LeBron James, your house got robbed.

Miami Beach at night is a glitz and glamour affair, filled with a joyful, hedonistic atmosphere.

But Pat Riley, in his sixties, was still dressed in a crisp Armani shirt, sleeves rolled up to his forearms, sitting at the table waiting for news.

The computer screen displayed the homepage of the Cleveland Plain News.

Shane Battier is expected to join the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The source of the information is Alva Fields, a reporter who beat the Cavaliers, whose credibility is second only to the team's official announcement.

Before long, someone pushed open the door, walked to the table, and said:

"The details have been verified; they have offered Battier a four-year, $2500 contract."

When Riley heard the contract amount, his hand unconsciously clenched into a fist.

This contract is something the Heat simply cannot offer; it's the team's most effective way to strengthen their roster, namely a three-million-dollar non-full mid-level exception.

Besides, the other side is a madman. Riley thinks that even if the team has a full mid-level exception, they can give Battier a starting salary of 500 million.

Chen Shuo would also generously offer an annual salary of 800 million.

This guy is a complete troublemaker. He has 2400 million in his pocket and just squanders it all, throwing money around to bribe people.

Gilbert, for reasons unknown, simply let Chen Shuo do as he pleased.

Riley habitually pinched the ring on his finger, but instead of turning it as usual, his brow furrowed.

Regarding the contract amount, Riley could not offer any more; regarding the contract term, Riley was also unwilling to extend it.

The three-year contract he offered coincided with the expiration date of the Big Three's contracts.

No matter what changes occur, the team will still have room to maneuver.

Fortunately, the Heat had their own advantages, and Riley quietly prepared his words.

He believes that as long as you reason with them, appeal to their emotions, invoke the spirit of the Heat, highlight the strength of the Big Three, and offer them a championship ring, no one will be unmoved.

Mourning, O'Neal, and James were all brought to the South Beach by this combo.

What's a little salary sacrifice for the championship? Riley waved his assistant away and dialed Battier's number. He was confident he could persuade Battier.

"Hello, the number you dialed is currently switched off."

Riley dialed several times, received the same mechanical prompt, and then silently put down his phone.

……

The following morning, news that Battier was about to join the Cavaliers quickly dominated headlines across major media outlets.

TNT's commentary team has added a special episode to discuss the rating of this deal.

Barkley was the first to speak out, having spoken out when James formed a super team.

"LeBron has to pay the price for betrayal. That's the Cleveland attitude, and it's fair."

O'Neal had a different opinion, and he spread his arms to indicate:

"I know it's cool to do this."

"But they gave a 4-year, $2500 million contract to a 33-year-old veteran, which I think is absolutely stupid."

"I would put this signing at the top of the list of the worst signings of the year."

Chen Shuo watched Shaquille O'Neal on TV, giving orders and pontificating.

That's the other party's limitation.

Every contract should be considered in the context of the overall situation.

The main reason Chen Shuo dares to spend so much money is that he has enough rookie bonuses.

Irving, Leonard, Klay, Danny Green, and Parsons—signing these five talents would cost $1000 million, and they could all be signed by the Hats.

Even though they are all rookies, that's enough to solve a lot of problems.

The trend of super teams forming alliances is only beginning to emerge in this era. It wasn't until after 2020 that most teams realized how important the rookie bonus was in building a championship team.

Kenny Smith, however, has a new perspective:

"Guys, I have absolutely no idea what Chen is trying to do."

"He's like a mystery to me, but I have to admit, I'm drawn to him."

"His every move is unpredictable, and I'm really looking forward to his next move."

Barkley, on the other hand, really likes Chen Shuo. He enjoys this kind of head-to-head confrontation and is the type who loves a good show.

"To be honest, this guy is right up my alley."

"His tough, old-fashioned style is much more satisfying than cowardly behavior like running away."

As O'Neal was preparing to retort and defend his former teammate, he suddenly heard the director's voice in his earpiece.

The group exchanged glances, interrupted their discussion, and soon a director handed them some materials.

Kenny Smith quickly glanced at the information and eagerly shouted:

"I can't believe my eyes."

"To all fans, to all viewers, I must announce some major news here."

According to WoJ, Chris Paul will join the Lakers to team up with Kobe Bryant.

Chen Shuo raised his hand and turned off the TV. What was bound to happen had finally happened. Paul was the biggest fish of the summer.

Although he wasn't a free agent, Paul didn't intend to waste any more time with the Hornets after seeing James leave.

He craves victory, but the team is currently in turmoil and doesn't even have a boss.

Chen Shuo's phone vibrated, and Grant quickly provided him with the details of the deal.

This is a three-party transaction.

Paul will join the Lakers, Odom, Kevin Martin, and Luis Scola will go to New Orleans, and Pau Gasol will go to Houston.

The terrifying thing about this trade is that the Lakers not only got Chris Paul, but also freed up a full $900 million in salary cap space.

According to reliable sources, there may be further developments in this deal.

The Lakers hope to trade Bynum for Howard.

After realizing they couldn't keep Howard, Bynum was a good option.

The only point of contention in this trade is that the Magic want the Lakers to bring in a three-way team to help them get rid of Arenas's bad contract.

Chen Shuo believes that if it weren't for basketball reasons, the Lakers would definitely have had the guts to complete the trade with the Magic.

A lineup of Kobe, Paul, and Howard offers immense potential for imagination.

Once formed, they will be far more terrifying than the Heat or the Celtics' Big Three.

Both Paul and Howard are in their prime.

The Lakers could absolutely use the pick-and-roll between Paul and Howard as a foundation and a regular development method for the team.

With Kobe's basketball IQ and off-ball skills, he could serve as a finisher and fit perfectly into the system.

In crucial moments of a close game, Kobe could use his abundant energy to initiate attacks from the flanks and take on the responsibility of scoring.

With a rhythm master like Paul maintaining the core of the team, and with a scoring ability like Kobe raising the ceiling, the combination of the two complements each other strategically.

As for the defense, it's even more terrifying. A prime Dwight Howard alone is enough to turn the paint into a no-fly zone, and the backcourt duo consists of two players who have been top-tier defenders for years.

In addition, the team also has tough players like Matt Barnes and Ron Artest on the front line.

This Lakers team is strong on both offense and defense; aside from their lack of depth in rotation, they are almost a perfect team.

After a moment's thought, Chen Shuo called Gilbert to find out what was going on.

"Chen, the league owners are furious about this trade. Nobody wants Kobe and Paul to team up."

"If the league were all like the Celtics, Lakers, and Heat, forming Big Threes based on market share, small teams would have no room to survive."

"The labor agreement that was reached not long ago has become a joke; those clauses did not solve any problems."

"I've already written the email; this deal must be stopped."

Chen Shuo rubbed his temples with his fingers before slowly speaking:

"The Hornets currently do not have an owner; they are probably registered under the league."

Gilbert quickly gave an affirmative answer.

"That's right, so I'm going to suggest to Stern that we convene a council meeting to vote against the deal."

Chen Shuo fell into a brief moment of thought.

The alliance's power is essentially divided between the alliance office and the council, whose organizational structures are modeled after corporate executives and boards of directors.

Ultimately, Stern's power comes from the council, from the votes of the 30 bosses, and all decisive policies require the council's approval.

Stern has always held considerable power in the league, mainly because of his remarkable achievements since taking office, which has led most bosses to stand behind him.

In short, the rights of the council can be understood as...