Locking 420 million yuan in maximum salary in advance to rebuild the championship team! Doncic turns James into an outsider

After the trading market opened this summer, the Rockets + Nuggets + Clippers in the West became the focus, especially the Clippers. They sent out Powell's expiration contract, and the Collins in exchange for the fourth position and the fifth position of the small lineup, directly releasing Leonard's defensive pressure. After Harden's lobbying, Bill joins for 11 million yuan for two years, and he will bear Powell's firepower output last season, and Paul is also close to joining. Including Lopez, who has already arrived at the team, the Clippers already have the strength to challenge the Thunder and the Nuggets. Three traditional giants, the Warriors were tied up by Cumingga first and then contracts. After the Lakers opened the trading market, the management still hugged the pipa half-covered. Since James executed the $52.6 million player option, undercurrents have surging within the team, and even let Finney Smith go directly.

James has his own trade veto + high salary, which makes it difficult for him to leave the Lakers. The Lakers also accept the fact that James stays for another season, but the team's focus is next summer. After James' contract expires, the Lakers plan to use the next three first-round picks + more than 50 million salary space to continue to find help for Doncic. Thick eyebrows are exchanged for Doncic, and James becomes an outsider. James can only accept reality. The Lakers will not buy out on their own initiative, but they will not give him a new contract extension. To put it bluntly, the management is determined to enter the Doncic era. Starting with a piece of news, Lakers' team reporter Dan Walker revealed that Doncic has been actively involved in player recruitment. Ayton joined 16.6 million in two years, and Smart signed the Lakers for 11 million in two years, both of them were led by Doncic!

According to US media, Doncic has clear goals for the team's future development. He clearly expressed the need for a cake-type center, projection support space points on the outside, and defensive support roles, so the Lakers signed Ayton + Laravia + Smart in succession! In order to successfully sign Smart, the Lakers will be forced to cut Milton and Goodwin to make room. In this way, the Lakers' 10-man rotation roster in the new season is basically determined, starting: Doncic + Reeves + James + Hachimura + Ayton; substitutes: Vincent + Smart + Laravia + Vanderbilt + Hays. This lineup still does not have the ability to win the championship, but Doncic will play very comfortably, with Ayton providing pick-and-roll, Smart playing the role of the outside defensive meat grinder, and Laravia providing three-point fire support.

The Lakers continue to meet Doncic's various needs, hoping that Doncic will renew his contract as soon as possible. Salary expert Bobby Max analyzed that Doncic can sign a three-year, 160 million-driving player option with the Lakers during the offseason, or 223 million US dollars for 4 years. Doncic will think about renewing the contract after the European Championships. However, according to Los Angeles media analysis, Doncic signs a three-year, 160 million-dollar maximum salary is the most suitable choice, because by the summer of 28, if he has played in the NBA for 10 years, he can sign a five-year, 420 million-dollar super maximum salary contract. Teammate Walker also confirmed that Doncic is very comfortable in the Lakers, and it is only a matter of time before he reaches a contract renewal with the Lakers. The Lakers and Doncic have already made two-way rushing, so what should James do?

Cowherd sighed that James had never experienced such a scene before in his career, and he was no longer the best player on the team. He has no decision-making and recruitment rights, and Doncic will be the number one player in the Lakers next season. The Lakers reached third in the Eastern Conference last season, which once saw hope for the championship. However, in the playoffs, the Lakers had too many shortcomings, without a regular center, and rebounding and basket confrontation were completely in line with their opponents. The key is that Doncic + Reeves and even James is difficult to defend. The Lakers defended tens of thousands of people in the backcourt and stabbed them is an open secret, and Reeves and Doncic do not match up! But can Smart come to solve this problem? Smart, like Reddish, Vanderbilt and others, is not a stable space projection point.

If Reeves + Doncic + Smart's three defenders are on the court at the same time, it will definitely be even more uncomfortable. Smart and Ayton are actually representatives of the name but not the truth. But this is the person Doncic wants! As long as Doncic is satisfied, the Lakers don't care about spending tens of millions more. They are willing to try and show their attitude towards Doncic in James' last season with the Lakers. As ESPN analyzed before, James and the Lakers management know that it will still be difficult for the team to win the championship next season. Under this premise, the Lakers only need to make Doncic happy and let Doncic see that the Lakers management is indeed taking action. By next summer, after James' salary space is freed up, the Lakers have the absolute capital to compete for the league's top-tier super teammate Doncic to rebuild the championship lineup.

There is no doubt that Doncic's recruitment and the cooperation actions of the Lakers' management have gradually made James an outsider. In fact, in the past few years, many bosses in the alliance have no longer been willing to make large investments for short-term interests and overdraw the future in advance. The 23-year championship Nuggets + 24-year championship Celtics, including the Thunder, last season's championship, are all rising teams step by step around the young core. In Los Angeles media, the short-term operations advocated by James do not meet the boss’ needs for the team’s growth. In the new season, James must be prepared to become a green leaf and assist Doncic with all his strength.