As the saying goes, some rejoice while others grieve. While Sacramento was celebrating in full swing, other teams were drowning under a gloomy cloud.
"How did Chen Yilun manage to snatch him away?"
Coach Stevens leaned against the wall, frustration written all over his face.
"All our efforts were for nothing."
"Not for nothing."
Ainge, ever the calm veteran, sat beside him, completely unfazed.
"Chen Yilun gets the meat; we'll just sip the leftover soup."
"What soup?"
Ainge's cryptic remark left Stevens bewildered.
"None yet," Ainge said calmly. "But tomorrow, Chen Yilun will start cooking it for us."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Stevens frowned, confused.
"That's why you've still got more to learn," Ainge said slowly, leaning back in his chair. "I've told you before—success brings danger, but failure brings opportunity."
"Think about it. Didn't Chen Yilun just 'eat' Durant?" Ainge sounded like a patient teacher explaining a lesson.
"Durant agreed to join Sacramento, but he'll definitely demand a max contract, right?"
"Of course," Stevens nodded.
"Then does he have enough cap space?"
At that, Stevens froze for a moment before realization hit him.
"He needs to clear cap space! Otherwise, he can't even sign Durant!"
"Exactly. And that's where our opportunity lies."
Ainge smiled, pleased to see Stevens finally getting it.
"Chen Yilun probably didn't expect Durant to agree so quickly, so he hasn't cleared the space yet. Right now, he's the easiest person to negotiate with. Players he planned to keep or sell at a premium will now go cheap."
"So we should take advantage of this window while he's scrambling to clear space and strike a deal?"
"Not quite a robbery," Ainge said quickly, seeing Stevens getting excited. "We're not the only ones circling—every other team's watching him too. But if we drive down prices a bit and grab some quality assets, that's fair play."
"I get it now." Stevens' mind suddenly felt clear.
"Remember," Ainge continued, "the free agency market is never a simple zero-sum game. Think where others don't. Try what others won't. That's the courage and instinct a great general manager should have."
"So, should we call Chen Yilun now and ask if he wants to make a trade?"
"Hey!" Ainge raised a hand to stop him. "If we rush in, we'll lose our leverage. Go home, rest up. Tomorrow, that little Hyena will come to us."
They weren't the only ones with that plan. Many GMs were already sharpening their knives, ready to squeeze Chen Yilun for a deal the next day.
...
Meanwhile, what was Chen Yilun doing at this moment?
He was drawing circles.
Chen Yilun stared at the roster full of circled names and tossed his pen aside in frustration.
"Didn't I tell you we should've moved earlier? Now look—tomorrow we're negotiating contracts, and we don't even have enough cap space!"
"This is humiliating!"
He shoved the documents across the table in anger.
Peja, sitting opposite him, flinched nervously.
"Boss, it's not my fault. I've been trying to trade players since day one, just like you said. But the other GMs aren't idiots—they've all been lowballing us. Some of their offers were downright insulting."
Peja looked utterly defeated. He'd done everything by the book, but the other GMs weren't playing fair. And with Chen Yilun completely focused on Durant, things had dragged to this point.
Chen Yilun rubbed his temples, exhausted.
"Alright, alright, I get it."
He waved Peja off, thinking for a moment before speaking again.
"I'll figure something out. We'll just have to sell cheap."
...
...
The next day, inside Durant's mansion.
"These are our conditions."
Rich Kleiman handed over a thin document listing every detail of Durant's move to the Kings.
Chen Yilun skimmed through it quickly, then passed it to Peja beside him.
Details like this were Peja's job—Chen Yilun only needed to keep the big picture in mind.
"For the contract, we'll go with what you suggested—a 1+1 deal. If Kevin feels I don't keep my promises next season, he can leave anytime."
Durant nodded approvingly at that.
"As for the roster you want to keep—"
Chen Yilun glanced at the paper again.
"CJ, Jimmy, Young, Nikola, and Devin—those five are non-negotiable for us too. And I'll give you my word: when Oden's contract ends next year, I'll re-sign him. That way, we'll maintain our size inside, and Kevin won't have to play a position he dislikes."
Durant's eyes lit up immediately. He'd always hated playing in the paint, so this promise hit home.
"As for the salary," Chen Yilun continued, "don't worry—I'll give you the biggest contract I can within the rules."
"Not the biggest you can give," Kleiman interrupted. "We want the biggest allowed by the rules."
"Of course, of course."
Chen Yilun wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"Three days. Give me three days, and I'll bring the contract myself."
"I'll be waiting for your good news," Durant said with a grin.
Durant was in a great mood.
After a night of online buzz, the main discussion was still shock over his move and praise for the Kings' decisiveness. Only a few hardcore Thunder fans were hurling insults.
As Chen Yilun stepped out of Durant's villa, he exhaled deeply.
"We've got no choice—dump those contracts, even if it's for pennies."
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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