"General Manager" Liam Gonzalez

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Jeremy Lin said solemnly:

"I will definitely seize this opportunity and you will see how I perform."

Liam Gonzalez patted him on the shoulder with satisfaction:

"Good, let's go. If you suffer any discriminatory treatment with the Warriors, tell me and I will help you make a decision."

Jeremy Lin said with a touch of gratitude:

"Thank you."

Although he came from a middle-class family, Chinese-Americans find themselves at the bottom of the racial discrimination chain in the United States. Jeremy Lin's basketball career had not gone well.

 Part of the reason was that people generally believed that Chinese-Americans were weak and lacked talent; otherwise, they couldn't have been undrafted. As for losing the draft, there would definitely be a team willing to select a second-round pick to scrape this lottery ticket.

Jeremy Lin had physical talent that was no worse than that of Black players, as well as mature skills. He had excellent immediate combat ability, but no team was willing to give him a chance.

After all, in Liam Gonzalez's previous life, even though Jeremy Lin suffered an injury that ended his season with the Knicks, he still managed to perform very well with the Hornets. The Nets were willing to give him the position of starting point guard, and if he had not suffered consecutive major injuries, his career would have suffered a devastating blow. Jeremy Lin could definitely make a long-term spot in the NBA.

Then, Liam Gonzalez briefly exchanged some words with other players and approached Klay and Green:

"Play well. The coaching staff has already formulated tactics suited to you. After the summer league, the coaching staff will also prepare a training plan for you. The summer league is a place to test your level. Don't focus too much on winning or losing."

The two nodded. They were first-round picks and had already signed a four-year contract with the team. Their mindset was completely different from that of their undrafted and free-agent teammates. Their goal wasn't to produce flashy statistics, but to play in a team that was better than the NCAA, but slightly below the NBA, where the intensity of the competition would show their true level. By improving specifically during the summer, the coaching staff could also organize the most appropriate tactics for them.

After communicating with the players, Liam Gonzalez said a few words to Silas, who was leading the team for the summer league:

"Just follow the established tactics. If something goes wrong, contact me in time."

"Don't worry, Liam, as long as your judgment isn't wrong, there definitely won't be any problems," Silas looked at Jeremy Lin.

Liam Gonzalez smiled slightly:

"Jeremy's value will only show in the game. You'll know later."

Silas said doubtfully:

"I hope so..."

Later, Liam Gonzalez left the court and returned to the office, leaving all these players in Silas's hands.

Silas immediately organized a practice game, but except for a few Warriors players, it was the first time everyone else had played together, and there was no tacit understanding. The game was very simple, full of many basic plays, and observing. Nothing of value happened, and Silas stopped the game from time to time to explain tactics, so the practice game continued intermittently.

This 30-minute practice game lasted two hours, but the players in each position understood their responsibilities, and Silas no longer had to lead a group of uncooperative players.

Liam Gonzalez didn't embarrass them. He didn't arrange for Green to distribute cards at the top of the arc and have others cover or run in an 8-shape. Instead, he mainly used the pick-and-roll offense, considered simple among NCAA teams.

But as a result, the requirements for the point guards were very high.

In the practice game, Jeremy Lin was surprised to find that his role in the offense seemed a bit high, but… he really liked it.

...

Liam Gonzalez returned to the office and stopped worrying about the summer league. He had already removed the general manager position and couldn't take away the assistant coach position either.

Knock-knock-knock.

Shortly after sitting down, someone knocked on the door.

"Please, come in."

The door opened, and Larry Riley entered the room, approached the table, and said:

"Boss, Anderson and Zydrunas' contracts have expired, and their agents have expressed their willingness to renew their contracts with the team. Look…"

"Anderson is not in the team's future plans. If they reject his agent, he should find a new home as soon as possible. If Zydrunas is willing, we can offer him a veteran's minimum contract. He will still be a veteran and at some point can be used, plus he has experience to help the young players grow. If the price he asks for is too high, forget it," said Liam Gonzalez indifferently.

Larry Riley nodded:

"Okay, I understand."

He was prepared for this response. The boss hadn't ordered him to negotiate a contract extension before the free-agent market opened.

"Then we're still missing a starting power forward, and the center position might also lack qualified substitutes. Should we make a trade?" asked Larry Riley.

Liam Gonzalez thought for a moment and answered:

"We don't lack people at the power forward position, but the team needs a backup center… Well, ask Petry and see if he's willing to use this year's second-round pick, Whiteside from Delaware."

Petry is the general manager of the Kings.

Larry Riley was a bit surprised:

"So, who will be the starting power forward? Anthony?"

"No, he's more suitable as a backup."

"Is that Draymond? Isn't it too soon for him?" wondered Larry Riley.

He knew how much the boss valued Green, otherwise, he wouldn't have gone to Michigan on Christmas Eve, but he wasn't very optimistic about Green. A forward player known for his "all-around" game, except for a few people like James, no one has had much success in the NBA.

"Trust me, Draymond will be happy to accept this challenge," smiled Liam Gonzalez.

Of course, who wouldn't want to be a starter as soon as they enter the league? If it were me, I would be willing to accept it. The key is whether he can play well.

Larry Riley secretly complained in his heart, but responded as usual:

"I'll get in touch with Anderson and Zydrunas' agents, but I heard that the scouting report on Whiteside mentioned that he can't keep his focus during games. Is this a hidden danger?"

Liam Gonzalez squinted his eyes, tapped the table with his knuckles, and started to think.

This "ADHD" label is very fatal for young players. This is one of the main reasons why Whiteside was predicted to be the 14th pick before the draft but ended up falling to the second round.

Moreover, Whiteside's Marshall University didn't make it to March Madness and he's one or two years older than his peers. This is why the Kings selected him 33rd overall in the second round.

"I've seen Whiteside's game video, and it's not a big problem. Don't worry, it won't affect his future development. First, test Petry's attitude toward Whiteside and don't rush to make a decision," said Liam Gonzalez slowly.

"Okay, I understand," Larry Riley said.

July was here, and it was time for general managers to conspire again, but this year, he didn't need to worry about that. Liam Gonzalez made all the decisions, and he was only responsible for the execution.

Larry Riley felt very lucky. Although he didn't have the decision-making power of other team general managers, he didn't have to take any responsibility. Plus, Liam Gonzalez was usually not strict with executive control.

Look at that guy, Danny Ferry, who just two months ago was General Manager of the Year. He was happy and triumphant. Now, he's been scolded by Cavaliers fans.

Larry Riley was different. Even if there was a problem with the trade draft, fans would only criticize Liam Gonzalez and not reprimand him. Of course, the credit wouldn't be his; after all, he was only responsible for the specific execution work.

Today, he took advantage of the opening of the free-agent market to solve most of the offseason issues.

"Tyson's contract expires in a year. Do you want to renew it in advance?" Larry Riley asked again.

"Yes!" Liam Gonzalez said without hesitation, "Go and talk to his agent, focusing on Tyson's injury risks, age, and functional limitations."

"Any final result?" asked Larry Riley.

"When will the salary cap for next season be announced?" Liam Gonzalez reflected for a moment and asked.

"Five days," Larry Riley remembered.

"Go ahead and communicate first, wait until the league announces the salary cap, and then discuss this topic," Liam Gonzalez said while rubbing his forehead.

The head coach's work was done. Now, he was the de facto general manager of the Warriors. He didn't need to watch as many game videos, but it was even more tiring.

Later, Larry Riley and Liam Gonzalez discussed the contracts of several other marginal players. CJ Watson's agent informed Larry Riley that he wouldn't renew his contract with the Warriors.

Speaking of that, Watson had also been unlucky. He originally saw the Warriors' shortage of guards and wanted to use a $1 million-a-year basic salary contract to put up good stats and land a big contract. But the situation changed; Liam Gonzalez picked Curry and traded for Lowry. Both of them were iron men. As the third option on the team at the point guard position, Watson could only guard the water cooler on the bench.

Now that his contract had expired, he immediately fled from this sad place.

Moreover, Wesley Matthews' agent had also been hopping around recently. He thought Matthews' salary was a bit low in relation to his performance and wanted to sign a five-year, $30 million deal with the Warriors in advance.

Liam Gonzalez had some impressions of this agent from last summer when Reggie Williams and Anthony Tolliver signed with a three-year minimum contract. Only Matthews signed a two-year minimum contract. He didn't trust him and simply used the Warriors as a springboard to land a major contract.

In fact, his performance this season hadn't been bad. He played 82 games, averaging 7.8 points, 2.1 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 1 steal in 20.7 minutes. His three-point shooting percentage reached 38.2%. He showed considerable strength.

"Then put Matthews on the market… No, talk to him. This contract can be signed, but the term is too long. You mentioned $10 million over two years," said Liam Gonzalez coldly.

"This…" Larry Riley was a little surprised.

"I understand your concerns. The price of a backup forward is a bit high, and Jimmy's salary is lower than his. I won't do anything stupid to alter the salary structure. I'll move Wesley to the starting lineup next season, boost his stats, and change it, and now they can pay attention to the teams lacking small forwards. Then I'll 'adapt' the tactics for Wesley," said Liam Gonzalez calmly.

Hearing Liam Gonzalez's indifferent voice, Larry Riley thought about Biedrins. However, Liam Gonzalez had communicated with him before trading Biedrins, but now it seemed that Matthews wouldn't receive this treatment.

Besides Matthews, Reggie Williams also had a small issue, but it wasn't about the contract. He signed a three-year deal without player or team options. Instead, several teams had inquired if they could acquire him through a trade.

"Reggie is that popular?" Liam Gonzalez asked in surprise.

"Of course, Reggie played full-time last season, scoring 11.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 23.4 minutes. He also shot 49.5% from the field and 35.9% from three-point range. These are just basic stats. His advanced stats are also very good; he has the ability to defend by himself and still has a minimum salary. How could a player like this not be in demand?" Larry Riley explained.

Under Liam Gonzalez's influence, Larry Riley had also become more and more fond of using data to speak.

"Boss, I really don't know where you find so many cheap and useful players. Wesley, Reggie, and Anthony's contracts are all great value for money. Their strength is greater than that of most minimum salary players," said Larry Riley with admiration.

Liam Gonzalez was immune to his flattery, thought for a while, and said:

"Go and listen to his offer. If the chips are right, Reggie can negotiate."

The Warriors had too many power forwards. As long as the price was right, Liam Gonzalez didn't mind getting something in return.

"Anything else?" Liam Gonzalez looked at the time and asked.

"No more," Larry Riley shook his head.

"Go do your work. If there's any progress, inform me as soon as possible. You also need to keep an eye on the summer league," ordered Liam Gonzalez.

"No problem, boss."

End of this chapter

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