Houston RocketsDear Hassan and Agent Tellem,
First off, Congratulations! No matter what contract you end up leaving with this week, I would first like to say this. Be proud of the endless hours you’ve dedicated to not only the sport, but also to yourself. Other GMs may tell you how impressed they are with how hard you’ve worked to get to this point. But after having you a part of the Rockets’ organization for two years, we both know that it’s much more than just that. The locker room arguments with Kyrie and Jared following a tough loss inspired us all to learn from our mistakes so that they don’t happen again. The moments after perfectly executing a game winning play strengthens the trust within our team, and creates a confidence for our fans to relish, and for our rivals to be afraid of.
Your unprecedented personal transformation is one that our organization feels truly blessed to be a part of. The leadership you exert will continue to serve as an inspiration to your teammates and your coaching staff. It’s no secret that your on and off the court presence is invaluable to us, which is why we have made resigning you our top priority for the 2016 offseason. Needless to say, your decision this week will have a huge impact on the direction of the Houston Rockets going forward.
Before we talk about the contract, I would like to personally share with you our current offseason goals and vision for the future. During this most recent season, we were a single game away from advancing to the Conference Semi-Finals. As devastating as it was, I believe that the experience has made our team stronger and more even more motivated than ever before. The first steps to take during the offseason were to clear some cap space by allowing Kent Bazemore, Ryan Anderson, Jonas Jerebko, and Kyle Singler test Free Agency. We then talked with Jared and Harkless, expressing that like you, they were key cogs to our playoff berth. They made the decision to take qualifying offers that were worth way lower than themselves so our team would have more money to work with during unrestricted free agency. In return, I promised to resign them next year to a bigger contract once their bird rights activate.
The next step which happens to be the most important one, is to get you the deal that you want. The price to pay for a player like you to do what you did last season is unquestionably a max contract. I will propose to you some initial offers that I think could work for both of us. The difference in the offers are the salaries and contract length. But here are 4 things we can promise you regardless of the contract you choose.
The Starting Center job will be yours and yours alone. You will even have more playing minutes available with the departure of Ryan Anderson.
A
no trade clause can be included if that is what you desire.
After coming so close to the Conference Semifinals, I will personally see to it that our coaches, personnel, and I will give it 100% this season in getting you and your teammates a championship ring each. There are multiple players who will have bird rights next year, allowing us to splash on a huge free agent or two this following offseason which will further increase our chances at being a serious title contender for years to come.
A dinner at Vic & Anthony’s Steakhouse downtown Houston with Hall of Famer and fellow Marshall alumnus Hal Greer. You’ll certainly be able to get some wise words from the 76ers All Time Leading Scorer and 10 time All-Star. You’ll also be gifted an All-You-Can-Eat-For-Life pass at the Steakhouse courtesy of the Rockets organization.
Now for the contract itself.
5-Year Max Contract, with a Player Option for Year 5
I personally can’t imagine how elated you must be as such an enormous payday looms right around the corner. If you would wish to negotiate any aspect of any offered contract, please don’t hesitate to let me know. At the end, I hope that the choice you make is one that aligns with your own wishes, and those you hold close. Our organization will back and support the decision that you make, and look forward to playing another season of winning basketball with you manning our front court.
Best Regards,
Yao Ming
GM of the Houston Rockets
New York Knicks
