If the Clippers want to strengthen, they have to get Harden. If Brother Deng gets less money, he may have a last chance to win the championship.

A salary of 36 million yuan per year is enough to sign a second-in-command who averages 22.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 8.7 assists per game? In the current era of the league's salary explosion, this money is only enough to sign Michael Porter Jr., not enough to sign a defender like VanVleet. However, in Los Angeles, the money can sign Harden.

It is such a bargaining brother, but he was once again targeted by the Clippers management. Clippers management hopes Harden executes the player option and abandons the idea of ​​signing a big contract this summer. If Harden does not renew his contract in advance, he will get 5 million less, but it will free up 12 million in salary space for the Clippers. The question is that Brother Deng has less money. Can he get a championship trophy?

If the Clippers use this money to introduce a reliable fourth position, the chances of winning the championship are quite high. For example, Bucks power forward Portis, whose salary is $13.45 million next season, is in this space, and the Clippers can earn Portis' contract without giving away others.

Portis's style of play is also very matched with the Clippers. Average of 14.0 points can significantly improve the Clippers' scoring ability at the fourth position. His height of 211 cm can make up for the shortcomings of the Clippers' lack of height at the fourth position. His three-point shooting percentage of 35.7% can provide a richer choice for the Clippers' offense and also open up space for Leonard Harden's singles.

When the league lineup is generally large, the Clippers can only have hope of winning the championship if they improve their size in the fourth position. Portis is the puzzle they need and the most suitable piece of the puzzle.

Compared with Brother Deng’s previous salary cuts, if Brother Deng’s contract can be executed this time, it will be equivalent to contributing to his career championship. It is definitely more effective than the previous salary cut. Of course, Harden can also choose not to cut his salary to other teams, but looking at the league, there are very few teams that can provide him with positions and opportunities to win the championship. If you go to a mature team like the Thunder, Harden will most likely be able to play the sixth player. If you are the boss, you cannot bring Harden the championship honor. Therefore, there is no better choice except to accept the Clippers' pick-up.

It is gratifying that in recent years, the NBA has entered an era of competition among all the heroes. The championship throne is also the emperor's turn to my house this year. The Clippers can play against the Nuggets until the tiebreak, while the Nuggets will play against the Thunder until the tiebreak. It can be seen from this that the Clippers are not completely without a chance to compete for the championship. This requires the management to work harder. If Brother Deng contributes a little, he can get closer to the championship. This may also be Harden's last chance to win the championship in his career.