Chapter 250: Boiling Point (2)
Chen Yilun clapped his hands to get the three men’s attention. “I’ll say it again: sometimes staying still is better than making a move. No matter how chaotic things get out there, as long as we do our job, we won’t fall.”
“It’s not that easy to stay standing,”
Blackstone said lazily.
“The Rockets traded in a whole bunch of people, but most of them are useless. Their core trio from last season—Harden, Gordon, and Capela—didn’t change. And now they’ve got Paul. Just thinking about it is scary.”
“The Warriors upgraded from Barnes to George on top of everything else. Word is they won’t be re-signing Gasol this year. With that move, Myers freed up more than ten million in cap space to play around with.”
At that point, Blackstone couldn’t help shivering.
“If Myers actually manages to bring in an All-Star center, wouldn’t they literally become the legendary five-star team?”
His words weren’t baseless. Judging from Golden State’s current moves, that historic achievement really did look possible.
Curry, Thompson, and Green were all signed using Bird rights, and the contracts for those three alone pushed the Warriors’ cap into a massive range. By swapping Barnes for George—who had a smaller contract but was the stronger player—and then letting Gasol walk, the Warriors could realistically make one more major upgrade if they gritted their teeth.
But doing so would send their total payroll into terrifying territory, and the luxury tax bill would be astronomical.
“Let them mess around,”
Chen Yilun said dismissively with a wave of his hand.
Five-star team? His own team already had more stars than he could count—was he supposed to be impressed?
“Let them do whatever they want.”
He walked over to a mirror in the corner of the office and adjusted his clothes.
“No matter how they shake things up, they still won’t be our match.”
He checked his appearance from both sides, confirmed everything looked sharp, and nodded in satisfaction.
“Alright, everyone go back to work. If San Antonio can’t be stopped, then we won’t stop them. Letting CJ walk for a big contract works out just fine for us.”
Grabbing the coat draped over his chair, Chen Yilun headed for the door.
“I’m heading out. Need to go see Malone.”
Without looking back, he left, the three still in the office staring at each other in silence.
...
On the drive to the arena, he mentally replayed what had just happened—along with the deals that were about to go down.
This year was the first year of the so-called “Harden + Paul Duo,” and it would also be their strongest. Two of the league’s top playmakers sharing the floor—Chen Yilun could only imagine how easy life would be for the rest of the Rockets’ roster.
But Paul was the league’s cursed son. If nothing went wrong, that would be the real surprise.
So he wasn’t worried about the Rockets. Any team with Paul somehow managed to implode on its own.
As for the Warriors—
No Durant, but George was in. Not as hopelessly dominant as their most legendary era, but still a heavyweight threat.
The Spurs were still as steady as ever. If they landed CJ, and with Parker and Ginobili guiding him, the kid really might take off. CJ + Leonard + Aldridge would form their new Big Three.
Finishing his mental calculations, Chen Yilun arrived at the arena entrance.
“Go ahead and stir things up. No matter what you all do, it won’t affect me.”
Humming a small tune, he walked inside.
The moment he stepped in, he heard the sharp squeak of basketball shoes skidding on the court.
“Pass! Pass it!”
Butler shouted behind him.
Murray, who had been about to dribble, took one look at Butler’s position and immediately launched a long pass without hesitation.
Butler caught it, took a small step back behind the arc, and knocked down the three with ease.
“Good pass. Just get it out a little faster next time,”
Butler said as he high-fived Murray.
“Got it!”
Murray nodded and turned back to defend.
“The kid’s really coming along.”
Malone, standing courtside, spoke when he saw Chen Yilun approaching.
“Last year he got roasted nonstop, and now he’s suddenly the hot item?”
Chen Yilun teased with a smile.
“Well, times change,”
Malone replied cheerfully, unfazed.
“Murray’s court sense improved a lot after last year’s training. And the way he works with LeVert on the perimeter is incredibly smooth. I’m even thinking about using that pairing as one of our rotation options.”
“As long as you’re satisfied,”
Chen Yilun said lightly, watching the players still running the scrimmage.
This practice game was essentially to determine who would step into the spot opened after recent departures.
So the focus today was on Murray, LeVert, and Richardson.
Last season’s backup ball-handler, Richardson was the logical successor on paper. But with the G League youngsters all eyeing that role, this matchup became necessary.
“Come on, Josh!”
Durant, wearing oversized shorts and waving a towel in a completely goofy pose, yelled from the sideline.
“If a rookie blows you up today, you’re carrying my bag next season!”
Hearing Durant’s taunt, Richardson laughed and flashed him an international gesture.
“Not happening!”
But Richardson had his own frustrations.
Booker—knowing he already had the starting shooting guard spot locked down for next season—was coasting through the scrimmage and dumping more pressure on him.
You think this is a 2-on-2 guard battle?
It’s me, Josh Richardson, going 1-on-3 out here!
The thought made him both irritated and amused. He suddenly shifted directions on the perimeter, shook off Murray, drove inside, and finished an easy switch-hand layup.
“Josh has really made big strides these past two years,”
Chen Yilun said with genuine emotion from the sideline. The small strategic move planted years ago had finally blossomed.
“Yeah,”
Malone nodded.
“We originally drafted him to back up Gay and eventually take over the wing. But when CJ got hurt, we tested him as a facilitator—and he turned out to be surprisingly effective, so we stuck with it.”
“Now Josh’s mismatch isolations on the perimeter and his ability to draw fouls in the interior have become go-to plays in our rotation.”
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