"Aix, I heard it right? The Bulls traded Pippen? They don't plan to continue the championship?" April Clark exclaimed, covering his mouth.

Listening to April Clark's exclamation and hearing the noise of the draft scene from the TV, Zhang Hao was also surprised. Any team could trade the No. 3 draw, but they shouldn't be the Lakers and the runner-up Bulls!

Although he, Mr. Zhang, knew that Pippen would collapse next season, was basically absent from the regular season and played extremely poorly in the playoffs. Originally, Jordan basically led the team to win the championship in 97-98 season in time and space, which led to the "Season of the Gods".

But the Bulls actually traded Pippen?

Regarding the relationship between Pippen and Jordan, Jordan must not dismantle the United Center?

Zhang Hao asked the shocked April Clark: "April, who do you think the Bulls might choose?"

"Van Horn, his template is Larry Bird... Hey? Aix, why didn't the Celtics choose Van Horn?"

"You must never choose a template for the draft. It's Larry Bird's rookie, it's definitely good."

"Why?"

"Well……"

Zhang Hao was trying to answer, and the screen switched back to the main stage, and both of them were attracted to the attention, wanting to see what monster the Bulls were going to do.

Do you really have to choose a "Big Bird Second Generation" to assist Jordan or take over Jordan?

As David Stern walked back out of the passage, he obviously had a surprise on his face, but he immediately smiled.

Three minutes passed, and David Stern stepped on the point to the center of the stage. After so many years, he had a superb positioning.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the Chicago Bulls selected the third pick in the NBA 1997 draft..."

David Stern, who opened the envelope while reciting, was stunned!

This time it's not that he wants to create suspense. He is indeed planning to create suspense, but the suspense generated by his current expression is more curious than the suspense he deliberately creates.

David Stern was stunned!

With the brief collapse of facial management recovery, David Stern was professional, smiled again and said: "The Bulls chose Tracy McGrady from Mount Montzion Christ High School!"

April Clark exclaimed again: "The Bulls chose a high school student! Aix, the Bulls boss was fooled by you, right?"

Zhang Hao was also confused. Indeed, because of him and Garnett's performance, Kamp was considered to be the market for high school students to run for rookies, and it is bound to be because of them that there will be many top picks in high school students in the future, such as the first half of the new century in the original time and space, with three top picks in four years.

But what Zhang Hao thought was that the Bulls might choose Big Bird successor Van Horn, or choose a center forward, change their playing style... I really didn't expect that they would choose McGrady!

There are only two people here, and the situation is fine. The talent show in the live broadcast screen was completely exploded!

The Little Milk House geniuses waiting to be selected in the third pick are just like the two high school students who were selected in the lottery area in 1995, with a rich expression! And it is even more exaggerated, because this is the third pick!

...

...

Iverson and Duncan formed a double No. 1 pick, becoming another double No. 1 pick after the Rockets formed Ralph Sampson and Hakeem Olajuwon in 1983 and 1984. And it was a double No. 1 pick that looked like there was no limit in the future. The limelight was completely snatched away by the Bulls for Pippen to exchange for a high school student.

The TV commentator complained that the Bulls management was very direct. Is it that the high school student beaten to death?

It is indeed predicted that McGrady will be selected around the fifth pick, for example, the Nets may choose McGrady, but no one has predicted that McGrady will be selected at the third pick.

Because McGrady was not as famous as Kobe in high school and Odom, she became famous only in April this year through training camp.

It looks very similar to Zhang Hao two years ago, and even his height and weight when he participated in the draft...

But even if high school students can adapt to the NBA, it is gradually recognized that no one thinks that just choosing a high school student can be a genius of Zhang Hao, Garnett, and Kamp.

McGrady is quite exciting enough, so in just two months, McGrady's pick soared to around the fifth pick. It wouldn't be so surprising if another team traded for this pick, or the Spurs chose McGrady himself.

The key is that the Bulls exchanged this draft pick for Pippen...

This is why the Bulls were attacked and criticized.

Compared with the Spurs directly selected McGrady or other teams to trade this draft pick to select McGrady, McGrady has just been selected and has become the focus and the pressure is amazing.

The pressure he faced was even greater than that when Zhang Hao was traded by the Lakers with two All-Star players. At that time, Zhang Hao showed some talent, at least he was sure to adapt to the NBA. McGrady had never even played in the summer league.

The attention of the subsequent draft was also stolen.

The Grizzlies selected Antonio Daniels with the fourth pick, in line with expectations.

The Nuggets, who sent Antonio McDyce away, chose Tony Barty because the contract extension was not agreed to be negotiated. This choice is not surprising.

But Van Horn has no one to choose... and fell to the 6th pick, and the Nets selected him.

When it reached the 7th pick, another transaction occurred. The 76ers sent Jerry Starkhouse, completed a multi-party transaction, and returned some players. What is related to this draft is that the transaction returned the draft pick, and selected Tim Thomas...

Originally, this transaction should be a very topical deal. After the transaction rumors broke, Jerry Starkhouse said that he was no worse than Iverson, but because Iverson joined him, he sacrificed his move... But in the face of the Bulls' operations, the draft, transaction, influence, and attention behind them were not that high...

...

The Lakers only have a draft pick with the 56th overall pick in the second round. Although this year is also a big year for the draft, there is no hope for it when it reaches the 56th pick. The Lakers want to choose the 213-centimeter sports center Mark Blunt of the University of Pittsburgh, who was also selected by the Supersonics at the 55th pick and was intercepted.

There is really no room for operation in this ranking.

The next morning, details of the transaction between the Spurs and the Bulls were exposed.

Very direct, just 1 for 1.

After the finals, Pippen immediately sought a big contract renewal and wanted to have a long contract. He would turn 32 in September this year. The Bulls management was unwilling to choose the deal.

Jordan raised objections, but the threat was fruitless and failed to defend his title. Jerry Klaus had enough confidence to complete the deal.

The key is the transaction, Pippen himself agreed. The Bulls allowed him to negotiate with the Spurs, and the Spurs were willing to give a big contract.

On June 28, on the evening of the second day of the draft, the Spurs held a press conference. Pippen had arrived in San Antonio yesterday and reached a contract renewal after completing the deal. The six-year contract of $88 million was renewed early until the 2003-2004 season.

At this point, this transaction is considered a lose-lose deal.

The Bulls are seen as giving up their stable championship strength. No one will compare another high school student with Zhang Hao. McGrady was compared with Garnett and Kemp. Although these two people saw that their talent was very high in the first year of their careers and their future was unlimited, they needed to grow. Jordan, after the All-Star Weekend next season, will be 35 years old and there is not that long waiting for McGrady to grow.

The Spurs' purpose of getting Pippen in the trade was obvious. Bo Duncan failed and chose to continue to form a championship lineup around David Robinson, and got Pippen who performed very well in the just-concluded season. If David Robinson recovers well, they both have the ability to lead the team to compete for the championship. David Robinson's ability to lead the team with a guaranteed 50 wins is still very recognized.

Just talking about using the No. 3 draw to Pippen, the Spurs will definitely make a profit, but the contract renewal for 6 years, and in the last year of the contract, Pippen is over 38 years old! The last year's salary is more than 19 million US dollars.

The example given by the Boston Post is that if the Magicians are given a year of $19 million, a year of contract renewal this summer, Lakers fans will have to jump.

Therefore, this deal has become a recognized lose-lose deal. The Bulls lost in the present, and the Spurs lost in the future...

But the Spurs are worth looking forward to next season. At least in the next two or three years, people think they are worth looking forward to. Next season, the last year of Pippen's old contract, a salary of 2.78 million US dollars, which is a great value. The first two years of the new contract should be worth it. The news from David Robinson is that the recovery is very good...

...

Zhang Hao was dumbfounded at this year's draft.

But after straightening out his ideas, he felt that the Bulls might not be that bad.

Originally, Jordan's dependence on Pippen was not that high in the 1997-98 season. As long as Jordan doesn't want to suppress McGrady, the Bulls may have a good future.

This year's draft was crazy, but after that, Zhang Hao felt that it was over. He didn't care about this anymore the second day of the draft. His invisible wings had already splattered the league, and he would do whatever he wanted.

He continued to devote himself to what he should do, and based on the promotional time Henry Thomas and April Clark negotiated with endorsement brands, he planned his summer training plan.

A few days of guest filming plan was inserted in the middle. Tsunya Special Photography Company asked him to take time out in the summer to make a guest appearance in the latest exit of Ultraman Dyna. The general plot is that Ultraman Aix passed by, supported Dyna and taught him a few moves...

Ultraman Aix at the end of last year brought Tsuburaya Special Photography Company to reborn, and became rich, and now he is thinking about building Ultraman Universe.

Zhang Hao chose the time after the planned cross-step training plan of Iverson was over, which happened to be a buffer period, just as a few days off, and then he had to practice Anthony Hardaway's back and turn around and step-and-step jump shot.

The core training is still basic skills, and all skills need to be supported by this.

The most important thing is to develop in a direction where O'Neal can better cooperate, such as support ability, better shooting, and better breakthroughs... There are still many aspects to make progress. Zhang Hao is not so anxious now. Take your time, make reasonable plans, and make steady progress.

Yes, I practiced cross-steps to the top in one summer, and practiced back-turning and step-removing jump shots to the top, and I played steadily.

...

As time passed day by day, Zhang Hao was doing planning and making preparations for training while participating in endorsement activities. The preparation was to rent a training hall and train in summer. He still wanted to go to Hawaii to change the environment. Even as a guest star in Ultraman Dyna, he discussed with Tsunya Special Photography Company to shoot in Hawaii. Anyway, the plot was simple, and the protagonist just had to travel to Hawaii.

On July 1, the free market will open.

There was no accident. On June 30, negotiations between NBA bosses and the Players' Union broke down again. Fortunately, the agreement reached in 1995 ended on June 30, 1998, and the free market this year was not affected.

However, not long after the free market started, the first wave of commercial activities in four days ended. Zhang Hao, who had just arrived at the villa of Little Loli in Hawaii, received bad news.

On July 5, George Lynch joined the 76ers for 25 million US dollars in five years.

Immediately afterwards, James Robinson was poached by another team in Los Angeles for 8 million US dollars in two years and Clippers, while Jeromy Colsey was poached by the Supersonics for 10 million US dollars in four years.

Three teams stabbed the Lakers in the back, and the Lakers management had no choice.

They can't afford these salaries.

James Robinson and Jeromy Colsey were fine, and George Lynch left, which had a huge impact on the Lakers' defense.

But the 76ers can give a contract with an average annual price of $5 million. They have two rookies, Iverson and Duncan, who have signed a three-year rookie contract. Iverson has two years left. At the beginning of Duncan, Campbell, the highest-paid team in their team, is only $8 million. With the NBA salary cap rising year by year, it has risen to $28.76 million next season, next summer, the 76ers can still grab players in the free market.

But the Lakers can't give it.

Nowadays, it is not the era when the basic salary is 100+ US dollars in the future. The increase in salary will be very tempting for role players.

So far, the Lakers have lost 7 players.

Finally, on July 10, Zhang Hao received good news. Doug Christie rejected the three-year, $15 million offer from the Warriors and reached a two-year, $8 million oral renewal with the Lakers.

Jason Williams received a three-year, $10 million offer from the Bulls, and the Lakers matched the contract.

Ben Wallace signed a formal contract of $330,000 per year.

Including Zhang Hao, Brian Xiao, Kenny Anderson has one year left, Fisher's rookie contract, and O'Neal has six years left, the Lakers have at least kept these 8 people.

However, it seems that the Lakers are still getting beaten in the free market this summer...

However, when Doug Christie and Jason Williams were retained and the core lineup was confirmed, the Lakers' first signing came soon, and it was shocking!

Rick Fox rejected the Celtics' long-term contract, rejected the offer from the Bulls, Spurs, Supersonics, Heat and other teams, and joined the Lakers with a super low salary of $3.6 million in three years!

...

...

3 updates, 12,000 words, please give me a monthly ticket!
Chapter completed!