I'm the boss in the NBA

Chapter 234 The deal is reached
"It's not impossible to trade Kobe, but we should try to continue to weaken their current lineup. We must not leave too many capable players for the Rockets. Can they add Artest?" Jerry Bass seemed to be moved by the bright future that coach Phil Jackson said, and asked.

"I'm afraid it's impossible. I talked to them several times before, all because they wanted Artest or the 2003 first-round pick in the deal, but they not only refused to add Artest to it. , Even refused to take out the 2003 draft pick.

They would rather put the rookie players Brad Miller and Krstic on the trading list than pay for the 2003 draft pick. Later, they agreed to hand over the 2003 draft pick after several intense negotiations, but they were determined not to Agreeing to involve Artest shows that in their eyes Artest is more important than the 2003 draft pick and those two young players.

I am worried that if I continue to increase the price, this deal will completely collapse. Kobe is very angry now. He thinks that the bargaining chip given by the Rockets is already very good, enough to recover our losses. In cheating his feelings, the Lakers have no sincerity in trading him. "

Mitch Kupchak replied, he is the one who has been communicating with the Rockets, so he naturally knows that the current trade plan is already cutting the Rockets’ meat. If the Rockets were not very sincere, they would have been accepted by his asking price. Run away in anger.

"You talk to them again! Let them add Brad Miller, we can pay Robert Horry, I heard that the Kings are looking for this player, the trade can knock the Kings, and by the way, it can also reduce the Rockets The depth of the team's bench provides insurance for draft picks."

"I'll give it a try. Wait a moment, I'll contact you now." Kupchak didn't dare to delay, took out his mobile phone and started calling General Manager Su who had been in contact many times.

The call was made soon, Kupchak turned on the speakerphone, and Jerry Buss and Phil Jackson listened intently.

"Hi, hello! Mr. Kupchak, call me at this time, you want to tell me the good news, right?" Mr. Su's lazy voice came. He had just flown back to his home in New York from China. Still on jet lag break.

"It's good news. We have initially agreed to your trading plan, as long as you pay for another player..."

"Sorry, Mr. Mitch, I told you last time that this is the final plan. We will never give any more bargaining chips. We have given you enough sincerity. If you still want us to add players, I will I can only give up."

"I know that Brad Miller of your Rockets can't do anything but shoot. Our Lakers are willing to take over his contract. Correspondingly, we will pay for Robert Horry. He is the hero of the Lakers winning the championship. Players..." Although Kupchak was very worried about the collapse of the talks, he still proposed the previous trading plan.

"Horry is already in his 30s. Many substitute players are about to retire at his age. Who knows how much strength he has left, and you say he is a contribution to the championship team. Isn't our Rockets The championship team, Miller is also our winning player."

"Actually, this question..."

"You needn't say it, I've finally made up your mind now. Since you guys don't plan to make a deal, I'll just give up." Mr. Su is also a successful person with millions of dollars every minute, so he is willing to talk to this guy all day long, since If you don't want to make a good deal, forget it.

"Hi, President Su, I'm the owner of the Lakers, and my name is Jerry Buss." Jerry Buss reached out to take the phone from Kupchak.

"Oh, Boss Buss, nice to meet!" Hearing that it was the owner of the Lakers, Mr. Su got serious and gave up the idea of ​​hanging up the phone. After all, he was not a "little person" like Kupchak.

"Mr. Su, I actually have high expectations for Kobe. I think he will be the next leader of the Lakers, a superstar comparable to Michael Jordan." Jerry Buss said slowly.

"Mr. Bass, I understand your feelings, but Kobe doesn't want to stay in the Lakers anymore. The Lakers can't give him the boss position he wants, and they don't support the way he wants to play. You are just wasting his money by keeping him." Talent, I think you all know this, if you still reject my previous trade plan, then let’s give up this trade, you keep Kobe, I will train our McGrady well, and see who can become a team faster Leader." President Su retorted decisively after hearing what Jerry Buss said.

"Didn't you talk to the Kings about trading Brad Miller before? He shouldn't be important to you!"

"Your news came too late. In fact, I rejected the Kings' trade application a month ago, and I will not consider trading Miller in the short term, because, if our deal is reached, I will After trading Randolph, let Brad Miller become our team's starting power forward." President Su explained to Jeri Buss.

This is a normal personnel rotation. If the Rockets trade Randolph away, there must be a power forward player on top. Who is that person?Is it the anti-bone rookie Boozer who was just selected, or Brad Miller who played in the championship lineup for a year? The result is self-evident. Of course, he chose Brad Miller. After adding Randolph, President Su stopped the negotiation with the Kings immediately, even if the Kings were willing to pay their 2003 first-round pick at that time.

"Okay, I agree to your deal, and I hope our deal is a win-win situation!" Jerribas knew that if he wanted to make a request, the other party would definitely end the conversation without hesitation, so he had no choice but to give up. thought out.

Within a week of the two making a verbal agreement, the league approved the rare big deal.

The Rockets traded the All-Star player Tracy McGrady and the team's main power forward Zach Randolph, as well as the Rockets' two unprotected first-round picks in 2003 and 2005, to the Lakers' superstar Guard Kobe Bryant.

You must know that these are two All-Star players, and it also involves multiple draft picks and super rookies. This big deal has attracted most of the league's attention.

Although they also saw the video of the quarrel between Kobe and O'Neal, and knew that there was a conflict in the OK combination, they did not expect the Rockets to be so decisive. They were stunned and successfully got Kobe Bryant. Although they paid a lot, the corresponding return was also great. After all, Kobe is one of the best defenders in the league and has many fans all over the world.

Others don't know how many times the Lakers management has quarreled in private because of the trade of O'Neal or Kobe, and they don't know how many times the Rockets contacted the general manager of the Lakers in order to trade Kobe, and how many times they were rejected.

They only know that the Lakers still gave up supporting Kobe, and chose to make O'Neal the only leader of the Lakers.

It may be that Kobe's intention to leave is too decisive, or it may be that the bargaining chips given by the Rockets in the end are too tempting. After all, in the highly commercialized league of the NBA, there is no one who cannot be traded.

Presumably, if the Rockets give enough chips, it is not impossible to trade O'Neal away.

(End of this chapter)