Basketball trainer, I created a super giant

Chapter 189: The Beggar's Version of Jordan, the Original Garnett
The opening of the football market is the busiest time for management.

Especially before the official signing on the 17th, it's important to determine the direction for summer reinforcements and to reach an agreement with free agents on their contract extension intentions.

They also have to arrange signings for rookies, worry about their promotion, and handle the Summer League.

Jerry Krause has been extremely busy these past few days.

That morning, he was in his office when the phone rang.

Klaus glanced at the number, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes.

Scott Layden!
He was a little reluctant to accept.

Because of jealousy towards the Knicks.

My team had the worst record in the entire league, and what did I get? I didn't even get the number one draft pick; that bastard David Stern gave it to New York.

Of course, there are those who are more unlucky than him, such as West of the Grizzlies.

Klaus was still extremely unhappy.

The phone kept ringing. After hesitating for a moment, Klaus answered it anyway.

Despite their dissatisfaction, the Bulls might not necessarily have chosen Yao Ming even if they had gotten the number one pick.

The team has no shortage of interior players.

But even if I don't want to use it, you can't cheat and not give it to me.

So much so that after the call was connected, Jerry didn't even exchange basic pleasantries.

That smug little brat, who knows which player on his team he's eyeing now.

On the other end of the phone, Leiden spoke in a gentle and kind tone, offering some American pleasantries. Seeing that Klaus wasn't in a good mood, he tactfully got straight to the point.

“Jerry, I want Tyson Chandler. I’m willing to give up Rattle for him.”

Klaus's eyebrows twitched rapidly.

Sprewell?
The Knicks have gone mad; they traded an All-Star.

In a flash, Klaus immediately said, "Steek, impossible. Tyson is the runner-up, he's a genius, he's not for sale."

After saying that, he slammed down the phone.

Then my heart kept pounding.

He immediately got up and ran to Cartwright's office.

“Bill, the Knicks want to trade Tyson,” he said urgently.

Cartwright, who was engrossed in various player reports, paused, then frowned and asked, "What are they willing to offer?"

The Bulls' interior defense is somewhat crowded.

Last season, the Bulls tried to build a twin-tower frontcourt, but it didn't work well.

Both Chandler and Eddie Curry are too technically skilled to achieve a synergistic effect on the court.

So the two of them take turns starting, which feels like a bit of a waste.

But a rookie drafted so high has unlimited potential, so we can't just trade him away. We should let him play for at least two more seasons and see how he develops.

Of course, if the Knicks offer good enough assets, it's not impossible to make a trade.

Klaus said, "They're willing to give up Latrière."

"Who?"

Cartwright was stunned for a moment, then asked incredulously, "Are they going to rebuild?"

Without rebuilding, how could they possibly part with Sprewell?

Although Sprewell has personality problems and is prone to causing trouble, people say he's turning over a new leaf.

Most importantly, even if he has personality issues, he has still won a championship, entered the All-Star game, and is a star player.

"I don't know, I haven't heard of it. Maybe it's to give Yao Teng a position?" Klaus said.

If the Knicks consider Yao Ming as the cornerstone of their team, then it's understandable that they would want to get rid of their star player.

Allan Houston's contract is too big, making it difficult to trade him.

Moreover, he's too old to pose a threat to Yao Ming.

But with Sprewell's arrogant personality, keeping him on the team wouldn't be good for the development of the number one draft pick.

Cartwright nodded thoughtfully, "That's a possibility."

"Did you agree to be with him?" he asked in return.

Klaus shook his head and hung up the phone.

Cartwright said, "Then agree. I think we can make the trade. If we get Latrier, we can form the strongest frontcourt with Jaylen. Add Jay to that, and our backcourt will be very formidable."

Both Jalen Rose and Sprewell can play both the shooting guard and small forward positions, so there is no issue of overlapping positions.

Klaus nodded repeatedly; that was exactly what he thought.

Even if Chandler is traded, there's still Eddie Curry.

That way, we don't have to worry about who to train anymore.

If they can then acquire a power forward, the Bulls' roster will be complete.

With a balanced roster and experienced players mentoring newcomers, we'll definitely be able to return to the playoffs within two years.

"Didn't they make any other requests?"

Cartwright asked in bewilderment.

It feels like the Knicks are offering a helping hand.

Klaus shook his head and said he hadn't asked.

Cartwright rolled her eyes, guessing that Klaus hadn't even finished speaking before hanging up and rushing over.

“Jerry, I think it’s okay. Tyson is good, but he’s in a similar situation to Eddie. If I had to choose between the two, I would still prefer Eddie.”

Eddie Curry at least has weight.

Someone has to deal with O'Neal.

Chandler's small frame would really be a tough match for O'Neal.

Seeing Klaus nod, Cartwright couldn't help but point to the phone.

Don't just nod, make a phone call.

Klaus realized what was happening and hurriedly ran back to his office to call Leiden back.

The call hasn't gone through yet; it's been stuck in a missed call status.

How petty!
Klaus muttered a curse to himself, dialed again, and finally got through.

"Scott, you know Tyson was the second overall pick. He's a genius. We gave up an All-Star caliber player like Elton to get him. We have no plans to trade him anytime soon."

The subtext is that Chandler is very talented, and this is a difficult situation for me.

Leiden didn't believe such nonsense.

Since Klaus called back, it means he's already interested.

“Jerry, he’s a high schooler with no skills. He was outplayed by Kwame during last year’s draft. He only averaged 6.1 points per game all season. Elton is good, but Tyson is nowhere near as good as Elton these days.”

Leiden subtly stabbed Klaus in the back.

Don't say you've paid off with an All-Star caliber player like Elton Brand; that's just your own poor judgment, you can't blame anyone else.

Klaus cursed under his breath, but he didn't care at all about Leiden's belittling of Chandler.

If Chandler is really as bad as you say, then don't come to trade with him.

He countered by asking Leiden how the deal was planned.

Layden proposed that the Knicks acquire Sprewell, then Tyson Chandler, and Eddie Robinson from the Bulls, while also receiving the Bulls' 03 first-round pick.

Who?
Klaus paused for a moment before realizing who Leiden was talking about.

Eddie Robinson, 2.03 meters tall, played small forward and went undrafted in 1999.

This guy was already 22 years old when he was drafted in 99, making him an older rookie, and his skills were terrible.

For older rookies to be selected, they must at least have mature skills and be ready to be used immediately.

He didn't have any of those, so he was not selected in the 99 draft.

However, this guy has excellent physical qualities and explosive athletic ability, so the Hornets gave him a chance, and he successfully stayed in the NBA.

During his two seasons with the Hornets, he came off the bench and averaged 7 points per game.

Last summer, Klaus impulsively decided to give him a five-year, $32 million contract, based on his athletic ability.

Not long after giving it to him, Klaus regretted it so much he wanted to slap himself.

Firstly, this guy really only has physical attributes; he's been in the league for two years, but his skills haven't improved much.

Then, at the start of the season, he followed O'Neal's example, indulging in the offseason and focusing on recovering from injuries during the regular season. He fractured his toe at the beginning of last season and was placed on the injured list.

In addition, with the acquisition of Jalen Rose in the mid-season trade, he immediately became a thing of the past, appearing in only 29 games throughout the season and averaging 9 points per game.

Secondly, this guy has a bad personality, is lazy in training, and always wears a headband in a nonchalant manner.

This contract has become a liability for them.

3200 million over 5 years! Klaus's heart is bleeding.

Unexpectedly, the Knicks were so kind as to take on this hot potato.

He couldn't help but smile, and almost burst out laughing.

Sure enough, wealthy New Yorkers are either being taken advantage of or on their way to being taken advantage of.

As for the first-round pick in 03, everyone had already accepted Robinson as a hot potato to avoid being criticized by the Chicago media for being blind, so Krause really couldn't bargain anymore.

Anyway, with Sprewell, the Bulls are set to take off next season, and first-round picks aren't that valuable anymore.

"This plan is acceptable."

Klaus's tone became shy.

He then quickly did some mental calculations on the contract and said, "Scott, the salaries can't be balanced. We do have some salary leeway, but we have other plans."

"Or, you can skip the first-round pick and I'll add Jamal Crawford as a trade bonus."

This was the 8th overall pick in the 2000 draft, averaging 4.6 points per game in his rookie season.

Then he got injured in the second season.

Krause felt that his athleticism was mediocre, his performance was inconsistent, and his defense was terrible.

Most importantly, he got injured last season and seemed destined to become injury-prone, so we decided to give him to the Knicks to at least keep a first-round pick.

"we do not need."

Leiden refused without hesitation.

He only accepts those with good physical talent and skills, but those with poor physical talent.

"Then let's discuss it again."

Klaus retreated to advance, pausing for a moment.

Without wasting any more words, Leiden finally reminded him, "Jerry, don't keep me waiting too long. Latrile is still in high demand."

He felt that Klaus couldn't refuse him.

After hanging up the phone, Leiden immediately gave Cheney an OK sign.

They are currently in a small conference room.

He prepared a whiteboard with many names written on it.

Rayden stepped forward and ticked off the names of Chandler and Eddie Robinson.

Two are sorted out.

Chandler will serve as Yao Ming's backup.

As for Robinson, Layden was drawn to his explosive athleticism, which allowed him to dunk with ease.

Technology was not even a consideration.

As for his so-called garbage contract, a mere five million a year is nothing.

Watching Leiden standing confidently in front of the whiteboard, commenting as if he owned the world, Cheney sighed silently, not wanting to say anything more.

"next."

Leiden's gaze swept across the whiteboard and landed on a name.

DeShawn Stevenson.

Historically, there has only been one rookie who can be compared to Michael Jordan.

That was Stevenson.

He entered the NBA draft in 2000 and was selected 23rd overall in the first round by the Utah Jazz.

He was still a high school student.

身高1米96，高中时期场均可以拿到24分10篮板6助攻。

He also won the Slam Dunk Contest at the McDonald's All-Star Game that year.

In that year's national high school rankings, he was ranked second, and the man ahead of him was named Lenny Cook.

After graduating from high school, he received offers from prestigious universities such as Georgetown, UCLA, and Connecticut.

But he was determined to go to the University of Kansas.

Unfortunately, Kansas couldn't offer him a full scholarship, and then, on a whim, he decided to run for office, though he didn't know who had egged him on.

The reason why his draft comparison was Michael Jordan is because he looks somewhat like Jordan.

Most importantly, he has an uncle who is the editor-in-chief of a talent show website.

To promote his nephew, they directly used Michael Jordan as a role model for him.

The result will only be that they become a laughing stock.

Who has ever seen Michael Jordan average 2.2 points per game in his rookie season?
But that didn't stop Ryden from noticing him.

Aside from being modeled after Michael Jordan, Stevenson's physical attributes were also extremely explosive.

His uncle Mitchell wasn't just bragging when he dared to put Jordan on the list.

Stevenson is a fast runner and jumper with amazing explosive power; his vertical jump can reach 107.

He didn't make it in the NBA for the same reason as many high school players: he entered the league too early and didn't have enough skills to establish himself in the NBA.

But they are still young and have potential to be explored.

He said he wanted a Michael Jordan, and although he knew it was unrealistic, he figured he could at least get a low-budget version of Michael Jordan.

Most importantly, he's a Jazz jazz musician.

Given his relationship with the Jazz, switching him wouldn't be an easy task.

Layden dialed Jazz general manager Kevin O'Connor directly, and after a long exchange of pleasantries, he got down to business and specifically asked for Stevenson.

O'Connor hesitated for a moment, then agreed.

He didn't know what had gotten into the Knicks that made them take a liking to Stevenson.

But he himself didn't think highly of Stevenson.

The Jazz have given him opportunities before; last season they even started him, and he played almost 70 games, averaging 17 minutes of playing time per game.

As a result, he averaged 4.9 points per game.

Considering that his draft comparison is Michael Jordan, O'Connor must be laughing his head off.

So if the Knicks want it, then give it to them.

Leiden hung up the phone.

As long as there's interest, that's fine. As for the specifics of the trade, it's easy to handle a rookie.

He went to the whiteboard and crossed out another name.

He then pressed his advantage and called Pacers president Donnie Walsh.

“Donnie, I want Jonathan.”

After exchanging pleasantries, Leiden quickly got to the point.

He wanted to be a Michael Jordan at the shooting guard position.

Then I also want a Garnett.

The first player to be widely hailed by the media as the next Garnett was Jonathan Bender.

The original Kevin Garnett.

Standing at 2.13 meters tall, he is agile, can run and jump, and is said to be able to dunk from the free-throw line during training with the Pacers.

And it's the kind where the hands are switched in mid-air.

Of course, after entering the league, he did not live up to his potential.

Because at that time the Pacers were a championship contender, they didn't have the resources to develop a rookie.

In addition, he was still a high school student and had a knee injury. He wasted three seasons with the Pacers and still failed to prove his potential as a fifth overall pick.

He has a history of knee injuries.

However, Leiden didn't care. If he didn't improve after a season with Tang Sen, he would simply be eliminated.

It's just a rookie contract, how much money could they possibly lose?
(End of this chapter)