Coming out of the ward of the special hospital, Li Wei informed Xia Cuirong to find a way to trade the capital.

Ben Wallace plays for the Washington Bullets, who just changed their name to the Washington Wizards the other day.

Why change the name? The answer is that there have been too many recent shootings, including the killing of Israeli Prime Minister Bhaikin Rabin, the wounding of Knicks titan Oakley, and more importantly, the Bullets are a team in the capital.

As a capital team, it is too detrimental to the growth of teenagers to call such a discordant name as bullets!

That's right, the United States also needs harmony, especially in the capital, and even more so. As soon as the shareholders of the Bullets are combined, then let's change our name and change it to the Wizards, this is always harmonious, right?

Wizard in English, also has the meaning of witch doctor, warlock, etc., witch doctor is the Western legend, those who hold a magic wand and can bring the dead back to life. From a murderous bullet to a witch doctor who brought the dead back to life, this team has a very harmonious name and is worthy of praise!

After receiving instructions from Li Wei, Xia immediately asked Dennis Johnson to contact the newly renamed Wizards, with John Wallace, the No. 18 rookie last year.

"What, you want to trade John Wallace for our team's Ben Wallace?"

Wizards general manager Wes Unseld heard this proposal, secretly thought about it, and felt that it could be replaced.

John Wallace was the talent who led Syracuse all the way to the NCAA finals last year, and the Knicks grabbed it with the 18th pick in the first round. Ben Wallace has rough skills, no offensive skills, and no one cares about him in the draft, if it weren't for the fact that the Wizards have no salary space and can only find a base salary to make up the numbers, they won't sign him!

Of course, Unseld is not an arbitrarian man, and he quickly consulted with the team's head coach, Bernie Bixduff.

Bixduff listened to Unselde's words, frowned and said: "Big Ben's talent is really low, but he works hard enough, and I like his tireless attitude to play." We don't know what kind of temper John Wallace was, and it may not be useful in exchange. We have a lot of people up front, there is no shortage of talent, what we need is immediate combat power, and a guy like Big Ben who can drive the motivation of the players. ”

"Oh, you mean no trades?" Wes Unseld asked.

"I mean, it doesn't matter if you trade or not, these two guys are at the end of the bench anyway. ”

Unseld thought for a while, and felt that this kind of trade was of little significance, so he returned to the office and replied to Dennis Johnson: "Big Ben is an important talent for our team, just one John Wallace is not enough, we also need draft picks, otherwise we don't have to talk about it!" ”

Dennis Johnson told Xia Cuirong about the Wizards' reply, and Xia Cuirong consulted Li Wei again.

"I traded an eighteen-pick for a draft pick, and they still don't agree?" Li Wei was a little depressed.

"Then let's not change it." Xia Cuirong said.

"Not changing?" Li Wei raised his eyebrows.

If it is an ordinary manager, when you encounter such a reply, you will definitely not change. But he knows that Big Ben in his previous life will get playing time this season, and the more he plays, the better he gets, and the Wizards will also renew his contract!

Once Big Ben renews his contract with the Wizards, it will be difficult to dig it up again, and if you want to trade, you can only pay more chips!

"Forget it, give them a second-round pick for next year!"

Wes Unseld heard the Knicks' reply, a little strange.

When he asked for a draft pick, he was actually refusing to trade. The average manager will not use the No. 18 rookie + future draft pick for a lost draft pick and a water cooler!

But he never expected that the other party actually agreed!

How can this Ben Wallace be worthy of the Knicks' attention?

After a little inquiry, Unselde quickly learned that Ben Wallace and Oakley were good friends, and giving Ben Wallace a contract seemed to be a bargaining chip for Oakley to reconcile with the Knicks!

Knowing the cause and effect, things work well. Although the president of the Knicks has changed, the new president is also a newcomer and has no friendship with him. He can continue to bid, and he will earn it if the other party agrees anyway, and the Wizards will not lose anything if they don't agree.

"We don't have second-round picks, we want first-round picks. The Knicks are willing to come up with next year's first-rounder, and we'll trade the big one! ”

"It's insatiable!" When Li Wei heard the news, he slammed the cup hard.

In all fairness, Big Ben is worth a first-round pick, but do these guys really know what Big Ben is worth?

Definitely not!

They just sit on the ground and raise the price, deliberately deceiving people!

This way of bidding is exactly the same as when the general manager of the Cavaliers traded Big Z.

In fact, in the NBA, such unequal transactions abound. When the old Nelson paid the No. 9 pick in the first round + Martin Musup + Pat Garrity + Charles Wells in order to get Nash, the Suns' replacement!

That's two first-round potential newcomers, plus a second-round pick, plus a lotto draw!

Four for one!

Why do you think old Nelson is so stupid and doesn't exchange one for one with others?

Isn't this nonsense?

He didn't have the player the other party wanted, but he wanted to get the other party's player, and the other party sat on the ground and started the price, so he could only grit his teeth and admit it!

Otherwise, the deal is impossible!

Later, Nash played out, and the Suns drafted Marion with that No. 9 pick, and the others didn't play, and the Mavericks didn't look like a loss. But another similar deal, the Grizzlies' '03 No. 1 pick for an Otis Thorpe, is still a joke 20 years later.

In this league, no one is a living Lei Feng, an NBA executive, and there is not a fuel-efficient lamp. They have an annual salary of one million, just to calculate how to make a big profit!

Those who think that the other party will agree to the deal because they have similar chips are either playing too many games or reading too many novels, and they can't even distinguish between a buyer's market and a seller's market.

Big Z's transaction was the Cavaliers' starting price, and Li Wei forcibly made a decision, which attracted a lot of scolding, and the next few transactions made him a target for the media. But what can he do, every transaction is initiated by him, and if people don't make a profit, why should they toss with him?

Li Wei doesn't mind being scolded, but now that Xia Cuirong is the president, he can't let Xia Cuirong be scolded anymore!

What's more, the Knicks will still choose Nowitzki for their first-round pick next year, how can they trade to the Wizards like this?

It's a pipe dream!

"Don't change it, you tell them that the Knicks' first-round pick, not to change Webb!"

Wes Unseld didn't take it seriously when he heard that the Knicks weren't changing.

John Wallace has potential, but that's about it. The potential of the alliance is really a big handful.

The Wizards are now full of talent, especially in the frontcourt, with last year's most improved player Murraysan at the center position, Chris Webber in '93, Juwan Howard who signed a contract with 100 million yuan in front, and Carl Porte Channey, the six-year-old pick in '93 and full of talent. Even if John Wallace is exchanged, he can only sit at the end of the bench, and his role is similar to that of Big Ben.

As for the second-round picks, under normal circumstances, too good talents are not selected, since Bixduff likes Big Ben, then keep it, there is really little point in swapping the end of the bench, if it destroys the team's chemistry, it is not beautiful.

So the deal between the two teams was stillborn.

Many transactions in the NBA are like this, and if you don't negotiate a little detail, you have to waste all your efforts. Li Wei's first few transactions were happy because he suffered a big loss on the surface, and the other party really needed it, otherwise even if the negotiation lasted ten days and half a month, he might blow it at any time.

Li Wei was pondering how to make Big Ben not renew his contract next year and jump ship to the Knicks through Oakley's relationship, and Chuck Daley walked in.

"David, summer league is about to start, what are your thoughts?"

"Oh, Summer League!" Li Wei blinked, "Let Mike lead the team, as for the players, let's pick together!" ”

Summer League is an unofficial event held by the NBA in the offseason, which is mainly for teams to review the undrafted players, complete free agents, and rookies selected by training, so that the rookies can adapt to the rules and games of the NBA in advance.

The Las Vegas Summer League, which was very popular in 2004, has not yet appeared, and the Knicks can participate in the Rocky Mountain Summer League and the Southern California Summer Pro League.

The Knicks drafted three first-round picks last year, two of whom were traded by Li Wei, and the only sophomores who could compete were John Wallace, the newly traded Nash, and Big Z. But Da Z's injury was just right, for the sake of safety, Li Wei was not ready to let him compete, so he should practice three points at home.

Dennis Johnson gave Lee a roster provided by scouts and asked Lee to pick undrafted and free agents. In addition, he also picked a few favorite players for Li Wei's reference.

Li Wei called all the members of the coaching staff, and then began to look for familiar names on the squad: "This Kevin Ollie is good, he lost the draft in 95, and the point guard produced by Kangda is very stable." And Chuck Atkins and Troy Hudson, both good. ”

Chuck Daley glanced at Li Wei and chuckled: "With a stroke of your pen, you chose three point guards, plus Nash and you, five point guards are all in one!" ”

"Ugh." Li Wei was stunned for a moment, and then laughed too. Patronize the familiar ones, but they don't consider the team configuration!

"Chuck, I'll forget it, how can a star like me participate in the Summer League!"

"Hahaha!" The crowd laughed.

Jeff Nick said, "David, how can you, as a rookie this year, not play in Summer League? You're engaging in privileges, this kind of thinking is unacceptable! ”

"It's not a privilege and the manager has the right to decide the squad for the summer league." Li Wei said loudly.

He plays in the NBA, he wants to compete with star players, and run to the summer league to compete with marginal players, what's the point?

"Also, I picked three point guards, just to give you a reference, not every one of them has to be called. Well, this Damon Jones can also be called to try. ”

Damon Jones, a junior at the University of Houston, signed up early for this year's draft, and tragically, no one drafted him. Li Wei remembered that in his previous life, he had a good basket, and I don't know if he has practiced it now.

"Oh, and this!"

Flipping through the list to the end, Li Wei ticked a heavy mark on a name.

Others can do without, this one must be won, he is the existence of the undrafted in the nineties, second only to Big Ben - Bruce Bowen!

In his previous life, Bowen was selected to the NBA All-Defensive Team eight times, including defending for five consecutive years, and also helped the Spurs win three championships!

After he retired, his jersey became the Spurs' seventh retired jersey!

Of course, Bruce Bowen is also a controversial figure, when it comes to playing dirty, when it comes to small movements, when it comes to kneeling, lower, kicking the crotch, padding black feet and other yin tricks, fans of that era will be the first to think of him, and then spit fiercely!

Countless flying stars have been destroyed in his hands, including Li Wei's idol Carter!

In China, everyone also calls him Uncle Bao!

"I'd rather let me cripple others than let others cripple me, the third uncle must go to the Knicks!" Li Wei thought secretly.

After a brief discussion, the Knicks' roster for Summer League was tentatively decided. The next step is to reach out to those players to see if they can play for the Knicks.

Most of the people who play in Summer League are fringe players who don't have a contract, so someone may be invited by multiple teams and must be booked in advance.

Just as the team was contacting the players, a guest arrived.

"Coach Lee!"

The young head coach looked back and saw that it was none other than the martial saint he had selected in the second round of this year-Stephen Jackson!

"Yo, Stephen, are you back? Which team wants you, say it, I'll trade it now! Li Wei said.

Stephen Jackson's black face flushed. In the past few days, he and his agent have been running around, not to mention that other teams want him, and they are not even willing to give him an interview!

It seems that during the trial, he did offend a lot of people!

"Coach Lee, I want to stay with the Knicks."

Li Weidao: "I said that our Knicks will not treat you as a star training, and they will not even give you a starting position." If you can listen to me, be willing to be a defensive striker, and do the dirty work, I may be able to consider giving you a 1+1 base salary contract with a team option for the second year. Are you sure you can accept these? ”

Stephen Jackson said: "You are the boss, I listen to you, just give me a contract!" ”

Li Wei shook his head lightly, and said nonchalantly: "That's it, you participate in the team's summer league first, and I will see your performance before making a decision." ”