"You're telling me this is the result of only a week of training with your team?" Becky caught Chen Yilun in the players' tunnel as he tried to slip away, hands on her hips as she confronted him.
Chen Yilun adjusted his collar, which Becky had tugged crooked, and said calmly, "Yeah. You were at the last friendly game, right? You saw what his level was back then."
"Yeah, right. I don't believe a word of it. You must've told him to hold back last time."
Today, Ding Yanyuhang came off the bench and played 18 minutes. He was extremely efficient, scoring 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting, along with 4 rebounds and 2 assists.
"If your training is this effective, we might as well quit. We'll just line up and buy training slots from you!" Becky shook her head and pressed on.
"Well, I really don't know. Maybe Ding just has talent!" Chen Yilun, of course, wouldn't admit anything.
By now, Ding was already equipped with the First Step Master Bronze Badge and the Dribbling Veteran Silver Badge.
As for the precious Stuntman Gold Badge, Chen Yilun still held it back, worried it would cause too much of a stir.
But even without it, the two badges were more than enough. The combination of Ball Dribbling Veteran and First Step Master turned Ding's catch-and-drive into a deadly weapon.
You could say that the high-flying, unstoppable Ding of 2017–2018 had arrived two years early.
Glancing at Ding, who was still celebrating excitedly with his teammates on the bench, Chen Yilun smiled before turning and leaving the arena.
Lately, his focus had been entirely on the national team. Now, seeing Ding steadily following the path laid out for him, Chen Yilun felt reassured. It was time for him to get back to his own responsibilities.
...
While Chen Yilun was taking it easy, the entire Western Conference had erupted into chaos.
LaMarcus Aldridge became a free agent and announced he wouldn't return to Portland, while the Kings traded away DeMarcus Cousins for a pile of future assets.
Both the fourth and seventh seeds in last season's Western Conference playoffs saw their rosters weaken significantly on paper. Suddenly, teams all across the West grew restless, eager to move up.
The Rockets were frantically clearing cap space to chase Aldridge. After missing out on Carmelo Anthony last year, Houston's hunger for a Big Three had reached a fever pitch.
Meanwhile, over in Los Angeles, the Clippers—reeling from a failed playoff run—were also in turmoil.
Their defensive anchor, DeAndre Jordan, had become an unrestricted free agent and was threatening to leave.
Jordan's situation immediately caught the attention of teams across the West.
The Lakers even brought Kobe Bryant into the recruiting process, while the Mavericks in Texas went all-in to lure this Defensive Player of the Year-caliber center as a replacement for the aging Tyson Chandler.
And while the West was ablaze, the East wasn't quiet either.
After acquiring Cousins, the Wizards had suddenly leapt into the Eastern elite, replacing Atlanta as the strongest challenger to LeBron James.
Meanwhile, the Raptors couldn't sit still.
With their backcourt duo of Lowry and DeRozan, they had been eliminated by James time and again in the playoffs. The patience of Toronto fans was at its breaking point. Raptors GM Masai Ujiri also set his sights on Aldridge, still lingering in free agency.
"So they can form a Big Three? Forget it—I want one too!"
"Everyone's scrambling, everyone wants a Big Three. Are we really just going to sit here and do nothing?"
Peja, fresh off vacation, frowned at the mountain of free agency reports piled on the table.
"Let them fight over it. The new TV deal kicks in next year. Everyone's just trying to lock in contracts early this year," Chen Yilun said casually, tossing a document onto the desk.
The league's salary cap is tied to broadcast contracts.
Normally, the cap rises steadily each year.
But 2016 was an exception. Back in 2014, the league had signed a massive new TV deal with ESPN and TNT—9 years, $24 billion, averaging $2.66 billion annually.
As a result, the salary cap after this season was set to skyrocket.
To put it simply: the 2014–2015 cap was $63 million. The 2015–2016 cap, just announced, was $70 million—an increase of $7 million in a single year, already the largest jump in the past decade.
As for 2016–2017, although it hadn't been announced yet, actuaries projected a staggering $94 million.
A $100 million cap had once been a running joke among front office executives. But now, the joke was over—triple-digit caps were about to become reality.
"The more people think they need to rush signings to get a bargain, the more we can't afford to act rashly."
Chen Yilun toyed with the pen in his hand.
"These people are throwing money around like it's Monopoly money. And besides—" he straightened up.
"You've been a player yourself. The cap increase isn't exactly a secret. Do you really think players are that easy to fool?"
"That's true." Peja thought for a moment and quickly understood what Chen Yilun was getting at.
"Exactly!" Chen Yilun tossed the pen onto the table and spread his hands.
"This is when we have to stay calm. The last thing we need is to hand out a massive contract to a player who's completely useless."
Not long after, a piece of news shocked the entire league: the Cavaliers signed their starting center, Tristan Thompson, to a five-year, $82 million deal.
"What?!"
Peja stared at the screen, his jaw dropping as if he could swallow an egg. On the other side, Anjali buried her face in her hands, doubting her own sanity.
"If I'm not mistaken, Thompson only averaged 8 points and 8 rebounds last season, right?"
"Right!"
"No way!" Peja jumped to his feet, stammering. "Just… just that? Worth $80 million?"
His shock was understandable. After all, their own star, Rudy Gay, had just signed an extension worth a little over $10 million annually. By comparison, that deal suddenly looked like a bargain.
"I knew contracts were going up, but this is insane!" Peja ruffled his hair in frustration.
"TT only landed that deal because LeBron pressured management," Chen Yilun immediately pointed out.
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / GhostParser