The Pelicans' four stars have already started training, and for them, the new season is a must-win season.

Even compared to the Warriors' four stars, they can't be described as failing if they don't win the championship, but rather failing if they don't psychologically traumatize their opponents and drive down viewership ratings.

So even though the lineup is strong, the pressure on everyone is not small.

While Tang Tian and the others were training, Demps was also busy.

After completing a series of trades and signings, these are the players remaining on the Pelicans' roster:

Point Guard: Walker, Brogdon

Shooting Guard: Tang Tian

Small Forward: Butler, Bojan, Siakam

Power Forward: Davis, Kuzma

Center: Harrell, Thomas Bryant

There are a total of 10 guaranteed contracts on the roster. In addition to veterans David West and Diaw, who are likely to be re-signed, there are 3 spots left.

And in these 3 spots, even though they are already over the salary cap, they have the full mid-level exception because they haven't crossed the luxury tax line.

Because of the salary cap increase, this year's full mid-level exception has increased significantly compared to last year.

Last year it was about $5.6 million, but this year it can reach $8.4 million.

This is undoubtedly the best news for the Pelicans, who have traded away a lot of rotation players.

According to the rules, they can use the full mid-level exception to sign free agents, with a contract length of no more than four years and a salary increase of no more than 5%.

In addition, they can also split it up among multiple players, with the same terms for years and increases.

The only not-so-good news is that there are not many players on the free agent market now, leaving them with fewer players to choose from.

That day, the Good Brothers were training hard. After finishing, they played three-on-three half-court.

Walker, Tang Tian, and Davis were on one team, and Parker, Butler, and Duncan were on the other.

In three-on-three, Tang Tian is a monster.

But the two sides played back and forth.

Although Duncan had been retired for a year, unlike Kobe, he didn't have the worries of having children. He still maintained his training intensity, and he actually gained the upper hand in a short-term confrontation with Davis.

The same situation also happened directly between Walker and Parker. Walker had no way to deal with Parker's breakthrough floater.

The first three-on-three between the two sides ended in a tie.

Walker and Davis sat on the floor panting, not feeling frustrated, but rather feeling that this year's training camp would really help them a lot.

While they were resting, Demps came to Tang Tian.

The two of them talked about the team's reinforcement for next season.

Parker and Duncan had gone back to rest after training, and the rest were Pelicans players, so Demps didn't avoid suspicion.

He gave Tang Tian a list of the remaining players on the free agent market and asked him to pick three.

Walker and Butler were both curious. This was the first time they had seen a team's general manager communicate with players like this.

The Pelicans' current lineup lacks a tall, strong center, and they also need to supplement their backcourt.

After Holiday and Williams were traded away, their originally strongest backcourt has now become somewhat weak.

"First choice is Dedmon, and then talk to Carter."

After Tang Tian scanned the list of remaining free agents, he said two names.

Dedmon is a black, strong, and hard player, a height-enhanced version of Harrell.

Although his scoring ability is not as good as Harrell's, Dedmon has a point that only Tang Tian knows because he has the Heavenly Eye.

This is a black, strong, and hard player who can develop a three-pointer, which is quite rare in the league.

In fact, Thomas Bryant, who the Pelicans picked in the second round of this year's draft, is this type of player, a 3D black, strong, and hard player.

The Pelicans are determined to win next season, and they definitely can't wait for Bryant to grow up. One Harrell is not enough.

If they can sign Dedmon, it will definitely be a good deal.

Next is Carter. Old Carter proved in Memphis last season that he still has a lot of gas left in his tank, and he is completely capable of being Tang Tian's substitute.

Moreover, Tang Tian had a similar experience of cooperating with veterans with McGrady before, and he will like this very much.

After all, this means he can take the opportunity to peek at skills. The UFO dunk is one of the skills he must pay for in the later stage.

Of course, these are the best candidates, and there will be some backups after these two.

Dedmon's backup is Kelly Olynyk, who is also a similar type of player.

Carter's backup is Joe Harris, who is also a former Pelican.

Of course, there are also backups for the backups, Willie Reed, Nick Young, and so on.

Who they can sign in the end depends on Demps' negotiating skills.

However, Demps assured Tang Tian after the chat that he was particularly confident in the team's attractiveness this year.

Tang Tian smiled and didn't say anything.

He wasn't that worried about Dedmon. The Pelicans have the full mid-level exception, so it shouldn't be a problem to sign him.

It's just that Carter has some uncertainty. Unlike other players, Carter has a very low desire for a championship. He prefers playing time.

But as Tang Tian's substitute, this is not so easy to satisfy.

Demps left the manor with the list given by Tang Tian to negotiate with those free agents.

While they were negotiating, Butler and Davis couldn't wait and had already gone back to take a shower and rest.

But Walker listened with great interest.

Speaking of Walker, he is also considered a half-scholar, and his grades in college were very good.

"Let's go, Kemba."

Tang Tian got up and stretched his body and greeted Walker.

Walker nodded, and the two of them left the training hall and walked outside.

It's July now, and the weather is quite hot.

But fortunately, Tang Tian had considered this when he built the basketball hall, and they were very close to where they lived.

Walker was also very considerate, and he also helped Tang Tian take the car keys when he left.

After returning to the room and taking a shower, Tang Tian remembered that the keys were still with Walker, so he went directly to his room.

He knocked on the door and went in. Walker had already taken a shower and was packing his luggage.

Because he had just confirmed that he would join the Pelicans not long ago, Walker hadn't had time to buy a house here. Like Butler, the two of them were still temporarily staying at Tang Tian's manor.

And he hadn't been there for a few days, and he hadn't had time to take care of his luggage before.

When Tang Tian came in, he was holding a red jacket and smiling silly.

"You still keep it, and you still carry it with you?"

When Tang Tian saw his actions, memories flashed in his mind.

This was the lucky red jacket that Walker had specially chosen when they participated in the 2011 NBA draft 6 years ago.

In the blink of an eye, 6 years have passed, and seeing this jacket again, memories surged out.

It felt like they hadn't done anything and were still playing in college during the NCAA era.

"Yeah, do you still have yours?"

Walker asked with a smile.

"Of course, but mine has always been hanging in the closet. After all, it was a gift from you, so I cherish it."

Tang Tian replied.

It is no exaggeration to say that this red jacket represents their youth and their friendship.