The Timberwolves taking Fox with the sixth pick still left Chen Yilun feeling a bit disappointed.
As a reborn basketball fan, he had a real soft spot for the "Swipa Fox" who helped revive the Kings franchise.
Unfortunately, in this timeline, there was simply no place for Fox on his team.
Next came the Magic with the seventh pick.
After losing their preferred target, Isaac, they immediately drafted Arizona's Lauri Markkanen as a replacement.
Seeing the frontcourt frenzy in full swing, the Mavericks at No. 8 shifted gears and grabbed French prodigy guard Frank Ntilikina!
Owner Mark Cuban had been eyeing this kid for a long time.
In the original timeline, Ntilikina was also Dallas's first choice—but the Knicks swooped in and stole him back then.
The Hornets followed by selecting Dennis Smith Jr. with the ninth pick.
The Nuggets, whose record had been worse than in the original timeline, slid from the 13th to the 10th pick. After assessing their needs, they went with Malik Monk—the other half of Kentucky's "Twin Guns."
The Portland Trail Blazers smoothly picked up Donovan Mitchell at No. 13.
The Pistons selected Bam Adebayo with the 14th pick.
"Total chaos!"
Chen Yilun sat in front of the TV, scribbling notes at lightning speed.
Maybe because of historical inertia or the lack of strong rookie classes in the past couple of years, earlier drafts hadn't changed much.
But this year? It was an absolute mess—might as well enjoy the madness while it's hot.
The top three picks stayed the same as in history, but the lottery was completely reshuffled.
Isaac, who should have been the Magic's defensive anchor and a game-changing piece, landed in Phoenix instead.
Swipa Fox, once the hope of Sacramento's revival, ended up in Minnesota, joining forces with his former senior, Karl-Anthony Towns.
With Fox now in the mix, the Timberwolves instantly caught Chen Yilun's attention.
Unlike the original timeline, where they had overflowing talent but no true leader, this version of the Wolves had already stockpiled three young standouts—Wiggins, Towns, and Fox.
A new generation of young wolves was already forming.
Meanwhile, the Magic's "steal" of Finland's Jordan Markkanen didn't amount to much—given their current state, adding him barely moved the needle.
The biggest twist in the West was the Blazers. After losing CJ, they ended up with Mitchell instead—an unexpected blessing in disguise.
A Lillard–Mitchell backcourt duo in the new season? That was definitely something worth looking forward to.
As the names were called one after another, Chen Yilun sat up straighter, taking the proceedings more seriously.
"Boss, new intel just came in."
Peja hurried over in quick steps.
"The word from Philly—they're chasing a late first-round pick."
"The 76ers?"
Chen Yilun froze for a moment, then remembered.
Right, around this time, the 76ers were indeed hunting for a late first-rounder.
They eventually traded their own 2020 first-round and second-round picks to the Magic for this year's 25th selection, using it to draft Latvian center Anžejs Pasecniks.
Sounds unfamiliar? Exactly!
This European prospect didn't officially enter the NBA until 2019—and after just 28 games across two seasons, he was out of the league.
That single move burned through most of Jerry Colangelo's hard-earned credibility.
To make it worse, right after this tongue-twisting European name came several solid players—Kyle Kuzma, Derrick White, and Josh Hart.
If Chen Yilun was willing to trade his own 18th pick, Philadelphia would actually be the best potential buyer right now.
But the thing was, while he did want to move his pick, he preferred trading down to gain some future assets—not selling it outright.
Thinking of this, Chen Yilun slowly turned the tail ring on his left hand.
"Only Philadelphia?"
"Only Philadelphia," Peja replied with a helpless shake of his head.
"The teams picking after us are dead set on staying put."
Hearing that, Chen Yilun clicked his tongue in frustration.
Among all the first-round talents this year, his favorite was OG Anunoby.
But using the 18th pick on him felt like overpaying—yet there weren't any good trade-down options available either.
That left him stuck in a tough spot.
Should he take Anunoby now, or trade for future assets?
Chen Yilun wrestled with the decision... until someone made it for him.
"Boss! Boss!"
Peja came running back, breathless.
"Philly reached out again. Orlando's offer was a 2020 first and a second-rounder. Philly's ready to match—and even go higher!"
"What?!"
Before Chen Yilun could react, Malone jumped up first.
"They're offering that much for a late first-rounder? And Philly's agreeing to it?!"
If the 76ers didn't end up with a top-five record in 2020, this deal would be an absolute steal for the Magic.
And yet, Philly was ready to sign off on this near daylight robbery?!
It showed just how confident—no, arrogant—Old Colangelo had become about his roster.
In his mind, this team would be a true championship contender within two years.
Chen Yilun's thoughts were quickly interrupted again.
"Colangelo's camp just put out word—they're willing to top Orlando's offer if we're open to selling. They're even considering adding another first-round pick!"
"How much?!"
Chen Yilun shot up from his chair like a spring-loaded fish.
"Two firsts and a second?!"
Peja nodded, swallowing hard.
"Yeah… I thought it was insane too when I heard it. Orlando really helped us jack up the price!"
Peja was about to add more, but by then Chen Yilun had already dashed to the landline phone in the room.
To make communication easier between teams, the league had installed direct lines in every team's draft room.
"What the hell are we waiting for?!" Chen Yilun roared.
"You don't come across suckers like this every day! Miss this one, and you'll never see another like it!"