On June 29, Beijing time, according to Woj, Clippers player Russell Westbrook decided to exercise a $4 million player option in the final year of his contract and stay in Los Angeles.
On July 1, Beijing time, according to Woj, Clippers player Paul George has signed a four-year, $212 million contract with the Philadelphia 76ers on the free market after jumping out of his contract.
And on the same day, according to ESPN, Clippers player James Harden will sign a two-year, $70 million contract with the team with a player option for the second year.
Also playing for the Clippers, Willis is 35 years old, Harden and George are 34 years old, the three players are about the same age, but the level of demand in the market is completely different.
Historically, none of the three players have won a championship, but Willow and Harden have both been MVPs and scoring champions, and the number of triple-doubles is far ahead of George, and the grade at his peak is by no means comparable to George.
However, when all three people were put on the market at a similar age, it turned out to be George who was the most sought-after and had the highest price. In these years, all the all-encompassing defender-type ball-holding cores seem to have suffered a not very good ending at the end of their careers.
The logic of George's value is that he is a 2.03 meter small forward, and his defensive career has been relatively online, and his three-point shooting remained at 41.3% in the regular season last year.
Since the league's prevalence of small-ball, traditional centers and small-man ball-carrying nuclei have lost value at the end of their careers. The most popular is 3D, and having a solid three-point shot and defense is the most valuable.
The agility of the small forward can be perfectly qualified to defend from 1 to 3, and if he is in his early 2 meters, he can occasionally make a cameo appearance in the number 4 position. Basketball has evolved to the point where it is today, and there is no team with a core made up of pure interior big men.
The core of the Western Timberwolves is Edwards, the core of the Thunder is Alexander, the core of the Nuggets is Murray, the core of the Mavericks Doncic and Irving...
Eastern Celtics core Tatum and Brown, Cavaliers core Mitchell, Bucks core Lilard and Middleton, Pacers core Haliburton...
So, no matter how you count it, you'll find that more than 90% of the core of all teams in the league is a guard or small forward. Even if a team is built with an All-Star center, it must have an All-Star wing and backcourt.
With a 3D in his early 2 meters, he is full of imagination for the containment of the opponent's core scoring points. It would be perfect if this 3D also had the ability to attack autonomously. The reason why George is popular is because he has eaten this dividend.
The 76ers have repeatedly hated in the playoffs, encountering Leonard, Tatum, Butler, Brunson and others, and they can't jump over. At such a high cost, recruiting George Sr. is nothing more than trying to contain the opponent's key players and add selectivity and experience to the offensive end.
However, to put it mildly, Embiid and George have not been very tough in the playoffs for so many years. Even with the triumvirate of Embiid, George, and Maxey, which seems to be very reasonable, I don't think the 76ers can go far.
And there is a big problem, the 76ers' salary space of 60 million, nearly 50 million was given to George. Most of the more than a dozen free agents on the team are basically unable to renew their contracts, and the funds in their trouser pockets can only attract some veterans to make up for the number, and the depth of the roster has seriously declined.
George has been talking for too long, it's time to talk about Harden. Harden isn't as sought-after in the market as George, but much more than Willis. It's not as good as George because Harden is a guard, his height and arm span are a little different, and he is not good at defense.
Harden averaged 21.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, 8 assists, 1 steal and 1 block per game in the playoffs last season, outperforming George's 19.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.2 steals and 0.5 blocks, and was higher than George in both shooting percentage and three-point shooting percentage.
Harden's speed, explosiveness, and jump have all decreased after his major injury, resulting in a decrease in his breakthrough speed and success rate. In the past, he could easily dribble under his hip and show off in disguise, or he could viciously squeeze defenders out of the frame with his big ass and elbows.
And now, even in the face of a single defense, Harden can no longer easily break through the opponent's defense. Another point is that Harden's proud step-back three-pointer at his peak is now difficult to dodge the block due to the decline in physical function, and he has also lost accuracy.
But the advantage is just as clear as Harden, who is an athlete with a basket. Since the physical function has declined, shoot less difficult and more fixed-point threes.
It is worth mentioning that Harden shot 38.1% from three-point range last season, which is considered the highest level of his career. Since Harden is no longer a big brother, his style of play has become more selfless, and his playmaking skills are still among the top in the league.
Moreover, Harden's floor-flowing style of play is attached to the iron man attribute, and his attendance rate of up to 87% last season can ensure that he will not miss the team's important moments from the regular season to the playoffs.
Given Harden's offense, organization, and good physical condition, any team should be able to offer a contract with an annual salary of more than $30 million.
Finally, let's talk about Wei Shao, Wei Shao's style of play is partial to the body type. Throughout his career, Willis has never shot more than 50% from the field in a season. Even in his most exciting MVP season, he averaged 31.6 points, 10.7 rebounds, 10.4 assists and 1.6 steals per game, but his shooting percentage was only 42.5%.
Projection outside the three-point line is the biggest shortcoming of Wei Shao's career, due to poor shooting hand, after so many years of practice, Wei Shao's three-point has not improved. Due to the inaccurate three-point shooting, Wei Shao will become the target of many teams, and even so, Wei Shao still misses most of his long shots.
As long as Wei Shao exists in the lineup, the opponent's formation can shrink, and it will become very difficult to break through. If it is said that before the age of 30, Wei Shao can still rely on his body to fight a bloody way. After passing the age of 30, Wei Shao's state began to decline off a cliff.
In the 23-24 season, Wei Shao was forced to be reduced to a substitute, averaging only 11.1 points, 5 boards, 4.5 assists and 1.1 steals per game, and the long-range shooting rate was as unsatisfactory as ever.
Although Wei Shao's shot was inaccurate, it was not useless, and his offensive and defensive transitions and breakthrough kills were still effective. In addition, in a restrained team like the Clippers, Wei Shao can bring passion to the team with his enthusiasm and hard work.
Wei Shao's shortcomings are too obvious, which is why he was abandoned by the market. Wei Shao also knew this in his heart, so he chose to exercise the player option after testing the free market.
Stay here, at least he has some qualities that complement the team, and the team will probably keep him. Leaving the Clippers, perhaps no team really needs Wei Shao so much, and he may be reduced to a veteran base salary or even lose his job.
In fact, there have been a lot of rumors so far that the Clippers are planning to trade Willow even if he exercises his player option. Wei Shao's shortcomings are incompatible with this era, and perhaps he will be traded to a certain team and then cut.
With the wealth that Wei Shao has accumulated on and off the field, he no longer needs to support himself by playing. George and Harden are still in demand, Wei Shao has no choice, and without a basket, he can only calmly face the embarrassing end of his career.