Chapter 87: Three-Year, $115 Million Contract

At 3 a.m., Wade Dong left the nightclub alone and took a taxi home. 89shux.com

Iverson and the others were planning to party all night, but Wade Dong couldn't join them.

The taxi driver recognized Wade Dong and insisted on not taking the fare after dropping him off, saying that it was his honor to drive Wade Dong.

He had encountered a fan.

Although Phoenix had a relatively good safety record in the M Country, Wade Dong still admired his own courage for taking a taxi home alone at 3 a.m.

This strengthened his determination to hire a bodyguard.

Unfortunately, the system's skill package only included basketball-related skills, and there were no martial arts skills like Tongbeiquan or Double-Kick. Even a military self-defense skill would have been helpful... With such skills, Wade Dong would at least have some self-defense capabilities, and firearm skills would also be essential in the M Country.

He wasn't sure if the system genuinely lacked these skills or if it had forgotten about them due to Wade Dong's previous complaints.

In any case, for now, Wade Dong decided to focus on playing basketball and avoid trouble in the M Country. If he did get into trouble, the only thing he could do was to keep throwing the 'Bad Luck Potion'.

...

Li Jiajia was already asleep, and Wade Dong had a slight smell of alcohol on him, so he didn't disturb her and went to another bedroom.

The next morning, Wade Dong received a call from Sarver.

Sarver and Gentry were going to visit Wade Dong at his home.

Wade Dong knew what Sarver wanted without guessing; he was coming to discuss a contract extension.

The Finals were over, and the next event was the Draft, followed by the opening of the free agency market. Regardless of how many star players were available, Wade Dong was undoubtedly the biggest name.

The newly crowned FMVP!

With playoff averages of 38.9 points, 11.7 rebounds, 7.3 assists, 1.9 steals, and 3.7 blocks, he was the playoff scoring leader and block leader. Every team was willing to pay any price to acquire such a player.

The Suns had a large salary cap space this year, and Sarver was prepared to offer the league's highest salary.

If they could get Wade Dong, at least twenty out of thirty teams would be willing to offer the league's highest salary.

"Sarver is a very shrewd businessman," Wade Dong said to Li Jiajia with a smile after hanging up the phone, brushing his teeth.

"Yes," Li Jiajia agreed, smiling. "He's coming to your house for two reasons. First, to show sincerity, and second, to imply that he has helped you a lot. This house was bought with the money he lent you."

This was Li Jiajia's unique ability; she could see through things that Wade Dong understood. Li Jiajia was the key to Wade Dong's success in his previous life.

"But it's still interesting to negotiate with such a businessman," Wade Dong said, wiping his mouth with a towel. "He's just playing some small tricks, but we're still friends."

"Besides, you don't plan to leave the Suns," Li Jiajia added, speaking Wade Dong's thoughts.

"Hahaha..." Wade Dong laughed and kissed Li Jiajia on the cheek.

The moon was beautiful last night, and the weather today was clear and sunny.

After Sarver and Gentry arrived, they sat under the parasol by the pool, enjoying the distant mountain view.

Indeed, the villa was peaceful and had a great view.

Li Jiajia brought out three glasses of freshly squeezed juice, and Wade Dong and Sarver chatted casually, mostly about NBA anecdotes.

After about half an hour, Gentry got to the point, "Wade, I remember you saying in the locker room that you wanted to lead the team to ten consecutive championships."

"Yes," Wade Dong nodded. "I've said that several times."

"The team really needs you, and I need you too," Gentry continued. "Ever since you joined, I feel like my job has become much easier, just like that quote from the book you gave me..."

"Alright, alright," Wade Dong interrupted with a smile. "No need for motivational speeches."

"Hahaha..." Sarver also laughed. "To be honest, we came here today to discuss your contract extension."

"No problem!" Wade Dong smiled. "I never intended to leave the Suns."

This statement didn't align with typical negotiation tactics. If Wade Dong had hesitated and mentioned other teams interested in him, it might have put some pressure on Sarver. However, Wade Dong knew that being genuine with Sarver would be more meaningful.

"Hearing that from you puts me at ease," Sarver sighed in relief. "As I said before, I'll give you the contract, and you can fill in the salary you want. I'll accept any number."

This was the result of their mutual trust.

Wade Dong and Sarver had essentially reached an agreement, and it was up to who had thicker skin to decide the final number.

Wade Dong wasn't shy, and he directly asked, "What's the highest salary in the league right now?"

The implication was clear—Wade Dong wanted the league's highest salary, which didn't surprise Sarver. "Currently, the highest salary is Kobe's three-year, $83.5 million contract with the Lakers. This means Kobe will earn over $30 million in the 2013-14 season, making him the second player after Jordan to earn over $30 million annually."

It was 2012, and a salary close to $30 million would rank among the top five in the world for athletes. 89shux.com

Wade Dong unconsciously tapped his fingers on the table and asked with a smile, "Boss, do you think I'm worth that salary?"

"Absolutely!" Sarver immediately nodded. He had intended to offer Wade Dong the league's highest salary.

"I think I'm worth it too," Wade Dong smiled. "The final decision on the salary is yours."

"Don't call me boss," Sarver waved his hand. "I've always considered you a brother. I heard you call Gentry 'Old Jin' and Nash 'Old Monk,' so you can call me 'Old Sar'..."

"Old Sar???" Wade Dong was amused. Why not 'Young Sar'? But 'Old Sar' sounded awkward.

"Haha, okay," Wade Dong laughed. "I want a three-year contract, Old Sar. You can't treat your brother unfairly, so just decide on a number."

In the end, after much back and forth with Sarver, Wade Dong tearfully accepted a three-year, $115 million contract, the largest contract in the league at the time, exceeding Kobe's $83.5 million by $26.5 million.

With Wade Dong's contract, the Suns' salary cap space became tight. Nash's contract was also expiring, and the Suns needed to re-sign him, making it challenging to pursue a big-name free agent.

"Old Jin, Wade," Sarver, realizing his limited funds, said, "I heard Iverson wants to retire. Could you persuade him to play one more season? I can offer him a veteran contract."

Iverson had been signed by the Suns at the end of the season for just $700,000, a steal considering his playoff performance.

"I'll try," Wade Dong hesitated. "Iverson cried three times last night while drinking. Winning the championship fulfilled his dream, and he seems determined to retire."

Iverson was a man of strong emotions.

However, there was something Wade Dong didn't say—with Iverson's pride, he might not accept a veteran contract.

Moreover, Iverson had given his all in the playoffs, and it would be challenging for him to replicate that performance in the next season.

Sarver, a banker, was meticulous with money. Offering Wade Dong a three-year, $115 million contract demonstrated Wade Dong's immense value.

The three of them chatted for the entire morning, enjoying each other's company.

At noon, Gentry and Sarver wanted to stay and have a drink with Wade Dong, but he remembered Li Jiajia's cooking skills and suggested they go out to a Chinese restaurant.

After lunch, Gentry brought up the upcoming Draft.

Wade Dong became interested and asked Gentry to pull up the list of prospects on his iPad.

This draft class was quite different from what Wade Dong remembered, and he didn't recognize many players. However, a few players caught his attention.

2012 was considered a weak draft year, and Davis and Lillard were undoubtedly the top talents. However, with the Suns' two first-round picks at 15th and 27th overall, it was almost impossible to land both Davis and Lillard.

Too many teams were eyeing these two players, and others like Beal, Drummond, and Rivers would also be challenging to sign.

However, two players caught Wade Dong's attention: Green and Middleton. These two had a chance to go undrafted, which meant the Suns could potentially get them as steals.

Even if he didn't particularly like or appreciate these players, at the very least, they could be signed and later traded for a good price once they developed, right?

"This one..."

"And this one..."

Wade Dong decided to sign Green and Middleton. "If possible, sign these two players."

Gentry hesitated, "These two players are relatively unknown, and not many scouts have paid attention to them. I don't think they'll make it into the first round."

"Old Jin, trust me," Wade Dong patted Gentry on the shoulder. "When has my judgment ever been wrong?"

Everyone wanted to draft Davis or Lillard, but with the Suns' two late first-round picks, the chances of finding hidden gems were slim.

Gentry and Sarver exchanged glances and nodded, "Alright, we'll listen to you. If possible, we'll sign them."

"Sigh..."

Wade Dong let out a soft sigh.

By signing Green, the future Warriors would lose a key player. Would the 'Super Warriors' still emerge?

In the next two years, the challenge would be against the Heat's Big Three, and then the 'Super Warriors'. Would blocking the rise of the 'Super Warriors' be too much?

Wade Dong thought, if he became too dominant, he could sign Green and then trade him to the Warriors. That way, defeating the Warriors would be more exciting than being an invincible lone warrior.

...

As a championship player, Wade Dong could take the championship trophy home, as long as he returned it to the team before the start of the new season.

Wade Dong planned to bring the championship trophy back to China, to his alma mater, Peking University, to share his joy with his fellow alumni and let Li Pei and his friends touch the championship trophy.

Before returning to China, Wade Dong received a call from China.

"Hello, is this Comrade Wade Dong?" The voice on the phone was polite and even a bit official.

"Yes, it's me," Wade Dong replied.

"I'm Deng Hua, the head coach of the national team for the Olympics this year."

"Hello, Coach Deng," Wade Dong said. He hadn't heard of or met Deng Hua, but as the national team coach, he deserved respect.

"I heard you just won the NBA championship and were named FMVP. Congratulations!"

"Thank you," Wade Dong said.

"Also, in preparation for the Olympics, the national team has already started training. I wanted to ask if you could join the national team and bring glory to the country."

"It would be my honor," Wade Dong replied without hesitation.

"Having a player like you is a blessing for the national team and for China," Deng Hua added.

Wade Dong's immediate agreement excited Deng Hua. Before the call, he had worried that Wade Dong might look down on the national team, given his status as a top NBA player.

"Coach Deng, there's no need to be so polite," Wade Dong said. "Bringing glory to the country is something every Chinese man should do."

"Yes," Deng Hua agreed.

Deng Hua was very impressed with Wade Dong's words. He continued, "You've just gone through an intense playoff run, so you can take some time to rest. You can join the team before the Olympics to get some practice time with your teammates."

This was a privilege Wade Dong had earned. If any other player had taken a break during training camp, Deng Hua would have scolded and kicked them out of the national team.

After hanging up, Deng Hua was still immersed in excitement!

This was his first time coaching the men's national team. With Yao Ming's retirement, he had no expectations for this Olympics. But the sudden appearance of an NBA Finals MVP, and a Chinese player at that, made him thrilled.

Deng Hua had watched every game of Wade Dong's in the NBA, and his assessment was the same as everyone else's: he had never seen such a dominant player.

Perhaps this year, China would not only make it to the quarterfinals but also win a medal, even if it was just a bronze. That would already be a historic achievement.

...

Wade Dong was in high spirits as he prepared to return to China.

The first thing he wanted to do after arriving in China was to boost his talent points. He currently had only 70, which wasn't enough.

With the playoffs keeping him busy, Wade Dong hadn't had time to focus on this, but he needed to accumulate more talent points before the Olympics.

Since he was participating in the Olympics, Wade Dong aimed for more than just a bronze medal.

Five days after the Finals, Wade Dong returned to China.

This time, Wade Dong returned to China in style, having just won the FMVP title on American soil, which was a proud moment for Chinese fans. So, there was no need for him to be low-key.

Accompanying Wade Dong on his return to China were two of his teammates, Dudley and Iverson.

Iverson was there for some commercial activities, while Dudley was simply along for the ride, enjoying a vacation in China.