The No.1 Anti-Fans in Basketball-Chapter 404 - 209: 2013 NBA Trade Deadline_3

"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 same table, I’ve never heard of gambling debts being transferable."

Both men continued to talk and laugh as they left the training facility.

...

Carter’s first game after the trade was against the Clippers. Still adjusting, he had a modest performance, scoring just 4 points, but then against his former 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 game.

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 became the "Xuanming Two Elders."

Time 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 meet in the finals, it would definitely add a narrative twist to the game.

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 same day that Wallace came looking for Hansen, while he was training with Carter.

It was concerning the team’s last available slot. The Grizzlies had their eye on someone 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 former Grizzly, fit the management’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 detrimental to the team" before the season even began and subsequently waived.

Dallas media 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, meaning 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 some 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 former Mavericks player, saving Hansen the need for a phone call.

Carter indeed knew what the mentioned "conduct detrimental to the team" entailed. From his own experience, he understood that after the Mavericks signed Meao, the team competition became 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 mental 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 assessment.

Although NBA players earn high salaries, the pressure they face is also immense, and many suffer from mental 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 management to consider.

From his personal standpoint, he had no reason to object at this time.