The Godfather of Basketball

"I want you to play for the Nets. Don't rush to say no. Let me give you a few reasons."

Leonard nodded.

"I know there is a relationship between you and the Spurs. They have cultivated you, but you have to know that the NBA is a business, so your options are definitely not limited to the Spurs."

"Yes, your maximum salary contract with the Spurs is 5 years, and you can sign one more year than other teams, but you should also know that the new labor agreement has been reached, and the extra year of signing does not mean that you can get If you get more money, or if you lose one year of signing, you will get more money in the future." Tang Tian added without waiting for Leonard to speak.

Leonard still nodded, but did not express his opinion.

"Second point, although San Antonio is not small, it is not comparable to New York. You will have more exposure in the Nets, you will also become a New Yorker, you will get more endorsement contracts, and more money, and your business value."

Leonard still nodded.

"The third point, you should know me, I will help you grow faster, you have the potential to become a star at the same level as LeBron James and Kevin Durant, of course, the premise is that there is enough correct training. "

Tang Tian finished what he had to say, and watched Leonard wait for his decision.

Leonard kept silent, as if he was thinking.

Tang Tian knew that Leonard was not as simple as he seemed on the surface, and he would also consider a lot.

"Of course, you don't have to rush to make a decision. We can keep in touch at any time." Seeing that Leonard hadn't spoken, Tang Tian changed his words for fear of pushing him too hard.

"No, coach, I have made a decision." Leonard finally spoke at this time.

"Huh?" Tang Tian looked at him curiously. Although he knew that there was little hope, if he was lucky enough to grasp the chance, there would be no absolute impossibility.

"What you said is very tempting. I also think that is the best choice for me, but like you said, the Spurs chose me. You know I am not a natural superstar. Tim and coach Greg I'm what I am today because of my training, so I'm sorry, coach, maybe we will have a chance to work together in the future, but for now I still want to stay in San Antonio."

After listening to Leonard's words, Tang Tian smiled wryly.

Sure enough, it was still too difficult.

However, these words are very sincere, not humble, and not deadly. At least Leonard's emotional intelligence is very good.

"Then let's look at the future." After Leonard said so, Tang Tian also knew that he had made up his mind, and there was no need to force it.

After leaving San Antonio, Tang Tian didn't go back to Brooklyn, but directly flew to Minnesota.

Jimmy Butler rented an apartment in the suburbs.

Because he is single, and he has only been in Minnesota for half a year, he still lives in a single apartment.

When Tang Tian went, he was discussing the free agent market with his agent.

"Coach." Seeing Tang Tian again, Butler was still a little excited.

You must know that it was Tang Tian's full training back then that made him achieve what he is today.

"Jimmy, you should know what I'm here for, how about it, are you interested in coming to Brooklyn, I have prepared a maximum salary contract for you."

"Mr. Tang, we can only sign a 4-year contract with the Nets at most, and if we stay in the Timberwolves, we can get a 5-year contract." Before Butler could speak, his agent beside him took over.

"This is White, my agent." Butler said slightly embarrassed.

He doesn't know much about the contract, and his agent is in charge of it.

"White, right?" Tang Tian didn't show any hostility, but sat down with a smile, "You know that the salary cap will rise sharply next year at the earliest, right? Even if it doesn't rise next year, it will be a matter of two or three years. How sure are you? Is it more beneficial to sign a one-year contract?"

White was speechless after Tang Tian said a word.

"New York is a big city. The Knicks are in a mess now. It's the time when the Nets are rising. And don't tell me that Jimmy has been happy in Minnesota for the past six months. It's not a year or two for the Timberwolves to make the playoffs." things, and the Nets reached the Eastern Conference Finals last season, plus Jimmy..."

Tang Tian finished his point, he didn't need to say what happened next, he could guess it with a little use of his brain.

"White, I want to play for the coach." Butler thought for a while and said, the Timberwolves still focus on cultivating new players. In the past six months, the feeling of constantly losing has been very bad for him. You must know that he was under Tang Tian before. They are always competing for the championship, which is in line with his competitive spirit.

"We need some time to think about it," White said finally.

Tang Tian nodded, and he didn't force Butler to rush to make a decision.

After chatting for a while, Tang Tian was about to leave, but Butler took him downstairs.

"Jimmy, where is your manager?" Tang Tian asked before leaving.

"Him? He's from Minnesota. When I was traded by the Cavaliers, I fired my original agent and found another one." Butler still trusts Tang Tian 100%.

If Tang Tian realized something, no wonder he would hesitate.

"Jimmy, I hope you can come to Brooklyn, but the final decision is neither me nor your agent, but you, what you want, what you care about, follow your heart."

Tang Tian finally said a very thought-provoking sentence.

Butler nodded thoughtfully.

After leaving Minnesota, Tang Tian temporarily returned to Brooklyn.

On the one hand, it is because of the need to wait for Butler's reply. On the other hand, among the team's free agents, Yi Jianlian and Button also need to sign. Both of them are important rotations for the team, and they are more in line with Tang Tian's style. is required.

Yi Jianlian is only 27 years old and is at the peak of his career. Although he can't sign a contract with a maximum salary, his annual salary must be above tens of millions.

Not to mention anything else, just say that the offers he received in the free market basically exceeded the number of 12 million.

Tang Tian hoped that the signing could be concluded as soon as possible, so he sat down and chatted with Yi Jianlian for a while.

When the chat was over, the contract was finalized.

A 4-year 48 million contract, the last year is a player option.

This contract seems a bit big, but Tang Tian knows that next year's salary cap will skyrocket, and it is really worth the money to sign a power forward with an average of 17+7 per game with such a contract.

Because the contract renewal can be operated on the cap, and the freeze period has not yet ended, the two parties reached a verbal agreement.

After Yi Jianlian is Barton.

Barton's situation is quite special. His strengths are athletic ability and physical fitness, but his body is thin and he doesn't have much ability to attack independently. The advantages and disadvantages are obvious, and the contract amount will not be too large.

In his previous life, he renewed his contract with the Nuggets and only had a contract of about 10 million for three years.

Of course, with last year's performance in the playoffs, the price will definitely rise somewhat.

While Button's contract was still being negotiated, there was news from Butler.