聊聊双向合同那些事，火箭以此如愿获最后的争冠拼图

Evaluating the NBA's two-way contract experiment through the eyes of players, executives and agents. [好文分享：www.ii77.com]

从球员，管理层及经纪人角度，评价NBA的双向合同试验。

Two-way contracts were created with the hope of giving more players jobs, strengthening the relationship with the G League and team affiliates, increasing pay and more, but was it a success in the eye of those involved? It depends on who you ask.
双向合同的设立初衷，是希望为球员提供更多工作机会，强化发展联盟球队与母队的联系，增加球员收入。但在参与其中的人眼中，双向合同的试验是成功的吗？这取决于提问的对象。

For players, a two-way contract represents a foot in the door to living their dream full-time at the NBA level with the caveat of a burdensome travel schedule. For executives, two-way players represent the opportunity to find a diamond in the rough and develop cheaper and younger talent for the future. For agents, the two-way contract can offer their clients less opportunity and more obstacles than advertised.
对球员来说，双向合同意味着一只脚迈入全职在NBA打球这个梦想的大门；但其中隐含的一个问题，繁重的旅行。对管理层来说，双向合同意味着找到璞玉的机会，为未来培养廉价的年轻天赋。对经纪人来说，双向合同并非如宣传的那样，只能为客户提供更少的机会，制造更多的障碍。

NBA teams are allowed up to two players under two-way contracts. Those players spend the bulk of the season in the G League and a maximum of 45 days with their NBA team. Those players are paid a corresponding daily salary based on the number of days they play in each league. Only players with four NBA seasons of experience or less can sign two-way deals, which can be for either one or two seasons. A player has to be active for one day to get credit for a year of service.
NBA球队最多可以拥有两名双向合同球员。这些球员赛季大部分时间在发展联盟度过，最多可以在NBA球队停留45天。这些球员根据在两个联盟打球的天数，按照日工资获得相应的报酬。只有在NBA效力时间不多于四年的球员可以签双向合同，双向合同的时长为一年到两年。想获得一赛季的NBA履历，球员必须至少有一天在NBA处于激活状态。

While two-way contracts generally go to young players with potential upside, some older players with overseas experience took advantage of the opportunity. C.J. Williams, who previously played in Greece, Italy, France, and the former D League, earned a two-way contract at 27 with the Clippers.
尽管双向合同大部分归属拥有上升潜力的年轻球员，但也有一些有着海外职业经验的老球员抓住了这个机会。曾经在希腊，意大利，法国和发展联盟打过球的CJ·威廉姆斯，就在27岁时和快船签下了双向合同。

"It's a dream come true, to be honest," Williams said. "I always wanted to play in the NBA and get an opportunity. It's not exactly an NBA contract, but at the same time I get an opportunity, and that's all I can ask for, and I've just been enjoying every moment of it, but I know my work isn't done. I can't be satisfied with just a two-way contract, I have to work to progress to get more."
“说实话，这就是梦想成真。”威廉姆斯说，“我一直想在NBA打球，想得到一个机会。严格来说这不是NBA合同，但与此同时我得到了机会，这就是我想要的一切。我真的很享受每一个瞬间，但我知道自己的工作还没完成。我不能只满足于双向合同，我需要继续努力得到更多。”

Williams admitted it was "weird" to play for two different teams technically, but played well enough to force the Clippers to give him a multi-year contract with some guaranteed money.
威廉姆斯承认，为两支球队打球是一种“怪异”的感觉，但如果足够优秀，他就能让快船送上一份带有部分保障的多年合同。

Williams was eventually waived and signed a two-way deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves for this season.
威廉姆斯最终被快船裁掉，他在本赛季与森林狼签下了双向合同。

Former Rockets two-way guard Markel Brown, 26, used the two-way contract as an opportunity to return to the NBA. The former second-round draft pick played two seasons for the Nets before spending one season in Russia with BC Khimki. After making substantially more overseas in Russia, Brown returned to the States with the hope of making the NBA again.
前火箭队双向球员，26岁的马克尔·布朗，将双向合同看作重返NBA的机会。这个二轮秀在篮网打了两赛季后，又在俄罗斯的希姆基队打了一年。布朗的海外生涯大部分在俄罗斯度过，回美国后，他希望能再次进入NBA。

"On the court, I feel like for overseas there is a lot of competition depending on what league you're in, depending on what team you go and play for, it's a lot of competition," Brown said. "There are a lot of guys that used to be in the NBA that are overseas now, and I think it's great.
“球场上，我觉得竞争的压力取决于你在哪个联赛，效力什么球队以及对手，海外联赛的竞争是很激烈的。”布朗表示，“有很多曾经在NBA打球的人现在在海外打比赛，我觉得这很好。”

"Going overseas, being able to make some money to be able to take care of your family, but I think staying in the States and playing in the G League is also good as well. You've got great coaches in the G League who are constantly preparing you for their affiliate team, so I think both are great on the court. Off the court, for me, being in Russia the language, food, traveling around trying to venture out and see new things versus being in the States it's just like being home, so I think it opens up your eyes and makes you more thankful for what you have around you."
“去海外打球能..养家，但我觉得留在美国，在发展联盟打球也很好。发展联盟有很优秀的教练，他们一直让你为加入母队做准备，所以我觉得在篮球方面，这两种选择都很好。篮球之外，对我来说，在俄罗斯，无论是语言，食物，四处旅行能看到新事物，相比美国，我觉得这能打开眼界，让你更珍惜身边的一切。”

Brown played four games for the Rockets last season before signing in Turkey for the upcoming season.
布朗上赛季为火箭打了四场比赛，随后在新赛季与土耳其球队签约。

"I think it's great for a lot of young players who are on the cusp to making rosters," Brown said. "I think it was great for me being that guy, coming back from injuries and trying to continue to fight to get into the NBA."
“我觉得对很多接近进入大名单的年轻球员，这是很不错的选择。”布朗说，“我觉得这对我来说也很好，我受伤之后想要继续拼搏重返NBA。”

In addition to inconvenient travel plans on a moment's notice, some agents worried about the physical toll their clients endured and lack of sleep as former Brooklyn Nets two-way player Milton Doyle noted.
除了接到通知需要立刻动身的不方便旅行计划外，一些经纪人担心自己的客户身体上会承受更多压力，睡眠时间也会减少，正如前篮网双向球员米尔顿·多尔说的那样。

"It gets crazy sometimes just because you never know when you're going to get the call," Doyle said. "Somebody might get hurt or be sick or anything. You might get a call at twelve, one, or two in the morning and they tell you that you've got to fly out at 6:00 in the morning. The flight, just to get to the airport — especially in New York — is crazy traffic and then a flight. It just takes a toll on your body with whatever traveling you're doing."
“有时候会变得很疯狂，因为你不知道什么时候会接到电话。”多尔说，“有人会受伤或者生病。你可能在凌晨12点，1点或2点接到电话，对方说你得在早上6点坐飞机赶来。特别是在纽约，去机场的交通太痛苦了，接着还有航班。不管什么样的旅行都会对身体产生影响。”

These are the types of trips players will endure for that NBA daily paycheck, and even pass on a mother's home-cooked meal, as Detroit Pistons two-way player Reggie Hearn explained.
为了获得NBA级别的薪水，球员愿意忍受这样的旅行，有时甚至会放弃妈妈做的饭，活塞的双向球员雷吉·赫恩做出了解释。

"There was one where we had a game at Grand Rapids at seven and Detroit had a game in Detroit at seven," Hearn said. "At 3:45 I got a call saying that I needed to come to Detroit and I think that was to play Miami. I think at the last second, one of the guys was a no go, so Stan (Van Gundy) wanted to make sure he had an extra wing on the bench, so I packed up all my stuff in 15 minutes. My mom was at my house ready to go to the game that night at Grand Rapids. I had to tell her, ‘Hey, sorry.' She made some chili, and mom makes some bomb chili (laughs). Then we got in the car, and as we pulled away they decided that the roads were too bad, so I was with Jon Phelps, our GM, so we just ended up heading straight to the game in Grand Rapids. I thought I was going to Detroit and making a heck of a lot more money that day."
“有一次我们在大急流城有场7点的比赛，活塞在底特律7点也有场比赛。”赫恩说，“3点45时我接到一个电话，让我去底特律，那场比赛是打热火。我觉得是在最后一刻，他们有球员不能不上场了，所以斯坦(范甘迪)希望板凳上有额外的侧翼球员，为此我15分钟就打包好了行李。我妈妈当时在我家，准备那天晚上去看大急流的比赛。我只能跟她说，'嘿，对不起。'她做了些辣味的饭，我妈做辣的东西特好吃。开车后我们被拦下了，因为路况太差了，最终我和总经理乔·菲尔普斯一起只能改道去了大急流城的比赛。那天我以为自己能去底特律挣一大笔钱。”

Quinn Cook may have been the biggest winner of the two-way sweepstakes. He began the season as a two-way player for Golden State, averaged 9.5 points and 2.7 assists in 33 games played during the regular season, signed a multi-year deal with the Warriors and won a ring. For each executive, Cook offers hope that a two-way player can become a component to success.
奎恩·库克可能算是双向合同的最大受益者。他先是成为勇士的双向球员，在常规赛的33场比赛里拿到9.5分2.7助攻的场均数据，接着和勇士签下多年合同，最终赢得了一枚总冠军戒指。对球队管理层来说，库克就是双向球员能够成为胜利拼图的希望。

"I like having another young player under our control to develop, and it allows for more flexibility and bodies to work with our younger roster players during development work," an Eastern Conference general manager said. "I don't like that the 10-day talent pool is more diminished for teams."
“我希望拥有一个受自己控制的年轻球员，在培养的过程中我们可以有更大的灵活性，年轻球员可以得到更多锻炼机会。”一个东部球队的总经理表示，“我不喜欢10天短合同的球员池越来越小的情况。”

Along the lines of the executive's point regarding the dilution of talent for the 10-day pool, agents are hesitant to the new two-way idea of locking a player into one team for the season. In the past, their client could earn a call-up to a team that had a more pressing need and playing time readily available.
除了管理层以为10天短合同球员越来越少的说法外，经纪人也对双向合同将一名球员锁定在一支球队一个赛季的做法存在犹豫态度。过去，他们通常可能赢得更有需求球队的召回，并能立刻获得上场时间。

Some two-way players such as Jalen Moore (Bucks), Bronson Koenig (Bucks), Yakuba Ouattara (Nets), Eric Griffin (Jazz) and Michael Young (Wizards) never played a minute in the NBA. Several other players appeared in five or fewer games while on two-way contracts for their NBA team.
一些双向球员，如贾伦·摩尔(雄鹿)，布朗森·科尼格(雄鹿)，亚布巴·奥特洛(篮网)，埃里克·格里芬(爵士)和迈克尔·杨(奇才)从未打过一分钟NBA的比赛。另一些双向球员在NBA只出场过五场或更少的比赛。

"Teams previously could access all the top players in the G League if they needed or wanted to," another agent said. "Now they're very limited. If a team needs to call up a point guard, they will not be able to call up the best point guard in the G League since he's likely locked in on a two-way with someone else."
“如果有需要或者想要，球队过去可以找到发展联盟的所有顶尖球员。”另一名经纪人说，“现在他们受限了。如果有球队想招名控卫，他们不会找到发展联盟最好的控卫，因为他可能已经和别的球队签了双向合同。”

Looking ahead, some agents suggested changes to improve the two-way system. Multiple agents said they want the league to eliminate multi-year, two-way deals and limit the number of two-way contracts a team can use per season.
展望未来，一些经纪人建议做出改变，改善双向合同体系。多名经纪人希望联盟取消多年双向合同，取消限制球队每个赛季可以签下双向球员的数量。

"Teams like Milwaukee and Houston had at least four different guys on them (two-way contracts) throughout the year," one agent said. "They are not being used for 'development' players. They're being used as a way to circumvent the cap and a free (no cap hit) insurance policy against injury."
“一个赛季里，雄鹿和火箭拥有至少四名(双向)球员。”一名经纪人说，“双向合同没有被用来‘培养’球员，它们只是被用来规避工资帽，这是对受伤球员的一种免费保险(还不触及工资帽)。”

Multiple agents also said they believe late second-round picks are being selected partly due to a willingness to take a two-way deal and it could become a trend going forward. In last year's draft, Shake Milton (54), Thomas Welsh (58), George King (59) and Kostas Antetokounmpo (60) all signed two-way contracts.
多名经纪人还表示，他们认为二轮末段的新秀之所以被选择，是因为他们有接受双向合同的意愿，这可能在未来成为趋势。去年的选秀中，谢克·米尔顿(54)，托马斯·威尔什(58)，乔治·金(59)和科斯塔斯·安德托昆博(60)签的都是双向合同。

Overall, if you're a fringe NBA player coming out of college, looking for a second chance in the league or preferring to remain in the States instead of going overseas, the two-way contract gives you a chance to make an impression on a team over the course of a season and become a full-time NBA player. In the process, you'll endure difficulty with travel schedules. If you're an executive, you can use multiple two-way players such as the Rockets and Bucks last season to save money against the salary cap, try out reclamation projects for an extended time and find a difference maker such as the Warriors with Cook. If you're an agent, it's imperative to correctly place your client with a team that will prioritize development, offer a chance to play and as concise travel plan as possible.
总的来说，如果你是一名刚离开大学的NBA边缘球员，想寻找进入联盟的第二次机会，或者不想去海外想留在美国，那么双向合同能为你提供一个在赛季过程中给球队留下印象的机会，让你有可能成为全职的NBA球员。在这个过程中，你要忍受艰苦的旅行安排。如果你是管理层，你可以像上赛季的火箭及雄鹿那样，使用多名双向球员以规避工资帽的现实，在较长的时间里尝试不同球员，像勇士找到库克那样找到一个与众不同的球员。如果你是一名经纪人，那么让客户进入一支强调球员发展，提供上场机会，且旅行计划尽可能简单的球队就非常重要了。