Although the Celtics held the right of first refusal, other teams, eager to poach from the championship squad, would surely drive up contract demands, even offering poison pills. This was why Collins had immediately declared that Ariza was a goner.
But Jordan was still unwilling to give up. He turned to Kerr and He Xi Meng, asking, "Can we use the three-peat as leverage to persuade Trevor to stay for one more season?"
He Xi Meng spread his hands. "Difficult. Trevor has already won two championships in two years since entering the league. Rings aren't that strong an attraction for him anymore. He's more interested in a big contract and team status. His situation is different from Carter's!"
Kerr nodded in agreement with He Xi Meng's assessment. "Trevor prioritizes improving his team status above all else. I believe the probability of him staying is indeed slim."
Since his key players believed Ariza was not staying, Jordan conceded. He nodded and instructed Collins, "Talk to Trevor one more time. If he really won't stay, then so be it. Oh, are there any other rookies who joined the team with Trevor?"
"In 2004, we drafted four rookies. Josh Smith and Kevin Martin left last season. That leaves Trevor and Tony! However, Tony was a first-round pick, so he still has at least one year left on his contract, and Tony himself hasn't expressed any desire to leave..."
"Compared to Trevor, Tony's offensive talent is relatively mediocre. So, he hasn't had much playing time over the past two seasons. But I feel his defensive talent has great potential for development. If Trevor leaves, I think Tony is worth nurturing!" Kerr added, picking up from Collins's statement.
Tony Allen's defensive ability was no weaker than Ariza's. The issue was that Tony Allen was shorter, less offensively gifted, and overlapped with Carter in position. Thus, on the Celtics, he could only serve as Carter's backup, sharing minutes with Hu Weidong.
However, within his limited playing time, Tony Allen had shown good chemistry with He Xi Meng. When he was on the court, he could significantly alleviate He Xi Meng's defensive burden, helping He Xi Meng improve his offensive efficiency.
While the stats might not fully reflect it, as the head coach, Kerr saw it clearly.
The reason Kerr was so eager to praise Tony Allen was to prevent Jordan from impulsively trading Tony Allen for a pittance, which would be a huge loss.
He Xi Meng gave Kerr a knowing glance, signaling his approval of his foresight. Jordan was indeed the type of person who might do that...
"Boris is in a similar situation to Trevor. His rookie contract is expiring, and quite a few teams are pursuing him. The Suns, in particular, are very aggressive! It's said that head coach D'Antoni is very high on Boris's all-around game and wants to recruit him to be Nash's backup in Phoenix. The contract the Suns are offering is close to a max deal..."
Although Boris Diaw was a 21st overall pick in the 2003 draft, after the end of this season, he would have completed his third year of his rookie contract and had a player option to test the free-agent market.
"A near max deal? Is D'Antoni crazy?" Jordan almost choked on his cigar smoke. "Is the Suns deliberately trying to cause trouble for us?"
"It shouldn't be!" He Xi Meng explained for Collins. "Boris's defense against Nowitzki in the Finals was excellent, and he fits the Suns' up-tempo offense perfectly. If I were D'Antoni, I would also have management spare no expense to get Boris."
"He's that good?" Jordan still found it hard to believe. He had watched all six games of the Finals. Diaw had performed well, but surely not enough to justify a max contract value?
"Team fit is the primary reason, and causing trouble is the secondary one. If they can improve their team while also giving the champion a hard time, why wouldn't they spend a bit more money?" Collins, adamantly defending Jordan's ego, interjected to smooth things over.
Jordan seemed satisfied with this explanation.
"So, we can't keep Boris either?"
"No, we can't," Collins said with a shake of his head regretfully.
"Who else?" Jordan was not one to dawdle. If Diaw couldn't be kept, then so be it. The Celtics' Big Three were all earning over 15 million dollars annually. They were hesitant about Ariza's mid-level exception contract, let alone Diaw's near-max deal.
"Kendrick's contract is also expiring. There aren't many teams pursuing him. The Grizzlies are willing to offer him a taxpayer mid-level exception contract, with an annual salary around 4 million dollars. We can consider matching it, or we can consider trading him!"
Perkins, a 27th overall pick in the 2003 draft, like Diaw, had just completed his three-year rookie contract.
If it were up to Collins's plan, players like Perkins, who could be traded or not, would naturally be traded. How else could he showcase his workload and his importance to the team?
But Kerr spoke up to make a fair point. "As a power-oriented blue-collar center, Perkins would be a decent backup for Yao Ming."
"Around 4 million for a taxpayer mid-level is also pretty much the market rate. It's not excessively overpriced," the silent legend Larry Bird added.
Since Kerr and Bird had spoken, He Xi Meng had nothing further to add.
"Alright! Then let's try our best to match Kendrick's contract. If we can keep him, let's keep him!" Jordan made the final decision, leaving Collins with little room for trade maneuvers.
"Among the rookies, David Lee, Monta Ellis, and Marcin Gortat have significant trade value. We've received inquiries from many teams asking if we're willing to trade them?"
"Do any of these three have an active desire to leave?" Kerr asked.
"I haven't received any requests from them to leave, but if other teams can offer sufficient compensation, I suggest we consider it..."
"If these guys don't have an absolute desire to leave, their rookie contracts are already the league's most cost-effective. I think, to contend for a championship, we should try not to move players if we can avoid it! After all, our observations and development last season proved that these rookies are all very talented and moldable players, and they fit well within the Celtics' current tactical system..."
Kerr quickly countered to shut Collins up. If they completely followed Collins's trading intentions, Kerr feared the team's bench lineup would undergo drastic changes again next season...