Angie's list of draft picks was arranged as follows:
First round, 15th pick: Al Jefferson!
First round, 24th pick: Delonte West!
First round, 25th pick: Tony Allen!
Second round, 11th pick: Justin Reed!
He Xi Meng's list was arranged as follows:
First round, 15th pick: Josh Smith!
First round, 24th pick: Tony Allen!
First round, 25th pick: Kevin Martin!
Second round, 11th pick: Trevor Ariza!
Angie's draft list was already of excellent quality!
However, He Xi Meng's list further optimized these picks, maximizing their utility!
As for the list in the heart of Jordan, it was different from He Xi Meng's and Angie's draft lists, and it could go to hell...
After finalizing the draft, He Xi Meng did not rush to sign with the Celtics, but instead held back, letting the league's bullets fly.
Tracy McGrady completely fell out with the Magic management, and was traded to the Rockets in a sign-and-trade deal. Unfortunately, the Rockets had Kwame Brown instead of Yao Ming.
The OK combination dissolved, and Kobe Bryant emerged victorious, receiving a massive seven-year, $137 million contract from the Lakers!
Shaquille O'Neal opted out of his contract and re-signed a five-year, $100 million deal, moving to the Miami Heat!
The Lakers received Lamar Odom, Caron Butler, Brian Grant, a first-round pick, and a second-round pick from the Heat.
Concurrently, the Lakers and Celtics reached a multi-player trade, sending away Gary Payton, who was at odds with Kobe, along with veteran forward Derek Fisher and a first-round pick, in exchange for Chucky Atkins, Marcus Banks, Chris Mihm, and a second-round pick from the Celtics.
The Spurs also experienced changes!
He Xi Meng's B-plan for Gregg Popovich was rejected by the owner.
Last season, the Spurs paid a not-insignificant luxury tax, but it still pained owner Peter.
The B-plan, which would have kept Yao Ming, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker together, meant the Spurs' total salary would hover near the luxury tax line.
Peter was unwilling to bear this pressure continuously!
Furthermore, with four championships in five years, including a three-peat, many team owners had called Peter, urging him to leave some opportunities for others.
NBA Commissioner David Stern also called to congratulate the Spurs on their great achievements while subtly hinting at the league's need for rebalancing!
The dominance of one team could diminish the league's viewership and lose its edge in competition with other sports leagues...
With that said, Popovich no longer insisted.
Since keeping all three, Yao Ming, Ginobili, and Parker, was not feasible, Popovich no longer asked them to take pay cuts; they would essentially be signed at market value.
Manu Ginobili's contract was for six years, $66 million!
Tony Parker's contract was also for six years, $66 million!
Yao Ming's contract was the largest, at five years, $75 million.
Because Yao Ming could not be retained!
Popovich decided to do Yao Ming a favor by offering him a contract slightly above market value.
The team that completed the sign-and-trade deal for Yao Ming with the Spurs was the Celtics, newly acquired by Michael Jordan!
Three years prior, the Spurs had traded Yao Ming to Michael Jordan for a package centered around Brad Miller and Stromile Swift!
Three years later, Michael Jordan brought Yao Ming back for a package including Antoine Walker, Ricky Davis, Vitaly Potapenko, and a 2006 first-round pick!
However, three years ago, Michael Jordan was a minority owner of the Wizards, and three years later, he had become the second-largest shareholder of the Celtics.
Yao Ming's sudden arrival in Boston stunned Paul Pierce, who was on vacation!
"Such a blockbuster trade involving this team, and they should at least inform me, the captain?"
Pierce immediately flew back to Boston to confront General Manager Danny Ainge.
"Who is Yao Ming? I finally established chemistry with Antoine Walker, and now they just trade him away without considering my feelings?"
"Calm down, Paul, I think your concerns are reasonable! Come, let's sit down and talk!"
Ainge said, offering Pierce a cigar, and then with a troubled expression, explained, "To be honest! Here in the Celtics, I, as the general manager, don't have the final say... In fact, I only learned about this news a few hours before you did! The new owner doesn't listen to advice at all..."
Ainge intended to leverage Pierce's anger, uniting to put pressure on Michael Jordan and regain some control over the team.
One general manager's voice might not be enough, but with the team's captain as well, they should have enough influence.
Ainge's calculations were precise, but to his surprise, Michael Jordan completely ignored them.
Facing their questioning, Jordan brushed it aside and happily instructed them, "It's not just Yao Ming; an even bigger player will join the Celtics next!"
"Paul, train well, don't falter next season!"
"Danny, take care of the logistics! Next season, our goal is the championship!"
...
"What? Another big player?" Pierce and Ainge quickly asked who this significant player was.
Jordan became mysterious again, "For now, it's a secret! You'll soon know the answer..."
Pierce and Ainge left as confused as they arrived.
They had come to question Jordan's autocratic decision-making, but instead, Jordan showed them what true autocracy looked like and, incidentally, fed them a dose of motivation.
"Tracy has gone to the Rockets!"
"Kobe stayed with the Lakers!"
"Shaq signed with the Heat!"
"There aren't many big-name free agents left, could it be..."
"He Xi Meng!"
Ainge and Pierce exclaimed the name in unison!
Yes, after Michael Jordan successfully brought Yao Ming back to Boston, He Xi Meng saw that the time was ripe. He thanked the Spurs for their years of cultivation and announced his decision to join the Celtics as a free agent!
Compared to Tim Duncan's seven-year, $122 million long-term contract last year, and Kobe Bryant's seven-year, $137 million long-term contract this year, He Xi Meng opted for a standard four-year contract: four years, $70 million!
An average annual salary of $17.5 million, similar to Duncan's and slightly lower than Kobe's.
However, because Kobe signed a long-term deal, his salary would increase in the later years. For the upcoming season, 2004-2005, Kobe's salary would only be $13.5 million!
He Xi Meng's salary for the upcoming season would reach $14.5 million, successfully surpassing Kobe and the Celtics' current captain Paul Pierce's $11 million, making him the highest-paid player on the Celtics.
Although Yao Ming had signed a large five-year, $75 million contract in advance, due to it being a renewal, he was still on his rookie contract's fourth year, earning $5.5 million.