Bishop of the Devil

Now that Ben and Kobe are together, Richard can't help but think of the iron-clad combination he created before.

This iron plate combination has attributes, and the attributes are quite buggy.

In the last three years of their careers, these two people can maintain the competitive state of three years ago...

It's hard to say for Ben. No one can tell what kind of competitive state he will be in by then.

After all, blue-collar players eat their bodies too much, and when the time comes, the older players may not be able to maintain a good competitive condition.

But Kobe is different. Relying on the attributes of this iron-clad combination, he can still be brilliant in the last three years of his career.

…

After the deal between the Lakers and Trail Blazers was concluded, the league is still in turmoil, and many teams are looking for opportunities to strengthen their lineups.

Obviously, Richard's team is now the favorite again.

It has been ten years since Richard entered the league, and no one can count how many good players he has produced.

Even Richard himself couldn't count them. Anyway, the number must be quite astonishing.

Now many teams are eyeing the players Richard has.

Milicic definitely can't be counted on...

Milicic was previously known as the second best player in the 2003 Platinum Generation. However, over the past two years, Milicic has gradually reached his own level.

This season is not over yet, and he has already scored 12 triple-doubles. If nothing else happens, by the end of the season, Milicic is likely to have more than 15 triple-doubles.

In the eyes of future generations, 15 triple-doubles in a single season does not seem to be too amazing. After all, Westbrook is the owner of 40+ triple-doubles in a single season...

But for now, this is already a quite remarkable achievement, especially considering that Milicic plays the power forward position, which will make this triple-double record more valuable.

…

In the just-concluded All-Star Game, this young man also won the All-Star MVP, breaking the historical record.

There is no doubt that a new star has risen.

Teams can only covet this kind of radiant new star, and they can't even think of making offers and trades...

Because this is simply impossible. Even if Richard is willing to sell, the price they pay is definitely not something they can bear.

In addition to Milicic, Chris Paul in the Pirates team is the backcourt engine of the Pirates lineup. Richard finally got it, and the teams estimated that Richard would not be willing to take action.

Iguodala and Granger are also very attractive. The forward and defensive line formed by these two young people has gradually revealed its power.

These four people can be said to be the foundation of the current Pirates team. If other teams think about it, Richard will definitely not touch these four players.

Just because these four players can't move doesn't mean there aren't other players on the Buccaneers team who can attract them.

For example, Varejao, Gortat and Ariza are very attractive to teams that want to strengthen.

This season, Ariza averaged 22 minutes per game, contributed 10.3 points per game, and shot 39.8% from three-point range.

Under normal circumstances, Ariza is nicknamed Tieza, but in fact, his three-point shooting is not really bad, it is still watchable.

Now under Richard's strict requirements, he has been practicing three-point shooting with the old Curry, which has improved his three-point level quite well.

He has very good defensive skills, and now he has a three-pointer. Such a young player is quite tempting.

As for Varejao and Gortat, these two big blue-collar players are equally attractive.

At this point in time, Richard will definitely not be able to complete the transaction, because he has suffered losses in this area before.

After the team acquires its players, the team's strength increases, and then the pick naturally becomes lower.

Richard had suffered such a loss before when he made a deal with the Hornets...

Now it can be regarded as a lesson learned. He plans to wait until the end of this season before choosing a trading partner based on the situation.

As a result, a phone call from the Bulls disrupted Richard's plan.

This season, the Bulls, led by the Bulls' three shots, have a pretty good record. At least they will have no problem entering the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Hinrich, Ben Gordon and Ruel Deng.

There is also a West Lafayette player Nocioni on the team, and there is boxing champion Tyson Chandler at the center position.

It can be said that there is basically nothing wrong with their lineup. Except for a few losers in every position, they are pretty good.

But there are also potential problems, that is, there are some problems with salary space.

Precisely because the lineup is good, their salary is beginning to be unsustainable.

And it cost a lot of money to sign Pippen before...

Boxing champion Chandler hasn't shown much success yet, averaging 7 points, 9.5 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game, with an annual salary of nearly 10 million...

The Bulls are looking to renew the contract of the team's scoring leader Ben Gordon, and then Hinrich, Luer Deng and others are also facing contract renewals.

So now they have to clear out as much cap space as possible...

A boxing champion earns an annual salary of nearly 10 million. Is it expensive?

In fact, to be honest, it's not expensive, it can only be said to be a relatively reasonable price. Nowadays, inside players are so valuable. If you don't sign, there are many teams who are willing to sign.

…

The Bulls are now thinking of getting Gortat from the Pirates, and then trading with other teams to clear the boxing champion's contract.

Gortat is a rookie. In this rookie season, he averages 25 minutes of playing time per game and can get 8 points and 7.7 rebounds. He looks no worse than the boxing champion.

And the defense is also extremely tough. Otherwise, Gortat would not have the nickname Polish Hammer. It can be said that Gortat is the perfect replacement for the boxing champion...

The most important thing is that Gortat's contract is cheap. The previous contract signed by the Pirates and Gortat was three years and four million US dollars.

As long as they get Gortat, the Bulls will not have to worry about salary issues for at least the next two years, and the team's strength will not decline.

The offer they made to Richard was that they were willing to use their own first-round pick and a second-round pick in exchange for Gortat from the Pirates.

"Lee, how are you thinking about it?" Skiles, the current head coach of the Bulls, called Richard.

"Not so good, Scott. You have to know that when I selected Gortat, I used a second-round first-round pick, and its value is not much worse than the first-round pick you brought..."

"It's like saying that I only earned you a second-round pick in this deal. Do you think I would be stupid and agree to this deal?" Richard said with a sneer.

If the Bulls can reach the playoffs, they will most likely be in the bottom half of the Eastern Conference playoffs. This means that their first-round pick will be between 15-22. This is a mid-to-late first pick. Draft pick.

Richard himself is planning to make a splash in the upcoming schedule to get a pick near this pick. It makes no sense for Richard to come to the Bulls for this pick.

unless……

"Lee, let's hurry up, the trade deadline is coming soon, we can't waste any more time." Scott Skiles said impatiently.

After Gortat's deal last night, they still had to find a home for the boxing champion, so time was quite tight.

"What chips do you want? Please tell us as openly as possible. If we can agree to it, we will definitely agree to it." Scales urged.

Richard laughed in his heart. He must have a bargaining chip that he likes, but he is afraid that you won't agree to it if he tells it.

"Scott, I'll just tell you."

"I want the Knicks first-round pick in your hands, and then add your own first-round pick, Gortat will immediately put on the Bulls jersey."

"What? Impossible!" After hearing Richard's quotation, Scales almost vomited blood. Richard really dared to speak...

"Li, you are just like a lion opening his mouth. No, a lion can't open your mouth as wide as you!"

The Bulls had two first-round picks in this June's draft. One was their own first-round pick, and the other was the Knicks' first-round pick that they had previously stocked.

Although this season is not over yet, the Knicks' record is quite bad and they are firmly ranked among the bottom three in the Eastern Conference. Their first-round pick has a high chance of getting the top five picks, or even the top pick. It's not impossible.

With this precious draft pick, Richard actually dared to speak, and not only did he speak, but he also didn't forget the Bulls' own first-round pick.

"Li, unless Gortat has the strength of Yao Ming, then your request is not too much..." Skiles said speechlessly.

Richard took his time. Negotiation means talking to each other. How can it be accomplished overnight?

"Then tell me, if there is a trade, I will definitely want this Knicks draft pick."

"If that doesn't work, I would rather wait until the end of the season before looking for other teams to trade."

"I won't cheat you. I can let you choose another player from my substitute lineup."

Richard has begun to regress, mainly because the temptation of this draft pick is too great for him.

"I can't make the decision on this matter. Give us half an hour and we'll hold a meeting to discuss it immediately." Skiles hung up the phone. It turned out that he was now in the conference room, which was full of Bulls executives. .

"Let them swallow Pippen's contract. He can have whatever he wants! Not to mention these two first-round picks, we can also add the second-round pick." The Bulls executive was speechless after listening to Skiles' report. said.

They felt that there must be something fishy about Pippen.

Otherwise, why did Pippen languish immediately after coming to the Bulls after playing so well with the Buccaneers that year?

Originally, they were thinking about competing for the championship this season under the leadership of the powerful old Pippen!

Not to mention, if Pippen can maintain his super form last season, even if the Bulls cannot win the championship this season, there is still hope of reaching the Eastern Conference Finals.

Skiles smiled bitterly and shook his head. How could Richard swallow Pippen's contract? He didn't choose to renew Pippen's contract at the beginning. Now that Pippen is useless, he will pay for Pippen again? It's impossible even to think about.

In the end, the Bulls discussed quickly for fifteen minutes and gave their final bottom line. Time was too tight, and they were too lazy to play tricks on Richard.

"Li, if our final offer is feasible, the transaction will proceed immediately. If not, there is nothing we can do." Scales called Richard back and said in a serious tone.

Richard replied calmly: "Let's talk about it, I also want to facilitate this deal."

"We gave away the Knicks' first-round pick and a second-round pick of our own in exchange for Gortat and Ariza!"

This is the Bulls' final offer, the bottom line they can afford.

The arrival of Ariza and the others won't be of much use, but Ariza can also be sold for a good price in exchange for a late first-round draft pick, so the problem is not particularly big.

"Can't you exchange this round pick for your first round pick?" Richard asked with a somewhat dissatisfied tone.

"No! Absolutely not! We are now showing the greatest sincerity." Skiles said quite forcefully.

"Okay, then I wish us a happy cooperation. Gortat and Ariza are yours."

Richard finally agreed to the Bulls' offer.

He definitely didn't earn much, but after receiving this precious first-round pick from the Knicks, Richard didn't bother to make a counter-offer. If he really continued to pay it back, the Bulls might have to close the trading channels.

In this way, Richard is completely prepared for the draft in June this year.

A high-ranking first-round pick from the Knicks. The specific pick is not yet clear, but the probability of being in the top five is very high.

The first-round pick that comes with it, if you are lucky, you can get Rondo. If you are not lucky, at least you will have Lowry as a backup.

There are still two second-round picks on hand, both of which should be in the middle or late positions. Millsap will definitely not be able to escape, because apart from Millsap, there are no players in the second round who are too excited about Richard.

Then Richard could pack a second-round pick and add his first-round pick to exchange for a higher first-round pick.

Of course, it's definitely not much higher than the 15th overall pick.

You can also sell a second-round pick and keep it for 2007...

Anyway, it will depend on the situation at that time, and let's see what kind of pick the Pirates can get after the season.