"After winning the championship, many people lose their drive."
With that one line, Buford revealed the hidden truth behind why dynasties are so hard to sustain: the NBA is, at its core, a business league. Players are here to make money. Once they've won a title, motivation starts to waver—after all, very few play purely for honor.
On top of that, broadcast revenues keep climbing, and salaries are rising with them. That only makes things tougher for small-market teams.
No one understood the Spurs' predicament better than Buford, yet no one felt more powerless. Knowing what the problem is is one thing, knowing how to fix it is another, and actually turning a solution into reality is something else entirely.
Right now, Buford was stuck at that last stage. You can't make something out of nothing.
"My personal suggestion?" Chen Yilun finally spoke up when he saw Buford's troubled face. "If there's a chance, trade Belinelli now. Cash in while he still has good value."
Belinelli was someone Buford himself had brought in, and he had worked hard for the past two years without complaint.
"Belinelli? Why? He's playing pretty well," Buford asked, puzzled.
"Because his ceiling is already set. We won the championship last year, and at the end of the day, he's still European—he could always return home if things soured here," Chen Yilun said flatly.
He didn't spell everything out, but someone as shrewd as Buford would understand.
Belinelli was a textbook NBA role player—a swingman with size, some defense, low usage, and reliable shooting that could plug into any rotation.
That kind of player always finds a spot in the league—every team wants one. But there's one big problem: the shelf life is short.
Once his defense slips or his shot declines, his value collapses instantly.
If you're American, that's manageable—you can still bounce around the league as a journeyman. But Belinelli isn't. He's a proud Italian national team star. Don't be fooled by his current role; back in Italy, he'd be the absolute centerpiece. And with different tax rates in Europe, if he ever felt dissatisfied in the NBA, he could turn his back and head home for more money, less stress, and closer to family. And if that happens, there's nothing the team can do.
The best example? One of the future Blood Brothers, Mirotic—who walked away from his prime years in the NBA to return to Spain!
Same paycheck, but now he's the team leader, enjoys all the perks, and plays right at home. Who would rather stay here grinding as a blue-collar role player?
"Oh, and don't forget Splitter!" Chen Yilun cut in before Buford could think further. "He's still got good value right now too. Might as well move him."
Brazil's Splitter had a similar issue. Though he was still the Spurs' starting center, his effectiveness relied heavily on Duncan's continued dominance. As Duncan aged, Splitter's flaws would be exposed more and more. By then, he'd be worth far less.
Chen Yilun dared to bring this up because he had foresight. To Buford, though, it sounded like madness.
Belinelli was one thing—he came off the bench. But Splitter was a starter! If he traded him now, who would play center? Make old man Duncan carry that burden?
Seeing Buford's displeasure, Chen Yilun raised his hands helplessly. "I'm telling you this sincerely, because I see you as one of my own. It's fine if you don't believe me."
Buford quickly put on his trademark sly smile again. "Of course. No matter what, you'll always be one of us. Now, drink!"
...
Time flew, and soon it was the end of January.
Over the past month, the Kings stumbled their way to a 30–16 record. Unsurprisingly, they slipped out of the top four in the West and were now fifth. Behind them, the Mavericks and Trail Blazers were lurking.
But there was good news too. Thanks to Sacramento's relentless promotion and Chen Yilun's shameless vote-mobilizing back home, Cousins secured his spot in the All-Star Game as expected. CJ, meanwhile, barely edged out Westbrook to grab seventh place among Western Conference guards.
Normally, only the top six make it. But with Kobe sidelined by injury, CJ managed to sneak in as the final selection.
"Finally, mission accomplished!"
As everything settled, Chen Yilun let out a long sigh of relief.
To complete this challenge, he had practically thrown his pride away. If he'd failed, he would've cried himself to death.
"Beep! Mission completed: at least two players from your team have entered this year's All-Star roster. Reward distribution beginning now!"
The long-silent System's electronic voice rang out again, and Chen Yilun's eyes instantly welled up. It hadn't been easy. This damn System gave out so few tasks and often acted dead. It wasn't like other people's Systems that popped up every episode. If it weren't for the occasional rewards, he might've forgotten he even had one.
The Intermediate Boost Pack he'd been dreaming about!
He hurriedly opened it. A dazzling golden light flashed.
"Beep! Congratulations, host has obtained the 'Dribbling Veteran' Silver Badge and a Team Stamina Boost Card."
The Dribbling Veteran Silver Badge: a universal badge. Once bound to a player, it permanently adds 15 points to that player's dribbling attribute. Cannot be unbound.
The Team Stamina Boost Card: usable during a game to restore 20% stamina to five designated players. Reusable.
Now this was the good stuff—genuine quality.
Seeing his rewards, Chen Yilun was so excited he nearly jumped off his bed. The Dribbling Veteran badge was one of the core badges for perimeter players, while the stamina card gave him another trump card to swing games.
"Perfect, perfect."
At this point, he had three badges stored: the All-Around Bronze Badge, the Catch-and-Shoot Bronze Badge, and now the Dribbling Veteran Silver Badge. Plus two boost cards: Three-Point Boost and Stamina Recovery.
For now, Chen Yilun decided to hold onto the badges for the future. Aside from Jokić, there wasn't a single player he truly considered untouchable.
Not even CJ, whom he had heavily invested in. As a time traveler, Chen Yilun knew CJ's ceiling too well. To truly maximize him would require an enormous cost.
A team's rise never happens overnight. Those rebirth novels, where a team makes one blockbuster trade in the offseason and then storms to a championship—that just doesn't happen in reality.
"Alright, time to prepare. The final move begins now."
Chen Yilun stared at the dense spreadsheets on his laptop, his gaze turning firm.
...
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