On December 11, labor and management reached an agreement to end the lockout, and the start of the game was set for January 10.
Therefore, the league, teams and players only have one month to prepare.
Players who couldn't bear the loneliness and lack of money during the lockout and went to work overseas to make money have ended their contracts and returned to the United States.
Like Deron Williams, JR Smith, etc., when they signed their contracts, there was a clause that they would return to the United States once the NBA lockout was over.
The CBA's Shanxi team was even close to signing Kobe, allowing Kobe to truly experience what it's like to have teammates in the CBA!
However, the Basketball Association believes that Kobe's arrival will destroy the balance of the league, and the contract signed by Kobe is too unequal, with high salary and many conditions, which is unfair to other players.
Therefore, the Basketball Association met and formulated new regulations that prohibit CBA teams from signing players with contracts in other leagues.
As a result, Kobe's way to come to the CBA was blocked. Just as the NBA lockout ended, Kobe's only chance to come to the CBA was lost.
There are different opinions on how to evaluate this matter. Some people think that the Basketball Association has the backbone to ensure a fair and just CBA environment.
Some people think that the Basketball Association has no structure and has lost an opportunity to create commercial hype and expand the influence of the CBA.
Compared with the concerns of the CBA, the NBA is a more thoroughly commercialized league.
Now that the agreement has been negotiated, everyone is ready to start playing, serve fans, and pick up guests!
After months of inaction, the 30 NBA teams are starting to get busy again.
Contracts that were not signed in the summer need to be signed, transactions that were not made must be made, and training camps that have not been opened must be started as soon as possible.
The number one thing before Min Congda is whether to renew Marc Gasol's contract.
Gasol's contract expires this year. Based on his performance last season, Min Congda doesn't want to sign him.
It was a mistake to trade Kaman for Gasol. Although this guy is a little worse than his brother in terms of strength, he really fits well with the Clippers.
This season, he has grown into the mainstay of the Clippers' interior offense and defense, contributing a lot to the Clippers' eight-game winning streak and all the way to the Western Conference Finals.
How could Min Congda keep such a player? He must be driven away.
Just when the lockout was announced and the free market opened, the Houston Rockets made an offer to Marc Gasol.
As long as the Clippers don't match, Gasol will go to the Rockets to play.
Min Congda originally didn't want to match, but he soon discovered a problem.
That is, if the Clippers do not match Marc Gasol's new contract, the team's salary will almost reach the salary cap.
This means that the Clippers' salary is far from the luxury tax line. The Clippers' salary situation is too healthy.
And Min Congda very much hopes that the Clippers' salary can reach the luxury tax line, because in this year's new labor agreement, the luxury tax penalty has been further increased.
According to the new agreement, the first and second years will be levied at a ratio of 1:1. For every 1 yuan above the luxury tax line, 1 yuan of tax will be paid.
Starting from the third year, a tiered collection model will be adopted, and additional penalties will be imposed on teams that exceed the luxury tax four times in any five years.
This is mainly done to prevent wealthy teams from getting bigger and paying unlimited luxury taxes to put together a luxurious lineup.
This is to protect the competitiveness of small and medium-sized teams and prevent one company from becoming dominant.
The Rockets' offer to Gasol is a four-year, 55 million maximum salary contract. If the Clippers match Gasol's contract, they will exceed the tax line this season.
There is no match, and the Clippers currently have no salary space to sign any free agents.
Therefore, if you want to pay taxes and waste money, you must sign Gasol with Bird Rights.
This left Min Congda in a dilemma.
If you let him go, the team's performance will deteriorate, which is a good thing.
If he stays, the team's expenses will increase, which is also a good thing.
Min Congda thought about it again and again, and thought that Gasol was quite interesting.
Even though this guy is the tallest and strongest one on the team, he is brave and fierce on the field.
Off the field, he is very gentle and good at socializing, and likes to gossip with his teammates.
Min Congda was able to make up a life story from the psychiatrist, and he really has to thank Gasol.
He contributed a lot of rumors and legends to Min Congda's tragic first half of his life.
Putting this aside, he usually has a good relationship with Min Congda, and he and Randolph are good partners on the court and good buddies off the court.
Min Congda really couldn't bear to let Gasol go and play in Houston.
As for Texas, that damn place in Houston is in tatters, the fans are not enthusiastic at all, and the team is dunking and searching.
It was a real torture to play there.
After receiving the offer from the Rockets, Min Congda sat in the office and struggled for a long time.
He opened the latest 2K11 game and played a simulated game with the Clippers' lineup and the Lakers.
As a result, Gasol was severely beaten by his brother Pau Gasol during the game and performed poorly.
"Hey, forget it, Gasol is not a superstar, he is just a fat white Spanish guy. The upper limit of his and Fatty Lan's combination is the Western Conference Finals. What are you worried about? What's so great about the Western Conference Finals? They can't win the championship. All champions are blind.”
"Moreover, players with styles like Gasol and Randolph don't sell tickets or shoes at all. The little box office profit they generate is not enough to pay the luxury tax."
Min Congda is trying to convince himself that he wants to keep Gasol not out of emotion but out of interests.
Not to mention Gasol, even LeBron James can't help the Cavaliers sell enough tickets to cover the luxury tax. m.
From this point of view, Min Congda was right, Gasol did not sell tickets.
And based on his current data and achievements, the maximum salary is indeed higher.
They are just potential players, and their contracts are always at a premium.
Min Congda gritted his teeth, called Olshey, and said: "Olshey, if we match the contract offered by the Rockets to Mark, we will directly give him the maximum salary, 57.5 million in four years!"
Olshey heard Min Congda's decision and reminded: "Smart, if you give Mark the maximum salary, we will have to pay the luxury tax next season."
Min Congda thought to himself, I won’t sign it if I don’t pay the luxury tax! It's a max-salary contract just to pay the luxury tax.
"Just pay it. You're not responsible for losing money. Why do you worry so much?"
In the 2010-2011 season, although the Clippers spent a lot of money, they also had a lot of income.
Under Rosser's operation, the company actually managed to break even and make a slight profit.
However, the team has huge expenses in salary, daily travel, and the "Three Treasures Plan", so the profit is very small.
It's not like the US$5 million profit in 10 years, but Min Congda is still very satisfied with this.
Olshey just reminded him out of habit. Of course he would not refute it and he would immediately do it.
After settling Gasol's contract issue, in Min Congda's view, the Clippers front office can rest.
None of the other players need to move, none of their contracts need to be renewed, and they can take another vacation.
But Min Congda's work with the Clippers is over, but the work of cultivating opponents has just begun.
Some people died, but not completely...
