"Luka Dončić?"
Mike Budenholzer frowned slightly.
As Europe's golden boy, Dončić was naturally someone Budenholzer knew well—he had even scouted him before. Budenholzer was very high on Dončić. Whether it was his physical tools or the offensive creativity he showed on the court, everything pointed to the potential to become a future superstar.
What's more, drafting Dončić would mean grooming him as the team's franchise centerpiece.
"Chen Yilun, you know what things are like on my end. Drafting Dončić would face too much resistance."
Mike Budenholzer expressed his concerns in a roundabout way.
"I know what Atlanta's situation is like,"
Chen Yilun said, still unwilling to give up. "But you have to trust my eye, Mike Budenholzer. That Dončić really has potential. If his playstyle didn't clash with my Jokić's, I'd have snatched him up myself."
As the league's two future European kings, both Dončić and Jokić relied on ball-dominant systems with heavy usage. So no matter how tempting it was for Chen Yilun, he simply couldn't have both.
Listening to Chen Yilun, Mike Budenholzer's expression gradually grew serious.
Chen Yilun's sharp eye for talent was already well known. Judging by the past couple of years, it even showed faint signs of surpassing the legendary Logo Man.
If Chen Yilun was personally recommending Dončić by name, then drafting him was basically a guaranteed win.
"Ah!"
Mike Budenholzer let out a long sigh before speaking.
"I understand what you mean. I'll go talk it over with the owner right away. If it's possible, I'll take Luka Dončić."
To Chen Yilun, Dončić was one of the league's future faces. Rather than letting someone else take him, it was better to keep the prize within the circle.
Having Mike Budenholzer bring Dončić under his wing was clearly the best option.
That was exactly why Chen Yilun had made this call.
"Who knows how it'll all turn out in the end,"
Chen Yilun said, leaning back in his chair with a hint of weariness.
The league's current landscape was already completely different from what he remembered. As a reborn individual, the useful information Chen Yilun could rely on had dwindled to almost nothing.
At this point, he was truly crossing the river by feeling the stones—taking things one step at a time.
"Enough of that!"
Chen Yilun suddenly slapped his cheeks and sat up straight.
"There's always a road ahead. We'll deal with it when the time comes."
As he spoke, he glanced at the calendar on the desk.
"Everything will be decided at the draft."
...
...
June 22nd, Barclays Center.
The scene was still familiar, but unlike before, this year's draft was far more lively than the previous two.
Chen Yilun's earlier predictions about the Class of 2018 had already spread throughout the league. The league itself followed up with well-timed promotion, directly pushing the exposure of this draft to a level comparable to the frenzy of 2014.
Chen Yilun strolled casually into his private room.
"How are the preparations coming along?"
he asked the moment he walked in.
The room was already full, and there was a stranger seated off to one side.
"You're here,"
Chen Yilun said, giving the man a brief nod without adding anything else.
The man wasn't truly unfamiliar—it was Grunfeld, who had been fired by the Wizards and later taken in by Chen Yilun.
"Any trade news?"
Chen Yilun asked curiously.
"No,"
Peja shook his head. "Given the situation right now, everyone's hoarding their picks. No one wants to make a move, so there's no news."
"That's fine,"
Chen Yilun waved his hand.
"None of them want to be the first bird to stick its head out. But once the draft starts, they won't have a choice but to move."
While Chen Yilun was chatting with the team, his phone suddenly rang.
"Oh! There it is!"
After glancing at the caller ID, a satisfied smile appeared at the corner of Chen Yilun's mouth.
"Boss, what brings you to call me today?"
The caller was none other than Mr. Jordan, the owner of the Hornets.
"Can't I call you when I've got nothing better to do?"
Mr. Jordan's booming voice came through the phone.
"I don't buy that for a second."
Chen Yilun didn't believe a single word of it. This was someone who never acted without profit in mind, and the two teams hadn't had any special relationship before.
This call was obviously coming with a request.
"Alright, let's talk business,"
Mr. Jordan said after a brief exchange of pleasantries.
"The draft's about to start. That No. 8 pick you've got—are you thinking of moving it?"
Here it comes.
Chen Yilun's interest was immediately piqued.
"Since Mr. Jo is asking, I'll show you some respect. Let's see what kind of offer you're willing to make."
"Our No. 11 pick, plus Cody Zeller. What do you think?"
The offer was actually reasonable. If the deal went through, it wasn't bad at all.
After all, Chen Yilun would only be dropping three spots in the draft and would get a Zeller who averaged 7 and 5 in return.
But that price didn't fit Chen Yilun's current plans.
"Mr. Jordanrdan, it's not that I don't want to trade with you,"
Chen Yilun said slowly.
"But there's nothing I can do. Our roster spots are already tight, and we've got rookies coming in this year. We really can't add another player."
What Chen Yilun was really doing was sending Mr. Jordan a clear signal.
If you want to make a deal, then bring future assets to the table.
After hanging up, Mr. Jordan turned to the silver-haired elder sitting across from him.
"What do you think?"
This man was none other than Mitch Kupchak, the Hornets' newly hired General Manager and President of Basketball Operations.
Kupchak thought for a moment before speaking.
"Chen Yilun isn't talking nonsense. He really does need future assets. But he didn't say exactly what he wants—he's probably waiting for us to make the first offer."
"So what kind of price makes sense?"
Mr. Jordan asked, completely in the dark about this sort of thing.
"A first-round pick is out of the question,"
Kupchak said, narrowing his eyes.
"Even if it's a lottery pick, it's only a three-spot difference. Adding a first-rounder—even a protected one—wouldn't be worth it. My bottom line would be two second-round picks."
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / GhostParser