"A lottery ticket?"
McNair's words instantly caught Chen Yilun's interest.
"A lottery ticket is great. I love scratching lottery tickets. Go on—tell me what you've got."
To Chen Yilun, whether the 50th pick was traded or used didn't really matter. If McNair wanted to spend it, he could have it.
Even if McNair picked someone who never played a single NBA game, it wouldn't be a big deal.
The Kings' drafts over the past two years had been dazzling.
Whether lottery picks or second-round steals, they hadn't missed once. That kind of track record naturally drew plenty of envy around the league.
Using a basically meaningless second-round pick to muddy the waters a bit was something Chen Yilun was more than happy to do.
"Who is it?"
"You probably don't know him. Just an unknown guy."
Seeing Chen Yilun genuinely interested, McNair visibly relaxed.
"A freshman guard from Arizona State University—Lugentz Dort!"
"Who?!"
Chen Yilun's eyes widened the instant he heard the name.
Dort? That Dort who would later end up with the Thunder?
"The kid from Maple Leaf country?"
Chen Yilun asked with a frown.
"Yes, yes! Boss, you know him too?"
McNair grew a little excited when Chen Yilun immediately called out the player's nationality.
"Uh… I've heard the name before. If you want to take him, go ahead. Send him to the G League for a couple of years and see how he develops."
Afraid of saying too much and giving himself away, Chen Yilun quickly shut his mouth.
Still, McNair's words jogged his memory.
If he remembered correctly, the undrafted market after this year's draft was stacked with talent.
The 2019 class was famously considered a super year for undrafted players, on par with 2016.
Aside from Dort, whom McNair had mentioned somewhat awkwardly, the most famous group would be the undrafted core that later formed the Heat's legendary Black Eight run.
Caleb Martin, Gabe Vincent, Max Strus—every one of them came from the 2019 undrafted pool.
Even if his own team already had more talent than it could use, those players would be extremely useful across his other teams.
After quietly filing that away in his mind, Chen Yilun turned his attention back to the draft.
"With the 7th pick of the second round, the Dallas Mavericks select Daniel Gafford from Arkansas State University, and trade him to the Sacramento Kings in exchange for the Kings' 41st and 55th picks!"
Locked in.
With both Washington and Gafford now on board, the Kings' future interior strength had taken a massive leap.
"With the 25th pick of the second round, the Sacramento Kings select Lugentz Dort from Arizona State University!"
With Dort added, the Kings' draft night officially came to a perfect close.
"This roster just keeps getting weirder the more I look at it."
Staring at the current lineup, Chen Yilun couldn't help but laugh.
The team already had Murray, a known thorn in opponents' sides, and Dillon Brooks in the G League, who was about to be promoted to the main roster.
Now they'd added Washington, the "human arms-crossed embodiment," and Dort, an unremarkable yet gifted flopping prodigy.
If Chen Yilun remembered correctly, in the original timeline, Washington and Dort were bitter rivals who looked ready to reenact Fist of Fury right on the court.
"So just like that, my Kings are turning into a Bad Boys squad?"
Pushing aside his internal commentary, Chen Yilun quickly pulled out his phone and dialed.
"Boss, the draft's already over and you're only calling now?"
Blackstone's voice came through the line.
This year, the 76ers' draft position was awkward—too high to ignore, too low to matter—so Chen Yilun hadn't bothered getting involved. Blackstone had gone full freestyle, using the 24th pick to strike a deal with the Nets.
In return, he got the 29th pick and two future second-rounders.
With that 29th pick, Blackstone had hoped to grab Poole or Johnson, but both were taken. After digging through Chen Yilun's recommendation list, he ultimately selected Nicolas Claxton.
With that addition in place, Philadelphia's Embiid could finally drift out to the perimeter with a straight face.
"Cut the chatter. Time's tight—listen carefully."
Chen Yilun spoke without hesitation.
"Have your people go find someone immediately."
"A wing from DePaul University named Max Strus. He's an undrafted player from this class. I've watched his games—he's solid and has real development upside. Sign him right away. If you're late, someone else will grab him."
"Got it, got it!"
Blackstone instantly dropped his playful tone.
Here it was again—the thing the Asian Hyena was best at.
Blackstone never doubted Chen Yilun's eye. Every undrafted player he picked or developed turned out to be useful, without exception.
Earlier, just to pry Ham loose, Chen Yilun had half-gifted Finney-Smith to Budenholzer.
Now Smith was firmly entrenched as the Hawks' starting small forward.
"One more guy."
Chen Yilun continued without pause.
"Take a look at Miami. They signed an undrafted player last year named Duncan Robinson. Coach Spoelstra's been working with him for a full season now—he should have some bite. See if you can pry him away."
"I know what to do."
Blackstone was familiar with Duncan Robinson.
The Heat were famous around the league as a track-and-field factory—cheap, durable, and relentless young players.
A big reason the Heat would later become a paradise for undrafted players was Pat Riley's internal development system, which gave those overlooked guys real chances to go head-to-head with elite prospects.
After just one season of training, Duncan Robinson was already starting to resemble that tireless, deadly shooter he would become.
If Blackstone could snag Robinson, it would be a huge boost to the 76ers' future.
Especially with Simmons on the roster, players like Robinson and Strus—who could provide real perimeter firepower while also swinging positions—were incredibly valuable.
After hanging up on Blackstone, Chen Yilun made another call.
"What is it, boss? Another task?"
Peja's familiar voice came through the line. He'd been in Brooklyn for a year now.
Even though Peja was now running his own team, almost everyone who had come up under Chen Yilun still called him "boss."
"What's going on with Kevin?"
"Nothing. Don't worry about it."
This year, the Nets were focused entirely on free agency and had little interest in the draft.
"I want to put a couple of names on your radar."
Chen Yilun said as he strolled slowly down the hallway.
"Caleb Martin and Gabe Vincent. Keep an eye on them. If the fit is right, sign them—they'll definitely help with your future plans."
"Oh, and one more."
Chen Yilun thought for a moment before continuing.
"There's a second-round pick in the Rockets' affiliate system named Isaiah Hartenstein. There's a good chance the Rockets cut him this year. Find an opportunity and buy him out."
…
(Full Series is already available on P@treon)
[email protected] / GhostParser