"The team still needs you, David!"
Compared to that, He Xi Meng was more rational and calmer. From a team perspective, David Robinson staying would definitely be helpful, but it would require a pay cut and vacating the starting position.
"I hope you can even consider the suggestion of being Yao Ming's backup! Of course, I know the team's current salary situation is not optimistic and we can't offer you a high contract... but I believe if you can play for another two years, two years as a backup for the team, you can at least add another championship ring to your fingers! Three rings are better than two, aren't they?"
"Yeah! David, our team is full of rookies right now, and we need experienced veterans like you to guide them! Even if your playing time decreases and your personal stats decline, I promise, within our team, you will always be our big brother! Anyone who dares to disrespect you, I will beat them into submission..."
"Thank you, my two brothers! I need to consider it more carefully..."
Facing the warm invitations from He Xi Meng and Duncan, David Robinson decided to reconsider his retirement.
"Huh? Xi Meng, it seems your contract has also expired? Have you decided to stay with the team?" David Robinson suddenly realized another issue.
Duncan also immediately turned his head to look at He Xi Meng.
Compared to David's retirement, Duncan was clearly more concerned about whether He Xi Meng would stay. Although Duncan's intuition told him that He Xi Meng staying should not be a problem, He Xi Meng himself had not made a statement.
Facing the questions from the "twin towers," He Xi Meng took a sip of the champagne in his hand and said slowly, "Some details still need to be negotiated, but the outcome is pretty much settled..."
The 2001-2002 season has now officially ended.
For the players, they will have a wonderful vacation.
But for the team management, the work for the 2002-2003 season is about to begin!
The most pressing matters are the 2002 draft and player contract renewals.
Although there is a sequence in terms of time between the draft and renewals, they are actually two sides of the same coin, closely related.
What kind of rookies are chosen in the draft, whether to choose interior players or perimeter players, is actually based on which players the team will keep and which players will be traded after the trade window opens on July 1st!
Therefore, before participating in the draft, the management needs to first review the team's expiring contracts.
And the two biggest expiring contracts for the Spurs this year are He Xi Meng and David Robinson!
He Xi Meng joined the Spurs in the summer of 1999, signing a 3+1 contract with the last year being a player option. According to the league's normal procedures, He Xi Meng would definitely opt out of his contract and become a free agent!
And He Xi Meng, regaining his free agent status, would undoubtedly become a big fish in this year's free agent market, pursued by many teams in the league!
For the Spurs, the biggest task this summer is to keep He Xi Meng in San Antonio!
Emotionally, Popovich believes that He Xi Meng will definitely choose the Spurs as his first option!
After all, Duncan and Yao Ming are both in San Antonio!
But the biggest problem for the Spurs now is the salary cap, which might not allow them to offer He Xi Meng a max long-term contract! Once a max long-term contract is offered to He Xi Meng, the Spurs' salary pressure will skyrocket, and their future operational space will be very limited.
Because next season, Duncan's contract will expire.
And the contracts of Ginobili, Parker, and Yao Ming will also expire next season.
Popovich must reserve a certain amount of salary cap space, otherwise, the team will be in a very passive position.
If possible, Popovich also plans to persuade He Xi Meng to take a pay cut for his renewal. This would set an example for the upcoming players.
But Popovich also knows that achieving this goal will not be easy!
Therefore, at the 2002 draft, before He Xi Meng even brought it up, the Spurs management invited him and declared that they would draft whoever He Xi Meng wanted!
Even if the draft pick wasn't high enough, the team would do its best to accommodate He Xi Meng's request through trades. Their attitude could not be more respectful...
Finding a way to keep He Xi Meng is naturally the number one priority for the Spurs management this summer.
Finding a way to persuade David Robinson to play for two more seasons with a pay cut is the second priority for the Spurs management this summer.
Last summer, the Spurs signed David Robinson to a two-year, $20 million contract as a veteran reward.
After playing this season and winning his second championship ring, David Robinson had the idea of retiring while at the top. He didn't want to occupy the starting center position and do nothing, nor did he want to be a backup to Yao Ming, having been a starter his whole life. More importantly, his back injuries recurred from time to time, severely affecting his competitive form and quality of life.
But for the Spurs, David Robinson is a symbol. His professionalism, his unyielding fighting spirit, and his rich experience are all valuable assets to the team.
If David Robinson is willing to stay on the bench and mentor Yao Ming, it would be equivalent to hiring an assistant coach who can play inside at any time, a win-win situation for the team!
Therefore, after consulting with the management, Popovich wants to re-sign David Robinson to a three-year, $15 million contract.
The first year would be $8 million, the second year $5 million, and the third year $2 million.
As long as David Robinson plays the first year, the Spurs will pay all the salary for the remaining two years, even if he chooses to retire.
David Robinson's original contract for next season had a player option of $10 million. The new contract reduces it to $8 million, and the space freed up can be used for He Xi Meng's new contract... another win-win situation!
This is how small-market teams operate; management must calculate contract amounts to the extreme to avoid luxury taxes as much as possible.
In addition to He Xi Meng's and David Robinson's contracts, the rookie on the bench, Arenas, is clamoring to leave!
He doesn't feel hopeful on the Spurs' bench, so he has decided to take a risk and try to leave the Spurs to find a place on another team!
Arenas's stats this season are not impressive, but both in the regular season and the playoffs, Arenas has shown the ability to explode and score within a short period, leaving a deep impression on some teams in the league.
Furthermore, after the Spurs won the championship this season, Arenas gained the status of a championship team member, so he has no shortage of job prospects.
After all, the Spurs have proven their draft scouting ability in recent years. The fact that Arenas was selected by the Spurs and received their focused development indicates that Arenas's potential should be considerable.
He Xi Meng knows Arenas's potential best!
If Arenas is given enough room to grow, He Xi Meng believes he can develop into a key player off the Spurs' bench.
But the current Spurs team is indeed full of talent! Parker is even squeezed to the bench to play point guard, so Arenas gets even fewer opportunities.
Coupled with Arenas's somewhat rebellious personality, often challenging the authority of the coaching staff, this greatly displeases Popovich!
Therefore, when Arenas's agent expressed his desire to voluntarily apply for leave, Popovich did not hesitate at all...