Got it! A four-year maximum salary contract! He has regained his status as the top Chinese forward.

Congratulations, congratulations.

Zhang Zhenlin received a four-year D-class maximum salary contract offer from the Shanghai team...

Last summer, this guy was traded from the Liaoning team to the Shanghai team. Last season, he held a B-class contract and played 42 regular-season games for his new team, starting 38 times, averaging 26.6 minutes per game with 10.7 points, 2.9 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.6 steals, with three shooting percentages of 46.9%, 32.2%, and 78.4%. This year's playoffs, he played 11 games all as a starter, averaging 31.4 minutes per game with 11.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.5 steals, with three shooting percentages of 53.1%, 35.7%, and 85%.

The statistics cannot fully reflect Zhang Zhenlin's role for the Shanghai team. He is both offensively and defensively capable, and can pass, organize, and connect plays. He is arguably second only to foreign players. He made great contributions to the Shanghai team winning the championship trophy again after 24 years, and he currently holds 4 championship rings.

So it is very reasonable for the Shanghai team to keep Zhang Zhenlin with a four-year maximum salary contract. He is now 27 years old, in the prime golden age of a basketball player.

Because of his outstanding performance on the Shanghai team, Zhang Zhenlin's reputation has gradually improved, and he has even regained the title of the top domestic forward. Many people began to feel indignant that he could not join the national team. In the first stage of the past World Cup qualifiers, he played 3 games for the Chinese men's basketball team, averaging 8.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1 assist.

To be fair, a versatile forward like Zhang Zhenlin can only maximize his role in a suitable system. However, the current head coach of the Chinese men's basketball team, Guo Shiqiang, apparently does not have the manual for using him, and he favors wing players who are primarily role players, such as Zhu Junlong.

By the way, Zhang Zhenlin's Shanghai team teammate Li Hongquan is also a role player type, but instead he has shone for the Chinese men's basketball team. In the last two World Cup qualifier games, he played a total of about 41 minutes, made 8 of 19 shots, and scored 26 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists.

Li Hongquan also received a contract extension from the Shanghai team, a two-year C-class contract. He could have fought for a maximum salary, but he chose to make sacrifices for the team's future recruitment.