NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 350 Jia Fei's Journey to the West

Although Paul only received a bunch of small change and two first-round picks, many people still felt the Clippers sold him for a bargain. In today's league, it's all about exchanging small change for larger sums; nobody actively exchanges large sums for small change.

Even though Paul is already 31 years old, he is still in very good condition. He is not a player who relies on his body to play, but on his brain. Many experts have been predicting that he can play until he is 40 years old like Stockton.

However, one thing everyone agrees on is that the championship window for the Paul-Griffin duo and Lob City may have truly closed. With the Warriors' rise, regardless of whether Durant ultimately chooses to leave the Thunder, no one believes the Clippers can overcome the Warriors, reach the Finals, and compete for the championship.

No matter how strong Paul is, he's ultimately a support player. He can also be an ADC, but he's getting older and can no longer be the primary damage dealer. Expecting him to deal damage is like running in leather shoes – a complete waste.

Paul couldn't end his "Western Conference Finals streak" with the Clippers, and it's clear that Lob City needed a change. That day was bound to come sooner or later, but many didn't expect it to come so quickly.

Some predict that the Clippers' practice of exchanging large bills for smaller ones might indicate they're acquiring a larger denomination bill. This makes sense; otherwise, would they really be planning a rebuild?

Paul has two years left on his contract, with the final year being a player option. He will definitely opt out next summer, so strictly speaking, he only has one year left. Rather than waiting for his contract to expire and leaving with nothing, trading him now would be a good trade opportunity, as his value is relatively high. From this perspective, the Clippers aren't really losing out.

On the 1st, the Clippers made another move, sending veteran Paul Pierce to the Celtics in exchange for a trade exception.

Bao Pi played 25 regular season games for the Clippers, averaging 3.2 points, 1.9 rebounds and 0.4 assists per game. His contract, signed last year, is a three-year, $1050 million mini mid-level exception contract.

In other words, the Clippers traded him to the place where his dream began, and the trade exception they received was essentially worthless.

Although Baopi is a bit old, he's still "capable of doing anything." Exchanging him for air can't just be to fulfill his wish to return to his roots; the team must have something to gain.

"58. Foreskin!" Jia Fei muttered to himself, sitting in his Atlanta home, and couldn't help but laugh. The Clippers' moves weren't really about the foreskin; they were about him!

The free agent market is getting more and more interesting!

Although the 58 trade is complete, the two biggest free agents in the market have not yet found new homes, which has temporarily halted many teams' recruitment efforts. Everyone is watching and waiting. Clearly, Jia Fei and Durant are enough to influence the league's landscape.

What if either Jia Fei or Durant joined the 73-win Warriors? What if either of them joined the Celtics or the Raptors? Or even more boldly, what if Durant, Jia Fei, and Westbrook took pay cuts and reunited with the Thunder to form a super Big Three?

Any one option can influence the landscape of the league; that's the power of a superstar!

Kevin Durant has a somewhat unassuming demeanor, and his every move doesn't resemble that of a superstar. But the moment he steps onto the basketball court, he exudes confidence. Aside from his slightly hunched back, which makes him appear less upright, he is a force to be reckoned with on both ends of the court.

When Death's scythe is raised, are you afraid?

This offseason has been absolutely amazing!

The Running Man contestant also opted out of his contract, but his contract renewal is basically a done deal. The reason he didn't renew his contract is to urge the team to strengthen the team and renew the contracts of role players like JR.

So few people care about his contract renewal anymore; it's a foregone conclusion.

On July 2nd, there was still no news regarding Jia Fei and Durant's signing. Beneath the seemingly calm surface, turbulent waves were brewing, suggesting a major news story was about to unfold, and the main focus would undoubtedly be on the two of them.

On the afternoon of July 2nd, Woj dropped another bombshell deal!

Yesterday, the Clippers and Pistons, the main players in the trading market, made a trade involving Griffin!

The details of the trade are as follows: The Pistons sent forward Tobias Harris, Boban Marjanovic, and two first-round picks in 2018 and 2019 to acquire Blake Griffin.

So far, the two biggest trades since the start of the free market have both come from the Clippers.

If the Clippers' trade of 58 left many puzzled, then the trade of Griffin was even more perplexing. 58 was still a top-5 point guard in the league, and even if Griffin was a bit brittle, he was only 27 years old! He was still in his prime and hadn't shown any significant decline.

The Clippers, however, did not hesitate to trade them away, and the return they received was not very generous. They did not get even one All-Star player; it was purely a case of trading large sums for small amounts.

Jia Fei was also surprised, he didn't expect the Clippers to play such a big game! Goodness, in his previous life, Blake Griffin was traded in the middle of the 2017-18 season, but now, because of his appearance, the trade has been brought forward!

While he was surprised that Griffin had also been traded, he unexpectedly received a call from his agent, Jeff Schwartz.

“Mr. Jia, Clippers General Manager Michael Wenger wants to sign with us. They said they have freed up maximum salary cap space for him and can build the roster according to your needs!” Jeff Schwartz was as professional and calm as a robot.

really!

Jia Fei guessed correctly; the Clippers really did trade 58 and Blake Griffin for him. So, Ballmer wasn't lying; he genuinely had a soft spot for him. Such a big move—most teams don't have the guts to do that! In the NBA, star players are a scarce resource; 58 and Griffin were both league stars. How could a typical team willingly give up such stars?

What kind of confidence is this?

Aren't you afraid that Jia himself won't go? In fact, he didn't promise the Clippers anything, so even if he doesn't go, there's no issue of him breaking his promise.

Jia Fei was quite moved. His former team, the Hawks, was worried about his injuries and wouldn't offer him a max contract. His former team, the Thunder, wanted to sign him for free and even asked him to take a pay cut. Other teams interested in him didn't make any major moves. Only the Clippers, without getting any promises from him, traded away their core players and Bao Pi, with whom he had previously had a verbal altercation, showing their sincerity.

Jia Fei made a phone call to Art Mayork, then informed his friends Kemba Walker and others, then told his former team, the Hawks, that he would not renew his contract with them, and finally told his agent, Jeff Schwartz, his opinion.

On the evening of July 2nd, Woj dropped a bombshell: Chinese-American superstar Jia Fei has agreed to a four-year maximum contract with the Los Angeles Clippers, with the fourth year being a player option!