Zhang Hao looked at the newspaper, the details of the trade were all written out. If the Raptors didn't fulfill the draft pick guarantee in '97, '98, or '99, it would become unprotected in 2000!
Zhang Hao felt so regretful, thinking that even if he couldn't get it in '97, '98 would be fine... "But, if the Raptors lost the '97 draft pick, they surely wouldn't be willing to tank, and the pick wouldn't be that high... still kind of regretful! Trish, Vince..."
...
This trade brought not only a more rational team structure and weakened inside assault capabilities to the Lakers, but also another change.
The teammates' perception of Zhang Hao's position in the team changed.
The media were all saying that this was a trade the Lakers made to change the team around Zhang Hao, sparking a heated discussion about whether this choice was right or wrong.
This didn't affect Zhang Hao much, he simply chose to ignore it.
But for his teammates, it was different.
