NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 749 Signing Eason and Prince Kei

As long as Bridges doesn't demand a max or near-max contract, the Clippers will likely choose to keep him. In terms of importance, as a durable 3-and-D forward capable of leading defense, he surpasses Grant. While the Clippers have many potential 3-and-D players, such as rookies Jaden McDaniels, Herbert Jones, Gerald Williams, and Mann, these players either lack experience or immediate impact; none can compare to Bridges.

The Clippers aren't just considering salary cap space; they also need to consider the team's overall strength. They're aiming for the championship.

Brunson is a player the Clippers absolutely must keep. He may look like he has a big head and lacks talent, but he's incredibly tough, especially in the playoffs, and he has a big heart. He's the team's second-best ball handler after Jia Fei.

Brunson's current asking price is around 100 million for four years, which outsiders think is too high, but Jia Fei knows that if he opens the Heavenly Eye, it's practically a steal, and he has to keep him.

Now it's Lee Kyle's turn. Emotionally, the Clippers need to keep him, but realistically, his value to the team isn't as significant as people imagine. Last season, the Clippers didn't have tight salary cap space, but next season the team will inevitably have to pay the luxury tax, making it difficult to offer everyone a satisfactory contract. The Clippers have managed their salary cap very well over the years; they've won championships in the past five years without ever paying the super luxury tax, rarely exceeding the cap – something many find unbelievable. They've made excellent use of their rookie advantage, with no bad or overpriced contracts, and they still have plenty of draft picks, making them very flexible for the future.

Lee is a forward with very obvious strengths and weaknesses. His slow speed isn't actually a weakness; he has his own offensive rhythm. His offensive strengths are his ball-handling ability and passing skills, while his weaknesses are poor shooting, making him vulnerable to being left open. Defensively, he can guard multiple positions and is very intelligent. His weaknesses are average footwork, making him somewhat difficult against fast guards, unable to defend centers, and having a problem protecting the rim in small lineups.

Jia Fei plans to include Aldama in the rotation next season, which means the team's rotation spots will become very tight. Jaden McDaniels is a definite rotation player next season, which puts Richard's position in a somewhat awkward position.

On June 24, the 2022 NBA Draft was held in New York. The Orlando Magic, holding the first overall pick, selected forward Paul Bankel from Duke University; the Oklahoma City Thunder selected 7-footer Chet Holmgren as the second overall pick; and the Houston Rockets used the third overall pick to select forward Jabari Smith Jr. from Auburn University.

The Clippers have the 30th overall pick in the first round of the NBA draft, and they also have two second-round picks, one of their own and the other from the Cavaliers.

Although the Clippers were drafted very late, they still receive the most attention, simply because the outside world is constantly watching their every move.

The draft is in progress...

Suddenly, NBA insider Shams Charania broke the news: the Clippers and Hawks have completed a trade!

The details of the trade are as follows: the Clippers send out their 30th overall pick in this year's draft, their own second-round pick, and their 2024 first-round pick to receive the Hawks' first-round pick (16th overall).

Many people know what the Clippers' purpose is in doing this. It is obvious that they want to use the 16th overall pick in the first round for themselves, and the reason for doing so is most likely that they already have a target player in mind.

Who could this target player be? A brainstorming session began on site, with people speculating about the Clippers' preferred candidate…

Because NBA rules stipulate that a team cannot go two years without a first-round pick, the Clippers traded their 2024 first-round pick for the 16th overall pick. The value of their 2024 first-round pick is unknown. Based on their current record, their 2024 first-round pick will most likely be a late first-round pick. In that case, trading two late first-round picks plus a second-round pick for a 16th overall pick wouldn't be considered a huge win for the Hawks. However, if the Clippers' record declines, the value of this first-round pick will increase, and the Hawks will then have profited. Therefore, trades sometimes require considering not only the present but also the future.

The draft continued, and the answer was soon revealed: the Clippers used the Hawks' 16th overall pick in the first round, acquired through a trade, to select forward Tali Ethan from Louisiana State University!

It turns out the Clippers' target was him!

The Clippers offered up their future assets, and what they wanted was Ethan!

Ethan is 21 years old, 203cm tall, and weighs 98kg. He can play positions 2, 3, and 43. He has explosive athleticism, is capable of immediate combat, and has outstanding potential.

It's clear that the Clippers' need to strengthen their frontcourt is still the key position, which basically means that Grant will not be staying.

The Clippers' first-round draft pick of Ethan Williams caused a huge stir. But their draft wasn't over yet; they then selected center Jaelin Williams from the University of Arkansas with the 33rd pick in the second round!

Jeremy Williams is 206cm tall but weighs 110kg, making him very strong. He is only 20 years old. He has Vietnamese ancestry and looks remarkably like Prince Kei, a singer from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

The Clippers have completed their draft this summer, acquiring Ethan Williams, a forward, and Jalin Williams, a center. They didn't strengthen their point guard position; instead, they are increasing their frontcourt height and toughness.

After drafting Ethan and Jalin Williams, the Clippers will certainly not re-sign Brunson and others, as they currently do not have any open spots on their roster.

Many Chinese fans are puzzled: why did the Clippers sign singers Eason Chan and Prince Kei? Are they planning to hold an in-team concert?

Have the Clippers given up on Lee Kyle and Grant?

Has Jia Fei and Li Kai'er's relationship broken down?

The truth is that Jia Fei and Li Ke'er have a good relationship, but the Clippers don't plan to renew Li Ke'er's contract.

Not renewing the contract doesn't mean the relationship has broken down. Li Kai'er now has a championship, so pursuing a big contract is perfectly legitimate. If he were to take a pay cut to stay with the team because of his relationship with Jia Fei, that would be making him sacrifice himself, and that wouldn't be good.

There's nothing wrong with role players pursuing big contracts; we can't morally blackmail them.

A few days later, rumors circulated that the Clippers were not planning to re-sign Grant and Lee Kyle, and soon the annual free agency market opened on July 1st.

On July 1st, the day the free agency market opened, the Clippers quickly signed two contract extensions!

One is Brunson, the other is Bridges!

high speed!