The most important job in the offseason is to bring in reinforcements.

This year, the Knicks have 4 free agents, plus Li Wei himself is actually 5, Dabo, Stephen Jackson and others will not stay.

In the draft, although Li Wei chose Kirilenko, who is only 18 years old and has unlimited potential, his contract with the Moscow Central Ten Army has not expired and he cannot come to the NBA.

Therefore, the Knicks want to bring in reinforcements, find players from the free market, and fill the team's roster!

Since the team's salary has exceeded the cap, the Knicks can only use the middle class exception in addition to the base salary signing.

This year's middle-class exception is $2 million, which can be used all at once or separately. For example, if you use 1.2 million to sign player A and leave 800,000 to sign player B, this is also allowed.

However, the contract with an annual salary of 2 million is really a bit low, and it is all used on one person, and I am afraid that I still can't get a good player, let alone use it separately.

For example, the two free agents of the Knicks this year, the average annual salary of the contract to be signed by Dabo is more than 6 million, and Charlie Ward's is 7 million.

Fortunately, the Knicks don't need to recruit big fish like Big Bo and Charlie Ward in the free market, the team has enough talent, but the roster is a little younger, and it is enough to sign a veteran who can guard the locker room.

After a long day of free agents, Li Wei finally selected a veteran. This man's name is Dell Curry, 35 years old, outstanding shooting, accurate three-point shooting, and the Hornets' all-time leading scorer.

In the 97-98 season, the aging Curry suffered a major injury, his form declined seriously, and he was swept away by the Hornets. Other teams were reluctant to give the veteran who had just suffered a major contract, so he had to sign a one-year salary with the Bucks.

This season with the Bucks, Curry has rediscovered his form and is a sharp knife on the bench. Then again, Bucks coach George Carr, who is good at playing small ball, likes this kind of guy who is particularly wavering in three-point play.

Li Wei also likes this kind of accurate three-point shooter, and more importantly, Dell Curry is the father of superstar Stephen Curry in his previous life, and Li Wei wants Curry Jr. to call him uncle!

Don't look at Curry as just a substitute, he has hardly played the main team in his life, and he has been seriously injured, and now he is 35 years old, and his state is not as good as day by day, but there are so many people waiting in line at their doorstep.

Many teams that don't have salary space want to sign him with a base salary, and some are like the Knicks, wielding a middle-class exception!

Dell Curry actually wants a big contract, but unfortunately the teams with space are all snaring big fish, and they are not interested in him as an aging substitute.

The Knicks are willing to spend all of the mid-class exceptions on him, and the contract is for a three-year period. 6 million in 3 years, he can play until he is 38 years old after signing the contract!

For him, who has been playing as a substitute for his entire career, it is already a very good result to be able to play until he is 38 years old and then retire.

Of course, this contract is not very generous, and there are three other teams who are willing to give him the full middle class. But New York is the largest city in the United States, and the New York Knicks are a championship team, and they have the hope of winning the championship while getting a good salary, which makes him have to be excited!

"Do you just want me to help new people grow? No problem, I love mentoring young people the most! ”

After signing Curry with a middle-class exception, the Knicks made another sign-and-trade.

Under no circumstances can a team sign a free agent from another team and then transfer him immediately, but there is a special rule that allows a team to renew their team's free agent for transfer purposes, which is called "sign before trade".

Under the "sign-to-trade" rule, players can transfer to another team immediately after their contract is renewed.

Charlie Ward negotiated with the Mavericks and finally finalized a five-year, 35 million contract, but after everyone negotiated, the Knicks finally signed him!

Ward has been with the Knicks for many years, and the team has the bird rights to sign him to this big contract above the salary cap, but after signing, he will be traded to the Mavericks!

That's sign-before-you-trade!

The Mavericks have salary space, and the reason why they are doing a sign-and-trade is for another trade, which is the Knicks' trade for two second-round picks for Kerr.

Steve Kerr signed a five-year contract with the Spurs last year and has a salary of $1.97 million the following year. If you directly exchange it for the two rookies selected by the Knicks, the Knicks, who are overpaid for the cap, will not be able to accept it at all.

But now, the Knicks send Charlie Ward, who has an annual salary of 6 million (his average annual salary is 7 million, but it is increasing year by year, only 6 million in the first year), and two rookies, and then accepts Steve Kerr with 1.97 million, which is no problem.

The total salary of the cap team can be reduced or unchanged in the trade, but it cannot be more. In fact, it's okay to get more, but it can't exceed one limit, otherwise if both teams are out of cap, the deal can't be matched at all.

The current rule limits are 15% + 100,000. That is to say, under normal circumstances, the super cap team cannot get more than 115% of the contract (salary space occupied) + 100,000 yuan. If you give away 10 million contracts, you can only get a maximum of 11.6 million contracts.

In the 05 years of labor negotiations, this limit became 25% + 100,000, and in 11 years, the collective bargaining agreement continued to be revised, and the rules became more and more complicated.

As for the Mavericks who took over Charlie Ward, their total salary did not exceed the salary cap in the first place, so there was no problem directly eating the 6 million contract, and in addition, they also got the signing rights of talented high school student Leon Smith.

Popovich asked the Knicks to draft Leon Smith, a talented high school student, with the No. 30 pick, to help the Mavericks intercept people. Nelson Sr. is very optimistic about this guy, Popovich worked as an assistant coach for Nelson Sr., owes favors to others, and the relationship between the two is also very good, so he will help a little.

Of course, the Mavericks couldn't afford to go to the Spurs, as they gave Gordon Girisek, the No. 40 pick, to the Spurs.

Soon, Li Wei met Dale Curry and Steve Cole. Both of them are veterans who have played in the league for more than 10 years, and they are very experienced, and they also understand their role in the team, and can better guide this young Knicks team and help the newcomers grow.

On the other hand, Mike D'Antoni led the Knicks to this year's Summer League, and he had an important task in the league, which was to pick a backup point guard.

While the Knicks are full of talent and talent, they are not flawless. With Charlie Ward gone, Nash became the starter, and the team lacked a strong backup point guard.

The new arrival Steve Kerr is a point guard, but at the age of 34, he can't keep up with most players, otherwise Popovich wouldn't have traded him to the Knicks.

It would be better for the team to add a young, energetic and energetic playmaker!

The team's mid-range exception has been fully used on Dele Curry, and the Knicks can only look for fringe players who are willing to accept a base salary if they want to add another point guard.

Li Wei made a lot of phone calls from Dennis Johnson and formed a super terrifying team, including Kevin Ollie, the undrafted point guard in 95 who had played in the league for 13 years in his previous life, and the undrafted point guard Kevin Ollie Ollie who was only 1.65 meters tall in his previous life, but he could shoot suddenly, and Earl Boykins, who had also played in the league for 13 years in his previous life.

There is also Anthony Carter, a super point guard who was also drafted in 98 and also played in the league for 13 years in his previous life, played in the league for 12 years in his previous life, was teammates with Da Yao, and also averaged 20 points per game in the season with the Raptors, lost the draft this year, and played in the league for 7 years in his previous life Milt Pelacio......

Although they are all draft-losers, they are really full of talent, and after five years, they will randomly pull out a passable substitute, depending on which one is better and more suitable for the Knicks' system now.

"Mike, I think we can pick a suitable point guard from this group of people, you have a good look, which one is the most suitable!"

"Okay, David, I promise to complete the mission!" D'Anthony Road.