16.6 million in 2 years! 127 million in 3 years! The most important thing is to prove your No. 1 pick, don’t blame the NBA for being ruthless to you

The NBA is not short of talent, but only stars who truly continue to realize their talents can gain a foothold in the league. Take NBA No. 1 pick Simmons for example. He was once regarded as "James' successor". He was at his peak when he debuted and signed a five-year maximum salary contract of $197 million designated rookie terms. However, due to injuries and psychological reasons, everyone is beaten by rats across the street. Simmons was 29 years old when he was supposed to make a contribution, but no one was interested in losing his job. This makes people feel sad and angry at the age of not fighting! Looking at the NBA today, there are two NBA No. 1 picks who urgently need to prove themselves, otherwise, they are likely to become the next Simmons.

2 USD 16.6 million, Ayton's chances and challenges coexist

The first pick to prove that he is Ayton, who is the Lakers. Ayton is the No. 1 pick in 2018 and has helped the Suns reach the finals, but Ayton's slightly cleanliness-obsessed style is incompatible with his rough face. This is how "Aibao" is famous. After Aibao's rookie contract expired, the Suns offered him a one-year qualification offer of US$16.4 million, and the latter became a restricted free agent. According to statistics, Ayton is the first No. 1 pick in NBA history to receive a qualification quotation, and the amount of this qualification quotation has set a new record in the NBA history. It can be said that it is not very harmful and has strong insults! The Suns finally matched the four-year, $133 million contract issued by the Pacers, but Ayton was traded by the team to the Portland Trail Blazers a year later. The Trail Blazers are in a mess, but Ayton still can't stand the wall. He lives in a panic and squanders his talent while standing there. He averages two-double per game but cannot arouse the fans' slight pleasure.

In this offseason, the Trail Blazers selected Chinese young player Yang Hansen with the No. 16 draw and continued to hoard inside talents. In order to focus on cultivating potential new stars such as Klingen and Yang Hansen, the Trail Blazers cut the mess quickly and bought out Ayton at a lightning speed, who gave up his salary of about $10 million. Obviously, Ayton also knew that he was not in the future plan of the Trail Blazers. Of course, Ayton, who had $30 million, is a hot potato, but Ayton, who was bought out, has become a high-quality lottery. The Lakers recruited him with a two-year, $16.6 million contract to assist the Donghuang combination. The Lakers lack players in the inside, and there are also cake feeding masters such as Doncic, James, and Reeves. This will be an opportunity for Ayton to prove himself again, and opportunities and challenges coexist. In the words of NBA famous reporter Tim MacMahon, Ayton is not a mediocre person, but he has to fulfill his talent and use his talents to help the team. He can either become a long-term pillar of the Lakers or become a passerby in Los Angeles.

3 127 million, Zion became the second hot potato

who needs to prove that his No. 1 pick is Zion of the Pelicans. Zion is the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NBA. He once won all the games in the NCAA. This is also the reason why the Pelicans did not hesitate to send Davis to the Lakers in order to get him. First of all, we must admit the fact that a healthy Zion can indeed defeat all sides in the NBA arena. Especially in the rookie season, Zion played only 24 games, averaging 22.5 points + 6.3 rebounds + 2.1 assists, with a shooting percentage of 58.3%, almost snatching the Rookie King Trophy from Morant. But the problem is that Zion inherited the mantle of the thick-browed glass, and was constantly injured. According to statistics, Zion played no more than 30 games in the first six seasons of his career. Among them, the rookie only played 24 games in the season, was reimbursed in the 21-22 season, only played 29 games in the 22-23 season, and only played 30 games in the 24-25 season.

Even though Zion only played 85 games in the first three seasons of his career, the Pelicans were still unwilling to give up easily and provided him with a five-year, $197 million maximum salary renewal contract, which can indirectly reflect how explosive Zion's talent is. The Pelicans added many clauses to this contract, including weight, attendance, and other clauses. Zion once changed his playing style in order to activate these contract terms, but the problem is that Zion still cannot stay healthy and has completely become a hot potato. It is a pity to give it up if it is tasteless. Zion has three years and $127 million left in the contract. The Pelicans have converted its $39.5 million contract for the new season into full guarantee, but his 26-27 season (42.17 million US dollars) and 27-28 season (44.89 million US dollars) are both unsecured contracts. When the Pelicans selected Quinn, known as the "mini version of Zion" with the No. 13 draw in the 2025 draft, many people reached a consensus: the new season will be the watershed in Zion's career, and he has to prove that he can maintain health and dominance to have a way out.

The most important thing is to prove your No. 1 pick. Don't blame the NBA for being ruthless to you

Eaton or Zion, they all have unique No. 1 pick talent, and they all signed a large contract worth over 100 million US dollars after the rookie contract ended. But the problem is that the NBA league is preyed on the weak, and if you fall behind, you will be beaten. Only by continuously realizing your talent can you survive. However, due to their personality or injuries, they are now the No. 1 pick that needs to prove themselves the most. At least from the current situation, Ayton and Zion's careers have reached the most dangerous intersection. Those who know the times are heroes, while those who make changes are truly heroes. Both Ayton and Zion must realize that the danger is approaching, and be sure to learn from Simmons's lesson, otherwise, don't blame the NBA for being ruthless to you. Simmons's today may be the tomorrow of Ayton and Zion! Fans, what do you think about this? Let me leave me a comment and discuss it.