"Do I owe you a training fee?" Hansen asked with a laugh as he got up.
"You’ve already paid."
Hansen was taken aback by the response.
It wasn’t until Carter made a gesture indicating $500,000 that he burst out laughing too.
"Speaking of that, has Kobe ever asked you for the $500,000?"
"He did. He said you lost a bet to him."
"He actually asked for it? So, did you give it to him?"
"Of course not! Since we weren’t at the sa table, I’ve never heard of gambling debts being transferable."
Both n continued to talk and laugh as they left the training facility.
...
Carter’s first ga after the trade was against the Clippers. Still adjusting, he had a modest performance, scoring just 4 points, but then against his forr team, the Raptors, he scored 13 points, going 3 for 4 on three-pointers.
Does Carter still have fuel in his tank?
The answer is yes, and quite a bit.
Although he could no longer dunk explosively as before the injury, or even in his younger years, his three-point shooting remained quite good.
This season with the Mavericks, he had a three-point shooting percentage above 40% and averaged around 11 points per ga.
In fact, had it not been for Carter’s own willingness, the Mavericks would not have sent him to a direct competitor like the Grizzlies.
And when he and Jamison played together, the original North Carolina’s Twin Stars instantly beca the "Xuanming Two Elders."
Ti flew to March 1st, a key date in the latter part of the season, the buyout deadline.
Teams like the Heat chose to waive Dexter Pittman from the inside and then signed Grant Hill.
Hill was bought out by the Mavericks right after being traded there due to a roster spot issue.
The Heat, lacking organizational depth and having found little in the trade market, did not find it surprising to sign Hill.
However, should the two teams et in the finals, it would definitely add a narrative twist to the ga.
Especially if the Heat won the championship, even if Hill opted not to make a fuss about it, Durant would likely have a serious word or two to say.
The Grizzlies were also active in the buyout market. Having sent two players away in the Carter trade, they now had roster spots to fill.
It was on this sa day that Wallace ca looking for Hansen, while he was training with Carter.
It was concerning the team’s last available slot. The Grizzlies had their eye on soone but were still hesitant.
The reason for the hesitation was that the player was Delonte West.
The Grizzlies needed a third point guard, and West, a forr Grizzly, fit the managent’s criteria for signing players.
But West’s current situation caused doubts. Last season, he was a Mavericks starter, but this season, he was indefinitely suspended by the Mavericks for "conduct detrintal to the team" before the season even began and subsequently waived.
Dallas dia did not follow up with the specific reasons, but his continued free agency indicated other teams’ concerns about him becoming a locker room bomb.
Moreover, players signed after the buyout deadline are not eligible to play in the playoffs, aning if the Grizzlies signed West, they would not be able to replace him later.
Hansen had a good relationship with West, and Wallace was there not only to seek Hansen’s opinion but also to gather so intel.
Hansen wasn’t in much contact with West lately and was unclear about the specific reasons for his Mavericks suspension.
However, coincidentally, they were standing next to a forr Mavericks player, saving Hansen the need for a phone call.
Carter indeed knew what the ntioned "conduct detrintal to the team" entailed. From his own experience, he understood that after the Mavericks signed ao, the team competition beca too intense, and West not only lost his starting position but also ended up at the back of the rotation during pre-season.
West’s ntal instability led to him losing control of his emotions in the locker room and clashing with teammates, which led to subsequent incidents.
"Delonte isn’t a bad person," Carter offered his assessnt.
Although NBA players earn high salaries, the pressure they face is also imnse, and many suffer from ntal health issues.
Most of them only affect themselves, but West’s situation now affected the team.
"If you’re just asking for my personal advice, if there’s no problem with a team tryout, I support signing him."
Whether he can help the team or cause issues in the locker room are matters for managent to consider.
From his personal standpoint, he had no reason to object at this ti.
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