Qiao Hai flipped through the phone's address book and quickly found a number.

Tap to dial, beep twice, and it's quickly connected.

"Hello, Bill, I'm Joe."

Bill Duffy's voice immediately came from the other side of the phone: "Ha, Mr. Joe? How did you call? ”

Bill Duffy, Yao Ming's American agent when he first entered the NBA, Qiao Hai has dealt with him, so he is quite familiar.

Bill Duffy is also an agent for players such as Steve Nash, Cameron Anthony, Tyshawn Prince, Fred Jones, and more.

Joe Hay was quick to tell him what he was trying to do, asking Steve Nash about his current situation and saying that the Bobcats were interested in signing Steve Nash.

Bill Duffy paused slightly before he spoke into the microphone of his phone: "Steve is indeed a full free agent now, but, sorry, Joe, I have to tell you the bad news, Steve has reached a verbal agreement with the Suns, he will join Phoenix and no longer consider other teams." ”

"Okay, excuse me, Bill."

Qiao Hai hung up the phone and held his chin and thought for a while, Nash he couldn't get it, but he didn't feel pity.

In the next few years, the big year of point guard is coming, Paul Deron Williams in '05, Rondo Lowry in '06, McConley in '07, Rothway in '08, and Super Point Guard in '09 (as many as 20 point guards or point point No. 2s were drafted in two rounds, most of them became starters for each team, and there were several All-Stars).

It can be said that the Bobcats lack other players, and they will not lack point guards.

If you can't get Steve Nash, then, the deal with the Suns can be completed, and Qiao Hai made another internal call and called Kevin Pritchard.

"Kevin, that deal with the Suns can be done."

……

Before the expansion draft, the Bobcats made several trades in a row.

Drafted Aleksandar Pavlovich and sent to the Cavaliers for a 2007 first-round pick.

Jahidi White, who drafted $6 million, acquired the Cavaliers' 2005 first-round pick from the Phoenix Suns.

Pick Peddragro Biak and then make a deal with the Clippers, trading the No. 4 pick in the first round and the No. 4 pick in the second round in exchange for the Clippers' first-round pick.

Anfernee Hardaway, who drafted a two-year contract, and then got an unprotected first-round pick from the Knicks for next year.

Derrick Coleman, who has an annual salary of 4 million, and then gets a second-round pick from the 76ers for next year.

In the end, not to pick Reece Gaines and get a second-round pick from the Magic for next year.

Of course, because the transfer market has not yet opened, for the time being, these deals are only verbal agreements, and the first thing that will require the Bobcats to fulfill the agreement and select the players specified in the agreement in the expansion draft on June 23.

……

But Joe's job isn't over yet, and he glances at this year's draft picks.

The champion lottery belongs to magic, the list eye is now the bobcat's, and the tanhua belongs to the bull.

Next up are the Clippers, Nuggets, Wizards, Hawks, Bulls, 76ers, Heat, Cavaliers, Warriors, SuperSonics and Trail Blazers.

Compared with the previous life, there have been some changes in the lottery order in 04 in this life, the Raptors because they kept Vince Carter and selected Carmelo Anthony to form a duo, and finally made the playoffs.

On the Western side, the Jazz also got Carlos Boozer early, and then also made the playoffs.

The Heat, who were supposed to make the playoffs, failed to get Wade in the '03 draft, and they drafted T.J. Ford with the ability, but there were too many minor injuries.

As a result, the Heat's record is not great, and they entered the lottery again last season, but because of the strong players of Lamar Odom, Eddie Jones and Kaloon Butler on the team, their draft picks are not particularly high.

The same goes for the Nuggets, who failed to get the immediate-strong Carmelo Anthony and a Darko Millisic who needs time to develop, but unlike the Heat, they have a lot of swing and finished last season in the bottom of the West.

It's just that because of poor signing, he failed to draw the top three picks in the draft, and finally ended up with a fifth pick in the first round.

Qiao Hai continued to look down, the 15th pick in the first round was the Celtics, and then the Utah Jazz, but the Jazz's draft pick already belonged to the Rockets, and the Rockets were followed by the Hawks.

Seeing the Eagles with the 7th pick in the first round and the 17th pick in the first round, Qiao Hai thought about it, flipped through his mobile phone address book again, found a number, and dialed it.

"Hello, Pete? I'm Qiao Hai. ”

The one who answered the phone was Pete Babcock, the general manager of the Eagles.

But when Qiao Hai explained his intention, Pete Babcock said with a wry smile: "Mr. Qiao, haven't you paid attention to the news recently?" I'm no longer the general manager of Eagles. ”

Qiao Hai's face was embarrassed, and he realized that he was oolong.

Then, saying sorry, he hung up.

Then, he turned on his computer and flipped through the news for a while before turning to an old story from early June — the Hawks announcing the departure of Pete Babcock and former Grizzlies general manager Billy Knight becoming the new general manager of the Eagles.

At the beginning of June, Qiao Hai was still leading the team to the finals, so naturally he didn't have much time to pay attention to the old news of other teams.

But now that he looked at it, he smacked his lips and suddenly felt that the probability of this deal being completed was too low.

But on second thought, what if this guy Billy Knight can't stand the temptation of the list?

But Qiao Hai couldn't make this call, he made this call, and Billy Knight's reply must have been refused, after all, the two were married.

"Kevin, send an email to the Eagles and ask them about the possibility of changing the No. 7 and No. 17 picks."

Qiao Hai made another internal call to Kevin Pritchard.

That's right, his idea is to trade down with the No. 1 pick in exchange for two top-two first-round picks, and Joehai has three targets, Ruhr Deng, Andre Iguodala and Josh Smith.

With one of Ruhr Deng and Andre Iguodala, plus Josh Smith, the Bobcats' forward line is suddenly extremely competitive.

But if it doesn't work, then Qiao Hai can only retreat to the second, and the strengthening of the front line may not be so smooth.

So, this deal is very important.

……

Time flashed, June 23 arrived.

Joe arrives in New York, accompanied by Samsinki, a helper he has just poached from the Rockets, who will be Bobcats' head of scouting for the new season.

An old guy is an old guy, and Qiao Hai is very easy to use.

As soon as Sam Xinki came, he helped Qiao Hai make a list, and roughly circled three players for each position, basically, in this expansion draft, how many players Qiao Hai wants to choose, he already knows in his heart.