larry Bird told Suwan about his decision to trade Artest and asked, "Will this change your mind?"

Su Wan said: "Larry, I have no idea!"

"Su, you should know that the Pacers have been in chaos recently. I think only if you sign a contract extension can everything return to normal!" Larry Bird sighed and mentioned the idea of ​​renewal again.

Su Wan said, "I signed a contract extension just before Ron was traded? Do you think this is appropriate, Larry?"

One thing he had been avoiding was...

Because of his maximum salary issue, the team was unable to renew Artest's contract, which led to Artest's departure.

He could have said, "If the team doesn't resolve Ron's signing issue first, then I won't sign with this team."

But Artest's pride made him go into a dead end. He must rely on his past achievements to get himself a satisfactory maximum salary contract extension. All Su Wan could do was to express his attitude instead of giving absolute support.

But the outbreak of the "subprime mortgage crisis" is no longer a matter of face.

Without trading anyone else, only one of him and Artest can stay.

And trade others...

Larry Bird was destined to become someone else's chopping block.

Not to mention that we don’t know what O’Neal looks like after returning from a serious injury!

If we really want to break up the team and keep Artest, the risk is too great.

Big Bird had never been in such a dilemma.

To be honest, when Larry Bird heard Artest's request for a trade, he felt relieved because the tug-of-war between Cao Dan and the Chinese team had finally come to an end.

and……

Artest is very marketable.

On the night that "The Beast" announced his trade, the general manager called Larry Bird.

There was more than one phone call.

"I will prepare a trade list and send it to your email address, Su... The Pacers need you more than ever, more than when you first came to this city!"

Those were Larry Bird's last words before he hung up the phone.

After Su Wan hung up the phone, he sat on the sofa at home, staring blankly for a long time.

It is not known whether it was Larry Bird's words that touched him, or the news that Artest would be traded that caused ripples in his heart.

Artest and O'Neal were definitely his "right-hand men" in the past three years. Now one is waiting to be traded, and the other can only sit on the bench. Too much has happened in the past month and a half, and Suwan, who has lived a stable life in the past three years, needs to digest it well.

Only at this moment did he understand what "the league is permanent, but the players are transient" meant.

It is very difficult for a lineup to remain stable for three years...

Don't forget, when the first championship of the "three consecutive championships" was won, he was standing next to it and listened to Reggie Miller announce his retirement.

It was early February when the league announced the Eastern and Western All-Star lineups for this season's All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles.

Suwan and O'Neal Jr. were once again selected as the final "Eastern All-Star starters."

With O'Neal Jr. out for the season, David Stern designated Chris Bosh to replace him as the Eastern Conference starter at that time.

In addition to these two people, Artest was also selected to the final Eastern Conference All-Star team.

It should be a happy thing for a team to have three players selected.

But after the All-Star Game, the free market closes, and it is also the deadline for Artest to request a trade.

Of the three Pacers players, only two can play. One of them will play for the Pacers for the last time, and the other has not yet signed a contract extension...

It would be strange if Indiana could be happy!

I don’t know if this is the reason why the Conseco Fieldhouse in Irene’s camera always feels like it is shrouded in the sunset.

Just like this team's ranking, it has now dropped to fifth place in the Eastern Conference, and the Cleveland Cavaliers have overtaken them.

The Cleveland media sent a "congratulatory message" and harshly mocked the Pacers.

The Cavaliers are still thriving during this period...

Relying on the weak situation in the Eastern Conference and their profound skills in bullying weak teams, the Cavaliers have unknowingly climbed to the fourth place in the Eastern Conference, and even knocked down the Heat, who are ranked third in the Eastern Conference, which is a very promising thing.

And this year, two players from the Cleveland Cavaliers were selected to the Eastern Conference All-Star Game.

LeBron and Vince Carter...

Although they are all substitutes, Vince Carter was added to the bench because O'Neal Jr. was ruled out for the season.

But if you can make it, you will be an All-Star.

The Cavaliers now have two active All-Stars!

The Cavaliers have a better record than the Pacers and more All-Stars. Although they have encountered another wave of turbulence this season, it now seems that they have not gotten worse, but have gotten better!
Knew it!
It is impossible for a person to be unlucky forever!
It's time for the Cavaliers to change their luck!
It’s time for the Pacers to run into problems!

On February 2, four days before the All-Star Weekend, Larry Bird sent Suwan a trade list.

Artest is really good now...

Su Wan looked at four or five quotations, and finally his eyes fell on one of them:
New York Knicks Zach Randolph!
When Su Wan saw this name, his eyes lit up.

By the way, the “future Bear King” is now still “Zach the Lazy Man”, has a “poison” contract on his back, and is a famous “data brush” in the entire league.

Originally, the Trail Blazers could have turned a blind eye in order to play badly.

But after getting Aldridge and Roy last year, they naturally couldn't let Randolph continue to have a negative impact on the team, so they sold him to the New York Knicks this summer.

This “Smiling Assassin” is really…he dares to accept any “junk contract”!

Because of this deal, the New York media gossiped about him for more than half a year. They probably couldn't stand it anymore, and when they saw the opportunity to get Artest, they wanted to go all in again.

It just so happens that Marbury's title as the "Son of New York" is almost over, and it's time to find a kid who grew up on the streets of New York to take over the title of "King of New York".

Although Artest's appearance and playing style are very un-New York, he is a native of Queens, New York.

As the absolute core player of the "three consecutive championships", joining the Knicks with a championship ring can be regarded as "returning home in glory"!

Suwan also hopes that Artest can go to a place where he can be happy.

New York is a great place to go.

"I think we can try to get Zach Randolph!" He told "Big Bird" his idea.

Larry Bird was very wary of Randolph's reputation as a "data brush".

At the same time he felt...

Is Su Wan expressing his dissatisfaction in this way?

Everyone knows that Artest is his brother.

"Su, are you sure?" Larry Bird looked embarrassed.

Originally, he wanted to tell Su Wan through this incident that as long as you stay, your power will be enough to shake any decision of the management, including player trades.

But he really didn't expect that Suwan would finally choose Zach Randolph.

Su Wan heard the concerns in his words and said to him, "Larry, what do you think Indiana is?"

"???"

Larry Bird didn't know how to answer.

Countryside? Rural area?

Cornfield?
He remembered what Su Wan had said before, and thought he was asking him to shout slogans: "This is a place for struggle."

Su Wan corrected: "No, this is...'The City of Redemption'!"

"Why?" Larry Bird asked this question almost subconsciously.

Su Wan smiled and said, "Because God is here!"

So cool!
Larry Bird, who has been showing off all his life, didn't expect that Suwan would show off in front of him.

How could he not understand? This meant that he could help Zach Randolph change his image as a "data brush".

"Big Bird" laughed!
It's not just Suwan's pretentious remarks, but also the subtext of his words, which seems to be that he will continue to stay with the Pacers.

Is that right?

Definitely yes!

At this moment, Larry Bird is like a "dog" who is trying to please the goddess.

But in fact, Su Wan just sent a message saying "I'm going to take a shower", with no other meaning at all.

Suwan revealed the deal to Artest the next day: "Man, there's a good chance you'll return to New York!"

Artest was stunned for a moment, then smiled unconsciously.

If he has to leave the Pacers, this result is naturally the best for him.

Ok.

Even if there was no contract extension, Artest was willing to be traded back to New York after winning three consecutive championships.

The New York-born couldn't resist the temptation to play for the New York Knicks.

Moreover, he is now successful and famous. Even if he is not as successful as Dongqiang in returning to the village, he can still return in glory and splendor.

"Thanks brother!"

He knew that Su Wan must have helped in this.

Seeing that he was too excited, Su Wan quickly repeated and emphasized: "It's just a possibility, Ron, pay attention to what I said, it's a possibility!"

If the negotiations don't go smoothly, or Larry Bird feels it's better to be cautious and not choose Zach Randolph, it's possible that Artest won't be able to return to New York.

Just like Schrödinger's cat, if you don't open the box, you will never know whether it is alive, dead, or half-dead.

But looking at Artest's excitement, Su Wan really doubted how much he had heard.

All-Star Weekend arrived. When Suwan and Artest arrived in Los Angeles, they received a call from Larry Bird. The negotiations with New York were successfully concluded. Both sides signed and were waiting to submit the contract to the league for review and approval:
"In this deal, not only is Ron leaving, but Jamal is also on the trade list..."

"We're going to get Zach Randolph and Nate Robinson."

Suwan was not surprised to hear that Jamal would also leave. Not to mention that Jamal has been outside the team's system since two years ago, just look at the contracts of Artest and Zach Randolph.

Artest's annual salary is only over 8 million, while Zach Randolph's is as high as 1300 million. Another player must be added to balance the deal.

With an annual salary of around 7 million and being outside the core system, Tinsley naturally became the best choice.

And in this way, the Pacers can free up about 300 million in salary space.

If calculated based on Tinsley's contract next season and Artest's upcoming new contract, the amount saved would be more than 5 million, which is equivalent to a middle-class contract.

After Su Wan knew about this, he told Artest immediately.

These days, "The Beast" has been thinking about returning to New York, and even asked his agent to help him look at houses in advance.

He didn't seem sad at all.

This is what a thick-skinned person is like.

Tinsley was very surprised when he heard the news, but when he heard that the destination was New York, his emotions that were about to explode eased immediately.

really……

Everyone wants to go to the big city!
On the 18th, Suwan and Artest played their last game together in the All-Star Game.

After the game, Artest thanked Suwan again: "Man, it was really wonderful to be your teammate for three years. I hope we can have the opportunity to be teammates again in the future!"

Su Wan was a little uncomfortable seeing Artest so serious.

"Actually, Su, I know that you didn't renew your contract with the Pacers because you cared about my feelings. I'm very grateful!" Artest said what he had been wanting to say.

He had wanted to say this many times before.

But he knew very well that if Suwan really signed a contract extension, his future would be uncertain.

From a selfish point of view, he had always pretended not to know what Su Wan had been waiting for him.

This is where he felt sorry for Su Wan.

Now that the deal is done and he is about to go to the Knicks, he can finally open his heart to Su Wan.

Su Wan was also very honest: "Ron, don't be too touched, I'm not just doing this for you..."

"Are you thinking about leaving?" Artest looked surprised, but then he showed an understanding expression.

Suwan's current achievements are no longer a matter of whether he will enter the Hall of Fame, but the possibility of surpassing Michael Jordan.

Given the current situation of the Simon Group, they simply do not have enough spare money to support Su Wan in his bid to become the best player in history.

And Indiana...

how to say!

Although he was trained here.

But even so, Artest believes that there is not enough public opinion here to support Suwan in his bid for the title.

Especially since Suwan is an international player, he needs public opinion to support him even more.

Artest understands this logic, not to mention Suwan.

It is understandable if he wants to leave the Pacers when his rookie contract expires.

Not to mention that Indiana is still in a turbulent time right now!

"Actually, Ron, there are two little guys fighting in my mind!" Su Wan revealed for the first time his true thoughts about whether to leave or stay in front of Artest who was about to leave.

Then he parted ways with Artest. Artest flew to New York overnight, and as for Suwan, he returned to Polis again.

Looking at the street scenes that have become so familiar to him and his posters everywhere in the streets and alleys, he can intuitively feel that he has become one with this city in the past three years.

The next day, the Pacers' first training day after the All-Star Weekend, Larry Bird met Zach Randolph and Nate Robinson who had reported to the gym.

Robinson, as a "complement", is mainly used to make up for Tinsley's departure.

He is likely to become the team's starter, but he will only play for a dozen minutes per game, so Larry Bird didn't say much to him.

And Zach Randolph...

Larry Bird now also knows Suwan's true intention in choosing him.

Artest left, O'Neal Jr. was out for the season, and the Pacers almost had no tactical system after the All-Star Weekend.

Suwan chose Zach Randolph because he wanted him to support the Pacers' inside offense.

After the All-Star Weekend, as expected, the Pacers' offensive system will be the "duo" of Suwan and Zach Randolph and a "small lineup" with weakened defense.

With this calculation, it is self-evident how important Zach Randolph is.

In order to motivate him, Larry Bird directly told him the whole story of the deal: "Zach, it was Sue's idea to trade for you. Everyone thought you were hopeless, but he thought you could redeem yourself. You just lacked a good environment and a chance to prove yourself!"

"You know the situation in this city. It's in a very turbulent period. The streets are full of unemployed people protesting and wanting the government to give them an explanation!"

"The turmoil the Pacers have experienced this season has dealt them a huge blow. You should have passed by the fan center in front of Conseco Arena on your way to the arena, and you should have seen what is happening there!"

There was a hint of surprise on Randolph's dark face.

He didn't expect that it was Su Wan who facilitated the deal.

If he hadn't smoked too much marijuana and caused his brain to short-circuit, he would have remembered that he and Su Wan had no intersection at all.

Whether it's conflict or friendship, there is no...

Really...

Damn!

Ok……

When Randolph heard that it was Su Wan who facilitated the deal, he immediately hated Su Wan.

This brings us to the fan plaza in front of Conseco Fieldhouse that Larry Bird mentioned.

There were a bunch of Indiana fans protesting the team's trade of Artest for Zach Randolph. One of the fans was holding a large poster, and he took one look at it and remembered it:

Larry, you shouldn't trade one asshole for an even bigger asshole!
What a deal!

Randolph has always been unpopular with fans, from the Trail Blazers to the New York Knicks.

He has long been used to it.

But when he thought about how he could earn tens of millions of dollars a year by improving his stats in every game, he gradually became immune to the criticism.

Especially after joining the New York Knicks, he was able to put up great numbers on the court and be happy off the court. He didn't have to worry about the fans' performance or that someone would replace him. -- Every one of those idiots in New York is worse than him.

Especially Crawford, the typical guy who only cares about data and not his mother!

Just enjoy every game!
Hanging out with a bunch of bad people, the fans' insults are basically AOE, which makes life more comfortable.

As a result, his good days came to an end during the All-Star Weekend.

Not only did he leave the big city of New York, but he also came to Indiana, a rural city that had just won the championship and was full of people's unrest.

He knew very well that in places like this, fans often caused a lot of trouble.

Sure enough, he was right. On the first day he reported to the team, the fans here cheered him on.

All the unpleasant experiences with the Trail Blazers flooded into his mind.

You said that when he heard Larry Bird say that the instigator of this transaction was Suwan, who had nothing to do with him, how could he not be angry?
He really wanted to walk up to Su Wan and ask him:
"Sir, why did you harm me?"

As for the reasons Su Wan mentioned, he only had two words:
Want to laugh!

What is this opportunity to prove myself? Do I need such an opportunity? Am I not feeling well right now? Does this guy think he is Jesus?

The question is no longer just three in a row!

But the "four links"...

However, facing the pressure from Larry Bird, he really didn't dare to act presumptuously. It was not until he walked out of the stadium that his eyes became sharp again and he strode towards the locker room.

As soon as I walked in, I saw Nate Robinson standing there awkwardly with a wreath around his neck. When I saw him, it was like seeing a savior: "Zach, you're finally here!"

What is this doing...

Seeing Nate Robinson standing there with a wreath on his head, Zach Randolph hadn't reacted yet. Then he saw Dio coming over with another wreath and putting it around Zach Randolph's neck:
“Welcome to Indiana!”

Before Randolph could resist, Su Wan clapped his hands and asked everyone to be quiet.

Zach Randolph touched the wreath around his neck, feeling a little awkward. Just as he was about to take it off, Suwan spoke up: "I know that before the All-Star Weekend, everything came together and everyone had other ideas, but now, the All-Star Weekend is over and the free market is closed. At least before the end of this season, all of us are part of the Pacers jersey. I hope everyone can stop thinking about it and devote themselves to the game!"

After saying this, Su Wan pointed to the empty closet next to him and said, "This originally belonged to Ron, but now it belongs to you, Zach!"

Randolph wanted to refuse, but he didn't. He put his things in the closet and said to Suwan, "Larry told me that you chose to trade me to the Pacers. Can we talk about it?"

Su Wan said: "Okay, after the training is over!"

Right now!
Randolph responded fiercely in his heart, but found that he couldn't say it.

He could feel that Suwan had an aura similar to that of Larry Bird. Until Suwan walked out of the locker room, a look of displeasure flashed across Zach Randolph's rough face, like a grizzly bear.

This feeling of having one's aura suppressed is really uncomfortable.

Su Wan is interviewed by Irene.

Before the interview, Irene asked curiously, "Have you made up your mind? Are you going to renew your contract or leave? The media outside are going crazy!"

Su Wan is a very special newcomer.

His current success is likely to change hands of the league's No. 1 spot in history in the future.

Therefore, the issue of whether he stays or leaves is no longer as simple as just a contract.

Su Wan said: "Before the All-Star Weekend, I went to do community service. A little fan asked me, will we lose you this summer, Su? And I have heard this question at least dozens of times..."

"I've never felt like this city needs me so much!"

"Especially with Jermaine's season being over, the financial crisis hitting the city, and Ron's departure..."

"If I really leave..."

"This city will be a devastation!"

"Erin, do you remember what we discussed before? What is a true leader? Maybe we need to add a little more..."

"A true leader would not choose to leave under such circumstances!"

Suwan doesn't want to be like LeBron.

Later in 2010, after overdrawing all the future of the team, he chose to leave, leaving a mess behind, which made fans all over the world feel incomprehensible and despised. Su Wan was part of that time.

Although the current situation is caused by different circumstances, "dynasty sequelae", "sudden injuries" and "financial crisis", this team needs Su Wan to stay and save them again, both from the spiritual level and the team's strength level.

"But you should know the risks of staying here, Su. If you go to a big city now and have stronger helpers, it will only be a matter of time before you surpass Michael Jordan! Staying here..." Irene didn't say anything else, but what she wanted to express did not need to be explained.

However, what Su Wan said also made her understand why Su Wan was so conflicted.

Su Wan wanted to be selfish and plan for his career, but...

"Su Wan...you are a proud person, so I actually already know your answer!"

Second update. Please vote for me.


(End of this chapter)