Chapter 140 Knicks' Trade Reinforcement
While trades were flying all over the place, the championship Knicks did not make many moves. Before the formation of the Green Army's Big Three, the Smiling Assassin's idea was to continue to retain the championship lineup. Anyway, this lineup has proved that it can win the championship, so why should it be dismantled?

After the Celtics formed their Big Three, the Smiling Assassin was completely laid low.

The stars can't be traded, and even if the role players are traded, they still can't beat the Celtics' Big Three. Why bother with so much trouble?

As long as the Knicks' record doesn't plummet next season, that would be good news for him.

Today's Smiling Assassin does not seek to achieve merit, but to avoid mistakes!

Even if the team doesn't win the championship, as long as nothing goes wrong, his position as general manager will be as secure as a rock.

But Zheng Yang will not let him sit idle. The Knicks' championship this year can be regarded as a great honor, but next season, whether it is the Celtics' Big Three or the Lakers composed of Kobe and Gasol, they will make it difficult for this team to cope.

Zheng Yang also does not intend to dismantle this championship team, but he needs to strengthen the team.

So he gave the Smiling Assassin several candidates and asked him to contact them.

"Grant Hill, we need to add more ball handlers and scoring points off the bench. He's a good candidate. You can go talk to him. If necessary, you can give me his phone number.

Carl Landry, who was just selected at the 31st pick, is a very competitive young man. Although he does not contribute much to the team's strength, our team needs such a competitive young man.

Shaquille O'Neal, you can go and discuss with the Heat and ask them what they want. I estimate that the probability of this deal being completed is very low, but it doesn't hurt to ask.

Rajon Rondo, the rookie selected by the Celtics last season, I don't know if the Celtics will choose to trade him, but if their offer includes our starting players, then reject them without mercy. "

Zheng Yang offered the above four players. Except for O'Neal, everyone else has a certain chance of getting them. As for O'Neal, in fact, everyone can see that this guy is already starting to go downhill, so as long as a high enough offer is given, the Heat will definitely be willing to trade him.

It’s just that Zheng Yang didn’t know how high their offer was, so he asked the Smiling Assassin to ask.

If we can really get O'Neal, then the chances of beating the Celtics and the Lakers in the new season will be a little higher.

Currently, Zheng Yang is the boss of the team. Of course, the Smiling Assassins will listen to his opinions. Anyway, it’s just a communication. As for whether it will succeed or not, that is another matter.

However, seeing that Zheng Yang was so concerned about this matter, the Smiling Assassin couldn't help but ask a question.

"Zheng, do you think we can successfully defend our title next season? You know, those three guys from the Celtics are not easy to deal with. How could the league allow these three guys to play together? It's not fair at all!"

"It's unlikely that we can defend our title next season, but we should try our best. Jamal and Eddie are still young and they will continue to improve next season. They may decline a bit, but it's still within our acceptable range.

As long as we make some more reinforcements, maybe we still have a chance."

Zheng Yang didn't dare to make a guarantee. In fact, no one dared to make a guarantee when facing the Big Three of the Celtics.

Although these three guys only won one championship together, the fact that they were able to win the championship in the first year of their collaboration is enough to prove their strength and adaptability.

It will be very difficult for the Knicks to defend their title!
The smiling assassin nodded, asked no more questions, and started his work.

He was originally thinking of slacking off, but now that Zheng Yang has spoken, he has to take action.

If they succeed in defending their title next season, he'll have more things to brag about.

The Smiling Assassin acted quite quickly and gave Zheng Yang feedback very quickly.

"Grant is still wavering. The Zen Master called him three times. The Suns are also interested in him. I have sent you his phone number. It would be better if you talk to him.

The Heat want us to trade Ben or Eddie plus two first-round picks. I haven't responded yet, but this is obviously asking for too much. I don't think it's a good deal.

The Rockets are willing to trade Carl Landry. This deal is not difficult to make. I am already finalizing the specific terms of the deal.

As for the Celtics, they want us to send Jamal, and I also think Jamal is more important to us."

"I will contact Grant. As for the Heat, let them continue to dream. One main player plus two first-round picks... Ask them if they want to add my name to the trade list.

As for the Celtics, we will not send Jamal away. Ask them if they have any ideas about Steve Francis. If they are willing, we can choose to trade him. "

Zheng Yang expressed his thoughts.

The smiling assassin nodded and then asked again.

"Send Steve away and get that rookie... Will this help us? Steve is still averaging 10.5 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game this season."

“As long as Grant is willing to join us, he can make up for Steve’s energy. Although I like Steve very much, he is in a serious decline now, and we can’t guarantee how low he will decline next season.

In contrast, Rajon is more suitable for us, he can score and connect the team, which is what we need. "

"okay."

The Smiling Assassin continued to contact the Celtics, while Zheng Yang called Grant Hill. This guy is also very popular at the moment. If he is really snatched away by someone later, Zheng Yang will be heartbroken.

“Hey Grant, it’s Zheng from the Knicks!
Really? I’m also your fan, I really like your playing style…”

After the call was connected, Zheng Yang started chatting with Grant Hill. The other party also knew Zheng Yang's current strength and status, and did not dare to act like a big shot, so the whole chat process was very harmonious.

"I know what you're thinking, and I know that for you right now, you want to be on a team that can compete for a championship.

Obviously the Knicks are a team that fits your ideas. You can get everyone's respect here and you can fully display your talent and experience in basketball.

I know that the Celtics' Big Three bring us a lot of pressure, but as long as you want to compete for the championship, they will always be the stones in front of you that you can't avoid.

So why don't you choose to join us?
Although it is difficult for us to defend the title, at least we still have a chance. Besides, isn’t the charm of basketball to constantly challenge adversity?
Come join us Grant, we need you!"

Grant Hill was finally moved by Zheng Yang's persuasion. Next season he will wear Knicks jersey and become a member of this team.

On the other side, the Smiling Assassin finally successfully reached a deal with the Celtics, sending away Big Boss F in exchange for Rondo.

In fact, they can also see the decline in Big Three's form and the potential of Rondo, but for the sake of the Celtics' Big Three, they have already bet their future on it. It doesn't really matter if they have one more Rondo in their future.

The arrival of Big F can not only bring them championship experience, but also enhance their offensive firepower, so in the end they agreed to the deal.

Judging from the price the Celtics have paid so far, for them, not winning the championship in the new season would be a failure!

When he heard that he was going to be traded to the Celtics, F.F. burst into tears on the spot. He still has deep feelings for this Knicks team. Especially the past championship year, it can be said that it completely changed his career and life.

However, after calming down, he accepted it all calmly.

On the one hand, he knows that this is a business alliance, and it is unrealistic to spend the rest of his life in one place. The interests of the team are greater than personal interests, and the wishes of the team are greater than personal wishes.

On the other hand, his new team is the Celtics, which is currently the team with the greatest chance of winning the championship in the league. Maybe next season he can even get his second championship ring.

So it does have some meaning of "A blessing in disguise".

After the Knicks' three moves of sending away D'Antoni for Rondo, trading for Carl Landry, and signing Grant Hill were exposed by the media, they did not cause much shock.

After all, compared to the Celtics' Big Three, the three new players signed by the Knicks are not big-name stars at the moment.

A "Jordan successor" who was ravaged by injuries, a rookie player whose name no one had ever heard of, and a rookie who had only played in the NBA for one year...

If the Knicks had not just won the championship this season, the media would still have great respect for the Smiling Assassin, otherwise they would have long ago criticized him for not accomplishing anything significant.

They already have the Big Three of the Celtics, you should at least find an All-Star player for Zheng Yang!
Even if you bring these three things over, it still won’t quench your thirst!

However, Zheng Yang expressed his welcome and recognition to the three new teammates in front of the media, and believed that with their joining, the team will definitely have a better tomorrow.

Hmm...it sounds a bit official!

However, Zheng Yang's move made the media like him even more, and some even felt sorry for him.

The Celtics next door have already assembled their Big Three, while the Knicks management's trade reinforcements seem so insignificant. However, Zheng Yang not only did not express dissatisfaction with this, but also expressed his welcome to his new teammates.

With this mentality and this character, he deserves to be the best in the league!

……

After dealing with various things, Zheng Yang began his off-season training. As mentioned before, his main focus during this off-season was rest and recovery, so he did not plan to train hard.

However, some basic strength, footwork and shooting training still need to be carried out as usual.

In addition, Zheng Yang has also added a three-point training plan for himself. At present, his mid-range shooting under the basket has improved greatly. Zheng Yang now wants to practice his three-point shooting, which can make his offense more three-dimensional and at the same time create more space for the team.

The biggest problem with his three-point shooting now is that it is unstable and relies too much on his touch. Either he misses the shot or it goes in in a row.

So in the following period of time, he kept making three-point shots to form muscle memory, so that he could basically hit the target every time when he was in an open opportunity.

……

The offseason passed quickly again, and in the blink of an eye, it was time for training camp for the new season to begin.

When Zheng Yang arrived at the stadium, almost everyone else had already arrived. It wasn't that Zheng Yang was being arrogant, it just happened to be a traffic jam today.

After greeting head coach Larry Brown, Zheng Yang greeted his teammates.

But who is this guy who is as fat as a ball?
When did the team recruit this new player?

Zheng Yang frowned and finally realized that the guy was Eddy Curry.

"How much weight have you gained, Eddie? Did you not work out all offseason?

I wanted to give you some time to relax, but who would have thought that you would actually indulge yourself.

From today on, control your diet and get back to your previous state in two months, otherwise you won’t have to take the team bus anymore and will have to run directly.”

Zheng Yang stared at Eddy Curry and said, the latter also knew that he was a little too fat, so he patted his chest and made a promise.

Then Zheng Yang continued to greet Crawford and the others. After greeting these guys, Zheng Yang looked at Carl Landry standing aside.

When this guy saw Zheng Yang looking at him, he immediately stood up excitedly.

"Hey Boss, I'm Carl, I'm your fan, I love you so much, my bedroom is full of your posters."

In fact, Carl Landry was not a fan of Zheng Yang two months ago. However, one day he was suddenly informed by the Rockets management that he was traded to the Knicks, and it was Zheng Yang who specifically asked for him.

He fell in love with this man instantly!
Although Zheng Yang is not much older than him, there is a huge difference between the two in terms of strength and status. Not only does the other person recognize him, he also wants him to be his teammate.

This kind of recognition is absolutely a great honor for Carl!
So from that day on, his idol became Zheng Yang, and his entire bedroom was covered with Zheng Yang's posters.

After hearing what the other party said, Zheng Yang suddenly wanted to say: You didn’t do anything to my poster, right?

Of course, these words just flashed through Zheng Yang's mind and were kicked out of his mind. Seriously, you are now a superstar in the league and the boss of the team.

Don't be so low-key!

"Train well and you will get better."

"Good boss!"

“Karl, just call me Zheng, no need to call me Boss!”

Hearing the word "boss", Zheng Yang felt inexplicably nervous.

After greeting Carl, Zheng Yang hugged and touched shoulders with Grant Hill.

"Is there anything wrong with your health at the moment?"

“I feel good now!”

"Stay healthy, you are our key player!"

After a few greetings, Zheng Yang looked at Rajon Rondo!

(End of this chapter)