"Monty? You've taken a liking to that kid?"
Hearing Chen Yilun say the name, Grunfeld thought for a moment before recalling who he was talking about.
Monte McNair was also a veteran within the league.
He had started out as a data analyst and spent twelve years grinding away in Houston, steadily working his way up to become the Rockets' assistant general manager.
"Why do you like him?"
Grunfeld asked, clearly puzzled.
McNair had plenty of experience, but he had always been a GM's right-hand man and had never actually run a team himself.
"I believe in his ability,"
Chen Yilun replied offhandedly.
In the original timeline, after Divac's series of baffling decisions led to his resignation in 2020, it was McNair who took over as the Kings' general manager.
Over the next three years, McNair gradually dragged the franchise out of the mud.
He fired Luke Walton and elevated Mike Brown. He snagged Tyrese Haliburton in the draft, then later engineered the Haliburton–Domantas Sabonis trade. Bringing in Malik Monk to form the Kentucky backcourt duo was also his work.
Through a patchwork of smart moves, he helped the Kings return to the playoffs after a sixteen-year drought.
McNair was later named the 2023 NBA General Manager of the Year.
His greatest strengths were turning scraps into assets and building a clean, flexible salary structure.
That was exactly why Chen Yilun had his eye on him.
"You're really willing to trust him?"
Grunfeld looked at Chen Yilun in surprise. "Didn't expect that. That kid must have some serious luck to catch your attention."
Grunfeld laughed self-mockingly.
"Then again, this league already belongs to you young guys. It's about time the newcomers got their chance."
Chen Yilun's sudden rise had triggered a massive shake-up across the league's front offices.
Before him, front offices were all about seniority and factions.
Who had the right mentor, who had been around longer—those were the people who thrived.
But once Chen Yilun appeared, owners across the league were shocked to realize that in front of someone younger and far more agile in thinking, the old guard of executives were steadily losing ground.
It was no exaggeration to say that Chen Yilun had single-handedly carved out a path for the league's younger generation.
"That's all I'll say for now,"
Chen Yilun said as he walked alongside Grunfeld. "Once you're in position, I'll contact you. Don't worry—we've got a solid foundation. You won't be shortchanged."
As they talked, Chen Yilun began explaining the structure of his current network.
The more Grunfeld listened, the more sweat gathered on his forehead.
"Hiss…"
Grunfeld took a deep breath.
"Boss."
When he spoke again, there was unmistakable fervor in his eyes.
"I never imagined you'd already developed this far in places no one even noticed."
"Just work hard,"
Chen Yilun said, patting Grunfeld on the shoulder.
"Once you're settled in, I'll find a way to replace the head coach with one of our own. When that happens, how the league runs will be up to us."
"Right, right, right!"
Grunfeld rubbed his hands together excitedly.
The idea of monopoly was deeply embedded in every squid person's instincts. It was something etched deep into their nature.
And what Chen Yilun was aiming for now was precisely that: monopoly.
How could that not excite Grunfeld?
At present, the teams Chen Yilun could influence included his own Kings, the 76ers controlled by Brown and Blackstone, and the Jazz under Snyder and Divac.
As for Grunfeld, Chen Yilun planned to send him to the Nets.
Just as Chen Yilun was mapping out his next steps, Malone walked over.
"There's something I need to talk to you about,"
Malone said straight away. "There's been a lot of chatter around the league lately. A lot of rumors are pointing at our assistant coaches."
"Who?"
Chen Yilun replied casually.
Once the season ended, teams across the league were itching to reshuffle their front offices. Naturally, the Kings' outrageously stacked assistant coaching staff became the hottest target.
"Who exactly?"
Chen Yilun asked with interest.
"Mostly Monty,"
Malone said with a shrug. "He came here to build his résumé. Now that he's got a championship and his reputation's gone up, it's only natural that he wants to leave."
At present, Malone's lead assistant, Monty Williams, had both the résumé and tactical chops of a head coach.
But with head coaching jobs in the league far scarcer than candidates, Monty had taken a more indirect route.
Using the Kings as a platform to boost his value.
And it worked—after just one year in Sacramento, teams were already coming for him.
"Do we know which team?"
"Yes. Washington."
The Wizards?
Chen Yilun froze for a moment.
In their current state, were the Wizards really trying one last desperate push?
Sensing Chen Yilun's confusion, Malone explained,
"Things are chaotic over there. Even after Ernie was fired, the team still hasn't stabilized."
"Last season, the Wizards sold DeMarcus Cousins a dream—talked him into forcing his way back at the end of the season to drag the team into the playoffs. Now Cousins has gone into surgery, and the team's walked back on their promises. That's why not only did Ernie step down, even their previous head coach, Brooks, got dragged into it."
Brooks?
The speaker hadn't meant anything by it, but Chen Yilun immediately caught on.
Coach Brooks—Durant's former mentor.
He had helped Chen Yilun before during the Grunfeld situation. Maybe this was a chance to bring him in directly?
After all, because of philosophical differences, Monty had never truly integrated into Chen Yilun's system during his time in Sacramento.
If Monty left and Brooks came in to bolster the assistant coaching staff… that actually had potential.
With that thought, Chen Yilun looked at Malone.
"I get it."
"When it rains, it pours. If Monty wants to leave, let him go. But go ask Brooks if he's willing to take Monty's spot."
Malone's expression immediately turned thoughtful.
"That… might actually work."
After thinking it through, Malone rubbed his hands together, visibly excited.
"Not only does it fill Monty's vacancy, it also helps us later when it comes to re-signing Durant. This is good. Really good."