"Damn... if Blake joins the Knicks, wouldn't they suddenly have three superstars capable of starting in the All-Star Game?!"
"My God! STAT, one of the league's top power forwards, Anthony, one of the league's top small forwards, and Blake, the 'No. 1 Center in the League.'
"Just thinking about that Knicks lineup is terrifying!"
"Hahaha, if Blake joins the Knicks, the league might as well call it a season!"
"Exactly!"
"The Knicks' owner is ruthless. He just brought in STAT last season, and now he wants to lure 'The Emperor' Blake over too.
"That's insane!"
"Hey, don't get ahead of yourselves. Blake hasn't agreed to anything yet."
"That's true."
"But either way, with the Clippers and Knicks kicking things off like this, I can already tell the entire league is about to go completely crazy over Blake!"
...
Fans were discussing it nonstop.
And reality proved them right.
Once the Clippers and Knicks revealed their offers in hopes of signing Blake, the rest of the league could no longer sit still.
What was even more surprising was that it wasn't just respectable teams looking to sign him. Even weak teams, including teams that had been tanking, wanted Blake.
You could almost say that, aside from a handful of established championship contenders, nearly every team in the league wanted him.
Back when Blake first entered the league as a rookie, it had taken only a few games for him to showcase his talent and impressive ability.
But those were still only a few games.
There had been plenty of uncertainty, so some teams were unwilling to take the risk and chose to pass. That ultimately allowed the Suns to seize their opportunity.
Now, however, "The Emperor" Blake had already led his team to a championship as the sole superstar while completing a Grand Slam of honors that included Regular Season MVP, All-Star MVP, Finals MVP, and more.
His ability had already been proven.
His talent had already been realized.
Before, teams had been gambling on Blake's potential.
Now, they were bidding on a player who had already completed the Grand Slam.
Naturally, the competition for Blake this time was even more intense than it had been during his rookie season.
Sure enough, after the Clippers and Knicks made their intentions clear, the Wizards entered the race as well, offering Blake a four-year, $120 million max contract.
That was a staggering $30 million per year.
The Magic also joined the bidding.
The problem was that they already had Howard and "Mr. 20 Million" Lewis on massive contracts, leaving them with very little salary cap space.
Even so, they still announced that they were willing to offer Blake $20 million per season, a four-year deal worth $80 million.
At the same time, the Wizards' owner made another declaration.
If Blake agreed to join the Wizards, he would personally give Blake an expensive high-end helicopter and provide him with a permanent pilot.
The Kings immediately took inspiration from that.
After offering Blake a max contract worth more than $25 million per year, the Kings' owner announced that he would also give Blake a supercar worth $10 million.
Of course, there was one condition.
Blake had to join the Kings.
The Wizards' and Kings' owners pulling stunts like this left both the fans and the entire league stunned.
"No way."
"Am I seeing this right? These owners are so desperate to get Blake that they're offering him helicopters and supercars now?!"
"This is ridiculous. It's way too ridiculous!"
"They're not only offering him max contracts, they're throwing in extra gifts too? I never expected anything like this. This is insane!"
"Hahaha, what can you do? It just shows how incredible our 'The Emperor' Blake is. Everybody wants him."
"Exactly!"
"Right, right! Come on, make this bidding war for Blake even crazier!"
"I want to see just how insane all 30 teams can get. What else are they willing to do just to sign Blake?!"
Fans and media outlets alike were following the battle for Blake with intense interest.
Everyone wanted to see exactly what kind of offer it would take to sign him.
...
Three days later.
The bidding war for Blake was still raging.
Of course, Blake wasn't the only story. With the trade market now open, deals between teams were happening left and right.
3:00 p.m.
ESPN's well-known reporter "Woj" sat down with Trail Blazers head coach Nate McMillan during an interview program.
"Mr. McMillan, I've heard that the Trail Blazers are also interested in Blake. Is that true?"
Woj asked.
"Of course."
McMillan nodded without hesitation and smiled.
"I don't think it's just us. Every team in the league wants Blake.
"After all, having Blake gives you a very good chance of winning the championship."
"But..."
Woj nodded with a smile before continuing.
"If you've been following the situation around Blake, then you should know that the other teams have been pulling out all the stops to sign him.
"Helicopters, luxury cars, expensive watches, and more.
"Team executives and owners aren't just offering max contracts. They're throwing in extravagant gifts on top of them.
"So I have to ask. If the Trail Blazers want Blake, what kind of offer are you prepared to make?"
"Uh..."
McMillan thought for a moment before answering.
"Our owner has already told me that if Blake is willing to join the Trail Blazers, a max contract won't be a problem.
"And on top of that... with traffic being as congested as it is these days, he's willing to spend a fortune building a dedicated high-speed rail line for Blake.
"That way, it'll be more convenient for Blake to travel to team practices and games."
Woj's mouth twitched.
"What?! Are you serious? You're going to build an entire high-speed rail line just for Blake?!"
"Absolutely."
McMillan nodded with a smile.
The moment that interview aired, it sent another shockwave through the league.
Fans and the media could only marvel once again at Blake's incredible popularity.
Helicopters, luxury cars, expensive watches, and now even a high-speed rail line!
The offers being made by front offices around the league kept shattering everyone's expectations.
It was staggering.
At the same time, Blake's agent, Austin, was sitting in his home office, happily sorting through offer after offer from teams around the league.
Almost every one of them was incredibly tempting.
Austin couldn't help marveling at the enormous commercial value Blake commanded.
One astronomical contract after another filled his desk, enough to make his head spin.
"Damn... Blake really is incredible. I've never seen a player who hasn't even entered his second season yet drive the entire league this crazy!
"'The Emperor' really does live up to the name."
As Austin marveled, he continued sorting through the offers with a smile.
In the end, he selected the best few for Blake to choose from.
"Ding-dong! Ding-dong!"
Just then, the doorbell rang.
Austin opened the door and found Hawks owner Steven Bryce standing outside.
Austin looked slightly surprised.
"Mr. Bryce, you..."
"Mr. Austin, may I come in so we can talk?"
...
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