Nuggets General Manager Connelly was in his office reviewing the rookie list when the phone suddenly rang. He glanced at the caller ID—an unfamiliar number.
"Hello, this is Chen Yilun, General Manager of the Kings."
That simple sentence made Connelly straighten in his seat. Of course, he knew the name of the Kings' new GM, and he wasn't naive enough to believe the rumors that this unknown figure was as incompetent as outsiders claimed. In this league, no one is a fool.
If the GM was young, that only made him more dangerous—very likely a sly fox. And to top it off, he came from the Spurs organization!
Generally, when one GM calls another, it's for one of two reasons: either to fish for information about your team's plans, or because he thinks he can get something out of you.
"Hello, what can I do for you?"
"Well, I have a trade proposal and wanted to know if you'd be interested." Chen Yilun's voice came through clearly.
In an instant, Connelly mentally ran through the Kings' roster.
"I'm sorry, Manager Chen, but the Kings don't have any players we're looking for right now. Still, thank you for calling."
"No, no, I think you've misunderstood. I believe you'll definitely be interested in this year's eighth pick," Chen Yilun replied with a smile.
The eighth pick! Now you're talking.
Connelly's tone shifted immediately. "Hahaha, of course, of course. If you're looking to trade the eighth pick, we're very interested."
This year, the Nuggets had the 11th pick. Moving up to No. 8 would be a jump of three spots—significant in a deep draft like this. It could greatly improve their chances of landing a quality player.
The Kings really were the Kings—willing to sell their own assets without hesitation. Connelly mentally dropped Chen Yilun into the "third-rate GM" category without even realizing it, and his guard lowered.
The Negotiation Expert's bronze badge was already at work. "Of course, if you're trading the eighth pick, what do you want from us in return?"
"The eleventh pick you hold," Chen Yilun replied. A standard move—trade down for a slightly lower pick and ask for a little extra. "And Wilson Chandler."
"That's impossible!" Connelly shot up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. Chandler was the team's third-leading scorer—his ceiling might be limited, but he still averaged 13.6 points last season.
You want a throw-in, and you're aiming for one of our core pieces? Do you think I'm an idiot? "That's off the table. At most, I'll give you a 2016 first-round pick with lottery protection."
It was a fair offer. By 2016, the Nuggets' rebuild would likely be done, and that pick would probably fall in the 16–20 range. Trading a future late first plus No. 11 for this year's No. 8 wouldn't be a bad deal for Chen Yilun.
"No, no," Chen Yilun shook his head like a rattle. "We want players who can contribute now. 2016 is too far away."
"In that case… What about Andre Miller?" Connelly offered after a brief pause.
"Miller? He hasn't retired yet?" Chen Yilun's voice carried a touch of mockery. Miller had entered the league in 1999. Forget whether the engine still had oil—he was an old car. Even if it did, how fast could it still run?
"Then what do you want?" Rejected twice in a row, Connelly was getting irritated. He threw the question back.
"At least give us Hickson. That's my bottom line."
No chance. Hickson was a key rotation player, averaging 11.8 points last season. "Starting players are off-limits. That's my bottom line."
In truth, Chen Yilun would've been nervous if Connelly had agreed—he'd be shooting himself in the foot. 2013 was Hickson's last season averaging double digits, and he'd soon fade from the league entirely.
"Then… Mozgov. And you need to include your 41st pick this year. Otherwise, it's not worth it for me."
Now his true intentions were out. Mozgov might be a raw, lumbering big man now, but in the future he'd be part of what Chinese fans called Cleveland's "Seven Samurai," even if only for a short two-season run. With proper development, he could become the Kings' defensive anchor inside, covering for Cousins' massive defensive holes.
Mozgov, huh? Connelly didn't reject the idea outright. Trading him would weaken their interior defense, but they could always pick up another big in the market. As for the 41st pick, Connelly chose to ignore it, seeing it as Chen Yilun squeezing for a little extra.
"If that's the case, we can discuss it further. But I'll need to review the details with management."
Connelly played the "management" card.
"Of course," Chen Yilun said. "Personally, I'm fine with the deal, but if you swapped Mozgov for Fournier, I think it'd be even better."
Still trying to bargain, this old fox. Chen Yilun snorted. "Do you really think the Kings need another shooter like Fournier? We're already stacked with Ben McLemore, Ray McCallum, and the 'Lonely God' Fredette. Adding Fournier would be pointless."
Realizing his suggestion didn't make much sense, Connelly chuckled awkwardly. "I'll get in touch with management right now and give you an answer tonight." Then he hung up quickly.
Hearing the busy tone, Chen Yilun's lips curled into a small smile. Barring surprises, his first trade was in the bag.
In the end, the 2014 draft class proved to be more media hype than real talent—few true stars emerged, and everyone around the eighth pick turned out to be a bust. But there were some gems in the late lottery and second round. None of that mattered, though—he had nabbed the Nuggets' 41st pick.
The same pick they once used to draft future MVP Nikola Jokić.
Sure, Chen Yilun could have gone all-in for more picks and stockpiled potential stars, but he knew you can't build a contender overnight. These prospects were still raw, and the Kings didn't have the infrastructure to develop them all.
This wasn't just a matter of "trade for a future star and he'll be just as good." The training system, coaching support, the player's own effort, and opportunity—all of these were essential. After careful thought, Chen Yilun decided that, given the Kings' current situation, two promising players were the limit.
The next day, the trade between the Kings and Nuggets was announced. After a night of haggling, Chen Yilun ended up including veteran Reggie Evans in the deal.
The market buzzed with debate.
In TNT's live studio, Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith discussed the trade.
"As expected, I think this is a reasonable move for the Kings," Kenny began.
"By trading down, they added Mozgov, boosting their rim protection and interior presence. Mozgov showed great defensive instincts last season, and replacing Evans with him should shore up their weak-side defense."
"No, no," Barkley shook his head like a rattle. "Mozgov's a good defender, sure, but his offense—especially creating his own shot—is terrible. And with such a lumbering frame next to Cousins, I'd bet their transition defense takes a big hit. Plus, they gave up that valuable No. 8 pick."
"They didn't completely give it up," Kenny countered, wagging a finger. "They still have the No. 11 pick. It's two spots down, but still in the lottery."
Then he grinned. "Besides, their GM is Chen Yilun. Back with the Spurs, he had a knack for finding talent late in the draft—and a pretty good success rate."
"That's only because he had no choice. When have the Spurs had a high pick in recent years?" Barkley shot back, drawing laughter in the studio.
No one could yet say who truly won the trade—it was too early to tell. Especially with dark clouds already gathering over Miami…
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