That same afternoon, not long after Chen Yilun and Blackstone wrapped up their discussion, news began leaking out of Sacramento.
"The Kings plan to prioritize re-signing CJ?"
In San Antonio, Buford removed his reading glasses with a frown.
"Why?"
He had been quietly observing, waiting for Chen Yilun's next move.
But to his surprise, instead of making Jokić the top priority—as Buford had predicted—Chen Yilun turned his attention to CJ instead.
"Something's off. Way off!"
Buford muttered, rising from his chair and pacing across the office.
"There are plenty of guards on the market this year, but big men like Jokić are rare. What's Chen Yilun thinking?"
A high-post playmaking center like Jokić had always been Popovich's favorite archetype.
But the Spurs weren't exactly short on frontcourt depth.
They had Kevon Looney, drafted in 2015, and Christian Wood, whom Chen Yilun himself had recommended last year—both now working their way into the rotation.
"CJ, huh?"
Buford began weighing the possibility.
The Spurs had traded their previous year's first-round pick to the Kings in the Crowder deal, leaving them empty-handed at the draft.
Their starting point guard was still Tony Parker, now running on his last legs.
Backup Patty Mills' contract was also expiring, and he was preparing to test free agency.
So Buford's eyes naturally drifted toward CJ.
Among available guards, CJ offered one of the best value propositions.
Just look at the trade chatter floating around lately—
New Orleans' Jrue Holiday, Atlanta's Jeff Teague, Minnesota's Ricky Rubio and Kris Dunn, Houston's Patrick Beverley, even the Clippers' Chris Paul.
The market was flooded with quality point guards this year.
For Buford, it was almost too much to choose from.
Right now, he found himself torn between Holiday and CJ.
Holiday brought elite perimeter defense, capable of locking down opposing stars one-on-one.
CJ, though, was an unpolished gem—already showing flashes of brilliance.
Under Popovich's guidance for a couple of years, he might just grow into the Spurs' next long-term answer in the backcourt.
"This is driving me crazy!"
Buford groaned, rubbing his temples as he paced around the room.
This was the busiest time of the year for general managers—scouting free agents, fine-tuning contracts, and even weighing how players might mesh on and off the court.
And with the Kings' sudden rise to power, many Western Conference contenders found themselves caught in a silent panic.
...
"I still think this move is too risky."
Steve Kerr sat in Bob Myers' office, his brow furrowed.
"If we bet wrong on this, it could all blow up in our faces."
"I don't really have a choice," Myers said, sipping his coffee.
"If we don't make a move now, do you honestly believe we can beat Sacramento next season?"
Just that one sentence left Kerr speechless.
"Jerry's back," Myers added suddenly.
"Jerry? Where?"
The moment he heard that, Kerr perked up. "You mean the Logo Man? Didn't he retire for good?"
"Ballmer brought him back."
Myers' mouth twitched as he said it. As one of the wealthiest owners in the league, Steve Ballmer's ability to get what he wanted with his billions was unmatched.
He'd managed to lure Jerry West—the legendary former Lakers executive, long retired and content—to the Clippers.
Hearing that West had returned to the game made Kerr uneasy.
Having worked alongside him before, he knew exactly how terrifying West's basketball mind was.
Jerry West—the man with the "Hand of God"—now paired with Ballmer, a billionaire willing to spend anything?
Kerr wouldn't be surprised by whatever chaos they could unleash.
"Then let's go for it," Kerr said finally, resolve hardening in his voice.
"If we hesitate and the Clippers start moving, we'll be left with nothing."
If last year's offseason was the year of cap explosions and mega-contracts flying everywhere, then 2017's was shaping up to be an All-Star free-for-all.
Indiana's Paul George had just requested a trade.
In New York, Carmelo Anthony was pushing to leave.
Utah's Gordon Hayward was entering free agency.
And then there were the superstar names—Chris Paul in L.A., Stephen Curry in Golden State.
Meanwhile, players with player options—Durant, Griffin, Millsap, and others—were preparing to test the waters too.
The entire league was on edge, every general manager ready to make a power play.
Land just two All-Stars this summer, and a team could transform overnight from a sparrow into a phoenix.
So at this moment, every front office was doing the same two things—
Clearing cap space. Stockpiling assets.
...
While the rest of the league turned into a powder keg, what was Chen Yilun doing?
"Whack!"
With a clean, powerful swing, Chen Yilun lifted his head, squinting as he tracked the golf ball's arc through the sunlight.
"You really leaving?"
Mike Brown stood beside him, dressed in a full golf outfit.
"Yeah, I've gotta go."
Brown smiled faintly.
"When I first came here, I'll admit—I had my own agenda. I figured I was better than that half-baked Malone. With your support behind the scenes, I thought maybe I could find my chance to replace him and make the team ours."
He let out a sigh.
"But once I got here, I realized Malone may be young as a head coach, but the guy's got real coaching chops. And after this championship? His job's rock-solid."
They climbed into the golf cart and started down the fairway.
"Got your next stop lined up?"
Chen Yilun wasn't surprised by Brown's decision.
After all, Brown was head-coach caliber material—no matter how good their relationship was, he couldn't stay in Sacramento forever as an assistant.
"Yeah, it's settled," Brown said, scratching his head a little awkwardly.
"Philadelphia."
"Philadelphia? But their head coach is… Oh—"
Chen Yilun's eyes widened slightly as realization dawned.
The 76ers' head coach last season had been their old mentor, Brett Brown.
After years of guiding the team through rebuild after rebuild to stockpile top draft picks, he'd finally been cast aside.
And his replacement? None other than his former protégé—Mike Brown.
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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