章節 104: Celebrations and Contracts
After finishing the call, Lian Dao returned to the draft scene.
By this time, the first round of the draft was nearing its end.
Though there were some changes in the draft order, the teams' selections remained largely the same.
Griffin was still selected by the Clippers, and James Harden went to the Thunder. The Kings picked Tyreke Evans as expected.
Thabeet, who slipped to the fifth pick, was taken by the Grizzlies. The Timberwolves traded for the Wizards' sixth overall pick and selected the golden boy, Ricky Rubio.
However, there was a difference at the seventh pick, where the Timberwolves selected DeMar DeRozan.
Lian Dao realized that the Timberwolves had basically completed their rebuilding process.
With Rubio, DeMar, and Kevin Love on their roster, if their management plays it smart, the Timberwolves could become a winning team in the Western Conference in the next few years. At the very least, making the playoffs shouldn't be an issue.
When the Raptors' management learned that the Timberwolves had selected DeMar, they were dumbfounded. With little time to deliberate, after the Golden State Warriors picked Stephen Curry, the Raptors hurriedly wrote down a name: Brandon Jennings.
Similarly, the Milwaukee Bucks found themselves in a tight spot and selected Jonny Flynn, who was originally expected to go to the Timberwolves at the sixth overall spot.
It's also worth mentioning that Taj Gibson was selected by the Suns with the 14th overall pick.
This year, a total of three USC players were selected in the first round, all of them lottery picks.
Dwight opted out of the draft due to his lower-than-expected ranking in previous predictions and decided to return to the Trojans.
Daniel Hackett, unfortunately, was not selected and felt the sting of disappointment.
Lian Dao and his teammates continued to comfort him. Though Daniel was a bit frustrated, his upbeat nature meant he recovered quickly.
...
With the draft over, the group of friends prepared to temporarily part ways, each with a busy schedule ahead.
Bill Duffy was taking DeMar to negotiate a "Kobe Project" sneaker contract with Nike.
Meanwhile, Nike made another offer to Lian Dao, which he declined once again.
Gibson had booked a few commercials and needed to complete filming during this time.
For Lian Dao, his parents' visit to the United States meant spending quality time with them. They organized a celebration party in his honor. Although it was called a celebration party, it was more of a big dinner with Lian Dao's parents, his coach, and his teammates. Since everyone was familiar, Lian Dao happily accepted the chance to celebrate together.
After the draft, Guo Yuwei uploaded Lian Dao's complete workout with the Clippers online. The video quickly gained significant attention, with many clicks and shares. Finally, people understood the truth about the trial session.
The Clippers were now seen as the embodiment of arrogance and faced severe backlash from Los Angeles fans. Meanwhile, the critics who had disparaged Lian Dao online vanished—not gone entirely, but lying low, waiting for their next chance to attack.
Knicks fans quickly changed their tune, showering the Knicks management with praise for their decision. Lian Dao got a firsthand experience of Knicks fans' fickle affections, which could make even a master of disguise tremble in awe.
Lian Dao spent the next two days with his parents in New York. Once the time came for them to return to China, Lian Guochang and Zhao Ruoyun left, as they had business and responsibilities back home.
Before they departed, Zhao Ruoyun pulled Guo Yuwei aside at the airport for a whispered conversation. Lian Dao tried to eavesdrop but was promptly sent away by Zhao Ruoyun.
On the way back, Guo Yuwei's cheeks were flushed, and she frequently glanced at Lian Dao from the co-pilot seat, leaving him puzzled about what had transpired.
With his parents back in China, Lian Dao's next task was to finalize his contract with the team. Fortunately, he owned a house in the affluent Upper East Side of New York, a property that had belonged to his parents since their early days in the United States.
Although the house hadn't been lived in for some time and required a thorough cleaning, it was well-equipped. Covering over 900 square meters, it featured both indoor and outdoor basketball courts, a swimming pool, and a gym. Its proximity to Fifth Avenue and Madison Avenue also provided convenient access to Madison Square Garden.
The two nannies and bodyguards who had previously been in San Francisco had also relocated to New York, having consulted and agreed on the move with Lian Dao.
After tidying up the house, Lian Dao received a call from Downey. The discussion mainly revolved around the signing of Lian Dao's contract and his new home.
Downey was particularly excited about the Knicks' moves in the free agency market. This year, the Knicks made a surprising offer to Paul Millsap—a four-year contract worth $33.5 million, which was $1.5 million more than the four-year, $32 million offer from the Blazers. The Jazz, already facing financial constraints with Okur, Boozer, and Millsap in contract years, decided not to match the offer, leaving Millsap to join the Knicks.
Lian Dao was impressed by this move. Historically, the Jazz had matched the Blazers' offer for Millsap, but this time, the extra $1.5 million made a difference. The Knicks' acquisition of Millsap was significant.
Millsap, known for his strong physicality and versatility at the power forward position, was a valuable addition. With a long wingspan, good strength, impressive jumping ability, accurate rebounding, and strong defensive skills, he also possessed a reliable three-point shot. However, Millsap's tendency to accumulate fouls had limited his playing time.
The following day, Lian Dao and his sister visited Madison Square Garden for his contract signing with the Knicks. Lian Dao arrived at the general manager's office, where Downey and D'Antoni were waiting.
D'Antoni greeted Lian Dao with a warm hug, expressing his enthusiasm for the upcoming season. While D'Antoni didn't expect the Knicks to make the playoffs in Lian Dao's rookie year, he was hopeful that Lian Dao's growth would set the stage for a more promising future.
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