NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 129 Thunder's Contract Renewal

The teacher said that since the student was still drowsy after taking the medicine, it must be because the medicine wasn't strong enough, and it would be better to go to the hospital. The student quickly explained that he had just taken the black pill and would take the white pill later that night, following the instructions exactly, and that it would be fine.

As a result, both the teacher and the students laughed...

Before the match began, Sharapova looked in the direction where Jia Fei was sitting. The two exchanged a glance from afar, and everything was understood without words.

Once the match started, Sharapova transformed from a beautiful young woman into an energetic beast, her signature roars were particularly wild, and Jia Fei in the stands was also infected by her, constantly clapping and cheering her on.

However, she did not perform well in the first set. On clay, her advantage in the first three shots was greatly reduced, and she made frequent mistakes at the start of the first set.

Jia Fei, who was on the sidelines, was also very worried that she would make a mistake and was so nervous that he felt like he needed to pee. He was sweating bullets for her.

Sharapova lost the first set, but she played steadily in the next two sets, winning both and ultimately defeating her opponent to advance to the semifinals!

After winning the point, she shouted "eon," clenched her fist to cheer herself on, and roared passionately after each shot. At this moment, she had completely regained her strength and swept away the slump in the first set.

Jia Fei laughed too. He felt that Sharapova was possessed by Rivers at that moment, constantly calling "eon," "eon."

The entire audience cheered for Sharapova enthusiastically, with fans constantly chanting "Maria's" name.

Sharapova won the final point of the match. She raised her arms and roared in celebration, her charming smile returning. In high spirits, she blew kisses to the audience.

Jia Fei noticed that he received the most flying kisses from this direction...

This is certainly not a coincidence; once you've already shared a passionate kiss, a quick kiss is no big deal!

After the match, Jia Fei and Sharapova had a video call.

Sharapova exclaimed excitedly, "Jia Fei, I just saw you! You stood out so much in the crowd, I spotted you right away!"

"Really? I hope I can bring you good luck!" Jia Fei sincerely wished.

"Jia Fei, do you think I can defend my title?" Sharapova murmured.

"Of course you can! I believe in you! No matter who your opponent is, never doubt yourself. Remember, you were last year's champion. It should be others who fear you, not you who fears others!" Jia Fei said.

"Mmm!" Sharapova was enveloped in happiness. In front of Jia Fei, she seemed not to be the older sister, but the little girl who needed to be protected.

Every girl wants to be a little girl by a man's side. This is determined by women's nature. They all want to be led and have a man to rely on, no matter how strong a woman appears on the outside.

半决赛将于明日21:00在菲利普中央球场进行，一组是2号种子莎拉波娃和3号种子白俄罗斯选手阿扎伦卡，另一组是头号种子小威廉姆斯和5号种子埃拉尼。

The next evening arrived quickly, and Jia Fei once again received tickets from Sharapova to watch the semi-final match.

Sharapova and Azarenka are fierce rivals. The last time they met on clay was in Stuttgart about a year ago, when they bumped shoulders while changing sides, but neither of them apologized.

The match was indeed intense, even brutal. Sharapova and Azarenka battled for three sets. Although Sharapova suffered a wrong call at the end of the second set, committed 11 double faults throughout the match, and squandered four match points, she still won 6-1, 2-6, 6-4, advancing to the final for the second consecutive year to compete for the title against top seed Serena Williams.

After the match, Sharapova looked particularly happy, but Jia Fei also noticed the fatigue on her face. Tennis matches are very tiring; you can't slack off, especially in matches between evenly matched players like this, where a moment's carelessness can lead to elimination.

In a post-match interview, Sharapova said, "I am really happy, and I am very happy to have the opportunity to stand on this court again today."

On the 8th, Jia Fei received a call from his agent, Jeff Schwartz. During the call, Jeff Schwartz told him that the Thunder wanted to sign him to a long-term contract, totaling $10 million over four years, with a player option for the final year.

Jia Fei did the math: $10 million over four years, which averages out to $2.5 million per year. He wasn't satisfied with the total amount. It was a long contract, but it wasn't lucrative. $10 million over four years wasn't even comparable to the salaries of many rookies. And the average of $2.5 million a year? That number 2.5 million just annoyed him. Who's the 250? Your whole family is the 250!

In his view, a player option might be considered compensation from the Thunder, allowing him to opt out of his contract if he performs well in three years. However, he felt that the team's real purpose might be to acquire his Bird rights.

Since his previous contract was for two years, the Thunder only had his early bird rights.

Early Bird rights are a special provision that allows teams to offer higher salaries to their free agents than other teams, while still adhering to salary cap restrictions. Specifically, if a player plays for a team for two consecutive seasons, the team acquires the player's Early Bird rights, allowing them to extend his contract beyond the salary cap limits.

When renewing a contract, both sides can sign a new contract for two to four years, with a starting salary of 175% of the player's previous year's salary (but not exceeding the maximum salary) or 105% of the league's average salary for the previous year, and a salary increase of up to 8%. This provision makes it easier for teams to retain their core players, while also allowing players to obtain higher salaries.

Furthermore, early bird rights mean that players have more options early in their careers, allowing them to choose the team and development path that best suits their strengths and needs. However, players also have the right to reject an early bird contract and become a free agent.

Jia Fei's previous contract was as follows: the contract was for two years and the total value was US$1.6 million, of which US$740,000 was fully guaranteed in the first year and US$860,000 was guaranteed in the second year. The second year was partially guaranteed (the guaranteed amount was US$200,000).

If we calculate based on 175% of his starting salary, the new contract offered by the Thunder is entirely in accordance with the rules. The problem is that back then, he was just a second-round pick, a nobody whose survival in the league was uncertain. Now, he's a rotation player on a championship-contending team, selected for the All-Star Rising Stars Challenge, and his efficiency and on-court performance are both excellent. Moreover, he's only 21 years old.

A player who can contribute immediately, has potential, is a solid defender, and possesses 3D attributes—once he enters the free agent market, he might not be immediately sought after, but he will certainly be a player that many teams will compete for.