One Guard

In the first draft, the Mavericks became the laughingstock of the world when they went through a lot of trouble but only landed Mitchell and Kuzma. And now, when the Mavericks officially announced that Gordon Hayward would move to Dallas for a price of 128 million in four years, others could no longer laugh.

No one knows what kind of legend Gordon Hayward and Yiyang, the forward-guard combination that once made the United States crazy during their college basketball days, will create in the NBA.

Maybe these two brothers will end up doing nothing, maybe they can perform the Cinderella miracle again. But at least one thing is for sure, people are starting to take the Mavericks seriously again.

After Hayward announced that he was joining the Mavericks, Stevens called Yiyang angrily. On the phone, the wise young coach claimed that Yiyang owed him a big meal!

If Yiyang hadn't intervened, maybe Hayward would have joined the Celtics. Poor Stevens, next season, including Shelvin Mark, he will play against his three most proud students at the same time.

Those little brats really don’t miss old friendships.

Of course, in order for Hayward to join, Dirk also made his own sacrifices. Just when people were speculating whether Dirk would retire, he signed a two-year contract with the Mavericks again, worth only $10 million.

Dirk's form last season was actually not that good anymore. Although he still averaged more than ten points per game, the German tanks were no longer of much help at critical moments. Due to injuries, Dirk also missed many games last season. But Cuban was still willing to pay for Dirk. In front of the media, Cuban claimed: I can't stand the old and slow German anymore.

But whenever it comes time to renew his contract, Cuban is never vague.

Dirk and Cuban really demonstrated human kindness and loyalty to the fullest. In this utilitarian league, the Dallas Mavericks are a breath of fresh air.

Of course, not everyone is willing to sacrifice themselves for the development of the team. Iguodala, who has played for the Mavericks for four years, finally chose his next stop this summer. Iguodala's asking price of 48 million over three years was somewhat unacceptable to Cuban. After all, due to his age in recent years, Iguodala is no longer the Iguodala who could kill James.

The Golden State Warriors took advantage of the situation and met Iguodala's request of $48 million over three years to poach this experienced defensive player. Steve Kerr likes Iguodala, which is well known throughout the league. This summer, Cole finally got his wish.

Iguodala's "surrendering" behavior aroused heated discussion among fans. After all, the Mavericks were just eliminated by the Warriors last season. And this summer, Iguodala, a hero of the Mavericks, went to the Warriors.

Although there is criticism about Iguodala's choice, Yiyang personally doesn't think there is anything wrong with it. Iguodala is already 33 years old. This is his last chance to get a big contract, and Iguodala will certainly not let it go. From a financial perspective, there is nothing wrong with Iguodala pursuing his last big contract.

Iguodala has won three championships for the Mavericks, and he has done enough. Now, when this guy pursues what he desires, Yiyang naturally won't have any objections.

"The only thing I feel is a pity is that next season, you won't be able to win the O'Brien Cup." During the phone call, Yiyang also joked with Iguoda.

Unlike Iguodala, Tony Allen, who was still selected to the All-Defensive Second Team last season, chose to renew his contract with the Mavericks for one more year at the price of a veteran's minimum salary.

Tony Allen is old, but his defensive experience will be a valuable asset to the Mavericks. Especially when the team still has young players like Mitchell and Kuzma this year, the presence of Tony Allen can make their defense even better. After all, not all young players know how to defend.

Vince Carter, the oldest player in the active league, also continued to sign with the Mavericks for 4 million a year. This 40-year-old "old flying man" can no longer fly in the sky.

But outside the three-point line, he is still a threat. When he first joined the Mavericks, Carter may not have imagined that Dallas would become such an important stop in his life. However, Carter said in an interview that he hopes to retire with the Mavericks! The Mavericks already occupy an important place in his heart.

These old guys are willing to stay, and Yiyang is naturally very happy. Never underestimate them. The experience accumulated by these guys over ten or twenty years cannot be bought with any amount of money. During the regular season, you may dislike them for being old and slow. But in the playoffs, at critical moments of the game, you can fully appreciate their value.

At this point, the Mavericks' lineup for next season has basically taken shape. Like a few years ago, the Mavericks' roster doesn't look very star-studded. When the Mavericks dynasty was established in 2013, no one thought Dirk and Iguodala were giants. Later, after Wade joined, the aging "Flash" didn't look like a real giant. Yet that was it, the Mavericks established a dynasty.

This summer, even with Hayward, compared with teams like the Thunder, Warriors, and Rockets, the Mavericks are indeed not star-studded. But Cuban knows very well that whether a team is strong or not does not depend on the number of stars, but whether these players are suitable to be stars.

To put it a bit exaggerated, in this era when the whole world is teaming up, the Mavericks are still using a single-core idea to build a team. As long as you equip Yiyang with a group of right-hand assistants suitable for him, even if these assistants are not superstars, Yiyang can make them perform like superstars.

At the end of July, the Mavericks won the competition with the Spurs and acquired the once-hot Rudy Gay, further replenishing the lineup. By this time, the turmoil in this season's free agent market has basically subsided. Even if the teams have to change, there will rarely be any major changes. Every fan can't wait to see the fighting in the new season. This summer, which has completely reshuffled the league, has whetted the appetite of all fans.

But at this moment, Yiyang was not idle. The Mavericks' lineup has been strengthened so far, and it is very complete, but it is not perfect yet. And today, when Yiyang received the call, he finally knew where the last piece of the Mavericks puzzle was.

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"You lent me $1.5 million back then, and now I have paid it all back."

Sitting in a dilapidated house in the Ellington district of Dallas, both Yiyang and Mudiay's eyes fell on the window. Yiyang knew how Mudiay felt now. He must not be able to believe that he actually grew up in a place like this. Yiyang felt the same way when he returned to the Wood District.

"You called me here just to pay back the money? How long has it been since we had a good chat, Moody." Yiyang broke the silence in the house. After the quarrel, the two rarely interacted with each other.

Both of them had a sense of arrogance, but now that I think about it, it was just a small thing.

Mudiay paid the price for his slackness, and his status with the Nuggets has become increasingly low. If he had listened to Yiyang and not been satisfied early but continued to polish his shooting and other skills, maybe the result would have been very different.

Fortunately, I listened to Yiyang and went to college for a year, otherwise, my fate might be even more tragic now.

Mudiay looked at Yiyang and hesitated to speak. He was not angry, but guilty.

He failed his family's expectations of him and his team's expectations of him. The most important thing is that he failed Yiyang's expectations for him...

"These days I have been thinking, if I had not quarreled with you, but had been obedient, the result would have been different. But then I realized that it was meaningless. Things have happened, and I just... ...I just can’t find my form and don’t know how to face the game!”

Mudiay had been holding these words in his heart for a long time, but he could never find anyone to say them to him. Now, this kid finally knows that the world does not revolve around him, and finally understands Yiyang's good intentions over the years.

Yiyang saw confusion in Mudiay's eyes, endless confusion. When a young player is given up by the team, it will be difficult for him to get back on his feet. Because being given up by the team means that no one will tell you what to do.

Yiyang patted Mudiay on the shoulder. This guy who was in a very similar situation to himself was burdened with too many things. But not everyone can bear these pressures.

After Yiyang left, he kept thinking about whether there was any possibility of Mudiay changing. He is still young and can still develop his shooting and defense. The key is, it depends on who he practices with.

Now, Mudiay has been put on the shelf. If he is thrown away by the Nuggets and they fail to use him properly, Mudiay's career is likely to be ruined.

Yiyang knew that Mudiay was capable, this guy just lacked guidance. Just playing in the NCAA for one year does not seem to be enough guidance. Then let this guy learn while playing in the game.

Didn't this guy say that he wanted to be his substitute? He was so innocent at that time...

So in early August, a transaction that was not very eye-catching but somewhat unusual occurred.

The Dallas Mavericks sent experienced Devin Harris and stocky forward Quincy Ashe to the Denver Nuggets to assist their young core Jokic. The Mavericks, on the other hand, got Emmanuel Mudiay, who was once the number one high school student in the United States. He was reduced to a substitute for the Nuggets last season and only averaged 8.5 points per game.

Yiyang put in the last piece of the puzzle with his own hands, and the Mavericks' journey to restore the dynasty officially began!