Chương 351: Chapter 351: Gortat Traded to the Trail Blazers
Gortat and Frye had played for seven minutes in the first quarter before being substituted by Thompson and Whiteside.
"Manager Tian, is it you who called us?" Gortat asked.
He could understand being taken out of the game like this during a match, especially since the team was preparing to trade them, and there were players in the league who had been notified of a trade right after warming up and getting ready to play. It seemed like Manager Tian calling them out was a sign that the trade was almost finalized.
Manager Tian said, "The Trail Blazers are very interested in both of you. They want to trade Will Barton, McCollum, and a first-round pick in the 2016 draft for you two."
Coach Gentry added, "The Trail Blazers have two All-Star-level players, Lillard and Aldridge, and they are a strong playoff contender. They need a solid center and a big man with shooting ability. You two going to the Trail Blazers will be a great fit for them."
In essence, Gortat and Frye's salaries for this season wouldn't be affected by which team they went to. What they needed was a team that could offer them more playing time to showcase their skills. The Trail Blazers seemed like a good fit.
The Trail Blazers were currently fifth in the Western Conference, and if they wanted to surpass the Warriors or the Spurs to get into the top four, they needed immediate impact players rather than waiting for Barton and McCollum to develop.
Will Barton had entered the league through the 2012 draft, and McCollum was a rookie this year. He was initially drafted by the Kings at the tenth pick before being traded to the Trail Blazers.
These two players didn't get much playing time on the Trail Blazers, and their combined contribution to the team was still less than what Gortat could offer.
After thinking for a while, Gortat nodded lightly. "I have no objections."
"Me too," Frye agreed, nodding as well.
Manager Tian quickly left after getting their consent, as he needed to contact the Trail Blazers' general manager to finalize the trade.
...
31:15!!!
The first quarter ended with the Suns leading by 16 points.
As soon as Dong got off the court, he asked, "Are you two leaving?"
"Yes, Brother Dong," Gortat confirmed, nodding. "The team is preparing to trade us to the Trail Blazers."
"The Trail Blazers?"
Dong rubbed his teeth. "That's a pretty good team. Go there and play well. Don't shame our old team. Everyone who leaves the Suns becomes a strong player."
Since Dong's arrival, players who had left the Suns in the past two years had performed well on their new teams, be it Bynum, Dudley, or Middleton. After leaving the Suns, they all got more playing time and quickly proved their worth.
Regardless of their stats, these former players all had the same message for the outside world: they attributed their success to their time with the Suns and the guidance and encouragement of Manager Dong.
The timeout was about to start.
Coach Gentry asked, "Do you two still want to play?"
"I want to play!" Gortat replied.
"Me too!" Frye added.
Coach Gentry nodded. "Alright, then play the full three quarters and give the fans a great show. Just be careful not to get injured."
...
The second quarter began.
Gortat, Frye, McGrady, Carter, and Dong were on the court.
"Go, Gortat!"
"Go, Frye!"
All the teammates cheered for Gortat and Frye.
The Thunder seemed unaware of what was happening on the Suns' side.
The Thunder attacked, but Westbrook's mid-range shot missed. Gortat fought for the rebound and passed the ball to Dong.
Dong dribbled to the frontcourt and patiently organized the offense. When Gortat was in position and asked for the ball, Dong passed it to him under the basket. Gortat received the pass and, facing Perkins and Lamb's defense, passed it to Frye outside the three-point line.
Swish!!!
Frye raised his hand and made a three-pointer, the ball swishing through the net.
34:15!!!
The Thunder attacked again.
Westbrook missed another shot, but this time he grabbed the offensive rebound and made the putback.
Dong wanted to help improve Gortat's stats, but Gortat was already well-positioned, and Westbrook's force was too strong.
The Suns attacked.
Dong passed to Carter, who missed the shot, but Gortat grabbed the offensive rebound and made the putback.
The second quarter ticked by.
At the fifth minute, Durant substituted for Carter, and Thompson replaced McGrady. At the ninth minute, Curry replaced Dong.
There were only 3 seconds left in the second quarter.
Curry's three-point attempt missed, but Frye rushed to the basket and grabbed the offensive rebound, making the putback.
57:32!!!
The Suns led by 25 points at halftime.
...
Halftime.
The US Airways Center began playing a highlight reel of Gortat and Frye's best moments with the Suns over the past few years, featuring Gortat's blocks and Frye's three-pointers. The highlights were shown in an alternating fashion.
At the end of the reel, the screen froze on a frame of Gortat and Frye, with a Chinese phrase appearing: "The green hills remain, the clear water flows."
Chinese fans watching on TV instantly understood that Gortat and Frye were leaving the Suns.
Most of the home fans didn't have much education and couldn't read Chinese, but under the Chinese phrase was an English translation: "The Phoenix Suns will always be your home!"
...
Suns' Locker Room.
Manager Tian arrived and informed Gortat and Frye that the trade was basically finalized.
"Speaking of which..."
Varaje flipped through the schedule and said, "Our first game after the All-Star break is against the Trail Blazers."
"Really?"
"Remember to go easy on them..."
Teammates patted Gortat and Frye on the shoulders, joking with them.
Gortat smiled bitterly. "Do we even need to go easy on them?"
Durant laughed. "Even though the Trail Blazers are not our rivals no matter how hard they try, we still want to win comfortably."
Teammates joked with Gortat.
Gortat said to Coach Gentry, "In the future, I won't be able to drink your kung fu tea during halftime."
"That's true."
Coach Gentry smiled. "Then I'll perform for you."
The Thunder was already trailing by 25 points, and the Suns were relaxed, maintaining the same rhythm as the first half without needing to strategize further.
On the Thunder's side, Brooks continued to encourage his players.
On the Suns' side, after Coach Gentry's graceful kung fu tea performance, all the players sat together, enjoying their tea.
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