Besides He Xi Meng, Carter had become a free agent. Lewis of the SuperSonics, Howard of the Magic, and Pierce of the Nets also became free agents.
In addition to these big names who were free agents, several non-free agents were also rumored to be seeking trades through various channels.
Kobe was reported by Los Angeles media to be very likely to leave Los Angeles this summer, with his next destination yet to be determined.
Garnett was also reported by Minnesota media to be preparing to join Kobe in Los Angeles, or to join He Xi Meng in Boston.
But how could Kobe join Garnett if Kobe himself was leaving Los Angeles?
He Xi Meng was in a similar situation, reportedly not even guaranteed to sign with the Celtics. How could Garnett team up with He Xi Meng?
Pierce had also been very active lately, reaching out to his brothers for drinks. It seemed he had gained some life wisdom from He Xi Meng's successful trajectory and realized the necessity of forming a super team.
With Pierce having ambitions elsewhere, keeping Kidd on the Nets was pointless. Therefore, more media reports emerged that the Nets were preparing for a complete rebuild, with all players put on the trading block, becoming merchandise for sale. Even the功勋球员 (meritorious player) Kidd was no exception.
The Mavericks, after being upset in the previous season, greatly displeased the owner, Mark Cuban. Cuban had declared that the current lineup was insufficient and that a superstar was needed to partner with Nowitzki. Kidd seemed like a good option!
The Cavaliers' James also suffered a similar upset!
James was still young, having just completed the final year of his rookie contract this season and preparing to sign his second contract next season. However, this contract was signed early last year, so James was not a free agent.
Fortunately, James's salary for the new season increased directly from $6 million to $13 million, which was a small consolation.
Putting aside the upset, looking at James's overall performance last season, $13 million was not expensive for him! In fact, it could be considered a bargain, even cheaper than Pau Gasol.
After all, the annual salaries of stars like Kobe, Duncan, and He Xi Meng had already reached over $19 million for the next season!
James's trade value was extremely high!
Like Pierce, James had a clear realization after being upset: it was impossible to win a championship alone, and he needed help!
However, James's current approach was not entirely correct. His idea was to try and lure stars from other teams to join him, rather than leaving Cleveland to seek opportunities himself.
For example, Wade of the Heat, Bosh of the Raptors, and Paul of the Hornets.
James gathered these younger brothers for a vacation on a Caribbean beach, fishing, riding banana boats, and incidentally discussing the matter of playing "brother basketball."
Brothers, who didn't have one or two?
In short, the summer transfer window had not yet opened, but the league was already brewing with anticipation, a storm was coming!
However, before all that, the 2007 NBA Draft was to take place!
The quality of the 2007 draft class was generally good!
Durant, Marc Gasol, Oden, Horford, Conley, Jeff Green, Corey Brewer, Joakim Noah, Thaddeus Young, Al Thornton, Nick Young, Marco Belinelli, Dudley, Aaron Brooks...
This year, there were originally two Chinese players participating in the draft: Yi Jian Lian and Sun Yue!
However, with the recommendation and operation of He Xi Meng, Xu Yong was added.
After being seriously injured in the 2006 World Championship, He Xi Meng had agreed with Zhang Yide that the 2008 Beijing Olympics would be his last appearance for the national team.
After the Beijing Olympics, he would announce his retirement from the national team.
Knowing that he couldn't dissuade He Xi Meng, Zhang Yide asked if there were any successors worth recommending.
This was because some of the golden generation contemporaries of He Xi Meng had already retired, and some, like He Xi Meng, were on the verge of retirement.
Mengke Ba had ended his NBA career last season and returned to the CBA league.
Wang Zhi Zhi and Hu Wei (likely referring to Hu Weixing or another veteran player) were also considering returning to China to retire after the end of this season.
The competition in the NBA was too fierce, and their current physical condition had declined significantly, making it impossible to compete with younger players. At best, they could only secure a veteran minimum contract.
If all went as expected, the 2008 Beijing Olympics would also be the swansong for Wang Zhi Zhi and Hu Wei.
The future of Chinese men's basketball needed young players to inherit the mantle.
Yi Jian Lian was the first person introduced by He Xi Meng and had already become an important contributor for China's frontcourt. In this year's draft, Yi Jian Lian was highly likely to be selected and signed by a league team in the top ten lottery.
Sun Yue was the second person recommended by He Xi Meng to Zhang Yide. With excellent defensive ability and outstanding three-point shooting, Sun Yue could replace Hu Wei as China's starting shooting guard. Moreover, when needed, Sun Yue could also play point guard in a pinch. Of course, only as a temporary solution. If Sun Yue were to play pure point guard, it would not be feasible.
Therefore, the biggest problem for the Chinese team was who could succeed He Xi Meng and become the soul of the Chinese team.
Xu Yong was the third person recommended by He Xi Meng to Zhang Yide. However, Xu Yong was not yet the soul player Zhang Yide was looking for.
Xu Yong was exceptionally talented, agile, and athletic. He had previously played guard, but now his height had reached 2.06 meters, making small forward his most suitable position.
In other words, Xu Yong was an all-around small forward capable of self-created offense, with the ability to drive, dunk, and shoot!
However, Xu Yong had a hidden physical ailment. Others might not know, but He Xi Meng did.
There was a tumor in the central bone of Xu Yong's spine, which was not yet apparent and had not erupted.
He Xi Meng had brought him to the NBA league this time, and he had passed the initial physical examination. However, after the draft, He Xi Meng would take Xu Yong for a targeted spinal examination, aiming to eliminate the tumor in its nascent stage and thus preserve a talented player for the next generation of the Chinese team.
The soul player that Zhang Yide wanted, He Xi Meng had recommended Jeremy Lin, who was studying at Harvard University!
Under He Xi Meng's persuasion, Jeremy Lin had agreed to modify his nationality and join the Chinese men's basketball team as He Xi Meng's backup in the 2008 Olympics!
After He Xi Meng retired, Jeremy Lin would succeed him and become the next soul point guard of the Chinese men's basketball team.
Jeremy Lin, Sun Yue, Xu Yong, Yi Jian Lian, along with the still-vigorous Yao Ming, this was the core lineup for the next generation of the Chinese men's basketball team that He Xi Meng left for Zhang Yide.
Yao Ming's current health condition was much better than in the original history, and he should be able to play for at least another World Championship and another Olympic Games, serving as a veteran player to mentor the young ones.
If the next Chinese men's basketball team could perform steadily, reaching the quarterfinals should be a given, and a semifinal appearance was also achievable. However, contending for the championship or runner-up was out of the question. This was unavoidable. Both the high-level officials of the Basketball Association and the Chinese fans would have to learn to gradually lower their expectations and return to normal after He Xi Meng's retirement.
After the SuperSonics changed ownership, the first thing He Xi Meng needed to do was find a reliable general manager for the team!