"Really?!"
At Chen Yilun's words, Peja's eyes lit up at once. He'd been fully prepared to keep throwing a tantrum just moments ago.
"See? See?"
After wiping his face, Peja broke into a wide grin and turned to Chen Yilun.
"I knew it. There's no way you'd just leave your own guys hanging."
"Don't put it like that. I'm not even older than you."
Chen Yilun waved him off, signaling him to stop with the flattery. "If you've got demands, say them quickly."
"Alright, I'll say it."
Peja paused briefly, choosing his words.
"We're not short on perimeter ball-handlers for now, but we're lacking firepower. You need to give me a shooter I can actually rely on."
"Anything else?"
Chen Yilun took a sip of water. "You wouldn't put on this whole act just for one shooter. What else do you want? Say it."
"We're still missing an interior piece."
Peja chuckled and lowered his voice.
"Boss, you've got so many big men on your roster. Just spare one for me."
"Who do you want?"
Chen Yilun frowned, not agreeing right away.
This routine sounded way too familiar. It felt like something he himself had pulled on other people before.
"I know Jokić is untouchable for you, and Oden's probably planning to finish his career in Sacramento, so I won't touch those."
Peja went back and forth for a while before finally getting to the point.
"But that Zubac you've got—keeping him doesn't really do much for you anyway. You might as well give him to me."
"Give him to you?"
Chen Yilun raised an eyebrow. "You're thinking too much. Zubac has real value. Don't even think about it."
With Oden aging and Cousins affected by injuries, the Kings' interior rotation was already starting to show a gap.
At this point, aside from Jokić, who was squarely in his prime, there really wasn't a true, dependable big center who could step up.
Of course, that standard was based on Chen Yilun's own expectations.
For most other teams, a declining Oden or a serviceable Siakam would still be acceptable backup options. There'd be no need to specifically look for a Jokić replacement.
But the Kings were different. Every position had to be top-tier.
"What about this year's rookies?"
Chen Yilun said casually, holding a copy of the roster.
"If you really want them, I can tough it out and give you Washington and Gafford."
"No!"
The moment he heard those two names, Peja shook his head like a rattle drum.
"I need players who can contribute right away. Those two clearly need time to develop. I can't wait."
The Nets' current roster was actually pretty lopsided.
Most teams slowly develop young players, build up quality depth, and then strike when a suitable core star appears on the free-agent market.
The Nets, on the other hand, hadn't even finished developing their role players when Durant and Irving suddenly dropped in.
It was like building a skyscraper where the foundation wasn't even finished, but the luxury penthouse was already in place.
That was why Peja was scrambling now, desperately trying to patch things up and find suitable teammates for Durant and Irving.
"For the perimeter, I actually do have someone for you."
Chen Yilun glanced down at the roster.
"Fred VanVleet—the undrafted guy I developed. He spent a full three years grinding it out in the G League. This season he got called up to the main roster and played pretty well. You definitely know him."
"He's about to be up for an extension. I was planning to lock him into a long-term deal. If you really want him, I can trade him to you first. It's a guaranteed win for you."
In later years, Van Jordan's contract would be labeled a toxic deal, largely because of his perfect performance in the 2019 Finals, which sent his value skyrocketing—right when the Rockets were desperate for a franchise leader.
A series of coincidences led to that massive contract.
But right now, Van Jordan was diligently doing his job on the Kings, putting up steady, unremarkable numbers. An extension wouldn't be an issue, but a big contract was definitely off the table.
"Fred? That works."
Peja responded immediately when he heard VanVleet's name.
"I've watched that kid grow step by step. He's one of our own, easy to use. He'd be perfect as a second ball-handler next to Irving."
"But, boss…"
Peja suddenly shifted his tone.
"There's actually one more guy I want—Dillon Brooks."
"You want Dillon?"
Chen Yilun froze for a moment. That name hadn't occurred to him at all.
"I need him."
Peja let out a long sigh before continuing.
"My roster is short-handed right now, especially on defense. That hole is huge. I remember Dillon—his defense can be a bit reckless at times, but the quality is there. He'd shore up our perimeter defense nicely."
"That's fine."
Chen Yilun looked at Peja and suddenly couldn't help laughing.
"So what are you willing to offer for those two?"
"How about one first-round pick and two second-round picks?"
The instant Peja finished speaking, a crumpled wad of napkins flew straight at his forehead, hitting him dead on.
"Talk properly."
Chen Yilun rolled his eyes.
"Don't push your luck. I'm giving you a whole VanVleet and Brooks, and you think this little bit is enough?"
Strictly speaking, Chen Yilun had barely spent any assets to get VanVleet and Brooks.
Both were on minimum contracts, and aside from the second-round pick used to select Dillon Brooks, he hadn't given up any draft capital or resources.
But that wasn't how the math worked.
The Kings had invested real effort into developing them—coaching arrangements, accumulated game experience—all of it built up over time.
"You don't have to be so short-tempered."
Peja picked up the napkin and tossed it into the trash.
"Just name a price. We'll meet in the middle."
"Two unprotected first-round picks. One less and there's no deal."
After thinking it over, Chen Yilun named his bottom line.
"Deal."
To his surprise, the moment Chen Yilun stated his price, Peja nodded without hesitation, pulled a contract out of his bag, and shoved it into Chen Yilun's hand.
"Take a look. If it's fine, sign it."
"Wait—what?"
Chen Yilun stared at the contract, his mind briefly going blank.
"You had this prepared already?"
"More or less."
Peja handed him a carbon pen as he spoke.
"I even brought two other versions with different numbers. Funny how it worked out—your price just happened to be one I had ready."
Peja gave him an embarrassed smile.
"Boss, boss, I've been your personal secretary for so many years. I know your tricks inside and out. I basically knew your psychological price before I even walked in."
…
(Full Series is already available on P@treon)
[email protected] / GhostParser