Chapter 229: The 2013 NBA Free Agency Market.
After hearing Han Sen's plans, Chris Wallace took a long moment to compose himself.
He had considered every possibility—except this one.
Finally, Wallace let out a deep breath. "I respect your decision," he said.
Han Sen hadn't just brought the Grizzlies their first championship; he followed it up with a second and possibly a third on the way.
From any perspective, Han owed the Grizzlies nothing.
Wallace's trade to acquire Han was already cemented in history, a contender for one of the greatest trades of all time.
And he understood Han's reasoning. As the team's GM, Wallace was well aware of the ownership's unwillingness to invest in the future. Despite sponsorships from several major corporations, management remained shortsighted, focused only on immediate profits.
Last season, there had even been discussions about trading Zach Randolph—talk that only died down after Randolph's stellar pre-All-Star performance.
This season, whispers of trading Rudy Gay were growing louder. Gay's contract was now considered an overpay relative to his production.
Wallace knew that if the Grizzlies' dynasty dreams were derailed by such moves, Han's personality wouldn't allow him to stay. He'd undoubtedly request a trade.
In that sense, Han's current decision might be the only way to resolve the impasse.