Should Guo Ailun go? Is the transfer possible? The dilemma of the CBA maximum salary player
2022-08-03 09:10:53Source: Xinhua News Agency
On August 2, a fax sent by the Chinese men’s basketball star defender Guo Ailun to the club caused heated discussions. The player who was in his prime and won the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) championship with the Liaoning men’s basketball team not long ago officially submitted a transfer application. Should Guo Ailun go? Is the transfer possible? Where is the best way to go? Everyone who cares about Chinese basketball wants to know the answer.
From an emotional point of view, as a native of Liaoning, Guo Ailun has deep feelings for the Liaoning team and Liaoning fans. At the same time, the Liaoning men’s basketball team also attaches great importance to this youth training representative who has played for the team for 12 seasons and brought two CBA championship trophies to the team. When Guo Ailun first appeared, the Liaoning basketball team gave him complete trust; in the process of growing up, although he has been accompanied by controversy, he has grown into a top domestic star player with the help of the club. The Liaoning Men’s Basketball Team and Guo Ailun have long become indelible labels for each other. The romantic story of “Choose a City to Die” may be welcomed by more fans.
Even putting aside his feelings with the team and fans, under the current rules, Guo Ailun still has a long way to go from proposing a transfer to realizing it. Since the contract signed by Guo Ailun and the Liaoning Men’s Basketball Team is a maximum salary contract (Category D), according to the “2022-2023 CBA League Player Draft, Salary Cap, Employment and Transaction Management Regulations”, the club will continue to own the D-type contract after the expiration of the contract. Players have the exclusive right to sign D-type contracts. Even if the player refuses to renew the contract, the club retains the exclusive right to sign until the club waives or transfers this right. Guo Ailun himself also said that whether the transfer can be successful or not depends on the club.
Although there are voices saying that the priority of signing max-paid players is a restriction on the free movement of league personnel, it must be admitted that this policy can protect the enthusiasm of investors in the short term, and can protect the enthusiasm of the team’s youth training in the long run. This kind of personnel flow policy, which emphasizes more “orderly” than “freedom”, is the “greatest common divisor” of the current interests of all parties, whether it is to ensure the healthy operation of the CBA league or to promote the sustainable development of Chinese basketball.
Looking at it this way, even if Guo Ailun and the Liaoning men’s basketball team may still have differences on some issues, it may be a relatively good choice to stay in the team in the end. Of course, considering that Guo Ailun has repaid the Liaoning team for his training with two CBA championships and two National Games championships, he hopes to find a more suitable tactical system and tap his greater potential. Some fans understand.
Judging from the performance of the Chinese men’s basketball team in the Asian Cup, it is indeed necessary for key players like Guo Ailun to break through and get out of the “comfort zone”. Zhou Qi’s performance in the Asian Cup also proves that the training of overseas leagues can indeed give players more experience and advantages in terms of confrontation intensity, adapting to the international referee’s penalty scale, and maintaining a high-level competitive state. As a top domestic defender, if Guo Ailun can improve himself through his performance in overseas leagues and set an example for his younger generation with aggressiveness, then it may be the best “win-win” outcome for Chinese basketball and Guo Ailun himself.
