"Boston is already waiting for us in the Finals! Come on, guys, step it up!"
Coach Malone stood in the locker room, looking at his players with a relaxed expression.
"That's not the same thing."
Jokić muttered under his breath, lips pouting as he spoke.
"What kind of opponents are we facing compared to Boston? We're facing four-star Warriors. Boston only had to deal with a LeBron who's barely hanging on. The level of intensity isn't even close!"
"Say a little less, will you?"
Gay grabbed Jokić and pulled him back as a reminder.
"That's enough."
Durant, who had been silent the whole time, finally spoke up.
"Today's the day. Don't drag it out anymore. We've still got a tough fight waiting in the Finals. Let's send Golden State home and go get our second ring!"
As the locker room buzzed with loud banter and mutual hype, Butler and Rose were tucked away in a corner, chatting quietly.
"No wonder you kept saying you wanted me to come here before,"
Rose said thoughtfully.
"This really is an excellent team."
"Of course it is. When have I ever lied to you?"
Even Butler, usually known for his toughness, only showed this side of himself in front of his old big brother Rose.
"I'm telling you, you should've come to me back in the summer. What did Cleveland even have? Was it really worth going there on a minimum deal?"
Thinking about what Rose went through with the Cavaliers still made Butler angry. If the Cavs hadn't already been eliminated, Butler would've made sure they paid for it.
"Let's not talk about that."
Rose had always intentionally or unintentionally avoided that period of time.
"Alright, alright, I won't."
Seeing Rose didn't want to continue, Butler wisely shut his mouth.
"Get some rest. You'll probably need to get on the floor today."
After patting Rose on the shoulder, Butler stood up and went to talk tactics with Durant.
"I'm playing?"
Rose froze for a moment.
Because of tactical needs, he hadn't gotten any minutes in the previous games. He'd thought he was going to coast straight into the Finals, but suddenly he was being told he'd need to play.
"The Western Conference Finals…"
Rose narrowed his eyes and murmured to himself.
"This is really something to look forward to."
...
...
"Those Knicks really have insane luck!"
In his office, Chen Yilun stared at the news on his computer screen, grinding his teeth in frustration.
The Knicks draft pick he held had originally been protected for the top five. Who would've thought the Knicks' luck would explode this year and land them the fourth pick, successfully keeping their own selection.
"No rush. Dodge the first, you can't dodge the fifteenth forever,"
Prince, sitting across from him, said to comfort him.
"We'll talk about it next year."
Since the Knicks kept their pick this year, the draft pick in Chen Yilun's hands automatically rolled over to a top-three-protected pick in 2019.
It was likely that the league had sensed the Kings were starting to show signs of becoming a dominant force, so some behind-the-scenes maneuvering helped the Knicks keep their pick.
The draft lottery had always left room for backstage operations. To maintain competitiveness across the league, teams with poor records or internal issues were often given a little extra leeway.
"But still, this is good enough. Two high first-round picks is plenty."
Talking about it put Chen Yilun in a good mood.
Years of buildup had finally paid off this season.
The Nets pick acquired from Boston ultimately turned into the eighth overall pick, while the Wizards pick became the 15th.
As for second-rounders, the Kings still held Miami's 46th pick, though Chen Yilun ultimately failed to protect his own second-round selection.
All told, the Kings still entered this draft as a well-off family, holding two first-round picks and one second-round pick.
"Hold on tight to that eighth pick. Don't listen to any offers before the draft."
"Huh?"
Prince paused slightly, hearing the hidden meaning in Chen Yilun's words.
"Boss… what do you mean by that?"
Prince asked, a little incredulous.
What Chen Yilun really meant was clear: don't sell before the draft, but once draft day arrives, anything could happen.
"So our first-round pick isn't untouchable?"
"Tayshaun."
Chen Yilun looked at Prince earnestly.
"There's no such thing as an untouchable asset in this league."
Chen Yilun continued explaining.
"Don't look at how everyone's hyping this draft class, or how valuable the Suns' No. 1 pick supposedly is. If we said we wanted to trade for Durant, they'd be lining up faster than anyone."
As he spoke, Chen Yilun spread his hands.
"That's just how it is. Everything has a price—neither you nor I are exceptions. So-called untouchables just haven't been offered a high enough price yet."
Listening to Chen Yilun, Prince felt like he was slowly being pulled into the massive whirlpool of league management.
"And another thing,"
Chen Yilun went on.
"That eighth pick is in a bit of an awkward spot. I'm not that interested in it. If there's a chance, I'd actually like to move it back a little."
As soon as Chen Yilun finished speaking, Prince's face instantly showed an I knew it expression.
Who didn't know that President Chen Yilun loved trading down—turning a high pick into several lower ones and then treasure-hunting later in the draft?
The key was that Chen Yilun almost always hit the mark. Among the young players the Kings had developed, aside from Booker being a lottery pick, most of the others were late first-rounders, second-rounders, or even undrafted players.
As a result, many teams were now trying to copy Chen Yilun's approach, which had driven up the value of late picks compared to the past.
"So, boss, does that mean you already have a player in mind?"
Prince asked curiously.
"Of course I do."
Chen Yilun glanced around, then lowered his voice.
"Do you know why I was so obsessed with stockpiling 2018 draft picks before?"
"Why?"
Prince immediately perked up.
After all, Chen Yilun's obsession with 2018 picks had once reached an almost insane level.
What was strange, though, was that after hoarding so many picks, Chen Yilun had recently started selling them off.
The back-and-forth felt especially odd.
"I hoarded picks earlier because I didn't know which team would end up with a high pick, so I had to cast a wide net,"
Chen Yilun explained unhurriedly.
"But later on, things became clearer, so we could sell off the lower-value picks. As for why it had to be 2018—"
Chen Yilun leaned forward slightly.
"Because I'm convinced that this year's draft will be a super draft class, one that can stand shoulder to shoulder with the class of 2003."
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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