On the same day that Russell Westbrook and Snoopy flew to Orlando, the NBA Draft Lottery took place in New York.
And the result stunned everyone — the Chicago Bulls won the No. 1 pick with only a 1.7% chance.
The Miami Heat, who had spent the entire season tanking to secure the best odds at 24%, were left frustrated. Though Pat Riley managed to land the second pick, Miami suddenly found itself in a reactive position.
"Now the headache belongs to Chicago," Pat Riley said with his usual calm smile during an interview.
"OJ Mayo, Derrick Rose, even Michael Beasley — any of them would be great fits for the Heat."
He added, "This isn't a strong draft class. Real star potential only exists in those three."
It was indeed considered a "down year" for the draft. Players like Blake Griffin (Oklahoma), the North Carolina trio, and Stephen Curry (Davidson) had all decided to return to school.
Aside from Mayo, Rose, and Beasley, the only real challenger to that top tier was UCLA's Russell Westbrook.
Then, a reporter raised a question.
"Mr. Riley, what do you think of Snoopy?"
This journalist, had been asking nearly every GM and former player the same thing.
The answers were almost identical across the board:
"Snoopy is a highly promising prospect with a bright future in the NBA."
Every GM was an expert at these questions. They knew how to flatter journalists — and, by extension, the millions of fans that supported these prospects. Rarely would anyone say something negative unless they were having a particularly bad day.
But this time was different.
Pat Riley raised an eyebrow.
"Snoopy? I think he'll go undrafted. At his height, he can't survive in the paint, and with his speed and technical skills, he's not suited for the perimeter either."
With that, Riley walked off briskly.
The reporter stood there stunned. That wasn't in the script at all. Not even the usual polite diplomacy — did he really dislike Snoopy that much?
"Seattle SuperSonics got the No. 4 pick. That's a good spot!" Westbrook said excitedly on the way to the Orlando Magic's Amway Center.
"Congratulations," Snoopy smiled. "Seattle's a solid team. Ever since they traded Ray Allen and let Rashard Lewis walk, they've been rebuilding. You'll have a shot at a starting role right away."
Westbrook's eyes widened. "Wait — how do you know they'll draft me?"
Snoopy shrugged. "Isn't it obvious?"
"Alright," Westbrook admitted, "Seattle's front office already has a deal with my agent. Unless they somehow land the top pick — or Derrick Rose falls to them — they'll take me over OJ Mayo without hesitation."
Snoopy thought for a moment. "Then I'm guessing Chicago will go with Michael Beasley. Their backcourt's already stacked — Hinrich and Ben Gordon can both run point. Though… Rose being a hometown kid could still sway them."
"If the Bulls take Beasley, Rose goes to Miami," Snoopy continued. "The Heat need a guard who can play alongside Dwyane Wade."
He'd been studying basketball reports nonstop lately, catching up on NBA history.
Snoopy approached basketball like a craft — seriously, methodically — and he loved it deeply. He wanted to climb as high as he could in the game, so he did his homework diligently.
"The top three are locked in — Beasley, Mayo, and Rose," Westbrook said. "That's not changing. What about you?"
He flipped open his Motorola RAZR and started scrolling through a list.
"Pick 5: Memphis Grizzlies.
Pick 6: New York Knicks.
Pick 7: LA Clippers.
Pick 8: Milwaukee Bucks.
Pick 9: Charlotte Bobcats.
Pick 10: Sacramento Kings.
Then Portland, Golden State, Phoenix, Philadelphia, Toronto, Washington…"
"None of those teams have promised to draft me," Snoopy sighed. "It's going to be tough to make the lottery."
Westbrook clapped him on the shoulder.
"Don't worry, Snoopy. Maybe one of the teams that likes you will trade up. It's a weak draft year — no one's clinging to their picks."
Snoopy smiled faintly. Hopefully.
Under his Nike deal, being selected in the lottery came with a $600,000 bonus clause. It wasn't something he could control, but he still hoped for a strong start to his career.
As he and Westbrook passed through security at the Amway Center, Snoopy's phone rang. It was Daphne.
Her voice was full of excitement:
"I just signed a new player — a Spaniard — no, a Congolese player who's been playing in Spain! His game reminds me of yours — great defense, excellent shot-blocking!"
Snoopy wasn't particularly enthusiastic. "That's nice. Congratulations."
"No, congratulations to us!" Lin laughed. "You're a co-owner, remember? You get 30% of the cut — even if you don't do anything. His name's Serge Ibaka, and I'm sending him to the Orlando camp too. I hope you and your UCLA brothers can look after him."
Snoopy murmured an agreement and hung up.
That night, the Orlando Magic hosted the Detroit Pistons for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
Snoopy and Westbrook sat in the third-row VIP section, directly behind the Magic bench — close enough to feel the court vibrations.
From tip-off, the game was intense. Even without Ben Wallace, Detroit's frontcourt — Antonio McDyess and Rasheed Wallace — still packed plenty of power, trading blows with the young center Dwight Howard inside.
Every heavy collision echoed courtside. Snoopy felt the shock through his chest.
"The intensity here… the NCAA can't compare," he said in awe.
Westbrook leaned closer. "Snoopy, who do you think wins this one?"
The scoreboard read 33–35, Magic up by two.
"Detroit," Snoopy whispered.
He spoke softly, but the sharply dressed Black man seated nearby still turned his head. The man — tall, broad-shouldered, gold-rimmed glasses — gave Snoopy and Westbrook a quick look.
Westbrook pressed again, "Why Detroit?"
"Howard's forcing too many isolations," Snoopy said quietly. "He's been making bad reads all night. And Jameer Nelson isn't helping. The ball needs to go through Turkoglu — he's their real playmaker."
The man beside them raised an eyebrow, then extended his hand.
"Hello. I'm Otis Smith, general manager of the Orlando Magic.
It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Snoopy — and you too, Mr. Westbrook."