"Sign a free agent?"
Steve Kerr finally couldn't hold back his doubt.
"What's even left on the market that's worth paying big money for?"
"There are still some options."
Myers spoke confidently.
"Right now, my main concern is our interior. Ever since Bogut left, we've been far too thin inside—we need to strengthen our frontcourt."
He took a sip of water and continued.
"Our wings are also an area of concern. This year, our biggest rival in the West is Sacramento—their wing rotation features Durant, Butler, and Gay. Compared to that, our current lineup just doesn't stack up."
"But there aren't any wings of that caliber left in free agency," Kerr said, confused.
"So we'll have to go for the next best thing," Myers explained. "At this point, the only player still on the market who has real value and could significantly help our roster is Luol Deng."
"No way!"
Before Myers could even start describing his grand plan, Kerr cut him off immediately.
He remembered clearly—just the night before Jerry West stepped down, the old man had spent the entire evening talking with him.
The main takeaway had been simple: don't rush to sign a so-called replacement just because you missed out on Durant. That kind of move doesn't strengthen a team—it only clogs up the salary cap.
West had even warned him by name.
"Those types like Evan Turner or Luol Deng? Don't touch them. Whoever signs them is a fool."
The old man's words were still ringing in his ears, and now Myers was trying to do exactly that.
"I'm all for making a trade to improve our frontcourt," Kerr said flatly, "but chasing a wing? Absolutely not."
He didn't care about the irritation flashing across Myers' face. He had just been personally warned by West—if the old man said not to touch someone, then no amount of persuasion from Myers would change his mind.
"Why do you think Luol Deng's still unsigned? Because he's demanding a long-term deal worth nearly $20 million a year. Everyone knows he's not worth that, which is why no one's bitten. Signing him now would be plain stupid."
"Achoo!"
Over in Los Angeles, Magic Johnson suddenly sneezed. "Who's bad-mouthing me?"
Seeing Kerr's firm resistance, Myers grew both angry and frustrated. Great—his first day in charge, and Kerr was already blocking him.
"But President Myers did make one good point," Kerr quickly added, easing the tension before Myers could blow up.
"Our interior depth really is weak. Since Bogut left, we haven't had a proper center. That's an issue we definitely need to address."
Kerr gave Myers a way to save face, and Myers took it.
"Exactly. Like Steve said, our top priority right now is reinforcing the paint. Looking at the free-agent market, I like Pau Gasol and Zaza Pachulia, who just came off a solid run with the Mavericks."
"Gasol proved last season with the Bulls that he's still got plenty left in him. As for Pachulia, he's affordable—we could get him on a minimum deal. His style of play could also fill the gaps left by Bogut's departure."
When Myers finished, he looked at Kerr cautiously, worried his partner might shoot him down again.
But after a brief pause, Kerr nodded.
"I can agree to Gasol. His championship experience and immediate impact would both be great for us."
He hesitated before adding, "But Pachulia… his reputation's a bit rough. Wouldn't signing him hurt us in some way?"
"We can revisit the Pachulia issue later," Myers said quickly. Seeing Kerr's agreement, he pushed ahead enthusiastically.
Right now, Myers was determined to make a big move to appease the fans disappointed about missing out on Durant.
Signing an All-Star—Spain's FIBA powerhouse Pau Gasol—would be the perfect way to do it.
Once the plan to pursue Gasol was set, Kerr smoothly introduced his own idea.
"For a backup center, I have someone in mind. Let's discuss it."
Everyone in the room immediately perked up—Kerr's voice carried more weight in the organization than Myers'.
"There's a backup center in Miami, Hassan Whiteside. He's got great size, strong stamina, and last season he was excellent off the bench alongside Wade. If I remember right, he averaged nearly three blocks a game."
"Bring in a player like that and let Curry work with him—who knows, it might surprise us."
The room buzzed with chatter. Of course, this wasn't really Kerr's own idea—it was one of the names West had given him the night before.
The old man saw huge potential in the big man and believed he could be molded into something special.
So Kerr took this chance to push West's recommendation through.
"Whiteside, huh?"
Myers hesitated, but since he still needed Kerr's support for the Gasol deal, he decided to go along. "I'm willing to trust Coach Kerr's judgment."
Trading a minor bench player's spot for Kerr's backing? That was an easy win.
What Myers didn't realize, though, was that this very decision would soon help him cement his place within the organization.
...
Two days later, the news broke across the league.
The Warriors had signed free agent Pau Gasol to a two-year, $33 million contract, with the second year being a player option.
They also traded Festus Ezeli, whom they'd just re-signed, to the Heat in exchange for Hassan Whiteside.
"Gasol? Big Whiteside?! How'd they end up there?"
Chen Yilun stared wide-eyed at the trade news on his computer screen.
What on earth was happening?
A skilled veteran big man and a high-flying shot-blocking monster—just like that, both were headed to Golden State?
"This league's a complete mess," Chen Yilun said with a laugh, standing up.
"Whatever—let them play their games. My era has already begun."
"All of you will become my stepping stones!"
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / GhostParser