The Way of Basketball: Never Talk Shit to Him!
Chapter 437 - 207: Su Wan’s Clauses and the Pleasant "Trip to Asia"_3

Chapter 437: Chapter 207: Su Wan’s Clauses and the Pleasant "Trip to Asia"_3

Larry Bird was incredibly agitated, and now hearing from Walsh about Su Wan’s contract renewal, he suppressed his inner impatience and said, "Otherwise, get Herbert to approve a budget of a hundred million a year for me, and I will immediately give him a satisfactory reply!"

They had already said they couldn’t sign now!

Still going on about Su Wan, Su Wan...

Having partnered with Bird for so long, Walsh could vaguely sense Bird’s irritation. As the "scapegoat" in between, he sat at his own desk, left only with pulling his hair in frustration.

Being the team’s president really was torture!

At that moment, his phone rang; he picked it up and saw an unknown number.

Commercial endorsement, commercial endorsement!

He murmured in his mind and pressed the call button, then he heard a magnetic voice from the speaker: "Mr. Donnie Walsh, hello, I wonder if you would be interested in coming to work for the New York Knicks as the new president!"

Walsh: !!!

Now he could probably understand what kind of situation Larry Bird was facing.

They were even starting to poach the presidents, let alone the players—they didn’t even dare to think about how badly they would be stolen...

Indeed, he soon heard that Calderon and Foster, whose contracts had expired, had both received contract offers from other teams.

Eventually, Larry Bird followed up on Foster’s contract: 4 years, 34 million, about 8.5 million a year. Considering Foster’s role in handling Yao and Shaquille O’Neal, this contract was honestly not expensive.

The highest contract offered to Foster from outside was up to 10 million.

Had it not been for Foster’s own desire to stay in Indiana, Larry Bird really would have had no options...

Following the renewal for Foster, Calderon’s contract was indeed beyond his reach. As a two-time Finals starting point guard, known as the "bankrupt version of Steve Nash," Calderon received a 4-year, 32 million contract from the Raptors, with an annual salary of 8 million.

Given the current state of the Pacers, they simply couldn’t afford such a contract.

Before deciding to give up on renewing the contract, Bird called Su Wan to inform him that the team would not match Calderon’s offer.

Su Wan didn’t say much.

He clearly understood the saying, "The NBA is iron, but the players are flowing water."

Player trades were only too normal.

Before Calderon came to the Pacers, his annual salary was 3.33 million, and after leaving, it soared to 8 million—a more than doubling.

Just for that reason, Su Wan felt there was no problem even if Calderon left the Pacers, as he had carved out a higher value for himself there!

Soon Su Wan received a call from Calderon, bidding him farewell.

Given Calderon’s team role, he really had no need to take a salary cut for the team.

Moreover, having signed Foster, Calderon would have had to take a significant salary cut to stay with the Pacers. If he were an old veteran in his last year chasing a championship or a team core securing his historical legacy with championships, a salary cut would be justifiable. But he was neither.

Everyone comes to the NBA to chase dreams and to make money!

Having stood on the highest stage so many times, why not seize an opportunity to make money?

Su Wan would never take a pay cut out of consideration for so-called team salary cap space.

He would take a contract that matched his worth.

When should a player take a pay cut?

One, when a player himself thinks that without a pay cut, without "support legs," he can’t win a championship.

Su Wan believed in his own abilities. fгeewebnovёl.com

So he wouldn’t take a pay cut.

Two, when the team skimps and isn’t willing to spend money to win a championship.

Then Su Wan had even less reason to take a pay cut.

If the owner wasn’t willing to spend money, then change the owner!

A very simple matter...

There’s nothing in the NBA that money can’t solve—if there is, then just add ten million more!

He wouldn’t take a pay cut, nor would he advise his brothers to do so.

Of course, the salary cut with Foster was the result of discussions with Larry Bird and had nothing to do with Su Wan—He only learned about the specifics of the contract after Foster had signed.

Shortly after Calderon signed with the Raptors, Su Wan received a call from Artest.

"Su, do you think I’m capable of getting a max salary?" he began, his tone serious.

Su Wan said, "Don’t think about what I think, you have to think for yourself. If you think you deserve a max salary, then go fight for it!"

Artest was silent for a while, then spoke again: "If I ask Larry for a max contract this summer, would you have any objections?"

He knew that Su Wan’s contract would expire next summer.

In fact, he wasn’t in a hurry initially, but after a new announcement from the League, he became anxious.

The Pacers were definitely going to offer Su Wan a starting contract around 16.7 million.

This was a lot higher than Su Wan’s original contract.

If before the "Su Wan clause," Artest had fantasized about the team offering Su Wan a max contract and then giving him a satisfactory max contract with a slightly over luxury-tax salary cap space.

Then after the "Su Wan clause," this became impossible.

Exceeding the "luxury tax" required multiples in payments—exceeding 5 million meant paying 10 million.

That would be equivalent to having a "ten-million-dollar injured player" sitting idly on the Pacers’ bench. Artest wouldn’t do such a thing, let alone the team’s owner.

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