Almighty Coach

"Coach Li, congratulations on becoming the candidate for the best coach of the season!" Sun Chenggong greeted him with a smile on his face, and then continued: "There are only three people shortlisted, which is affirmation of your coaching ability. Congratulations on getting this best coach!"

"The best coach of this season is definitely nothing to do with me. I might be able to fight for it next season. After all, the Rockets and Raptors have very good records this season. Compared with them, our Clippers have not even played in the playoffs. None of them went in. It is impossible for NBA officials to give me such an award." Dai Li replied with a smile.

"Work hard to fight for it. Since you are all shortlisted, you might be able to win an award!" Sun Chenggong persuaded.

Dai Li showed a mysterious smile. He lowered his voice and said, "Actually, I spent a lot of money on public relations for the nomination of this candidate. So being shortlisted is the end."

"Oh, the United States is also interested in spending money on public relations! I thought it only existed in China." Sun Chenggong nodded suddenly.

Dai Li did spend a lot of money for this best coach nomination.

The NBA's annual awards ceremony will probably announce the candidates for the regular season awards in mid-to-late May each year. Awards such as scoring leader, rebounding leader, and assists leader are supported by clear statistics. Whoever has the most statistics will win this award, and there will be no suspense.

But like the regular season MVP, the best sixth man, the best defensive player, the most improved award, the best coach, etc., the criteria for judging are not very clear, so the final candidate needs to be decided by voting .

In the past, in the NBA, the head coaches of each team had voting rights for awards, which was later abolished for fairness. In today's voting rules, those who have the right to vote are some well-known sports reporters and sports commentators. In recent years, the NBA has also tried to allow fans to participate in voting.

There is always some inertia factor when people vote. For example, if a certain player won the "Best Defensive Player" last season, then in the second year, as long as the player's statistics are still in the past, many people will still vote for him. Among the best defensive team. Therefore, for players, it is the most difficult to win a certain award for the first time. As long as they have won the award once, it will be much easier to win the award in the future.

Li Dai wants to get a candidate for the best coach. The best way is naturally to conduct public relations with sports journalists who have voting rights. All journalists who have voting rights must be backed by a well-known media. So Dai Li used the name of his physical training center to go to various sports media to buy a few pages of advertisements, and at the same time hinted to the media. Those sports media are not fools either. They know that there are additional conditions for Dai Li to buy advertisements, but how can they not make money if they have money? For the sake of advertising fees, they will naturally ask their reporters to vote for Dai Li. ticket.

In fact, this is tantamount to spending money to buy a spot as the best coach candidate. If it were another coach, Dai Li would not have such a big budget, and the annual salary of an NBA head coach is only a few million dollars. , They don't have that much money to go to the media to buy advertisements.

But Li Dai's physical training center has a certain amount of money for advertising and public relations every year, so Li Dai will have to spend this advertising fee sooner or later. Since it costs money, it is better to seek more for himself. Some benefits, by the way, buy a candidate for the best coach.

Li Dai also needs this candidate for the best coach. His identity as a "basketball layman" has been criticized for half a season. Since the day he came to the NBA, people have been criticizing him as an "layman". , so he needs such an award to support himself. Even if it is impossible to win the award, a candidate for the best coach is enough to stop the mouths of those "trolls".

Just like some actors, some audiences will say that his acting skills are exaggerated, that his acting is not good, or that he plays everyone like himself. After winning a certain award, all kinds of negative comments will disappear. If he wins several heavyweight awards and becomes the actor or actress in people's eyes, then his performance is very exaggerated, and it becomes a "textbook-like exaggerated performance." "; Playing anyone is like playing yourself, and it has become "integrating yourself into the role". For all the negative comments, someone will naturally find excuses for him.

The same is true for the coaching industry. After winning a few awards, people will naturally look up to them.

In fact, the votes of those journalists were also very one-sided.

The NBA's annual awards are an evaluation of the winner's season. The team has to play 82 games a season, and those players who can love to win awards, even if they are not full attendance, at least more than 70 games. As journalists with voting rights, they cannot and do not have so much energy to pay attention to too many players, and it is impossible for them to watch all 82 games of each team, so their votes are often in Produced from among the players you follow, or pick a few players with good personal data from the data list.

It is precisely for this reason that every year when the candidates for the NBA's annual awards are released, there will always be various controversies, and there will always be fans who feel that the candidates are not worthy of a certain award.

Dai Li and Sun Chenggong chatted for a few words, and then began to discuss the next training plan. At this moment, the phone rang.

Dai Li answered the call, and then his face became serious.

"Coach Li, if you have something to do, go and do it first. I'll be watching here." Sun Chenggong said very understandingly.

"Okay, I'll come as soon as I go." After Dai Li finished speaking, he called the assistant coach Kassel and walked towards the meeting room.

...

"Coach, what happened?" Kassel asked after Dai Li followed.

"Ronnie's contract renewal negotiations have collapsed. He doesn't accept the contract we offered him," Dai Li said.

"He rejected the $90 million for five years?" Cassel had a slightly surprised expression on his face.

"Before the season was over, the team wanted to renew the contract with Ronnie in advance. At that time, he was offered 85 million US dollars for five years, but he did not agree. After the season, the team offered him another five years. A $90 million contract, the last year of which is a player option. This is equivalent to an average of $18 million a year, but he still refused. He wants more!" Dai Li replied.

Cassel nodded and asked, "How much does Ronnie want? Does he want a big contract of 20 million? That's 100 million in five years!"

"His appetite is more than that. He wants 150 million in five years!" Dai Li said with a cold light in his eyes.

"What? 150 million in five years? That's almost the highest salary, is Ronnie crazy!" Cassel exclaimed.

"Fortunately, he is now a restricted free agent. We have the priority to renew the contract. We can match any team's offer. And according to the rules, other teams can only offer him a four-year contract at most, and We can give him a five-year contract, which is our advantage." Dai Li said coldly.

"But if Ronnie insists on 150 million for five years and refuses to compromise, what are you going to do? Are you really giving up on him?" Cassel asked subconsciously.

"I don't know either." Dai Li shook his head: "But I don't think he's worth a five-year maximum salary.! The worst case scenario is to give him a qualification offer, use him for another year, and then let him go. !"

...

When the Clippers were willing to take over Wood's junk contract, one of the prices was Ronnie. At that time, Ronnie was a player on a rookie contract. Even as a substitute with limited playing time, he averaged 12.7 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game.

The Clippers took a fancy to Ronnie's potential and planned to train him as the core, so they gave him a lot of opportunities, not only made him a starting forward, but also developed a lot of tactics around Ronnie, and Ronnie's statistics also improved. In the promotion, in the season just ended, he averaged 19.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game.

As a striker, 19+5+3 is a very good stat. And last season was also the last year of Ronnie's rookie contract, so this summer, renewing Ronnie has become the Clippers' top priority.

In fact, before the end of the season, the Clippers planned to renew Ronnie in advance, and offered him a five-year contract of 85 million. Although this contract is not a maximum salary, it is definitely considered a high salary among rookie contract extensions. Yes, after all, Ronnie is not the kind of player with the first few picks, nor has he ever entered the All-Star.

This offer was rejected by Ronnie, and he told the media at the time that he wanted to fight for a maximum salary.

After Li Dai came to the Clippers, he played a lot of overtime games, which improved the average data of the Clippers players. After all, a game needs to play a few minutes longer than others, and collect more data. It is also normal, so Ronnie's scoring average also exceeded 19 points.

The Clippers obviously didn't want to let Ronnie go. They quoted Ronnie an offer of 90 million for five years, which was 5 million more than before, and the average annual salary was more than 18 million. However, Ronnie is obviously not satisfied with this offer, he wants a maximum salary!

According to NBA regulations, Ronnie has played four full seasons in the NBA, which is in line with the "Bird Clause". Although he has been traded, the rookie contract has the right to inherit the Bird clause, that is, the team after the transaction can still fulfill the Bird clause, so Ronnie can use the Bird clause to get a maximum salary when renewing the contract.

According to Bird's clause, if a free agent has played for the team for more than three years (including three years), the home team can renew the maximum salary contract with the player for up to 5 years without being affected by the salary cap. The starting salary is 25% of the current salary cap, and then increases by 12.5% ​​every year on this basis; on the contrary, if the player switches to another team after the season, his annual increase is only 10.5%, and he can only sign for a maximum of 4 years.

For players who have just ended their rookie contracts, the 12.5% ​​annual increase in the Bird clause is only applicable to first-round rookies. Ronnie is a first-round rookie. Based on this increase, he can ask for a salary close to 25 million U.S. dollars in the first year, and then with a 12.5% ​​annual increase, then the total salary for five years will exceed 150 million U.S. dollars.

There is a difference of 60 million between 150 million and 90 million. On average, he earns 12 million less a year. Naturally, Ronnie is reluctant to give up this big piece of fat.

...

In the Clippers conference room, everyone was discussing Ronnie's contract extension.

"Five years, 150 million is definitely not enough. Ronnie is not worth so much money. Although his data last season has risen to 19+5+3, he is not an All-Star after all, and he is not worthy of a maximum salary contract."

"Ronnie's stats are based on having sufficient shooting power. In fact, his shooting percentage has not improved much compared to when he was in the Chicago Bulls. If he is not the core of the team's tactics, if he He couldn't have that kind of stats without that much ball possession."

"I think Ronnie may become an All-Star player in the future, but it is difficult for him to become the kind of leader who can change the destiny of the team. The maximum salary of 150 million for five years is really too much."

Everyone in the conference room began to express their opinions.

If a player in the NBA is an All-Star player, or has All-Star-level data, then the team will definitely not lose money if they send a maximum salary contract. Of course, this is just that the team "doesn't lose money", but it doesn't necessarily make money.

If it is a superstar, then the team will send a maximum salary contract, which is 100% profitable. To get a superstar, the maximum salary is a must-have option.

Some players with strategic value, although occupying a maximum salary, can make the team go further in the playoffs and even win the championship. For the team, this kind of investment and return is also very important. worth it.

In addition, it is the kind of supernova. They will definitely grow into superstars in the future, and have the opportunity to bring the team a championship and even create a dynasty. Such players, the team will naturally offer them without hesitation. The maximum salary is equivalent to spending the current money to buy the future.

Now Ronnie dares to ask for a five-year maximum salary of 150 million, obviously thinking that he is the kind of player who can grow into a superstar.

Unfortunately, he is not.

In the conference room, the management of the Clippers discussed for a long time and reached a consensus that they would not meet Ronnie's five-year maximum salary requirement of 150 million.

"At present, we still have the initiative in renewing Ronnie's contract, but I am worried that after the playoffs, other teams will have side effects. If other teams offer him a big contract, it will It's our turn to choose whether to match or not, then we will become the passive party instead. So if possible, I hope to complete the contract renewal with Ronnie as soon as possible." Xiao Yunan said, looking at Dai Li.

"People are so weak!" Dai Li sighed softly, and continued, "I will find a way to put some pressure on Ronnie. In the rookie training camp in a few days, I will deliberately pay more attention to the strikers. I will also pay attention to free agency. I hope this way can tell Ronnie that we have begun to look for his replacement, so maybe he will rush to renew his contract with us!"