With the Finals concluded, the curtain slowly rose on free agency.
The stars' performances were over—now it was time for managers like Chen Yilun to take the stage.
Just as everyone was sharpening their knives, preparing to make moves, a photo suddenly appeared online.
The background showed the end of the Western Conference Finals. At the center were Steve Kerr and Chen Yilun, arms around each other, whispering closely.
A head coach from one team and the GM of another, shoulder-to-shoulder, hands covering their mouths as they talked—anyone would think they were plotting something.
Whether it was coincidence or deliberate by the Warriors, news soon broke that the legendary Jerry West was about to retire.
Taken together, the implications were enormous.
Rumors spread like wildfire: "Chen Yilun is going to the Warriors to succeed the Logo Man."
"What the hell is this?!"
Malone's booming voice echoed outside Chen Yilun's office.
"You're not seriously leaving, are you? I'm telling you! Big cities aren't good—the people there are way too slick. It's better here!"
"Hold it, hold it!"
Chen Yilun waved his hands quickly, signaling Malone to calm down.
"I never said I was leaving."
He couldn't help but laugh when he saw Malone's face flushed red with panic.
"Then what's with all those rumors about you joining the Warriors?"
Hearing the reassurance, Malone finally relaxed.
When he'd first heard the news, it felt like the sky had collapsed. This team was built by Chen Yilun from the ground up. If he left, Malone alone could never keep the young guys under control.
"The Warriors did try to lure me," Chen Yilun said, motioning for Malone to sit. "But I turned them down. Their roster is already complete. There's no room for me to maneuver there. Staying in Sacramento makes more sense—at least here, they still need me."
Malone let out a long breath and slumped into his chair. "Good. That's good."
"You have no idea—I was sweating bullets when I heard that rumor."
Then something hit him. "Wait, if you're not leaving, why didn't you step up and deny it?"
"That's just to give our dear boss a little pressure."
Chen Yilun stretched with a grin. "Remember during the Western Conference Finals when I said I had good news? I got promoted—I'm moving up to President of Basketball Operations."
"President of Basketball Operations?!"
Malone's jaw dropped so wide you could fit an egg inside.
"You shot up like a rocket, huh? Already a president?!"
Chen Yilun pulled an exaggerated face. "What can I say? Too good for my own good."
"No wonder you didn't deny the rumors. You were using that as leverage!"
His move was simple: Ranadivé, you'd better increase my power and perks. Otherwise, if I get even a little unhappy, I could just head to the big city in Oakland.
And so, on the third day after the rumors began, one announcement crushed all speculation—
The Kings officially appointed General Manager Chen Yilun as President of Basketball Operations, while he continued to serve as GM.
To fans, the news didn't matter much. Executives like Chen Yilun never had the visibility of players.
But in management circles, it landed like a nuclear bomb.
"He's already president?"
Buford scratched at his thinning hair, dumbfounded. "That's way too fast! How old is that kid, anyway? Not even 30, and he's already President of Basketball Operations? Never heard of such a thing."
Frustrated, he snapped the newspaper shut and tossed it onto the desk.
"That kid's gotten under my skin. I've been grinding in this league for decades, and I'm still just a GM. How long has he even been here? And now he's climbed over my head?"
Across the table, the old man sitting opposite was practically giddy with schadenfreude.
"See that? The new wave is pushing the old out! You're the old wave—time to wash up on the shore and die already."
As the saying goes, one man's joy is another man's sorrow. While things were settling in Sacramento, inside the Warriors' offices, Steve Kerr wore an expression of amused exasperation.
"I knew something was off! Turns out they were just using us to drive up his value! Hahahaha!"
Even West, who'd seen everything in his career, couldn't hold back his laughter.
"You're too naive. You think a GM like Chen Yilun is that easy to poach? And you thought you could use your mentor-student bond to tie him down? That little fox is far too clever."
Embarrassed by West's merciless teasing, Kerr's face burned.
"Enough, Jerry, you're laughing too hard. Tone it down."
"If I ever trust him again, I'm a dog!"
...
...
Right after taking office, Chen Yilun convened the team's first internal offseason meeting.
"Our flexibility in this year's draft is pretty limited."
He stroked his chin as he spoke.
The price of the Kings' recent rise was coming due. This year, the team had only one first-round pick at No. 26. Other picks acquired in trades were either used up or hadn't yet come due.
"This pick isn't bad, actually."
Malone chimed in, trying to ease the mood. "The team's trending upward. Even if we had a higher pick, we wouldn't have enough minutes to develop a top rookie. Taking a later pick for a potential steal is fine."
"Coach Malone's right. Our main task this year isn't the draft anyway."
Divac spoke up. "This year, the only stable contracts we have are Gay and Butler. Everyone else is either on team options or heading into free agency. Deciding on extensions is the real key."
"But if we stick to our original plan..."
Peja continued. "We can afford to delay some of those extensions."
"The salary cap is about to jump significantly. If we want to chase a superstar in the trade market, we can hold off on renewals for now to protect our cap space."
The Kings' salary cap situation was extremely reasonable.
The biggest deal was Butler's 5-year, $95 million contract signed in 2015. Next came Thaddeus Young's 4-year, $50 million deal, also from 2015, and Rudy Gay's 3-year, $35 million contract.
"If we want to strengthen the roster further, Porter has to go."
Otto Porter, the third overall pick in 2013, had once been a "mini-star" for the Wizards. But now, with just one year left on his contract, it was clear that once his rookie deal ended, he would demand a long-term, high-value extension.
"Then trade him!"
Chen Yilun sat at the head of the table, twirling a pen between his fingers.
"Moving him clears cap space too. On our path to building this team, there can't be a single obstacle in our way!"
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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