Chapter 196 Multi-party transaction?

At this time in New York, Redden was working overtime.

He has never given up on trading the mid-range shooting king, but unfortunately the trade is too difficult. Even if he gave it away for free, no team is willing to take over Alan Houston's lousy contract of more than 70 million.

Fortunately, Wolverine has strong control over the locker room. If the new and old core members have an internal conflict, it will be really troublesome.

But the team still needs to strengthen. The perimeter defense is not much better than last season. Even when the mid-range shooting king is in the main lineup, it is not stronger than last season.

Yesterday, the Wolverines approached him about the MVP rankings, and he approached owner James Dolan and made a suggestion.

The suggestion is whether we can push the league to introduce an amnesty rule so that after buying out a player's contract, the player's remaining contract will no longer occupy the team's salary space.

If this rule can be introduced, I believe many teams will agree with it, because not only the Knicks, but other teams also have junk contracts.

For example, the Suns, Marbury and Hardaway's 60 million contracts have not been thrown away yet.

Now his focus is on trading McDyess, who only has this season left on his contract. If a team wants to get rid of a big contract on its team, just like the Knicks wanted to get rid of Alan Houston's contract, there would be a chance for a trade.

This time, he envisioned a big deal.

He received news that the Cavaliers had put their core player Ricky Davis on the shelf, and the Cavaliers were lacking a point guard.

Although Ricky Davis is a quasi-All-Star player, he is actually not as good as he used to be, and he does not have a clear understanding of his own strength and position in the team. In order to help the No. 1 pick get promoted as soon as possible, the Cavaliers have decided to trade him.

He believes that in order to complete the deal as soon as possible, the Cavaliers should not be too demanding in terms of chips, after all, Ricky Davis is not an All-Star.

The Suns want to trade Marbury and Hardaway. The Cavaliers need one of them and need to find a buyer for the other.

The Knicks want to sell the mid-range shooting king and McDyess and add an outside defensive player, preferably a shooting guard.

But he doesn't want Marbury and Hardaway, nor does he want Ricky Davis, who is not very good at defense, so he has to find a team that can provide a defensive shooting guard to join the transaction.

This team would ideally need one of Marbury or Hardaway, or Ricky Davis.

"Hey Brian, hi, I'm Scott Layden."

"Hello, Scott, how can I help you?"

He first called Suns general manager Colangelo Jr., and after the greetings, he immediately opened the window and said:
"Brian, it's probably difficult for you to get rid of Marbury and Hardaway's contracts together. Hardaway's 3-year, 4500 million dollar contract is too big. I suggest you trade Marbury."

Colangelo said with a headache: "Steko, Marbury is in his prime. Let me tell you frankly, if we don't tie him to Hardaway, who would be willing to accept Hardaway's contract?"

"Well, I want to sell Alan Houston too, so why don't we team up and do a multi-party deal?" Reiden suggested.

"OK, tell me what you think first."

Colangelo Jr. did not refuse because he really wanted to trade these two people.

Layden said: "Let's bring the Cavaliers in first. They want to sell Ricky Davis, and they are short of a point guard. The Suns can provide it."

"Good suggestion," Colangelo Jr. agreed immediately.

"Do you want Ricky Davis? If not, you have to find a buyer for him," said Layden.

"Well, we have Marion and Joe Johnson, we don't need Ricky Davis," Colangelo Jr. said.

"I suggest you take Alan Houston, he doesn't need the ball," Layden suggested.

"Okay, Scott, don't cheat me, and I won't cheat you. Hardaway is not suitable for you." Colangelo Jr. said with a wry smile.

"Ha ha!"

Layden laughed twice and said, "I want a shooting guard who is good at defense, or a defensive small forward, so I need a team that can provide such a player."

Colangelo Jr. thought for a moment and said, “I recommend a player to you, the Grizzlies’ backup forward, Sean Battier, nicknamed Batman.

He is good at defense and can defend several positions. He can also play the power forward position at critical moments. He is very accurate in shooting and can make three-pointers. He is a team player.

The Grizzlies have a lot of players available at the forward position, with Mike Miller and James Posey as the main players. As long as the chips are right, they will be willing to trade. "

"Sean Battier? OK, I'll get to know him."

Leiden wrote his name on a piece of paper, then signaled the assistant beside him to find his information immediately, and said into the phone:

"OK, Brian, if that's appropriate, then what does the Grizzlies need?"

Colangelo Jr. said: "Their lineup is actually pretty good. From Vancouver to Memphis, they have not made the playoffs in 8 years since joining the league. From the current point of view, they have a good chance of entering the playoffs this season. The current record is 5th in the Western Conference.

But I think they should want a tougher inside line. Currently, their main inside pairing is Pau Gasol and Lorenzen White.

White only plays 22 minutes per game, can't do the dirty work, can't help Gasol, both of them are a bit soft, and there is no such person on the bench, so I think they need a stronger power forward who can do the dirty work. "

Layden said: "That means we have to bring in a team that can provide a power forward."

Colangelo Jr. added, "But they may also want an All-Star guard, because neither James Posey nor Mike Miller has such strong scoring ability."

When Layden heard this, he laughed and said, "We now have Alan Houston, Marbury, Hardaway, and Ricky Davis. They can pick one."

Colangelo Jr. smiled and said, "Well, Scott, please make sure whether you need Shane Battier as soon as possible, and then we can complete the deal as soon as possible."

At this time, the assistant brought Sean Battier's information and Layden took a look.

This season, the Grizzlies got James Posey, and Battier, who started 47 games last season, became Posey's substitute.

Averaging 24 minutes per game, 8.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.7 blocks, with an overall shooting percentage of 44.6%, 26.7% for close shots, 42.7% for mid-range two-pointers, 50.5% for long two-pointers, 34.9% for three-pointers, and a defensive efficiency value of 102.

"good."

He gave his assessment, then said into the phone, "Brian, let me think about it."

"OK."

The two hung up the phone.

As soon as he hung up the phone, Layden immediately called Grizzlies basketball director Jerry West.

What the hell is a multi-party transaction? His biggest goal is to get rid of Alan Houston's super bad contract, so he must contact the Grizzlies first.

But he was also mentally prepared to be rejected by the Grizzlies, because Jerry West was a very successful senior and was not so easy to fool.

After Jerry West was fired by the Lakers in 02, he went to the Grizzlies. In just one season, he built a strong lineup for the Grizzlies, which shows his great ability.

"Mr. West, I'm Scott Layden from the Knicks, good evening."

"Good evening, Scott, you can call me Jerry."

"Okay, Jerry."

"Tell me, Scott, what do you want to take from me?"

"Haha, Jerry, you're really funny. Yes, I want Shane Battier."

After the call was connected, he first greeted West. After a few pleasantries, the two got down to business.

"It's not impossible for Battier, but you have to pay enough chips."

West thought about it. Although the Grizzlies needed a deeper lineup, there was no strong outside scorer in the current main lineup, and the entire team did not even have a player averaging 20+ points per game, so he did not refuse.

"Alan Houston is the king of mid-range shots," Layden said.

"Alan Houston?"

Jerry West immediately shook his head and said, "His contract is too big. His annual salary is higher than Kobe's, and he has the risk of injury. He is only suitable for the Knicks, not for us Grizzlies."

Layden smiled bitterly. Yes, Alan Houston was only suitable for the rich and stupid Knicks. He was the one who did it. "McDyess?" He asked again tentatively.

"No, the Grizzlies don't have any bad contracts right now," West said.

"What about Marbury or Ricky Davis?" he added.

"Marbury?"

West was a little moved this time.

The team has Jason Williams at the point guard position, but Marbury, an offensive point guard, is also good and can solve the problem of insufficient firepower in the back line.

He didn't like White Chocolate very much. Although his style of play was flashy, his hit rate was low and his performance was too unstable, which was completely opposite to the coaching style of head coach Hubie Brown.

He also has racial discrimination and marijuana smoking, which is one of the reasons why the Kings traded Williams.

Hubie Brown has no positive comments about Williams and has been demanding a trade for a point guard with a stable playing style.

However, Marbury is a bit sticky with the ball. Can he be trained well?

He felt that it should not be a big problem. People are not impossible to change. As long as the right method is found, it can be done.

Kobe was such a rebellious young man who dared to challenge MJ in his rookie season. Didn’t he become a superstar under his leadership?

"So, Scott, let's talk about this. Speaking of Marbury, have you got the Suns done?" he said.

"Haha, this is really good news, Jerry. A multi-party transaction that everyone is satisfied with is waiting for us." Leiden said excitedly.

After Colangelo Jr. hung up the phone, he also started contacting the Grizzlies to promote Marbury and Hardaway. His main goal was to strike first to prevent the Knicks from selling Alan Houston to the Grizzlies first.

It was not working hours, so he called Jerry West's private phone, but the other party was always on the phone.

"Fuck?"

After a while, he finally realized that it must be that bastard Rayden who contacted Jerry West first.

Sure enough, more than ten minutes later, Leiden called and told him that the grizzly bear had been brought in.

"Damn, Scott, you actually contacted the Grizzlies first?" he said very dissatisfiedly.

"Hey, Brian, I'm helping you. I have recommended Marbury to the Grizzlies, and Jerry West has just agreed. You should thank me." Layden said hurriedly.

"I thank your eight generations of ancestors."

Colangelo cursed inwardly and laughed, "Really? Thank you so much, Scott. Do the Grizzlies want Marbury?"

"Yes, he is very interested in Marbury," said Layden.

"Very good. Now we just need to find a new home for Hardaway. This is the most important thing." Colangelo Jr. said excitedly.

"NONONO, one for each family. Now it's time to find a new home for Alan Houston. You can't let me work in vain, right?" Leiden said hurriedly.

"Well, okay, let's work together to find a home for them both." Little Colangelo said happily.

At the Staples Center, the game was suspended.

Halfway through the second quarter, the Knicks were at a disadvantage, trailing by 31 points at 39:8, and called a timeout.

Barkley said: "Although the OK combination still has little communication, Kobe has started to pass the ball to O'Neal.

Both of them are superstars who can attract double teams. Once they join forces, they can explode with a strength that is greater than 1+1. "

Kenny Smith said: "Kobe kept using pick-and-rolls to keep an eye on Nash, scoring 18 points in a quarter and a half, with a hit rate of over %, and he had already blown Nash away.

At the same time, he also used his powerful ball-holding breakthrough offense to attract the Wolverines' backup defense, and then passed the ball to O'Neal, constantly creating opportunities for O'Neal to play one-on-one at the basket. Mutombo was unable to defend O'Neal alone at the basket and was beaten. "

Barkley nodded and said: "On the defensive end, the Lakers used a three-two zone defense to constantly double-team Nash and also limited the Knicks' offense.

Kenny Smith said: "Although the Lakers' perimeter defense is not as strong as the Pistons, the backcourt combination of Kobe and Payton is definitely comparable to the Spurs and Nets."

Barkley said: "But the biggest problem for the Knicks is not the offensive end. The Big Shark and the Mailman were unable to limit the Wolverines' offense, and Nash could still pass the ball in."

"The Wolverines have played 16 minutes so far and have not rested in the second quarter. They rested for two minutes in the first quarter," said Kenny Smith.

Barkley said: "Wolverine scored 16 points in 16 minutes, which is very efficient, with a hit rate of 62.5%.

His way to deal with the Mailman and O'Neal is to attack on the move, pull to the high post and cooperate with Nash, cut in for a dunk or a mid-range shot, and the Big Shark and the Mailman can't keep up with his speed. "

Kenny Smith nodded and said: "Nash scored 6 points today, mainly by taking advantage of Wolverine's high-post pick-and-roll.

The Lakers' double-teaming force on the perimeter was concentrated on Nash. The king of mid-range shots got a lot of open opportunities today. Nash passed the ball to him a lot during the double-team. He made 7 of 4 shots, including one three-pointer, and scored 9 points. His performance was still good. "

Barkley said: "From the way Nash passes the ball, the Lakers' perimeter double-team defense can't completely lock him down.

After all, the Lakers are not a purely defensive team like the Pistons, and they cannot invest so much on the defensive end, including the Nets and Spurs.

The Knicks played better offensively against the Lakers and Nets and Spurs than they did against the Pistons.

Kenny Smith nodded and said, "So the biggest problem for the Knicks is not offense, but defense. They can't defend against Kobe's offense with the ball."

The timeout ends at this point and the game continues.

Rick Carlisle replaced the mid-range shooting king who performed well with Josh Howard.

The task he assigned to Howard was to take open shots and to double-team Kobe when he broke through with the ball.

One of the reasons why he let Howard double-team Kobe was to give He Zhongqiu more opportunities to defend the basket, because when Mutombo was not there, the basket would be completely out of control.

When Mutombo is on the court, He Zhongqiu's more defensive task is to sweep the outside rather than defend the restricted area.

But Josh Howard is a rookie after all and lacks playing experience, so his help defense still cannot stop Kobe.

In this game, the Knicks eventually lost on the road and tied with the Lakers in the regular season.

He Zhongqiu scored 32 points, Nash scored 18 points, and Alan Houston scored 21 points. The three of them combined for 71 points.

O'Neal scored 25 points, Kobe scored 36 points, Karl Malone scored 12 points, Payton scored 17 points, and the Lakers' Big Four scored a total of 90 points.

16 wins and 6 losses, the record is tied with the Pacers, but the Knicks beat the Pacers, so they are still ranked first in the Eastern Conference and second in the league.

"The Lakers have 17 wins and 4 losses, ranking first in the league. The four-star Lakers have been upgraded to five-stars, and the championship is in sight." Los Angeles Times.

"The Knicks are second in the league, and the Pacers are third. The situation of the East being weak and the West being strong seems to be changing," TNT reported.

"The Knicks' perimeter defense is too weak. If they fail to strengthen it, there is a high probability that they will follow in the footsteps of last season and fall to either the Pistons or the Nets, with no hope of breaking out of the Eastern Conference," ESPN reported.

After the game, the official websites of major media outlets published commentary articles.

At this time, the Knicks had already boarded a special plane to Salt Lake City overnight.

On the 10th, in order to avoid a losing streak, the Knicks tried their best in back-to-back games and defeated the Jazz.

Houston, the king of mid-range shots, exploded in this game, making 17 of 10 shots, including three-pointers and free throws, and scored 28 points in a single game, becoming the best player of the game.

In six away games, we have three wins and three losses, 17 wins and 6 losses, and are still first in the Eastern Conference.

These six road trips caused the Knicks to lose their top spot in the league and also exposed the biggest problem of the lineup, which is that the perimeter defense is not good enough to deal with teams with strong perimeter defense.

The multi-party deal being planned by Layden and Colangelo Jr. is still in full swing, but there is no sign of an agreement being reached.

The main problem is that Hardaway's three-year, $3 million contract is so bad that no team is willing to take it.

(End of this chapter)