Entering August, the announcement of the NBA’s next season schedule has become the focus of media attention.
However, unlike in previous years, some key games and games at key time points were exposed early, and this year’s schedule seems to be “difficult to give birth”.
In this regard, the famous reporter Mark Stein heard some news. According to the information he obtained, some people speculated that the reason for the delay in the announcement of the schedule was to see if there would be any future transactions involving star players.
And another famous reporter Keith Smith said more clearly, he revealed, “I believe that (the schedule is released) a week later than usual because the league is waiting to see Durant, Irving, Mitchell. Whether the trade can still be done… After all, no one wants to see a team locked in a prime-time game with a star player traded away.”
In other words, the reason why the schedule of the new season is difficult to produce is mainly due to the delay of the operation of several stars and teams.
It has been more than a month since the player market opened. Most of the teams in the entire league have completed the signing and reinforcement work. However, the current situation of three teams is still pending, and there are still a lot of problems to be dealt with.
First of all, it must be the Brooklyn Nets. On the first day of the offseason, the Nets management was completely blindsided by Durant’s request for a trade. You know, before KD applied, Irving was the one the Nets were trying to send away. However, with KD’s proposed deal, the plan was completely disrupted.
Next, the Nets were forced to negotiate with multiple teams, first the Suns and the 76ers, then the Heat and the Celtics. During the negotiations, the Nets received a number of positive offers, but due to their interest in Durant The valuation of the company is too high, or they deliberately bid up, resulting in a deal that has never been reached.
While approaching Durant’s buyers, the Nets also worked hard to sell Irving. However, due to the latter’s “thorny” attributes, only the Lakers are really interested in him on the market. The Nets were not satisfied with the plan, so the trading operations of the two superstars were shelved one after another.
Near the end of July, there seem to be some positive signals coming out of the Nets. There are reports that Nets owner Tsai Chongxin has made preparations for an interview with Durant. After more than a month of tossing and killing, Durant and Irving’s psychological defenses also loosened, and even staying in the team in the end became an acceptable result for the two of them. However, at this stage, the hustle and bustle has not yet settled, and all parties are still anxiously waiting for new changes.
The situation is different for the Jazz. After the end of last season, the Salt Lake City team started a complete rebuild mode. They first fired coach Quin Snyder, and then sent the inside gate Rudy Gobert. The centerpiece of the team, Donovan Mitchell, has also been on the shelves for almost a month.
But the rebuilding of the Jazz was driven by the entire management team. Whether it was Snyder, Gobert, or Mitchell, the team did not have the slightest nostalgia for it. The only problem is that the Jazz are asking for too many chips in the trade. Previously, in the operation of Gobert joining the Timberwolves, the Wolves paid a total of 5 players + 5 first-round picks (or first-round swap rights) – 10 for 1, only to get the French gate. The achievement of this operation delighted the Jazz executives, and also gave Angie’s team a big appetite.
However, Ainge wanted to replicate a similar spectacle in Mitchell’s trade, but unfortunately failed to do so. After a month of bidding, only the Knicks team was willing to become Mitchell’s next home, but even a “big injustice” like New York chose to refuse the unreasonable demands of the Jazz. So, entering August, Mitchell’s transaction also naturally entered a stagnant state.
Finally, when it comes to the Lakers, this summer, they have been in contact with the Nets and the Jazz. The only purpose of the Purple and Gold Army is to send Westbrook away. However, compared to Irving and Mitchell, Westbrook’s transaction is more difficult, and the teams willing to take over him are also in the league. Looking at it now, whether the Lakers want to do a two-way operation or a three-way trade, they must get at least two first-round picks to send Westbrook away. For the Lakers, who are at the crossroads of “continuing to compete for the championship or tearing down and rebuilding”, they obviously don’t want to overdraw their future chips for Westbrook.
In addition to Westbrook, the result of James’ contract renewal negotiations has not been determined recently, and Brother Nongmei has been put on the shelves again. It seems that after entering August, more and more uncertain factors began to appear. These X-factors all set obstacles for the NBA to officially formulate the schedule of the new season, but in order to ensure the ratings of the next season, and to maximize the box office and broadcast revenue of the next season, Xiao Hua can only continue to wait patiently. And hope that the above transaction deadlock can be broken as soon as possible… (Poirot)Return to Sohu, see more
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