Chapter 290: Durant's Arrival

"I was just thinking, on my way here, I passed by some street food stalls with mouth-watering lamb skewers sizzling with oil..."

Erik Spoelstra's mind was still on the barbecue stalls he had walked past earlier. The aroma lingered in the air even from a distance.

Wade Dong interrupted his thoughts, "Just eat and enjoy, no need for all the talk."

"Alright then!"

Spoelstra picked up a large skewer of lamb, dipped it in a spicy sauce, and stuffed it into his mouth. "Mmm... This is so fragrant!"

"This place is really authentic! Li Pei and I used to come here often during our school days," Li Pei chimed in.

"I'm sorry, I was thinking about lamb skewers and cold beer on such a hot day," Spoelstra admitted.

He picked up another skewer and savored the meat.

Spoelstra had come to meet Dong primarily to unwind over drinks. The Miami Heat had formed a Big Five, while the Los Angeles Lakers had assembled a Big Four.

These were matters beyond Spoelstra's control, including the Phoenix Suns' recruitment of players. There were still big names on the free agent market, but the decision to sign which player rested with the team's management, and the coach could only play a supporting role.

In fact, the Suns had a decent salary cap situation. The highest-paid player was Dong, followed by Nash. However, when Nash decided to retire, Sarver chose to waive him, meaning the Suns only needed to pay the remaining salary for Nash's two seasons.

Similarly, this move also freed up salary cap space for the Suns.

Currently, the Suns had players like Curry, Thompson, and Gortat on relatively low salaries. Green and Middleton were still on their rookie contracts, while McGrady had a veteran contract.

The Suns were in a position to land a big fish in the free agency, maybe even two, depending on the management's strategy and Sarver's willingness to spend.

Many fans suggested that the Suns should sign Durant. A majority of them believed this was a feasible idea, as the Suns were one of the few teams with championship potential and salary cap space left.

However, Durant hadn't been active on Twitter recently, leaving fans wondering what he was up to.

As Dong, Spoelstra, and Li Pei enjoyed their hotpot, the old fan in the private room blew directly at them, but they still sweated profusely.

"Ding-a-ling~ Ding-a-ling~ Ding-a-ling~"

Dong's phone rang, and he wiped his hands with a couple of paper towels before answering. It was Durant on the line.

"Hey there, Dong!" Durant greeted.

"It's you, Durant. How are you?" Dong replied.

"What are you up to?" Durant asked.

"Having hotpot with Spoelstra here," Dong said.

"Lucky you!" Durant's voice sounded relaxed. "I'm taking a bath right now."

"Enjoy your bath then. I'll hang up first." Dong ended the call abruptly.

"Who was that?" Spoelstra asked.

"Durant." Dong replied.

"Wow!" Spoelstra exclaimed. "He must have something important to tell you. Maybe he wants to join the Suns. You should recruit him right away..."

"Why are you so anxious?" Dong smiled mysteriously, counting on his fingers, "3...2...1!"

Just as Dong counted to '1', the phone rang again, and it was Durant calling.

Dong knew that Durant's call at this moment wasn't just to boast about his bath. As Durant, even if he wanted to drink bathwater, no one could stop him.

Therefore, Dong was certain that Durant had a reason for calling, likely to discuss joining the Suns. This was the time to keep Durant on the hook.

"Hey, I wasn't done talking, and you hung up on me?" Durant sounded a bit frustrated.

"You weren't done? I thought you said you were taking a bath," Dong feigned ignorance.

"Does the bath matter?" Durant muttered.

After a moment, Durant continued, "Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul have joined the Heat. What do you think, Dong?"

"Nothing!" Dong denied outright. "The Suns won't trade me to the Heat, so what can I do?"

"I mean, you need help, Dong!" Durant emphasized.

"I understand," Dong said, dropping the act. "You want to join the Suns and assist me?"

"That's right, but I have a small request," Durant said.

"Then don't come," Dong replied.

"..." Durant was taken aback.

"It's just a small request. Can you at least hear me out before refusing?" Durant pleaded.

"Go ahead," Dong said.

"My request is for you to open a Twitter account," Durant revealed.

This was something Dong hadn't anticipated. Durant, the social media expert, was surprisingly persistent about Twitter.

"I'll open a Weibo account for you, and Twitter can match that amount," Dong offered.

"Huh?" Durant was momentarily stunned. "Opening a Weibo account is fine too. I just hired a Huaxia assistant to help me set up a Weibo account."

As a social media expert, Durant was not only familiar with Twitter but also knew about Weibo in Huaxia. This wasn't an empty promise, as he was genuinely planning to open a Weibo account.

"Okay, I'll open a Weibo account for you then," Dong agreed.

"Deal!" Durant sounded pleased.

The conversation ended on a positive note.

Spoelstra smacked his lips, "Is this really happening?"

"It seems like Tian Zhen was telling the truth..." Li Pei muttered.

Tian Zhen was now the manager of the Suns, and his first task was to approach Durant. If he could sign a top-tier player when the free agency opened, it would be a great start to his new role.

Apart from Dong, Spoelstra and Li Pei were also aware that the Suns were in talks with Durant, but they hadn't expected it to go so smoothly.

Durant's call to Dong indicated that he was already considering joining the Suns, and his small request was likely a test of Dong's attitude. When Dong suggested Weibo, Durant changed his request to opening a Weibo account, giving himself an out. Durant also wanted to make a splash on Weibo, but he underestimated the power of Weibo's female users, which led to his struggles on the platform for a long time.

The next day, the final blockbuster news of the NBA off-season broke.

Durant signed a two-year, $57 million max contract with the Suns.

He would team up with Dong, forming the Suns' dynamic duo. With Nash's departure, the Suns' championship-caliber roster gained a significant boost with Durant's arrival.

Compared to Anthony and Paul's decision to take pay cuts to join the Heat, Durant's two-year, $57 million contract was a fair deal for his caliber. During the negotiations, the Suns stood firm on one point: they would only sign Durant to a two-year contract.

Spoelstra knew the reason behind this. Sarver had previously stated that in two years, he would clear all salary cap space to sign Dong to a massive contract. There was no doubt that Dong's salary would push the boundaries of the league's rules, but it would also result in the largest contract in NBA history.