NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 134 Thunder's Fulfillment

President Pu remained as refined and spirited as ever.

The two met at the hotel where Jia Fei and his friends were staying in Miami. The meeting place was just the two of them, with no third person present.

The two exchanged pleasantries for a while without getting to the point. They talked about everything from Jia Fei’s hometown of Los Angeles to Presti’s hometown, from food to social geography, rambling on for quite some time.

Jia Fei wasn't in a hurry at all, and neither did President Pu.

Finally, the two got to the offseason and the free agent market.

"Jay, whether it's our management, the players, or the Thunder fans, we all hope you can continue to play for the Thunder next season," General Manager Pu said sincerely.

Jia Fei had no doubt about Pu's attitude and knew he was telling the truth. Since Pu joined the Thunder, fans had indeed liked him—his passion, his positive attitude, and some even liked his good looks. He also had a good relationship with his teammates and had never had any unpleasant experiences with them.

"I know, Mr. Pu, I've been quite happy these past two years in Oklahoma City. If it weren't for this, I might not be in the NBA anymore." That's true. Sometimes, even if you have the talent, if you're not given the opportunity to showcase it, it's hard to stay in the NBA.

“Jia, I know other teams have already offered you tentative contracts, and their offers are higher than ours. We also have the option to match, but the team has a cap on total salary expenditures, so I can't offer you the same salary. I recognize your value; you have strong individual abilities and great potential. So, could you accept a short-term contract? We can offer you a contract that matches your value when our cap space becomes available.” President Pu spoke earnestly and sincerely.

Jia Fei neither refused nor agreed: "The Thunder are a championship contender, but they don't have enough salary cap space and can't offer me the contract I want. To be honest, if the contract difference wasn't that big, just a few hundred thousand or a million dollars, I would choose to stay. But the difference is too big. Mr. Pu, I know that contract issues are sometimes not entirely within your control, and I don't want to put you in a difficult position. Perhaps I really can't return to the team!"

He had already made his point very clear: he couldn't completely give up the huge contract for the so-called "one person, one city" deal, which was worth tens of millions of US dollars, not tens of millions of yen. His family didn't own any mines, and although he didn't have any children crying for food, he really didn't have much money in his pocket. He didn't have the ability to act like a rich young master.

Pu wasn't surprised. You can't expect a horse to run without feeding it. This guy is young and hasn't earned a lot of money yet, not a seasoned veteran who's already made a fortune. He wants to fight for a championship at the end of his career and accept a minimum salary. It's heartbreaking to let someone so young accept a minimum salary.

“Jia, since you’ve already made up your mind, I won’t force you. We won’t provide a qualification quote, and we’ll also forfeit your early bird rights. Is that acceptable?” Mr. Pu asked.

Jia Fei could hardly believe his ears. General Manager Pu was practically giving him a freebie! This was naturally the best option for him, making him a free agent. This way, he could negotiate a contract with any team with cap space, and he wouldn't be restricted by any terms.

Thinking back to how the Thunder treated Westbrook in his previous life, allowing him the option to leave and join a team he preferred was indeed quite generous. Although the owner of this team is a bit stingy and unwilling to spend money, he is still very kind to the players, letting them go while also giving them a little helping hand.

"Thank you, Mr. Pu. Even if I really leave, I will never forget that I was once a member of the Thunder. My only regret here is not winning a championship with the team." Jia Fei sincerely wished him well.

Jia Fei had a pleasant chat with Presti, treated him to a meal, and even saw him off at the airport.

"Jia, good luck!" President Pu offered his blessings.

"Thank you!" Jia Fei replied with a smile.

This meeting with President Pu was very rewarding for Jia Fei. Although he missed the NBA Finals Game 7 because of it, he felt that whether Running Man won or not was no longer important compared to his future (financial prospects) (it was never important to begin with).

He quickly informed his agent, Jeff Schwartz, of the results of his communication with President Pu, so that the agent could formally screen teams and conduct further negotiations.

When Jia Fei returned from the airport, Kemba Walker asked, "How did your talks go?"

Jia Fei recounted his conversation with General Manager Pu to the two of them. After he finished, Kemba Walker sighed, "The Thunder have really been kind to you. Losing you would be a huge loss for them. I don't believe General Manager Pu doesn't know your value to the team. But as the general manager, there's nothing I can do if the owner isn't willing to spend money."

Art Mayor nodded in agreement: "Judging from their attitude in handling this matter alone, they're not at fault. They didn't offer you a satisfactory contract, nor did they try to match you with someone else; they just promised to make you a free agent."

Kemba Walker slapped his thigh: "I really have huge doubts about MJ's judgment. The Thunder let him go, and he didn't even try to fight for it. I was with the Bobcats, and with your relationship, if the contract was about the same, you might have joined them."

Jia Fei smiled and nodded; that was indeed true. While the Bobcats had weaknesses, they also offered more opportunities. His time with the Thunder was limited because the team was always aiming for a championship, so he and other young players like Lamb didn't get many chances. He wasn't like LeBron James, who only joined teams with star players. Right now, he just needed a satisfactory contract and enough respect; even the size of the market wasn't his primary concern.

"Hey Ja, didn't you watch Game 7 last night? LBJ is really amazing. The Spurs gave him a wide shot and he really capitalized on it!" Kemba Walker exclaimed.

Jia Fei sighed inwardly; he knew this all too well! Last season's championship victory had helped LeBron overcome his mental block, making him even harder to defend. Speaking of last season's Finals, he felt a pang of regret. If Harden hadn't frequented nightclubs and hadn't acted so erratically, and if the coach had been a bit smarter, perhaps the outcome wouldn't have been the same.

On June 23, Jia Fei, Kemba Walker, and Art Mayok returned to New York from Miami. They had absolutely no interest in watching the Heat's championship parade!

After returning to New York, Jia Fei received a call from Jeremy Lin.

During the phone call, Jeremy Lin invited him to join the Rockets!

Jia Fei wasn't surprised by Jeremy Lin's recruitment. The NBA is a society based on personal connections, so it's natural that various relationships would be used; it's not surprising. He remembered that the Rockets had previously offered him a preliminary contract—a two-year deal worth $5 million, with the second year being a team option.