An executive in charge of the team's salary operations pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and said slowly, "I think Li Fei's refusal is fundamentally not about the salary. It's about the timing."
"What we offered him is already the largest supermax contract in league history, with an annual salary exceeding $20 million, plus all kinds of additional terms, including brand partnerships and a share of arena endorsement revenue. It's the most we can offer."
"But Li Fei's momentum right now is incredible." He paused, a hint of helplessness in his voice. "He's 23, with five championships and five FMVPs, a regular-season MVP, Scoring Champion, Rebounding Champion, Blocks Champion, and Defensive Player of the Year. He's practically swept up every top honor in the league."
"Right now, he's like a superstar rising at incredible speed. Every additional championship he wins and every dominant performance he delivers adds to his market value."
"If we re-sign him now, we're essentially locking in his current value. But he's confident that after this season, once he wins the Four-Peat, his commercial value and historical standing will rise to another level."
"By then, whether he re-signs with us or jumps to another team, he'll be able to get a much more lucrative deal than he can now. He might even have more leverage—such as control over the team's tactics, a greater say in the front office, or additional revenue from brand partnerships."
His words had struck precisely at the heart of the matter. Everyone present nodded, the confusion on their faces gradually giving way to understanding.
Another executive, in charge of the team's commercial operations, added, "There's another key point we may have overlooked all along: Li Fei didn't choose to come to the Knicks in the first place solely to win