Dempsey was convinced by Tang Tian.

He found that Tang Tian's eloquence was really extraordinary; most people couldn't argue with him.

But he was also willing to believe Tang Tian.

"We need to hurry, to avoid complications."

After convincing Dempsey, Tang Tian didn't forget to remind him.

In history, Ariza went to the Rockets this season, but the Rockets were now fully focused on contending for Anthony, with no time to spare for this.

So if the Pelicans wanted to sign Ariza, they had to act fast.

Although Dempsey didn't have much vision or ability, his efficiency was very good.

After Tang Tian's instructions, he reached a verbal agreement with Ariza the next day.

Four years, $40 million, a fully guaranteed contract. Such a contract was enough for Ariza to give up re-signing with the Wizards.

And just after finalizing Ariza's contract, Dempsey took the opportunity to trade Anderson away.

Next year, Tang Tian's contract would increase to a maximum salary, and Davis would also face the issue of an early renewal.

Because of his defensive issues, Anderson didn't get much playing time in the playoffs, and with the Pelicans aiming to win a championship, it was best to trade him away while he still had value.

This was a three-way trade involving the Nets and the Timberwolves.

The Nets' playoff hopes were dashed last season, and Prokhorov's plan to spend lavishly failed, but General Manager Billy King was still not reconciled, and he continued to strengthen the team.

The Nets sent Kevin Garnett and Mirza Teletovic to get Ryan Anderson and Thaddeus Young.

The Timberwolves sent Thaddeus Young and Alexey Shved to get Kevin Garnett.

The Pelicans sent Ryan Anderson to get Mirza Teletovic and Alexey Shved.

The Nets aimed to strengthen, while the Timberwolves, with no hope of making the playoffs, welcomed back the Wolf King to sell tickets.

The main purpose of this trade for the Pelicans was to clear salary space and further increase flexibility in the free market.

Teletovic was also a stretch power forward, but his salary was only $3 million, and there was only one year left on his contract.

Moreover, after Rivers left, Shved was a good addition as a backup point guard.

After the trade was completed, Dempsey acted quickly and successfully re-signed Morrow for two years at $6 million.

In this way, after this series of operations in the draft and free market, the Pelicans' roster had changed again.

If nothing unexpected happened, the team's core lineup for next season had stabilized.

Starting lineup: Holiday + Tang Tian + Ariza + Davis + Whiteside;

Bench: Cole + Gordon + Morrow + Teletovic + Jokic;

Reserves: Tyler Johnson, Shved, Dinwiddie;

The contracts of Metta World Peace and Evans had not yet been finalized, but the roster was basically set.

This roster, as long as it meshed well, would definitely perform better next season than last season.

Of course, the most important thing was that Tang Tian's summer wave of kryptonite spending hadn't arrived yet.

His progress was the most critical for the Pelicans' transformation; the roster and the like were just supplementary.

Just as the Pelicans finalized their roster, the Rockets' three-day deadline to match Parsons was also approaching.

After a final conversation with Anthony's team, Morey chose to match Parsons' contract.

This meant that the Rockets were out of the Anthony sweepstakes early.

The Rockets went from soaring to plummeting, and the volatility was too much for people's hearts to bear.

However, this greatly increased the probability of Anthony joining the Heat, and fans were particularly looking forward to the launch of Brother Basketball 2.0.

Just after exiting the Anthony sweepstakes, Morey reacted quickly, and they immediately sent Jeremy Lin and a 2015 first-round pick to get cash and the signing rights to overseas players from the Lakers.

Lin Shuhao was squeezed out of the rotation by Beverley in the Rockets, and the previous Anthony jersey Photoshop incident caused him to break with the Rockets. In addition, Morey turned to avoiding the luxury tax after failing to compete for Anthony, so this deal was also expected.

The Lakers' purpose was even more obvious. Nash was retiring this season, and Livingston chose to transfer to the Warriors after his contract expired. They needed a point guard who could serve as a starter.

Lin Shuhao's 38 points against Kobe impressed the management; he was a suitable candidate.

More importantly, the Lakers could also get a first-round pick from this deal.

And just after completing this transaction, the Lakers immediately announced that they had reached a two-year, $16 million contract with free agent Yi Jianlian.

Kupchak was indeed an old pro; while he was implementing Jim Buss's ideas to continue pleasing Kobe, he was also planning for the future, and even after seeing the new prosperity that Tang Tian brought to the Chinese market, he also made investments in this area.

Killing three birds with one stone.

Moreover, the Lakers' starting lineup for the new season—Lin Shuhao + Kobe + Shumpert + Yi Jianlian + Chandler—still had a fighting chance in the West.

After this series of moves, the rosters of several teams in the West had emerged.

The Spurs, Thunder, and Clippers, the top three in the West last season, had stable rosters and did not need to change much, so there was not much movement.

The Lakers made big moves, and the Pelicans also completed their upgrade.

The Grizzlies basically retained the Black and White Bears and were competitive in the playoffs.

The remaining Rockets, even if they failed in the battle for Anthony, Morey's operation stopped the bleeding in time.

Next season, their Beverley + Harden + Parsons + Bosh + Asik lineup, plus this year's rookie Capela, their combat power was obviously improved.

The more miserable team was the Mavericks; they were the same as in previous years, full of ambition every offseason, but every year they ended up empty-handed.

Cuban was not reconciled. After failing to compete for Anthony, he traded for Rondo and signed Luol Deng, which could be regarded as some gains in the offseason.

Now, whether they can enter the playoffs this season depends on the recovery of Embiid's injury.

After a big storm in the West, the rosters of each team have basically settled, and the pattern looks relatively clear.

Just when everyone turned their attention to Anthony and James, a piece of news broke by Woj suddenly pulled their attention back to the West.

The Spurs and Pau Gasol reached a two-year, $10 million full mid-level contract!

Although Gasol was old at this time, he still averaged 14 points and 8 rebounds last season with the Lakers, mostly coming off the bench, a solid ten-million-dollar player, a second-tier star!

Plus, Duncan hadn't retired yet, the Spurs were creating a luxurious inside combination!

Considering the Spurs' usual nature, Splitter would definitely be traded in a subsequent transaction to avoid the luxury tax.

In that case, the Spurs' starting lineup next season would be Parker + Green + Leonard + Duncan + Gasol, with Ginobili, Belinelli, Diaw, and Baynes on the bench.

This roster was stronger than last season, a sure-fire championship favorite!

The Spurs failed to challenge the dynasty last season, and there had been no movement in the free market before, but unexpectedly, they made a big move as the free market neared its end!

Popovich was making a fortune in silence!

ps: Special thanks to 袭_人 for the ten thousand reward!!