"Alright, alright! When did you get so naggy? Don't worry, I'll make the pick when the time comes!"
Chen Yilun laughed and hung up the phone.
"Who was that?"
Peja, sitting beside him, asked curiously. The caller clearly carried some serious weight—his usually composed boss had just been all smiles and politeness.
"Who else could it be?"
Chen Yilun picked up his glass and took a sip of water.
"My cheap mentor, John Calipari."
"What did he want?"
Hearing that name, Peja couldn't hide his surprise.
"Oh, the usual."
Chen Yilun replied casually. "He's got a few of his guys entering the draft this year. He just wanted to put in a good word—hoping I might take one off his hands if I get the chance."
Such things were nothing new.
NCAA head coaches often used their networks to help favored players land on solid teams—it was practically tradition between the NCAA and NBA.
Even Villanova's Jay Wright, who famously hated playing politics, had called earlier to ask Chen Yilun to look out for one of his protégés.
Peja was about to ask more when the music from the main stage began to play.
Adam Silver, his polished bald head shining under the lights, stepped onto the stage with a bright smile.
"Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the 2017 NBA Draft!"
After a brief pause to let the anticipation build, Silver began the ceremony.
"Before I announce the first name, I have a trade to report."
His words instantly drew everyone's attention.
Who had managed to buy their way to the top pick?
"The Philadelphia 76ers have traded their third overall pick and a protected 2018 first-round pick to the Boston Celtics in exchange for the number one overall pick!"
The arena erupted in murmurs and surprise.
Chen Yilun sat back in his chair, a faint smirk curling his lips as he watched the broadcast.
So the 76ers went through with it after all. They'd handed the top pick to the Celtics on a silver platter, helping them form a "double top-three" lineup.
Jerry Colangelo—brilliant all his life—finally slipped. From this very trade, his once-golden reputation would begin to crumble.
When the noise in the venue finally settled, Adam Silver continued.
"With the first overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, the Philadelphia 76ers select Markelle Fultz from the University of Washington!"
The moment the announcement left his lips, cheers filled the arena. Fans stood to applaud and celebrate the new No. 1 pick.
Fultz rose calmly, hugged his family, then walked up to the stage to embrace Adam Silver and pose for photos.
Next season, the 76ers would boast an impressive young core—Fultz, Simmons, and Embiid. Two No. 1 picks and a No. 3 overall in one lineup—a rookie superteam.
Meanwhile, in the Celtics' draft room, Danny Ainge watched the broadcast with a pleased grin.
Ainge was a hard realist—never one to gamble blindly on potential.
The very night Fultz worked out for the Celtics, Ainge had already decided to sell the pick.
"Good thing that old man Colangelo was around," Ainge said, stretching lazily. "Without him, we might've been stuck holding that top pick."
In Ainge's mind, walking out the door without finding a deal was a loss. Trading away an unwanted No. 1 for a No. 3 and a future first-rounder? That was a steal.
Colangelo really was a generous man.
Just then, Adam Silver returned to the podium.
"With the second overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, the Los Angeles Lakers select Lonzo Ball from UCLA!"
The cheers rang out again, though not as thunderous as before—and mixed with a few chuckles.
The eldest Ball son stood up and waved to the crowd.
Thanks to his father's endless online antics over the past year, the Ball family had become the talk of basketball.
As the first Ball to enter the league, Lonzo drew immense attention from every corner.
At his table, a young man with wild dreadlocks and a sharp red suit watched enviously.
"Lamelo, don't rush it. Your turn's coming soon," said Ball Sr., giving his youngest son a reassuring pat on the shoulder.
When Adam Silver read Lonzo's name, Danny Ainge exhaled in relief.
"Good—he's still there. Everything's going exactly to plan."
A few minutes later, Silver took the stage again.
"With the third overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, the Boston Celtics select Jayson Tatum from Duke University!"
"Here we go."
Chen Yilun's expression grew serious.
After all the maneuvering, the Celtics still ended up with their two top prospects.
Chen Yilun hadn't bothered trying to interfere.
Those two would take years to develop—well beyond his current championship window. In the end, strength came from within. Instead of plotting against others, he focused on improving his own team.
The next few picks diverged slightly from the original timeline.
The Suns, originally at fourth, slipped to fifth, while the Knicks moved up to fourth.
The Kings' former fifth pick now belonged to the Magic.
"With the fourth overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, the New York Knicks select Josh Jackson from the University of Kansas!"
That pick made perfect sense. The Knicks had nothing and needed everything.
With Carmelo Anthony certain to leave that summer, taking an explosive, athletic scorer like Jackson to fill the gap was a logical move.
"With the fifth overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, the Phoenix Suns select Jonathan Isaac from Florida State University!"
A surprise twist!
Isaac replaced De'Aaron Fox, who had been projected to go fifth.
The Suns already had Eric Bledsoe as their ball-dominant guard—adding another like Fox would have created redundancy. After careful thought, they went with Isaac instead.
Next up were the Minnesota Timberwolves at No. 6.
After a moment's deliberation, they selected De'Aaron Fox, filling the void left by Ricky Rubio's departure.
"Yes!"
When Adam Silver called Fox's name, Calipari—watching from his couch in Kentucky—couldn't contain his excitement.
When Fox wasn't picked fifth, his heart had nearly sunk, but sixth overall was still a great outcome.