As they continued talking, the two arrived at the Suns' front office and headed straight into Manager Lance's office.
At that moment, Lance and Coach Gentry were already waiting inside.
"Blake Su, you finally made it."
Lance greeted him with a smile. Blake Su and Austin sat down on one sofa, while Lance and Gentry took the opposite one. Several documents and cups of tea were arranged neatly on the table between them.
"I know that teams across the league have gone crazy lately trying to sign Blake Su. His ability alone is enough to drive the entire league mad.
"So let's be direct. What's the highest offer you're currently considering?"
Lance got straight to the point.
"Uh…"
Austin glanced at Blake Su before replying, "We're leaning toward the Bulls' offer — two years, sixteen million dollars. Blake Su paired with Rose would give the Bulls legitimate championship-level strength."
"Indeed,"
Gentry nodded. "Among the offers we're aware of, the Bulls' deal is the strongest. And… if Blake Su joins Rose, Chicago's overall power would skyrocket."
At that point, Gentry's expression clearly soured. He turned to Lance and handed over the floor.
Unexpectedly, Lance remained calm and composed. In a confirming tone, he asked,
"Blake Su, Mr. Austin — are you certain that's the final offer you're considering?"
"Yes,"
Austin nodded.
"Alright."
Lance nodded as well, appearing to ponder for a moment. Then he spoke in a steady voice.
"We promised earlier that we would give Blake Su an offer he'd be satisfied with.
"So, the Suns' offer is: two years, twenty-four million dollars."
"Buzz—!"
The moment Austin heard the number, his pupils shrank violently.
Two years, twenty-four million — twelve million per year. What did that even mean?
That was more than double the annual salary of this year's No. 1 pick, and the term was only two years. In other words, after two seasons, Blake Su would be free to sign an even more massive max contract.
This offer… was outrageously high.
As a well-known agent, Austin had seen plenty of big-money deals before, but even he was stunned by the price Lance was willing to pay for Blake Su.
However, what Lance said next shocked him even further.
"Blake Su, the contract is indeed two years, twenty-four million, structured as a 1+1. The second year is a player option. That means as long as you prove your value this season, next year you'll be eligible for an even bigger super max deal.
"And we're not afraid of you leaving. Because… next year, we'll still be willing to offer you the best possible contract to keep you here. That's our attitude, and it's our trust in you."
Lance spoke earnestly.
Austin was thrilled — he almost wanted to sign the contract on the spot. For a rookie, this was nothing short of a sky-high deal.
Yet Blake Su remained calm.
"Mr. Lance, may I ask you a question?"
"Of course."
"You've probably heard the rumors going around the league — that I only have a mid-range game, and that once teams target me defensively, I'll be exposed. Aren't you worried?"
"Ha ha ha!"
Lance burst out laughing.
"Worried? Why would I be? What do a bunch of kids know? With your size as a center and your guard-level talent alone, you already justify this contract.
"As long as that talent is there, even if you didn't have a mid-range shot at all, I'd still be willing to wait for you to grow. I believe you'll develop into a truly era-defining super center.
"The only question is… are you willing to give me the chance to witness that moment?"
"Of course."
Hearing this, Blake Su finally nodded with a smile.
"So you're agreeing?"
Lance exclaimed in surprise.
Blake Su chuckled.
"If a contract this good — and a manager who believes in me this much — still couldn't convince me, then I'd be a rookie aiming way too high."
"Ha ha ha!"
Lance laughed heartily, clearly overjoyed.
And so, Blake Su officially stayed with the Suns, signing a two-year, twenty-four-million-dollar contract — a 1+1 deal of staggering value.
While Austin handled the details of the signing, Blake Su turned to Lance and said,
"Manager Lance, there's something I'd like to ask of you."
"What is it?"
Lance asked.
"I hope you can bring Stephen Curry over from the Warriors. I think… the Suns' run-and-gun system needs a player like him."
"Oh?"
Lance paused briefly, then smiled.
"Stephen's three-point shooting would indeed fit a run-and-gun offense perfectly. Since you're asking, if the opportunity comes up, I'll do my best."
"Thank you."
Blake Su nodded with a smile.
The moment the contract was finalized, the Suns couldn't wait to announce it on Twitter, officially revealing the extension and the contract details for rookie Blake Su.
Instantly, the reaction was explosive.
"My god!"
"Am I seeing this right? Two years, twenty-four million? Twelve million a year? And it's a 1+1 deal? What are the Suns doing — have they gone crazy?"
"Twelve million a year… do people even understand what that means?"
"Uh… if I remember correctly, Steve Nash is only making ten million a year with the Suns."
"And look at the Heat's Big Three — LeBron at 14.5 million, Bosh at 14.5 million, Wade at 14.2 million. Pierce on the Celtics makes 13.8 million. Parker on the Spurs gets 13.5 million, Ginobili only 11.8 million. Even the Warriors' franchise star, Monta Ellis, is at just eleven million."
"Damn! So Blake Su at twelve million a year — that means as a rookie he's already above Monta Ellis, surpassing 'Ginobili,' matching 'Pierce,' and standing shoulder to shoulder with the Heat's Big Three?!"
"No, no, no — LeBron, Wade, and Bosh all took pay cuts to some extent."
"True, but even so, for a rookie to reach star level — even potential franchise-player status — is insane."
"Exactly!"
"Blake Su is terrifying. The Suns are absolutely wild."
"Heh, I really don't know what Manager Lance is thinking. Giving such a massive deal to a rookie center who 'only has a mid-range shot' — he's lost his mind."
"Yeah, and it's a 1+1 deal. If Blake Su plays poorly, twelve million goes straight down the drain. If he plays well, he can walk away next year. Either way, the Suns take a huge hit."
"I don't get it either!"
"All this talk about him only having a mid-range game or leaving later — that's future talk. All I know is… twelve million for one year is just insane.
I… I'm honestly jealous as hell."
"Same here. Someone else is eighteen and making millions a year, and I'm eighteen too, hauling bricks at a construction site. Just got off work and checked Twitter on a break… sigh. Nothing but tears."
"Haha, I'm not jealous. Blake Su's ability is right there for everyone to see. Management's thinking is way beyond what we can guess.
"But now I'm really curious — what's this year's No. 1 pick, Wall, thinking right now after seeing Blake Su land a contract worth more than double his own?"
"Heh, probably feels awful."
Late into the night, Twitter was ablaze because of the Suns' offer. While fans were filled with envy, many still felt the price was simply too high.
Even some front-office executives around the league thought the deal was excessive.
In response to all this, when Manager Lance faced reporters the next day, he casually said only one thing:
"When you've got money, you do what you want."
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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