With the first Cavaliers vs. Warriors showdown finally concluded, all the team managers were growing restless.
Once the Finals ended, the draft lottery would follow, then the opening of free agency.
This was the best window for managers to make their moves.
"This year is critical!"
Inside the large conference room, nearly the entire Kings staff was present—even owner Ranadive had come in person.
"This year, we successfully reached the playoffs, and on top of that, we hold the Knicks' first-round swap rights. What we do this summer will lay the strongest foundation for our future championship push."
Chen Yilun spoke passionately at the front.
"Right now, the biggest stars on the trade market are LeBron James, Kevin Love, and LaMarcus Aldridge!"
"The first two can be ruled out immediately. They just teamed up for the first time this year and already made the Finals. There's no way they'd come here."
Chen Yilun paused. "So our only realistic free-agent target is Aldridge!"
"Do we even have the cap space to sign him?"
Ranadive asked.
"Uh… it's tough."
Chen Yilun thought for a moment.
"After Rudy re-signs, we'll open up about $10 million, but once you factor in the team's other escalating contracts, that space drops below $6 million."
"And if we use New York's pick, the rookie contract takes up more of it."
"So that means we have to trade!"
Ranadive rubbed his nose in irritation.
"There's actually another way," Chen Yilun muttered under his breath.
"If we trade Cousins, it's a whole different story."
"What!"
The room erupted like a marketplace, voices overlapping in shock.
"Impossible! Cousins is our box office guarantee—we can't trade him!" Ranadive immediately objected.
"And more than half of our plays end with Cousins. If we trade him, what's left to run?" Malone, rarely one to oppose, also spoke up.
As expected, the resistance to trading the franchise star was even stronger than Yilun had imagined.
"I understand everyone's concerns, but here's the simplest question—does Cousins' timeline really align with our team's development?"
Chen Yilun tapped the table to quiet the room.
The team's main developmental core was Jokić, CJ, and LaVine. If you stretched it, you could also count Ben.
All were only in their first or second year.
Cousins had just signed a five-year, $80 million deal last season. Considering his age, his prime clearly conflicted with the younger core's growth window.
As long as Cousins was around, Oden and Jokić would be stuck as backups.
"Friends, I don't even need to explain Jokić's performance this year, do I? What's clear is that when Cousins is leading, we have no fight in us. Malone, you tell me—when Cousins is on the floor versus when he's not, which version of the team runs smoother?"
Malone fell silent. He couldn't deny it—whenever Jokić played, the team's entire flow improved.
A center who could both shoot and pass was simply too valuable.
"No! Absolutely not!"
Just as Chen Yilun pressed harder, Ranadive cut him off again.
This old bastard. Completely blinded by money. First he dumped unreasonable tasks on me, and now he blocks me just to protect his own pocket.
No wonder people in the future call you the worst owner in the league!
Chen Yilun cursed furiously in his heart.
"I support Yilun's proposal."
Just when Chen Yilun felt cornered, an unexpected voice rang out.
Assistant GM Divac openly sided with him!
"I also think we should seriously reconsider whether building around Cousins makes sense."
Assistant Peja immediately joined in as well.
Both had received plenty of favors from Yilun last season. And with Jokić as his prized pupil, Divac naturally had Yilun's back.
"We can learn from this year's champion Warriors," Peja continued. "Since Adam took office, the league's direction has been obvious—encourage offense, increase possessions!"
"If the trend holds, the future belongs to guards. Traditional big centers will keep losing influence. If that's truly the way things are headed, then we have to think hard about this—Cousins still has four years left on his contract. No one knows what the league will look like in four years!"
As a former elite shooter, Peja clearly sensed the league's reform signals.
Divac and Peja's stance made Ranadive deeply unhappy.
Hadn't he brought in Chen Yilun to counterbalance the veterans so he could play fisherman and reap the benefits? But now both veterans—Divac and Peja—were siding with Yilun. For the first time, Ranadive felt the team slipping out of his control.
"Vivek!"
Seeing Ranadive on the verge of exploding, Chen Yilun quickly motioned for Divac and Peja to stay quiet. He softened his tone.
"I said at our first meeting—we must be crocodiles. Lurking at the bottom, waiting for prey."
He slowly walked up to Ranadive.
"Now's our chance. The migrating wildebeests have entered the river. We can't just open our jaws—we need to bite down and rip off a piece of flesh!"
But Ranadive still refused to move.
Useless boss. What can you even do with someone like this? Nothing!
No matter how Yilun tried, Ranadive wouldn't give in.
In the end, the meeting dissolved in chaos, unresolved.
"Chen! What do we do now?"
In the parking lot, Divac kicked an empty soda can in frustration.
"What's the rush? You think a decision this big gets settled in one meeting? What do you think this is, some brainless power fantasy?"
Chen Yilun stood beside him, looking small.
"I'll talk to Ranadive alone tonight. We have a saying."
"I know, I know!"
Peja cut in quickly.
"'Those who recognize the times are wise!'"
"You two really can't let this joke go, huh?"
"No—the saying I mean is: 'Where there's a will, there's a way.' Today's meeting was just to apply pressure. I'll make him nod in the end."
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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