If I don't take him down, I lose!
The moment the agent heard that, he knew the Kings had already spoken with James about signing him, which was why they had only $23 million in cap space.
So he relayed the information to Chris Paul.
When Paul heard it, he was even more delighted.
With Wang Yi and James on the team, plus him, how could they not win a championship?
Besides, he and James were very close—the two had once been Banana Boat buddies.
Who wouldn't love playing alongside a good friend?
So he told his agent, "Once free agency opens on July 1, we'll fly to Sacramento to talk."
Meanwhile, over the past few days, NWP, the drug-testing agency dispatched by the NBA, and AWP, the drug-testing agency dispatched by USA Track & Field, had begun conducting random urine tests on Wang Yi and Thomas.
The date for their competition had been set: July 10.
At last, July 1 arrived.
The NBA trade market opened.
Paul and James's agents, along with the two players themselves, set off for Sacramento.
At Sacramento's most luxurious hotel, Wang Yi and General Manager Divac first met with James and his party, then sat down with Paul and his.
The meeting with James didn't take very long. After all, there was little to dispute about his contract—he was guaranteed a max deal.
Even though James was getting on in years, he was still a superstar wherever he went.
And the commercial value he brought to a team far exceeded his salary, so he would never accept a pay cut.
The meeting with old-timer Paul, on the other hand, lasted much longer. The two sides went through several rounds of negotiations.
In the end, old-timer Paul signed a $28 million contract.
That