"Hey, hey, hey! Mr. Chen! Can you hear me? This is Old Cui from the XX Youth Training Team."
Ever since Chen Yilun had gotten in touch with the Basketball Association and expressed his willingness to cooperate with domestic basketball, it was like opening Pandora's box.
The very next day, his phone didn't stop ringing.
The domestic basketball circle was so small, everyone was connected in some way. The Basketball Association hadn't tried to keep the news under wraps.
By nightfall, word had spread everywhere—Chen Yilun was open to cooperation.
That was all it took to stir things up.
In the past, a few people had reached out, but always cautiously. After all, while everyone called it basketball, Chen Yilun was playing at an entirely different level.
What if he dismissed domestic basketball as too weak and refused to get involved?
That was why Director Zhang had traveled to the U.S. in the first place.
But now Chen Yilun had made his stance clear: while he worked abroad, he was still committed to supporting basketball back home.
That changed everything.
As a General Manager, Chen Yilun had plenty of resources, but there was no way he could carry the entire domestic basketball scene on his shoulders.
Still, those who reached out early and made themselves known would have a better chance of gaining opportunities later.
Rumor had it that people from some of the top clubs were already booking flights to Sacramento to meet him face-to-face.
After fielding call after call, Chen Yilun finally couldn't take it anymore and switched on Do Not Disturb mode.
Keeping your phone on 24/7 was part of a GM's job, but if he didn't turn it off now, he wouldn't even be able to run a meeting.
At the conference table, nearly the entire Kings front office was present, quietly waiting for him to finish.
"Go on, go on."
Chen Yilun gestured for his analyst to continue the report.
"Our main task this offseason is Rudy Gay's contract. His deal expires this summer, and he'll become a free agent."
"Rudy's been very professional," said head coach Malone, the first to speak. "We've already talked with him—he's happy with the team's direction and is even willing to take a pay cut."
"If possible, we should definitely keep him. Rudy's done a great job as the locker room leader, and Cousins listens to him."
After hearing everyone out, Chen Yilun set the tone for Gay's extension.
As a versatile all-around player, Rudy Gay was in the perfect role now. The team didn't need him to put up superstar numbers and carry them on his own. They just needed him to be the steady veteran presence, keeping things stable and helping organize the offense when necessary.
Even more importantly, Gay was one of the few players in the league who could actually keep Cousins in check.
(If you're curious, look up the clip of Gay and Cousins going at it—it's hilarious.)
"Go ahead and talk to him. Try to lock him in for another three years, but keep the annual salary under $10 million."
In the original timeline, Gay had also re-signed with the team this offseason, on a three-year, $40 million deal.
But with the roster changes now, his role as the second option had already dropped to the third.
If he were an ambitious second-in-command eager to prove himself, he would've demanded a trade long ago.
But Rudy was different—he was known for not being overly competitive.
As long as his job was stable and he had the team's respect, there was an 80% chance he'd stay. He was even willing to take a pay cut for comfort and consistency.
"Another issue is this year's draft."
With the contract settled, the discussion immediately moved on.
"This year, we only have the first-round swap option with the Knicks. Do we need to make another trade to get more picks?"
Coming right after the blockbuster 2014 draft class, the 2015 rookies looked underwhelming by comparison. Many scouts were already calling it a weak draft year.
"No need to rush. Let's see what kind of gift our friends in New York hand us."
The room burst into laughter.
Last year, Chen had made a deal with the Zen Master (Phil Jackson). With both Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire sidelined by injuries, the value of that swap pick was climbing higher and higher.
"My take is this…"
Once the laughter died down, Chen Yilun continued, "After the draft order is set, we'll take another look. Honestly, I'm not impressed with the players projected at the very top this year."
"If the Knicks really give us a big gift, I'm planning to trade down again—turn one pick into multiple assets."
Most of the front office agreed.
The Kings already had a strong core of young talent. There was no need to gamble on raw potential with a high pick. At this stage, the smarter play was to turn one into many, collect promising role players, and develop them.
...
After the meeting, Chen Yilun returned to his office and turned his phone back on.
"Ding, ding, ding…"
Instantly, messages poured onto the screen like a flood.
"What on earth is this?" Chen Yilun muttered in frustration as he checked his missed calls—only to see that Director Zhang had tried to reach him twice.
He quickly returned the call.
"Hello, Director Zhang, sorry about that. I was in a meeting with Do Not Disturb on. What's the matter?"
"My apologies, Mr. Chen. I'm sure you've been pestered by people back home all day," Director Zhang said, sounding slightly guilty. "Don't worry, I've already reported it to the higher-ups. Someone will set them straight. For now, just focus on communicating with the Basketball Association. Ignore the rest."
"All right, thank you, Director Zhang."
"There's one more thing I should mention first." Director Zhang's tone shifted. "We'll go over the details later, but during the offseason, the higher-ups want to arrange two friendly games between the national team and the Kings. It's part of the preparation for the Asian Championship."
"That's great! I'm all for it."
For Chen Yilun, having the national team come over for friendlies was nothing but beneficial. Not only would it build goodwill back home, it would also give the Kings a big boost in popularity.
"Perfect. That's all I needed to know. We're flying to Houston today. When I get back, let's grab a drink."
Thanks to Yao Ming, the Rockets had long been considered China's home team. That bond lingered even after his retirement. If not for Chen Yilun, the Rockets would still hold the largest fan base in China.
But now, the market they had fought so hard to protect was destined to fall into his hands.
...
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