Four veterans are out of the free market, Westbrook, Paul, Horford and Ben Simmons

On July 3, nearly a month after the NBA free market opened, the lineup of each team in the league was coming to an end, but there are still several former All-Star players who have not been able to find a new owner. Russell Westbrook, Chris Paul, Al Horford and Ben Simmons are still waiting for opportunities in the free market. Their situation reflects the change in the NBA team's team building ideas, and also triggers in-depth discussions on the value of veterans and the adaptability of the times.

**Westbrook: The paradox of passion and efficiency**

36-year-old Westbrook averaged 11.1 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game with the Clippers last season, and shot 45.4% from the field. Although he still maintains the league's top breakthrough speed (12.7 per game, 52.3% shooting percentage) and the role of locker room leader, the shortcomings of three-point shooting percentage are only 27.3% discourage teams pursuing space efficiency. According to insiders, the Nuggets and the Heat have expressed interest in it, but they both eventually gave up due to tactical adaptability issues. Westbrook himself is more inclined to join the championship team and is even willing to accept basic salary, but modern basketball's strict requirements on off-ball ability and outside firepower have put this historical triple-double king in embarrassment.

**Paul: The age dilemma of the game control master**

39-year-old Paul averaged 9.2 points and 6.8 assists last season with the Warriors, with an assist-and-turnover ratio of 5.3:1, proving that his organizational ability is still the top in the league. However, the team's left finger fracture in the playoffs against the Kings, coupled with a career-lowest shooting percentage of 43.2%, has aggravated the team's concerns about its health. The Spurs had considered signing him to coach Vinban Yama, but eventually chose to develop a young point guard. Paul's case highlights the cruel reality of the NBA: Even with top basketball IQ, teams would rather bet on potential rookies than take risks when their physical functions drop to a specific threshold.

**Horford: The limitations of the space-based inside line**

38-year-old Horford averaged 8.7 points and 6.5 rebounds per game at the Celtic last season, with a three-point shooting percentage of 37.9%, and is still a high-quality defensive and supportive center. But the shot of Adebayo's blow in the Eastern Conference Finals (the opponent hits up to 68% when facing each other) exposed the deterioration of his movement ability. The championship team is more inclined to sign mobile blue-collar workers (such as Reed and Harten), while the reconstruction team hopes to train young insiders. Horford's team has recently begun to contact European teams and may become another star insider to move to Europe after Gasol.

** Ben Simmons: The double puzzle of talent and psychology**

The 28-year-old Simmons should have been in the golden period of his career, but he only played 42 games last season, averaging 6.1 points, 7.9 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game. What's even more fatal is that he completely gave up three-point shooting for the third consecutive season, with a free throw shooting percentage of 40.6% even below O'Neal's career average. An Eastern Conference executive revealed: "All teams' medical teams are pessimistic about his back injury assessment, while psychologists believe that his fear of the game is greater than the injury itself. " The Nets failed to try to tie the contract with a second round of pick, proving that the league has completely lost confidence in the possibility of its revival.

**The deep logic behind the market cold reception**

The dilemma of these four players reflects the three major trend changes in the NBA:

1. **Data analysis leads team building**: Modern management attaches more importance to high-order data such as real plus-negative values ​​(RPM), and the negative influence of Westbrook (-1.3) and Simmons (-2.1) is quantified and it is more difficult to obtain a contract.

2. **Impact of salary rules**: The new version of the labor-capital agreement has strictly restricted the second tyrant line, forcing the team to use the special case of middle class more cautiously. Paul's original value of 20 million is now difficult to get a quote for the full middle class.

3. **Specialization of injury management**: The team's medical team's voice has increased, and Simmons's attendance rate in the past five years has become a fatal injury.

**Potential turnaround and historical reference**

There have been similar cases in history and the final counterattack: In 2016, 37-year-old Nowitzki cut his salary and renewed his contract with the Mavericks and made it to the playoffs the next year, and in 2020 Howard transformed into a blue-collar worker to help the Lakers win the championship. There are still several teams that may become variables:

-If the Clippers send Powell in Harden's trade, they may sign Westbrook again. The Grizzlies are evaluating the possibility of Paul replacing Morant's suspension period. The Thunder need veteran leaders, Horford may become Chett mentors. However, the reality may be closer to the trajectory of Iverson or Anthony's later years - when the waves of the times sweep by, former superstars either accept the role changes or leave in disgrace. The waiting of these four veterans may be the most real footnote to the metabolic laws of professional sports. Their next contract (or retirement decision) will become an important specimen for the changes in NBA values.