The rest is just noise

Just like Louis' favorite missionary, he is a person who is used to taking the initiative.

Kemp's agent, Tony Dutt, didn't even think about coming to him to solve the problem until now, which is considered a slow response.

Taking advantage of the opportunity before the All-Star Weekend to resolve Kemp's contract extension is the best outcome for the Knicks.

"Coach Lu, what do you think of Sean's performance with the Knicks?"

Dutt asked very directly.

"It's very good. It's improving every year." Louis smiled.

Louis had this understanding, and Dutt felt that there was something interesting today.

If you want to be like that old dog Elgin Baylor and look down on Kemp for not being worth more than $4.5 million, then what else is there to talk about?

"I said Sean is one of the five best power forwards in the world today, do you agree?" Dutt said conservatively.

"If you don't count Barkley and Ralph as power forwards, he is actually one of the three best power forwards in the world." Louis is not as conservative as Dutt. "Only Karl Malone and Danny Manning are better than

He's better, and he's only 24 years old, the youngest of these guys."

Now Dutt couldn't understand.

If Louis is clear about these things, what problems are there with Kemp's contract extension?

Wouldn't it be okay to give a 24-year-old top three forward in the league a contract extension of 5 million per year based on the current salary cap?

"So, he will be in a period of rapid growth in the next five years. You should agree with this view, right?"

Dutt asked cautiously.

"Of course, he improves every year, otherwise he wouldn't be our starter."

Dutt took a deep breath and began the showdown: "In this case, why are Sean's contract extension negotiations progressing slowly? Why are you unwilling to give him a top-quality contract extension?"

"Why do you say that?" Louis asked, "Isn't $4.4 million per year the maximum salary?"

Dutt said: "New York is a big market and is never stingy with players. The players perform to their heart's content, bringing greater commercial value to the team and making more money. I don't think giving Sean an extra 500,000 yuan."

It's such an outrageous thing that you even gave Patrick Ewing a $6.5 million-per-year contract extension last year."

"We are indeed not short of money and are willing to give players more money, but we are not the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Chicago Bulls, or the Indiana Pacers." Louis said, "We have John Stockton and Kevin McHale.

, Dennis Rodman, Reggie Miller...they all made outstanding contributions with cheap contracts. Even so, I am still willing to let Sean get more money than them, but I can't let him

Get more money than benj."

Louis said flatly: "The Knicks are Patrick and Benj's team, and then everyone else."

Dutt said: "No, Coach Lu, the Knicks are your team, and whoever you want can get as much as you want."

"Yeah, so I decided to let Sean get less money than Benj."

"No, Coach Lu, this is unfair!" Dutt said with resentment, "The salary cap changes every year. The maximum salary two years ago is just an ordinary maximum salary today. This is what we must accept.

One result. If Benjamin Wilson signed a 10-year, $40 million contract, wouldn't you allow players other than Patrick Ewing to get more money than him in the next four years?"

Louis smiled and said: "If Benj signed a contract worth 40 million for 10 years, it means that he is a person who only cares about the present and does not care about the future. Of course I will not stick to the bottom line for him. But the fact cannot be assumed. He did not sign such a long contract.

, so in the next few years, as the core player of the Knicks, I will ensure that his salary ranks among the top two in the team."

This feeling made Dut powerless.

What prevents Kemp from making more money is not his strength or other reasons, but the salary of a teammate who is too low. In order to prevent this person's status from being threatened, others are not allowed to make more money.

?

Dutt wanted to leave, but he knew that if he really left, Kemp would really have to wait until the summer to test the free market.

Apart from the wealthy tycoons like the Knicks, how many teams can offer Kemp an annual salary of 5 million?

Lakers? No room.

Trailblazers? No room.

Then, it was gone.

Other teams, even if they have space, are still small workshops.

Even if there is a salary cap, before the advent of strict maximum salary standards, through the Bird Rights, the maximum salary standards given to players by each team were different.

The maximum salary standard for a team like the Knicks is 5-6 million per year, while other teams may be 3-4 million per year.

Dutt wants to leave, but Louis seems to have no intention of staying.

He even leaned back in his chair and took a sip of Coke.

According to Dutt's many years of negotiation experience, this kind of body movement often means ending the conversation.

"Coach Lu, is Patrick Ewing worth $2 million more than Benj?" Dutt wanted to drag Ewing down.

Louis knew that Ewing's damn contract would become Dutt's weapon.

"Since you know that the salary cap changes every year, you don't know that before Patrick signed that contract, he had received an average maximum salary for two consecutive years. That contract was a recognition and compensation for him.

.”

Dutt's mentality began to explode: "Then the salary cap has also changed now. Sean has worked hard to finish his rookie contract. Is it wrong to want to make a lot of money? Why can Patrick do it but Sean can't?"

"Because Patrick is our core, Sean is not."

"Because Patrick is Patrick and Sean is Sean."

Louis looked at the disappointed Dut and asked, "Any more questions, Tony?"

Dutt stood up with a gloomy face: "I have nothing to say."

"you are leaving?"

Louis asked frivolously, holding a Coke in his hand.

Dutt said indifferently: "This is the only choice you give me."

"Did I give you a choice...?"

Louis was like a scumbag who kept teasing people's hearts. After ruining Dutt's mentality, he began to express his thoughts: "Weren't you always making requests before? I reject your request and explain the reasons. Now.

, your proposal failed, you just plan to walk away, and you don’t even plan to listen to my suggestions?”

"I've been hearing Elgin Baylor's clichés for months," Dutt said impatiently, "and I've had enough."

"Maybe I can introduce something new?"

Louis asked with a smile.

Walking out of Louie's office without any agreement is the absolute worst outcome.

A glimmer of hope ignited in Dut's heart: "I am willing to listen to your suggestions, Coach Lu."

"I want to offer Sean a five-year contract extension worth 27 million."

27 million in 5 years?

5.4 million per year?

Dutt wanted to curse, but if Louis wanted to give, why would their negotiations last for several months?

Originally, Dutt's bottom line has been reduced to 5 million per year, but now Louis wants 27 million in 5 years?

The corner of Dutt's mouth twitched: "Coach Lu, what on earth do you mean?"

"You may think I'm kidding you, but it's not as simple as you think." Louis revealed the details of the contract. "27 million for five years does not mean that Sean will get 5.4 million every year. I said, I don't want him to

Benj’s salary is higher than Benj’s. Now Benj’s contract only has one year left, and Sean’s contract will not start until next year, so we only need to make moves in the first year of the contract.”

Dutt understood now.

"Sean's annual salary in the first year of his new contract is US$4.4 million, and US$5.65 million in each of the following four years."

Louis grabbed the Coke bottle, and Dutt seriously doubted whether there was any Coke in it.

"This contract will end in 1998. At that time, the league is likely to sign a new television broadcast contract, and the salary cap will increase sharply. The 28-year-old Sean can enjoy the salary cap explosion as soon as possible at that time.

The big contracts brought about by the increase.”

Louis threw the Coke bottle into a trash can a few meters away.

Sure enough, there was no Coke in it.

"This is my suggestion. I don't know if you think it is feasible or not."

Although he already had the matter firmly in hand, Louis made it sound as if Dutt still had a choice.

"If you insist on waiting until the summer to test the free market, I also support you, because the management has tried its best. By then, even if other teams offer huge contracts, we will choose to match. This kind of matching is passive

, it’s not our subjective wish, I believe benj will understand us.”

Louis said with a smile: "If there is really a team willing to give Sean a huge contract in the summer."

Now, Dutt believes that many legends related to little Lu are true.

Legend has it that he instigated the Trail Blazers to draft Michael Jordan in 1984;

Legend has it that he made the final decision to give Ewing 30 million over 10 years;

Legend has it that he advised the Lakers to trade Wilkins for David Robinson's signing rights in the summer of 1987...

These seemingly impossible things are very likely what he did.

Just how he handled Kemp's contract extension.

This contract takes into account the feelings of many parties.

It neither made Wilson lose face nor made Kemp suffer. It also took into account the timing of Kemp's next contract.

"Coach Lu, if I had come to you earlier, maybe we would have settled the matter last year." Dutt got angry thinking of Baylor's face, "Your general manager is just a stingy stupid dog."

Louis couldn't help but say a few words for Belle.

"You should have come to me a long time ago. Elgin has no right to decide on such an important contract extension. He made that attitude because he hoped you would give up negotiating with him."

Louis took out the cursive contract extension.

"I have been preparing this contract for more than a month, but you didn't come until now. You can't blame Elgin for this."

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