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Chapter 13 Signing with the Spurs
Early the next morning, Yang Ke, Leonard, and their agent Elvers walked into an ordinary room in the fitness room of the AT&T Center Arena under the leadership of the staff.

There is only one gray-haired but energetic Popovich in the room, watching the video quietly under the light. There is a round table beside him, and there is a push of something on the table.

"Coach, I brought them here."

While knocking and talking, the staff member walked out of the room and closed the door without waiting for Popovich to reply.

In fact, when Yang Ke and the others came in, Popovich had already pressed the pause button, but he didn't do anything other than that. After the staff went out, he slowly turned the chair.

"Yang, didn't I tell you to find an agent? Why are you still alone? It's easy for you to suffer without an agent in the league."

Popovich looked at the three people in the room. He had already contacted Leonard and Elvers and knew that the latter was the agent of the former.When the eyes shifted to Yang Ke, Popovich immediately frowned. Yang Ke actually came alone, and his tone was not very good.

Seeing Popovich a little unhappy, Yang Ke said quickly: "Coach, Elvers is also my manager."

"Oh?!"

Hearing this, Popovich raised his eyebrows unexpectedly, and turned to look at Elvers. The two were under the same agent, which he really didn't expect.

"Yes, Coach Popovich, I just signed Young last night."

Seeing Popovich looking at him, Elvers was very happy. He also felt very lucky to sign Yang, which is already an act of picking up mistakes.

"That's fine, come and see if there are any traps in the contract I gave them."

After finishing speaking, Popovich took out two contracts that had been prepared from the table and placed them in front of Elvers.He doesn't like the agent, the agent's methods are in harmony with his style.

But in contrast, he doesn't like to directly discuss business with players, because in his opinion, it is disrespectful to players.

"As a team in the small ball market, the Spurs can stand at the forefront of the league because under your leadership, the Spurs have always been so strong and hardworking."

"In the league, all professionals know that although you love to scold and yell at players, no one doubts that you have the most respect for players. You will not set any traps when it comes to player contracts. .”

Elvers sighed with a smile. Popovich was a man he respected and admired. He picked up the contract on the table, glanced at the name, then turned around and placed it on Yang Ke and Leonard separately. German hands.

In fact, as an agent, he knows very well that rookie contracts cannot have loopholes, just because there is no need for them.

Yang Ke took the contract, found a seat, sat down and quickly opened the contract, carefully checking the above regulations, 3 million US dollars in 625 years, due in the summer of 2014.There is neither a team option nor a player option, which is a very common player contract.

And as Elvers said, Yang Ke didn't see any traps, not even some vague words.

Yang Ke was very happy about this, he raised his head and looked at Elvers, and after seeing him nodding, he picked up the pen on the table and signed his name directly, and then handed over the contract to Elvers.

With such a large amount of money, there is no team option yet. Elvers glanced at it and knew that Popovich valued Yang Ke very much.Yang Ke's salary is the highest he can get with the 29th pick in the first round.

Yang's potential is really so good?
Shaking his head, Elvers waved his hand and signed his name on the agent under Yang Ke's name, then raised his head and handed it to Popovich.

Leonard's amount is a full 100 million more than his own. The high pick is different. If the top pick can get a medium-amount contract.

When Yang Ke stood up from his seat, he found that Leonard was still reading the contract, so he looked at it curiously, and found that the two were exactly the same except for the salary.

After Popovich took it, he opened it and looked at the two wet names, then put it down, then got up and stretched out his right hand, and said to Yang Ke with a smile on his face: "Yang, I now officially welcome you to become the Spurs team." One member!"

"It's my pleasure, Coach!"

Yang Ke quickly reached out to hold Popovich's palm.

"Yang, I need you to transfer to the combo guard in the future."

After holding it for two seconds, Popovich withdrew his right hand naturally. At the same time, the smile on his face disappeared, and he returned to his usual expressionless face, and calmly said to Yang Keshu.

Sure enough, Yang Ke was not surprised by this. Earlier, George Hill had told him before leaving that Popovich might let him transfer to the combo guard, so Yang Ke had already made preparations.

"Okay, coach!"

Yang Ke nodded calmly.

Elvers, on the other hand, stood up from his seat, frowned and looked at Popovich and said, "Coach, I don't agree with this. Yang, he hasn't even played an NBA-level game yet, so he suddenly called It's not good for him to change his familiar position!"

"First, you don't understand Yang's potential and level; second, as far as small forwards are concerned, Yang's height is low, and he doesn't have an advantage in confrontation. If he plays a small forward, it will not be conducive to his development;"

Popovich looked at Elvers with disdain. Whether it was for his own benefit or for the good of Yang Ke, Elvers was a beginner at best in terms of basketball.
"Third, it is precisely because he has not experienced the status league competition, so he will not lose sight of the other, so that he can change positions better and more perfectly."

As an agent, the most basic feature is to persuade others, but I am not so easily persuaded.

"But…"

It was obvious that Elvers possessed this characteristic. He stood up and wanted to say something, but was pulled back by Yang Ke who was on the side.

"Elfers, think about it, if I really play small forward, wouldn't I have to compete with Leonard for playing time, and that would be bad for both of us."

Yang Ke grabbed Elvers with both hands. He had already made sufficient preparations for switching to a combo guard. Didn't you see that in the more than 20 days before the draft, he was all training his ball-handling ability.

"And if I switch to a combo guard, this problem will be solved. Furthermore, it doesn't affect me much. I haven't formed my own style yet, so I have the confidence to be a combo guard. "

Yang Ke doesn't want Elvers and Popovich to have conflicts because of this. The discord between the agent and the coaching staff will ultimately affect the players.

After what Yang Ke said, Elvers thought about it carefully, and it was true. Yang Ke's conversion to a combo guard may be the best choice for him and Leonard.Coupled with Yang Ke's self-confidence, Elvers calmed down in an instant, and slowly sat back in his seat.

"Yang, I've read your profile, and you've played a lot of shooting guards, so I guess you'll be in this position in the first half of the season. As for the point guard, it depends on the situation..."

Ignoring Elvers and briefly explaining his arrangement, Popovich took out a form from the table and handed it to Yang Ke: "Here is a number that has not been used in the team, you choose one. "

"I choose No. 5."

Looking at the numbers on the form, the familiar No. [-] came into view, and Yang Ke immediately made a decision. No. [-] is the jersey he has been wearing since he played. Wearing the No. [-] jersey has long been one of his habits.

"It seems that you are very lucky, no one uses the familiar number."

There is no requirement for player number selection. Seeing Yang Ke quickly make a choice, Popovich nodded and took back the form. After drawing a circle on number five, he put it aside.

(End of this chapter)