Chapter 601: Chapter 433: League of Losers – 3 Chapter 601: Chapter 433: League of Losers – 3 A few days later, the Supersonics and Tyronn Lue reached an agreement for a veteran’s minimum salary.

This was Presti’s last move of the offseason.

Having drafted DeAndre Jordan and Anthony Morrow, and with the signings of Matt Barnes, Michael Finley, and Tyronn Lue at bargain prices due to the Supersonics’ championship prospects, the team enhanced its roster depth while only losing Childress from its core players.

With several months to go before the new season started, the Supersonics strengthened every position with perfect maneuvers.

This led ESPN to select the Supersonics as the number one championship contender for the new season, even while other teams’ rosters were still undetermined.

Besides the Supersonics’ disheartening recruitment, strictly speaking, this summer did not belong to a big year for free agency.

That’s because the top two free agents were Gilbert Arenas and Elton Brand.

The rest were role players and restricted free agents.

Therefore, player movement among the teams mainly relied on trades.

Although Brand shockingly pigeonholed the Clippers, showing DeAndre Jordan, still confused in the summer league, “Kid, a verbal agreement is just hot air.” He tore up his promise to stay with the Clippers and switched to the Philadelphia 76ers, looking like Andy escaping Shawshank Prison.

“To me, the air here is very fresh, filled with symbols of hope and freedom.”

Elton Brand, the Clippers’ leading star, said so after signing with the 76ers.

Brand was the only significant free agent move that summer; the others either stayed with their original teams or were of no influence.

But in the trading scene, some teams were still making efforts to the best of their abilities.

The Lakers acquired Ron Artest from the Cavaliers in exchange for Jeff Foster and a 2013 first-round pick.

Why did the Lakers want Artest? On one hand, they had to do something; on the other, Artest was once known as a Yu Fei killer–though this stereotype had long been shattered, the Lakers were well aware that if the small forward position remained unchanged, they would still be blown out by Yu Fei the following season.

Regardless, compared to Luke Walton, Artest’s addition was an obvious improvement for them.

Meanwhile, the Cavaliers also needed to make some moves.

With James’s contract entering its final year, they were feeling the anxiety of the King possibly leaving.

So, they dealt Jeff Foster, Ben Wallace, and the Lakers’ first-round pick to the Suns for Shaquille O’Neal.

The Seattle Times wrote sarcastically, “What’s this? Do the Cavaliers think that Frye didn’t beat them hard enough last season, so they put the two players Frye dislikes the most on the same team?”

Bill Simmons’s assessment of the trade was, “Cleveland made a ‘LeBron, you might not beat Frye, but you can make Frye hate you even more if you join forces with Shaq. Frye’s hatred towards you will be magnified by a hundred times, but what does that matter? If he hates you, it means we did something right.’ Basically, they just wanted to make Frye angry, and Frye being angry means LeBron is happy and more likely to stay. As for Shaq? He’d better adjust his role.”

This was not all the Cavaliers did.

After that, the Cavaliers brought in Mo Williams, James’s peer, through a three-way trade.

Given the Cavaliers’ roster and resources, acquiring O’Neal and Mo Williams was all they could do that summer.

“I will be the Emperor’s bodyguard.”

Time always teaches proud people that they are not forever the protagonist.

When Shaq said this, he was no longer the self-confident, invincible Shark who slapped Kobe and made every center in the league question their worth.

He was now a veteran who understood his role.

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At the same time, another self-aware veteran turned down a one-year minimum salary contract.

In early August, PJ Brown, who couldn’t make his last dance perfect, held a press conference to announce his retirement.

During the same period, the Dream Team headed to Europe for the last round of warm-up matches before the Olympics.

When Yu Fei’s plane landed in Europe, reporters asked him for his opinion on James and Shaq joining forces.

“I think two losers together will only bring bigger failure,” Yu Fei said with a smile, “so feel free to call them the Loser’s League.”