On the streets of Los Angeles, a slightly overweight African American man in a floral shirt strolled casually down the avenue.
His trademark smile lingered as he greeted fans who recognized him along the way.
Just as he was deciding where to grab lunch, his phone suddenly rang.
"Jerry! What a surprise—you actually have time to call me!"
"You shouldn't have stepped in, Magic."
Jerry West's voice came through cold and firm from the other end of the line.
"Relax, man, always so uptight!" Magic Johnson laughed teasingly.
He knew his former colleague's temper all too well, so the threat in West's tone didn't faze him in the slightest.
"I get it—you're trying to strengthen your roster. But that hyena isn't easy to handle. You can't control him, big bro. Better let your little brother take over."
The troublemaker who nearly turned these two Lakers legends against each other? None other than Chen Yilun.
After reluctantly parting ways with Crowder and Casspi, Chen Yilun wasted no time reopening trade talks.
The new target was Otto Porter Jr., who had performed impressively last season.
After the chaos of the past few days, Chen Yilun now sat firmly in control.
Using the increased salary cap and the $10 million cap space acquired from the Crowder trade, he easily handed Kevin Durant a two-year, $54 million contract.
With Durant secured, Chen Yilun now had the flexibility to work the free agent market.
The player he put on the trading block was Otto Porter Jr., one of the most sought-after floor-spacing wings in the league.
With no bargains left to chase, teams began preparing for serious negotiations.
With the small-ball era in full swing, wings who could shoot and defend saw their value skyrocket.
Even with only one year left on his rookie contract, Porter still drew strong interest from multiple teams.
When his rookie deal expired, he'd become a restricted free agent—giving his original team the right of first refusal. That made Porter one of the most valuable trade pieces on the market.
The Warriors and Celtics were initially leading the race for Porter—until the Lakers, fresh off Kobe Bryant's farewell tour, suddenly jumped in and threw everyone's plans into chaos.
"What's so special about you bottom-feeders that you're trying to poach him too?"
West snapped, visibly agitated. "I can't believe this—you, of all people, stabbing me in the back!"
"What do you mean, bottom-feeders?"
Hearing his old colleague lose his composure, Magic quickly cut him off. "Watch your mouth, man! Your statue's still standing outside Staples Center. Bottom-feeders? Really?"
Magic sighed and began to explain.
"Logo, it's not that I wanted to backstab you—I really didn't have a choice. Last season, I could use Kobe's farewell tour as an excuse, but now that he's retired? If I don't make a move soon, the Buss family's little princess will have my head."
Right now, the Lakers' backcourt featured "The Filipino Jordan" Clarkson and "American Sasuke" Russell, along with super sixth man Lou Williams.
Inside, they had Randle and Nance Jr.
The team desperately needed a reliable wing.
Among the available players on the market, Otto Porter Jr. was the best fit for the Lakers' roster.
That's why Magic didn't hesitate to go head-to-head with his old friend, Logo.
"Don't overthink it. You know how that hyena is—since your team's the biggest obstacle in the West, he'd rather ship Porter to some random Eastern team than sell him to you. So really, why not just let us have him?"
But the backroom maneuvering between these two legends was far from Chen Yilun's concern.
He already had his own plans for Porter's destination.
"Are you guys still in or not?"
Leaning back in his chair like a boss, Chen Yilun stared at the video conference screen.
"Of course I want him. It's just... your asking price is a bit much."
Raptors GM Masai Ujiri's face turned red as he struggled for words.
Chen Yilun's opening demand was simple: two to three first-round picks—or no deal.
Any other year, Ujiri would've cursed him out and hung up without hesitation.
But this year was different. He didn't have the leverage to say no.
After all, Chen was offering Otto Porter Jr.—a proven, high-value player.
And after hearing that the Trail Blazers had given Allen Crabbe a four-year, $75 million deal, Ujiri's entire sense of reality began to crumble.
Four years, $75 million? Two years ago, that kind of money went to legitimate All-Stars.
Allen Crabbe? Who even was that?
A small forward averaging barely ten points a game—and he gets $75 million?
If one GM did that, Ujiri would've laughed him out of the room.
But when half the league was doing the same thing, he started to doubt himself.
Why was everyone else doing it? Was he the one being stupid?
In that moment of self-doubt, Chen Yilun approached him.
And when Ujiri saw Otto Porter Jr. on the trade table, temptation was inevitable.
If he could land Porter, he'd get one year on a cheap contract—and the right to re-sign him first.
At that point, Porter was at the peak of his value.
In Washington, he'd been treated like a budding star.
After moving to the Kings, his touches decreased, but his per-minute production actually improved.
A tall forward with range, defensive ability, and some playmaking skills—exactly what the Raptors lacked.
Chen Yilun's plan was simple: send the players he developed but couldn't use to the Eastern Conference—to make LeBron's path a little tougher.
Last season, his "super Wizards" lineup couldn't pressure LeBron much in the playoffs due to a weak bench.
Now, Washington's next tradable first-round pick wasn't until 2020—they were as broke as a bankrupt town. Even bandits would pity them.
So Chen Yilun had to choose between the Celtics and Raptors for his next move.
"If you think it's too expensive, don't buy. No need to waste our time. If you're not in, I'll go talk to Boston—they've got plenty of first-rounders!"
Ujiri quickly gestured for him to wait.
After a long moment of hesitation, he finally said,
"Three first-round picks are impossible... but we can talk about other assets!"
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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