The Eastern Conference, both the Cavaliers and the Heat, attempted to initiate their recruiting plans. However, they were hesitant to invest heavily and could only watch as the star players they desired had all gone to the West, leaving them with none.
In the new season, the Eastern Conference landscape saw the Celtics, with their dual stars Yao Ming and Carter, bolstered by the growth of Rondo, Milsap, and others, leading the East was no longer a question.
The Magic, after acquiring Lewis, combined with Howard, should have been able to rise smoothly.
Last season's strong team, the Pistons, re-signed Billups, ensuring their core combat strength.
The Cavaliers had not yet lost James, and their record in the East should not be poor.
The Heat... The Heat also attempted to recruit He Xi Meng, Garnett, Pierce, and Kobe this summer, but O'Neal's salary became a heavy burden for the Heat.
Riley tried to use O'Neal as leverage, but the Big Shaq's trade value had plummeted.
His poor performance combined with a massive $20 million annual salary made O'Neal highly undesirable in the trade market.
If the Heat couldn't trade O'Neal, they couldn't free up salary cap space, and without cap space, they couldn't sign free agents. It was all interconnected...
On the SuperSonics' side, He Xi Meng's ideal starting lineup was complete: Center Marc Gasol, Power Forward Pau Gasol, Small Forward Durant, Shooting Guard Kobe, and Point Guard He Xi Meng!
Inside, the Gasol brothers; outside, the Mamba brothers; on the wing, a youthful version of the Grim Reaper!
If one didn't consider the issue of stamina, this five-player combination would be enough to give the entire league a run for its money, wouldn't it?
However, a team consists of 15 players, and it wouldn't be right for just five to play the whole game; rotation was necessary.
According to He Xi Meng's wishes, there should also be ample rest.
Therefore, in addition to the starting lineup, he was also scouting for reliable and cost-effective role players.
Because the trio of He Xi Meng, Kobe, and Pau Gasol already occupied nearly $51 million of the SuperSonics' salary cap space, plus Durant's $4 million as the second pick, and Marc Gasol's $2 million as a second-round pick, that totaled $57 million!
For the 2007-2008 season, the league's luxury tax line was $67.865 million.
This meant that the SuperSonics, in their most ideal state, would need $10 million to sign 10 players, with an average salary space of $1 million per player...
Of course, this was asking a lot.
However, as a new team and a new owner, He Xi Meng and Kobe, after discussion, ultimately granted John a $10 million flexibility pool for Presti!
The team could only afford to pay up to $10 million in luxury tax, and besides, He Xi Meng and Kobe both felt it was unnecessary!
He Xi Meng felt it was unnecessary because he knew that with this starting lineup, as long as the role players met the minimum standard, the SuperSonics could attempt to contend for a championship.
Kobe felt it was unnecessary because he believed the money was coming out of his own pocket, and with his and He Xi Meng's arrival, the other SuperSonics players were not that important... save where possible!
Although the budget increased by $10 million, an average annual salary of $2 million was still a significant challenge for Presti! However, it was worth a try.
With his professional habit, He Xi Meng couldn't help but assist Presti by actively offering suggestions for recruiting veterans and promising rookies.
Players with an average annual salary of around $2 million were precisely veterans and rookies.
The first veteran player He Xi Meng recommended to Presti was Francis!
Due to He Xi Meng, Francis in this life had little interaction with Yao Ming.
Francis went from the Rockets to the Magic, from the Magic to the Knicks, and this summer, he was traded by the Knicks to the Trail Blazers, along with Channing Frye, in exchange for Zach Randolph, Dan Dickau, and Fred Jones.
The Trail Blazers were fortunate to acquire Greg Oden with the first pick in the draft this year. Trading for Francis was not about his ability; they already had Roy on their guard line.
The only reason for this trade was to offload Randolph and clear up the paint for Oden.
Unfortunately, Oden had an injury and would not play for the Trail Blazers next season. But even so, the Trail Blazers were willing to wait for Oden.
Oden + Aldridge + Roy! This was the triumvirate that the Trail Blazers' management planned to cultivate themselves...
After the trade was completed, Francis was immediately bought out by the Trail Blazers for $34 million, restoring his free agent status.
Francis wasn't short of money; he lacked an opportunity to play.
Now, Francis had two paths to consider.
First, return to the Rockets. The Rockets were willing to offer him a two-year, $6 million contract, averaging $3 million per year.
Second, join a championship-contending team and strive to win a championship ring before retiring.
However, there seemed to be quite a few teams with championship aspirations this year. In the West, the Spurs, Lakers, and SuperSonics were not to be trifled with, and in the East, the Celtics still had strength.
For Francis, choosing the most reliable option was not an easy task.
Francis had originally hoped for a starting position, but the SuperSonics could only offer him the role of backup point guard, He Xi Meng's backup!
After receiving Presti's invitation, Francis was still hesitant. In the end, He Xi Meng called him.
"Three years, $6 million. Within three years, I guarantee you at least one championship ring!"
After receiving He Xi Meng's promise, Francis finally made up his mind to join the SuperSonics and fight for a championship ring.
After securing Francis, He Xi Meng thought of Kobe's idol, Penny Hardaway!
In February 2006, Hardaway, as part of the Francis trade, returned to the Magic from the Knicks, the place where his dream began.
However, the Magic did not give Penny a chance to reignite his dream, nor did they even give Hardaway an opportunity to play again before waiving him.
Last season, Hardaway couldn't secure a contract, but he didn't choose to retire either. Instead, he continued to prepare for a comeback, after all, he was only 36 years old!
Due to injuries, Hardaway's condition was not very good, and he could not contribute much more to the team. But for the SuperSonics, this was not important.
More than Hardaway's ability, He Xi Meng valued Hardaway's experience.
Also, if Hardaway joined the SuperSonics and fought alongside Kobe, Kobe would probably be very happy, wouldn't he?