In Seattle, Washington, Vice President Ballmer was playing golf at a golf course with several executives and friends.
"Does any of you know what contract SuperSonics has offered Iron Fist? I saw a lot of media discussing the possibility of Iron Fist going to the Lakers and Warriors. Why can't I see the media discussing the news that Iron Fist is coming to the SuperSonics?" he suddenly asked. .
An executive immediately said: "Steve, as far as I know, the SuperSonics have contacted the Pistons and submitted a quotation."
"What's the result?" Ballmer asked.
The person said: "The Pistons wanted Gary Payton + Shawn Kemp, but the SuperSonics didn't agree, and then nothing happened."
"What?"
Ballmer was stunned, stopped playing the ball, handed the club to the caddy, and asked the executive: "Is your news correct?"
"It's true, I have a friend who is the vice president of operations for the Sonics, and he told me." The executive said.
A friend of Ballmer's who is also a director of Microsoft said at this time: "The SuperSonics were eliminated by the Suns in the Western Conference Finals with a score of 3 to 4. I think they think the lineup is good and don't want to make a big move?"
"Sean Kemp's dunk was so explosive. He and Gary Payton cooperated very well. The SuperSonics are currently selling very good tickets. Maybe this is why they are unwilling to dismantle the lineup." Someone said.
"I don't think Barry Ackley wants to take out the money. Iron Fist's next contract is not small and he won't be able to part with it," someone said again.
"Steve, do you want the Sonics to trade Iron Fist?" a friend asked.
Ballmer smiled and said: "Bill and I played with him last year at the Golf Celebrity Charity Tournament in Los Angeles. He was a very good person. He won hundreds of thousands of dollars from Jordan and donated all of it.
I think the Sonics should trade him. His ability can help the Sonics reach a higher level. I mean reaching the Finals, not just reaching the Western Conference Finals. "
"Steve, have you considered the ball market?" someone said.
Ballmer nodded, understanding what his friend meant.
The SuperSonics were the first professional team in Seattle, but over the years, Seattle has introduced many sports projects, including MLB's professional baseball team, NFL's professional football team, NHL's professional ice hockey team, and the four major sports leagues. .
In comparison, the development of these later-introduced teams is better, and then the NCAA football, baseball, and ice hockey teams are also very competitive. The development of the SuperSonics in Seattle has lagged behind.
However, in recent years, because of the acquisition of Shawn Kemp, the ball market has improved. But if Kemp is traded to the Pistons, the ball market will be difficult to say. Although Iron Fist is very strong, in terms of box office appeal, the Beast is low. Pu's appeal should be a little bigger.
"I like basketball and intend to invest in the Sonics."
After saying this, he added: "The super performance in the finals and the super performance against Jordan in the second round have proven that he is the kind of superstar who can perform super at critical moments. He is not a regular season superstar. I think when he comes here, he will definitely make the SuperSonics a real championship-level team. As for the ball market, I think as long as there is a record, there will be a ball market.
And I think Tekken's style of play is also very good and very entertaining. If he is in Seattle, the market will definitely not be bad. The Pistons' attendance this season is good. "
Everyone was stunned. Why did Ballmer suddenly want to acquire the Sonics? Was he influenced by Paul Allen?
But they are not very surprised. Ballmer already likes basketball, and for him, acquiring a professional team from the four major sports leagues is not a big deal.
In fact, the reason why Ballmer wanted to acquire the Sonics was just an idea he just had. He is responsible for Microsoft's sales business, and he has recently been thinking about the market development in China. It is a huge market, and he needs a Suitable spokesperson, and Zhou Quan is undoubtedly the most suitable.
It would be best if the SuperSonics could trade Zhou Quan, but now that the SuperSonics are unwilling to trade, they would consider purchasing the team and bring Zhou Quan to Seattle themselves.
Of course, no matter where Zhou Quan plays, Microsoft can ask him to be a spokesperson, but coming to the SuperSonics is the best result. He actually wants to invest in a professional team and watch his own team play when he has nothing to do. , is also a good leisure experience.
At this time, the Supersonics headquarters was also holding a meeting about Zhou Quan.
A group of managers, centered on owner Barry Ackley, do not want to trade, but some managers want to trade Weekly Rights.
General manager Bob Whitsitt single-handedly selected Shawn Kemp and Gary Payton. The current SuperSonics lineup was created by him, and it reached the Western Conference Finals this year. It has a bright future. He is confident in this lineup. There will be a chance to win the championship.
However, he also hopes to get Iron Fist, believing that Iron Fist will make this team stronger, so he previously submitted a quotation to the Pistons.
But owner Barry Arkley expressed dissatisfaction with him and believed that he should not be involved in the Iron Fist deal.
He understood what the boss was thinking. The contract that Iron Fist wanted was too big, and the boss was unwilling to spend that much money. After all, it was a billion-dollar contract.
Moreover, the Pistons only need Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp, and their purpose is very clear. With this pair of internal and external cores, plus Joe Dumars and Rodman, the Pistons will still be a championship-level team next season, and even more invincible. .
At the same time, Sean Kemp can also help the Pistons stabilize and grow the ball market. The Pistons can use this transaction to resurrect in place and complete the reconstruction.
In addition, both Gary Payton and Sean Kemp are on rookie contracts, which helps the Pistons control costs.
Payton will only have an annual salary of 2.38 million next season, with a total of three years left on his contract, while Kemp also has two years left on his contract, worth 750,000 and 1 million respectively, which is shockingly cheap and very cost-effective.
It was impossible for him to let the Pistons complete such a super reconstruction, coupled with the pressure from the boss, so after the Pistons refused, the transaction was suspended.
As the team owner, Barry Ackley has thought very clearly and rationally. The current lineup has already reached the Western Conference Finals. Why take the risk to trade Iron Fist and dismantle this team?
And this team is very popular with fans. Shawn Kemp has brought a lot of market opportunities to the SuperSonics, and he does not want to trade Rain Man.
More importantly, the contract that Iron Fist wanted was too big. He didn't want to spend that much money at all. The contract was worth 100 million yuan. Of course, when he bought the team, it only cost more than 10 million U.S. dollars.
At this time, his assistant came in and said: "Boss, Mr. Chelsea, the personal assistant of Microsoft President Ballmer, just contacted me..."
"What's the matter?" Ackley asked immediately after being startled.
"He said Mr. Ballmer was interested in buying the team for $80 million."
Ackerley was stunned, it was so sudden. Why did Ballmer buy his team? At the price of 80 million, he was really tempted.
In the past two years, the SuperSonics' market has grown, and their record has been good. They have made the playoffs for three consecutive years, and this year they made it to the Western Conference Finals. Last year, the team only made it to the second round and did not make much money. But this year With income from the Western Conference Finals, he earned close to $2 million.
However, there is a big gap between 2 million and 80 million. He spent 16 million US dollars to buy the team in 1983. Over the past ten years, it has only made some money this year. Fortunately, the value of the league has increased, and the team It is also constantly appreciating. If you sell it at this time, you will make a good profit, not to mention the price can definitely be negotiated. Ballmer is not short of money.
Thinking of this, his heart really moved.
"Boss, what should I do?" someone asked at this time.
"The meeting ends here."
Barry Ackley left with his assistant without saying a word.
The management looked at each other and then dispersed.
…
At six o'clock in the afternoon that day, Zhou Quan returned to the hotel from the golf course and was about to have dinner with Christina Yeri after taking a shower when Phillip suddenly called.
"This week, Trail Blazers owner Paul Allen is here. He came from Portland on a private plane and will be arriving at the hotel soon."
Zhou Quan, who was soaking in the bathtub, said in surprise: "The Blazers haven't contacted us. What's going on?"
Philip shrugged his shoulders and said: "Who knows, but Paul Allen definitely wants to trade you when he comes to see you, that's for sure."
Within half an hour, Phillip drove to the hotel. Twenty minutes later, Paul Allen appeared at the hotel where Zhou Quan was staying.
There was a media reporter outside the hotel, an entertainment reporter. When he saw Paul Allen appearing, he immediately put away his camera and followed him to the elevator.
Paul Allen is a playboy who often dates models and female celebrities. He feels that he is lucky today and should be able to take some good photos.
Paul Allen and Hans Wilt stopped on the 32nd floor, stepped out of the elevator, and saw Zhou Quan and Philip.
"Hello, Mr. Allen." Philip walked up enthusiastically.
"Hello……"
Paul Allen walked up, smiled broadly, and held out his hand.
"Crack, click, click..."
When the reporter who followed him saw Zhou Quan, he knew he was wrong, so he immediately turned on his camera and started taking pictures.
Zhou Quan and Phillip were startled, why did Paul Allen bring a reporter with him?
Paul Allen was also startled. He didn't expect that the man who came up together was a reporter.
"Mr. Allen, Mr. Wilt, let's go in and talk." Philip said quickly.
"Okay." The two smiled and nodded.
"Mr. Allen, do you hope to trade Iron Fist this time?" The reporter took the last chance and asked.
However, no one answered his question, but he was not disappointed. He immediately took out his mobile phone and began to contact a news producer at a Los Angeles TV station to prepare to sell the news.
"Iron Fist, I hope you come to Portland. I hope the Trail Blazers have a leader who can determine who will win the championship in the future. I hope they have a superstar who can beat the Bulls and Michael Jordan. You don't have to worry about the contract at all. That's not a problem." , team investment is not a problem either.”
"Iron Fist, you have become the absolute leader since you came to the Trail Blazers...
Paul Allen is a business tycoon who loves sports very much. After sitting down, he immediately got straight to the point. General Manager Wilt promised a lot of conditions.
"You two, I feel the sincerity from the Trail Blazers..."
Zhou Quan dealt with it with a smile on his face, but he didn't intend to promise anything. The Blazers gave him a general impression that they were a mess.
During this season, a group of Trail Blazers players had sex with several underage girls at a party when they were playing away games, but the team smoothed it over without causing a major incident.
This incident made him think about the Trail Blazers. Not only were the players bad, but the management's management of the players was also bad. They indulged the players too much. The media repeatedly exposed the problem of uniqueness in the Blazers' locker room. The management level is too poor. .
Although the Bad Boys are notorious, they have not done anything like this. In his opinion, the Pistons management is much stricter than the Trail Blazers management, so he doesn't really want to cooperate with such a management.
Paul Allen is indeed a person who loves basketball very much and does not expect a return on his investment, but this cannot be the reason for him to go to the Trail Blazers.
But whether he likes it or not, he didn't show it in his heart, and it was hard for a big business boss like him to come to Los Angeles to meet him in person, so it was hard to refuse him. But his attitude was the same as that of the Lakers. He would not refuse the Trail Blazers, but the team itself Go get a deal with the Pistons.
Paul Allen was not disappointed either. Getting a chance to compete fairly with the Lakers was the purpose of his trip.
He stayed in Zhou Quan's room for half an hour and then left. When he left, the news of his meeting with Zhou Quan in the hotel had spread throughout the United States through Los Angeles TV stations.
"Paul Allen?"
Lakers boss Buss Sr. got the news from his staff, and his brows suddenly furrowed.
…
In Houston, the glider Drexler who returned to his hometown was fishing with his good friend Olajuwon. His agent called and heard the news that Paul Allen secretly met with Iron Fist. He couldn't believe it. The management was hesitant. Decision, the boss personally takes action to trade Iron Fist?
His relationship with Iron Fist was okay. Jordan recruited Dameng and Barkley in the All-Stars to deal with Iron Fist. Of course he would not participate. If he could join forces with Iron Fist... the thought of this made him crazy with excitement.
"No, am I the one who doesn't know how to trade chips?" But when he thought of this, he couldn't help but laugh.
"Clyde, you're going to have great luck." Dameng said with a look of envy and reluctance.
"Who asked you and Jordan to get together to deal with Iron Fist?" Glider laughed.
Dameng snorted coldly and said: "Anyway, our boss is so stingy that he won't give Iron Fist a big contract. We wouldn't have gotten him in the first place."
Glider smiled. Now he just hopes that the team's trading chip is Tribolt, not him. Otherwise, if he goes to the Pistons who no longer want to compete for the championship, his life will be over, and he will never have a chance to win against Michael. Jordan.
Shortly after, Pistons general manager Troy Weaver got a call from Roger Phillippe.
"Iron Fist wants the Trail Blazers to join the deal?"
Troy Weaver hadn't gotten off work yet. He was almost dizzy. After receiving the call, he quickly asked his assistant to find information about the Trail Blazers and start researching the deal with the Trail Blazers.
He is already negotiating trades with the Lakers and Warriors. Both teams are very bold and let him choose directly. The entire team is on the shelves, but he is not too satisfied.
The Lakers players are not attractive to him, because no one from the Lakers can be the core of the Pistons' future reconstruction, and the Lakers' future draft picks are not attractive, because once the Lakers get the Iron Fist, the value of future draft picks will not be very high. There is a high probability that he is not even a lottery pick, so he does not want to trade with the Lakers.
The Warriors are better. The three outsiders are very good. Tim Hardaway, Chris Mullin, rookie Swire Will, and the second pick in 1991, forward Billy Owens, he has a big mouth. They wanted to trade one for three, but the Warriors could only agree to one for two at most.
But between the Warriors and the Lakers, he still prefers the Warriors. The Iron Fist is replaced by Bugs, the point guard is replaced by point guard, and Billy Owens is added. However, now that there is an additional Trail Blazer, he can only reconsider the transaction.
"Sir, here comes the quotation from the Trail Blazers."
"bring here."
Soon, his assistant came in again.
Taking a look at it, the main bargaining chip is Tribolt, the Blazers' main point guard and an All-Star backup guard in his prime, which is okay.
In addition to Tribert, there are two good role players, and the rest are the Blazers' top-five protected first-round draft picks in 1994 and 1995.
The chips were sufficient, with Tribert in his prime and two future draft picks. The Blazers were not stingy with their move, and he began to consider this deal.
The Blazers' Glider is still in his prime, but Joe Dumars is one year younger than the Glider and is still in his prime. The position overlaps, but he doesn't need it.
At present, in addition to Zhou Quan's transaction, he also has an important job, how to renew Rodman's contract in advance. Rodman only has one year of contract left and cannot renew in advance. The best option is to trade Rodman Lose.
(End of chapter)
