Champion Rules

Chapter 220, Section 216: Saying Goodbye to the Summer of the Deal
The 2009 NBA Draft was full of unexpected events.

No one expected that the Oklahoma City Thunder would be able to acquire both Stephen Curry and James Harden in one package deal.

No one expected that Ricky Rubio, the Spanish golden boy who was one of the top three favorites before the draft, would not be selected by the Golden State Warriors until the seventh pick.

No one expected that Tyreke Evans, who was expected to be selected fourth overall, would fall to eighth.

No one expected that DeMar DeRozan would fall out of the top five and end up with the New York Knicks.

It's clear that Jerry West values ​​the two guards he selected highly.

The day after the draft concluded, he immediately arranged for a private jet to bring the two men to Oklahoma City and held a grand press conference for them.

In addition, a meeting was arranged for Kevin Durant to meet with two top potential players who have recently joined the team.

When the camera captured the moment the three men shook hands and embraced, Jerry West felt a great sense of accomplishment.

He was confident in his judgment of people, and at this moment, he felt as if he had firmly grasped the key to the future domination of the alliance.

That evening, Kevin Durant hosted a dinner to welcome his two new teammates.

After the meal, the distinctive Oklahoma City leader, still feeling the excitement, posted on social media: "We are more compatible than I imagined!"

This statement greatly pleased Jerry West.

He couldn't help but picture the scene of the dinner party in his mind: three ambitious young men must be enthusiastically discussing the tactical arrangements for the new season.

One can create value with long-range shots without the ball, another can finish with indiscriminate one-on-one plays, and the third, like Manu Ginobili, can both organize and score deadly points. This dynamic trio is clearly ready to meet the challenges of the future.

Of course, Jerry West was completely overthinking it.

The three young men didn't talk about anything on the field at all; their actual conversation consisted of:
I like feet.

"I like butts."

"And I love bathwater that embraces all of this. God, we're destined to be a great gang, we're sure to have a lot of fun together!"

KD instantly took a liking to his two new teammates.

Russell Westbrook? That name sounds familiar.

The Knicks also held a special press conference for DeMar DeRozan, showcasing his number 11 jersey in New York.

The arrival of this high draft pick ignited the passion of the entire city. New York fans were just as excited to see him as Chinese fans in 2025 were to see the Trail Blazers' number 16.

With Steve Nash getting older, Knicks fans know that DeMar DeRozan is a crucial piece of the puzzle that Lynch is using to unlock the potential of an era.

He may not need to grow into a top superstar, but he at least needs to make contributions at the All-Star level.

Overall, New York fans have great confidence in this young man whose role model is Vince Carter. Despite the fact that his poor three-point shooting is a far cry from Carter's—just as Stephen Curry's mediocre dunks are a far cry from Josh Smith's raw athleticism.

But New Yorkers still believe that his talent should not be underestimated.

DeMar DeRozan quickly felt the immense attention brought by the New York mega-market.

He soon discovered online that LeBron James had actually commented on him on his social media.

“DeMar is great, and he has an advantage that I didn’t have: he was able to join a mature team as soon as he entered the league, a team with Hall of Fame players like Lynch and Steve Nash. These people can teach him the whole blueprint, and at the same time, he can gradually figure out his own blueprint in the process.”

This is unlike me; I've never had such a huge advantage.

LeBron James's words are indeed true; DeMar DeRozan started the season with some teammates who could make him even better.

However, LBJ's social media comment section was quickly flooded with insults.

Fans don't understand why he insists on emphasizing that "I don't have such a huge advantage."

This complaint seems to be accusing someone of: I failed because I didn't have good teammates.

The problem is that, for most of the years, the Cavaliers have not put LBJ at a disadvantage in terms of teammates.

Such sour remarks, overflowing with sarcasm, are completely baseless.

Many people interpreted LBJ's post as a prelude to his departure from Cleveland, believing it was his way of expressing dissatisfaction with the Cavaliers.

This post also serves as a reminder to fans around the world that the draft is just the beginning of this turbulent summer.

New York soon felt another wave of turmoil.

Shortly after the team acquired DeMar DeRozan, Trevor Ariza privately invited Lynch to dinner.

Lynch was fully aware of the purpose of the dinner. Sam Presti had told Lynch which players might leave the team this summer after the championship parade.

Sure enough, Trevor Ariza got straight to the point shortly after the dinner began.

"Lynch, this summer, maybe..."

“Go after your goal,” Lynch pointed to Trevor Ariza’s chest. “Taji will support you.”

Historical experience had taught Lynch that it would be difficult for Trevor Ariza to succeed as the core player.

But what should Lynch say?
"Dude, why don't you just stick to being a role player?"

"To be honest, you have absolutely no chance."

"You're only fit to stub out your cigarette in the corner."

Clearly, none of these statements are entirely appropriate.

Even if Lynch forces Trevor Ariza to stay, he will no longer be willing to be an engineer wingman.

He would only think day after day, amidst the thunderous cheers of the fans for Lynch: That should have been my opportunity, I should have had such a stage.

This is actually harmful to the team.

Therefore, Lynch ultimately chose to offer honest but gentle advice: "This will be an exceptionally difficult road, and before making a decision, you'd better think carefully about whether you can accept the possibility of ultimately failing."

Everyone has the right to pursue their own goals, and besides, Lynch cannot fully predict the future. After all, he has already changed too much of the world's history.

Who knows? Maybe in this different time and space, Trevor Ariza could really make a name for himself?
Trevor Ariza was grateful, but of course, he also had Lynch's best interests at heart: "I will try my best to choose a team that is willing to do a sign-and-trade with us to get some assets back for the Knicks, even if the return may not be substantial."

Lynch waved his hand, indicating that he didn't need to worry about it:
"Your choice is the key. The only thing I want to say is: no matter which path you take or where you go, don't be defeated. No matter what the final outcome is, don't be crushed."

These words instantly brought Trevor Ariza back to the moment that changed his life—his first NBA start.

At that time, Allan Houston was out for the season and the team was short-handed. As a rookie, he was put into the starting lineup in a time of crisis.

Before the game, he was so nervous that he was shaking all over, but the trust and encouragement from Lynch and Grant Hill acted as a reassurance, ultimately helping him deliver a stunning debut.

He followed in the footsteps of this man, a high school student whose confidence was utterly crushed by LeBron James and who fell to rock bottom, climbing step by step to finally stand at the top of the league.

Even now, that man continues to inspire me.

“I won’t be defeated,” Trevor Ariza blurted out almost instinctively, his fingers unconsciously tracing the eternal mark above his heart. The fire in his eyes, once extinguished by LeBron James, had been rekindled, now burning with pure determination. “Like you told me, and like I promised Taj, I will never be defeated, no matter what path I take.” Lynch didn’t speak, but simply gazed intently at him and nodded.

This silent trust is like how Ariza has relentlessly rushed to the perimeter in countless defensive possessions in the past, knowing that Lynch was there to anchor the paint.

A few seconds of silence filled the table, a sense of fulfillment that needed no words to fill it. Ariza grabbed a neatly folded napkin from the table and vigorously wiped his mouth, as if wiping away some invisible burden.

He stood up, the chair scraping softly against the floor.

"Next season," he paused, his voice a little strained, but then cleared his throat forcefully, regaining his usual crispness, "see you on the field, I won't hold back."

Lynch finally showed his first real smile of the night: "I'm Trevor too. Don't cry if you get crushed by your old teammates."

"Ha!" Ariza chuckled briefly, but something flickered in his eyes. "Let's go."

He didn't say anything more polite or make any more promises; he simply walked around the table and stopped next to Lin Qi.

There was no hug, no pat on the back, Ariza simply raised his fist.

Lin Qi understood and raised his firm fist as well.

"boom."

The two men punched each other forcefully, their knuckles hitting knuckles, producing a clear and powerful thud in the quiet corner of the restaurant.

This sound carries more weight than any blessing or farewell, like a warrior's bugle call before battle, bearing the weighty promise of past camaraderie and the boundless anticipation of future competition.

Ariza withdrew his hand, giving Lynch one last, complex look, as if trying to etch the man who shaped his career and the resilience of the city into his mind.

Then he straightened his back, like a soldier preparing to step onto a new battlefield, turned around and pushed open the restaurant door, his figure quickly blending into the dazzling and flowing night of New York.

The farewell was short, tearless, and even somewhat rushed, but that was exactly how it should be between them—simple, direct, and powerful.

Lynch remained alone at the table, watching Ariza disappear into the New York lights. He picked up his water glass and murmured to himself:
Goodbye, old friend.

I'm glad you've made a difference by my side.

I'm also glad you helped me create value.

Now, on different paths, whatever lies ahead, I wish you all the best.

The next day, news of Trevor Ariza entering the free agent market quickly went viral across the United States.

Clearly, this decorated wingman only allowed his team to start promoting him after a formal farewell to Lynch, showing Lynch considerable respect.

The Los Angeles Clippers and Charlotte Bobcats were quickly eliminated from the race for Ariza because they tried to bypass the Knicks by signing him outright without any compensation, refusing to accept a sign-and-trade deal.

So, the situation became clear almost overnight: Trevor Ariza's next team would most likely be the Houston Rockets.

The Houston Rockets decided to completely rebuild after losing in the Western Conference semifinals last season, as their roster had fallen apart.

Tracy McGrady, the man behind the "McGrady Moment," has completely broken ties with the team, and there is no possibility of repair. It is also unknown how much of his former strength he can recover after surgery for his serious injury.

While defensive stalwart Ron Artest respects team leaders like Yao Ming, the aging player craves a championship ring and has little interest in renewing his contract.

With only Yao Ming remaining as the core player and unable to carry the team alone, the Rockets' management realized that their competitiveness next season was worrying, and the team's salary was still frighteningly high, so they decided to completely reshuffle the team.

They even put Yao Ming on the trading block, just to free up valuable salary cap space for rebuilding.

Against this backdrop, the Houston Rockets have shown great interest in Trevor Ariza: they are willing to offer reliable veteran Shane Battier as trade bait to complete a sign-and-trade with the Knicks in exchange for Ariza's arrival.

Although Shane Battier's immediate impact on both offense and defense is currently inferior to Trevor Ariza's, given that the Knicks already have Wilson Chandler who is capable of replacing him in the starting lineup, having the experienced Shane Battier as a backup at the small forward position is more than enough.

The deal was quickly finalized, with the experienced Shane Battier arriving in the Big Apple, while Trevor Ariza was set to begin his new journey in Space City in search of a key role.

The Knicks' personnel changes have not stopped.

At almost the same time, Ben Gordon, the super sixth man of last season's championship team, also found a new home - the Charlotte Bobcats brought him in with a sky-high contract worth $58 million over five years.

The starting salary for this contract is $1000 million per year, and the peak annual salary can reach $1320 million.

This is undoubtedly the top-tier contract that Ben Gordon has always dreamed of.

As it turns out, his risky decision last season to forgo a more lucrative long-term contract and become a mercenary in New York for a year proved to be the right one.

Although the process was very tortuous, he experienced a low point in New York and was even demoted to the development league.

But the ending was perfect enough.

After signing the contract, Ben Gordon publicly expressed his gratitude to Lynch on social media.

"God and Lynch gave me a new life."

This isn't the first time a Knicks player has been compared to God.

The label of "great leader" has been firmly attached to Lynch, becoming a kind of trademark for him.

Stephen A. Smith succinctly summarized this: "A bad leader won't get you to win and will always make you the scapegoat; an average leader can let you taste victory. But only a great leader can truly elevate your career. Right now, in this league, there's only one such leader, and that's Lynch."

As this summer's champion, Lynch has received endless praise.

But no one was annoyed by it, because Lynch fully deserved the praise.

Ben Gordon personally called Lynch to thank him for his support over the past year.

The phone call didn't surprise Lin Qi, but what did surprise him was that Yao Ming also called him.

Being embroiled in trade rumors for the first time in his career, the Eastern giant was clearly at a loss.

Because players cannot control trades during their contract period, he even came to ask Lynch if he had any inside information.

Lynch reassured him with a slightly joking tone, "Don't be nervous. At least you'll never go to a team that's worse and stingier than the Houston Rockets again."

Just two hours after the call ended, Lynch saw two breaking news reports on ESPN.

"The Houston Rockets traded Yao Ming to the San Antonio Spurs in exchange for three expiring contracts: Bruce Bowen, Kurt Thomas, and Roger Mason, as well as first-round draft picks in 2011 and 2012! The coach who understands the twin-tower strategy best in the world has finally acquired a world-class twin-tower cornerstone!"

For Yao Ming, the San Antonio Spurs would have been a good fit.

Despite being a small market, the owner couldn't shake his frugal nature.

But Gregg Popovich knew exactly how to extend the career of a giant.

However, compared to Yao Ming's trade, another breaking news item is more interesting.

"Currently, the Detroit Pistons are completely unable to contact LeBron James. Perhaps he knows that joining Carmelo Anthony's team at the peak of his career is an unforgivable act of cowardice."

LBJ's fans can at least breathe a sigh of relief; although he fled Cleveland, at least he wasn't a complete coward.

(End of this chapter)