A deal, a signing, making a fortune in silence! The rise of the NBA giants disrupts the Western Conference

After the NBA free market door officially opened, some companies were happy and some were sad. After the Rockets had previously received consecutive talks with Adams + trades with Durant + renewed contracts with Van Jordan and Jay, they won Finney Smith + Capela. According to the predictions of the US media, the probability of the Rockets winning the championship in the new season is infinitely close to the Thunder. Of course, the strength on paper and the tacit understanding of the lineup are completely different, but the Rockets have at least built a perfect championship framework. The Lakers have gained nothing. Apart from signing Laravia for 12 million in two years, they are watching their favorite targets being intercepted by their opponents. The only remaining target, Ayton, is also suffering. Ayton gave up $10 million when he bought out with the Trail Blazers, and he wanted to earn it back from his new home.

To be honest, the goal of many Western teams is to defend the champion Thunder, but looking back at the Thunder's performance in the playoffs last season, mainly in the first three rounds of Western Conference competition, only the Nuggets actually forced the Thunder to the edge of the cliff at one point! If the Nuggets hadn't played 14 playoff games in 29 days, if the Nuggets hadn't had only 6 players rotated + 4 people injured, maybe the Thunder would have been very sad. As the 23-year championship, the Nuggets have been losing their fighting power in the past two seasons. From Jeff Green and Bruce Brown in the summer of 23 to Reggie and Pope last summer, they played until Westbrook was the only one available on the bench. They are really powerless. After the trading market opened, the Nuggets took action! One transaction, one signing, make a fortune in silence!

First, the Nuggets sent Porter Jr. + the 32-year unprotected first-round pick to the Nets in exchange for Cameron Johnson. Johnson averaged 18.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game in the past season, and shot 39% from three-pointers. The Nets have been discussing at least two first-round picks for Johnson in the past year, but there is no market price. In the end, the Nuggets are willing to take out their first-round picks for 32 years, prompting the transaction to be completed! After the deal was completed, Johnson was very excited: I finally had the opportunity to fight side by side with the top players in the league. What else can I expect? The Nuggets can directly give full marks in this operation. Johnson's superb shooting skills + top defensive coverage, paired with Jokic, and Gordon joins hands to play the forward line, which is indeed perfect!

Secondly, the Nuggets officially welcomed Bruce Brown with a one-year minimum salary. According to US media reports, Bruce Brown has always hoped to return to the Nuggets. After all, he has won the 23-year championship with the team and made great contributions. One deal, one signing, but the Nuggets are about to take off in the new season! First of all, Porter's transaction helped the Nuggets create a transaction exception of $16.8 million. Including salary and luxury tax, it is equivalent to helping the Nuggets save $40 million! Successfully lowered the team's salary to $9.2 million below the luxury tax line next season, and the Nuggets can use the full middle class special case, worth $14.1 million! According to US media reports, after Clarkson and the Jazz reached a buyout agreement, the Nuggets were very interested in him (but US media revealed that Clarkson is likely to join the Knicks).

The key is that in the current free agent market, the Nuggets have the advantage of a middle-class special case (can be split, have the opportunity to compete for veteran Horford, and play Jokic's substitute in the new season), and players such as Abussele and Trent Jr. may become the Nuggets' next reinforcement targets! The Nuggets' main personnel framework salary next season, Jokic is 55.22 million + Murray is 50.42 million + Gordon is 22.84 million + Johnson is 21.06 million + Brian is 4.9 million, totaling only $154 million! With Bruce Brown, the team's basic framework was established. As for Westbrook, it may be difficult to return to the Nuggets. According to US media, the King has always hoped to get Westbrook and took the initiative to recruit phone calls.

Jokic doesn't have to leave! Previously, when facing the media, Nuggets boss Kroenke said bluntly that if the team suffers from injuries, in extreme cases, the No. 15 player (Jokic) may also be sent away. This remark caused an uproar. But after all, Jokic, as the number one player in the league, is hard to come by. Since leading the team to win the championship in 23 years, being blocked by the Timberwolves in 24 years, he lost 3-4 this summer to the final championship Thunder. Jokic expressed his hope to improve the depth of the lineup more than once, and he lacked helpers around him. In essence, the contradiction between him and the team is that the team has been losing its combat power before, that is, the former general manager Booth keeps digging holes.

However, these operations after the trading market was opened, as well as potential full-scale middle-class special cases, in the words of Denver media, Jokic is likely to complete a three-year, 212 million maximum salary renewal contract with the Nuggets this summer. The team's management strives to meet Jokic's requirements for improving the lineup and denies the idea of ​​trading Jokic. The Nuggets are qualified to wrestle with any team in the league. The West in the new season is likely to usher in a three-legged stalemate. The defending champion Thunder must defend their glory. The Rockets have a strong rise to challenge all kinds of heroes. The Nuggets are the most unnecessarily. They are the most tenacious existences.