Chapter 341: Cracks in the Wall (1)
The moment Mr. Tsai finished speaking, the spacious living room instantly turned as noisy as a marketplace.
Everyone talked over one another, each refusing to give ground.
“Unwise! Absolutely unwise!”
Mr. Tsai’s assistant was the first to speak up.
“Given the current situation, Chen Yilun is one of the very few allies we have left in the league. Poaching from him right now would only sour relations. The losses would far outweigh the gains!”
“That’s not necessarily true!”
The assistant had barely finished when someone voiced a different opinion.
“If he’s really an ally, then Chen Yilun should at least give something in return. We’re not asking for his players—just one member of his front office. What’s wrong with that?”
The speaker couldn’t help adding,
“Besides, Chen Yilun has never treated his front office like untouchable property. Mike Brown and Blackstone both came out of Sacramento’s front office, didn’t they? And Chen Yilun didn’t react all that strongly back then.”
As he listened to the discussion, Mr. Tsai began to feel more assured.
“Alright, let’s do it this way.”
Mr. Tsai raised his hand, signaling everyone to quiet down.
“I’ll personally talk to Chen Yilun later. As long as we’re not poaching behind his back, approaching him openly shouldn’t cause any major issues.”
“Chen Yilun may be extremely meticulous when it comes to business negotiations, but he’s always been generous with his own people.”
“As long as we’re considered his own people.”
Someone muttered softly.
“As for the coaching staff…”
At that moment, an elderly man with a full head of silver hair slowly spoke up from the corner.
“If we’re looking to poach from the Kings’ coaching staff, the first choice would definitely be Monty Williams.”
His voice wasn’t loud, but the instant he spoke, everyone in the living room fell silent and listened attentively.
The old man was none other than the legendary “Silver Fox,” Harris.
Although Harris had been away from the league for the past two years, his seniority and reputation still carried immense weight. That was precisely why Mr. Tsai had invited him to join this meeting as a key advisor.
“Monty has head coaching experience,” Harris explained calmly.
“His record as a head coach wasn’t outstanding, but he’s far from incompetent.”
“He’s spent the past couple of years refining himself, and this season with the Kings has essentially been a period of gilding. His coaching level should rise another tier.”
As he spoke, Harris suddenly changed direction.
“Of course, what we can see, other teams can see too. I’ve heard that Kidd in Milwaukee is on the verge of being fired. Monty’s name is already on the list of potential head coaching candidates.”
“But the one I’m truly interested in is someone else.”
Harris leaned back, sinking into the sofa like a hibernating gray bear.
“Chris Finch. Does anyone here recognize that name?”
“Chris Finch?”
An assistant thought for a moment. “That sounds familiar. Isn’t he the Kings’ defensive coach?”
“That’s right.”
Harris nodded and continued.
“When he was an assistant coach with other teams, he didn’t really stand out. But ever since Chen Yilun brought him over…”
Harris took a deep breath.
“He’s given me one surprise after another. He truly knows how to build a defensive system.”
It had to be said—Harris’s eye for talent was still razor-sharp. He had immediately identified the hidden boss within the Kings’ coaching staff.
The Kings’ current layered, suffocating defensive system was built almost entirely by Finch himself.
In the original timeline, Finch would also go on to construct the Timberwolves’ elite offense-and-defense system centered around Rudy Gobert.
“What I mean is, if Monty turns out to be difficult to approach, Finch might actually be a better fit for our future plans.”
Harris’s words plunged everyone present into deep thought.
Just as the meeting began to stall, Mr. Tsai spoke again.
“At a time like this, we absolutely cannot panic. Our real window to operate begins in 2019. We still have time to make gradual adjustments.”
As he spoke, Mr. Tsai looked toward Harris.
“Del, are you really unwilling to come out of retirement?”
In Mr. Tsai’s view, the most important part of building a team was having a highly capable general manager.
If Harris were willing to return, Mr. Tsai wouldn’t hesitate to entrust the team to him.
“Me? Forget it.”
Harris smiled faintly.
“I’m too old now. The spirit is willing, but the strength isn’t there anymore. Besides, my current professional skills can’t compete with those young guys.”
For a general manager to truly make a name for themselves in the league, professional ability was only one part of the equation. Even more important was influence and connections within the league.
Although Harris had seniority, he had been away from the league for too long.
Showing up occasionally would naturally earn him respect as a veteran.
But if he were to actually take on the role of a team’s general manager, no one would hold back just because of his age or status.
That was why, with the Nets, Harris chose to serve only as an advisor and refused any formal position.
“This year is hard to predict,” Harris muttered.
“From what I know, several teams are already preparing to overhaul their front offices because of Sacramento.”
He spread his hands.
“If nothing unexpected happens, this summer won’t just be lively in the player trade market. The front offices are going to be in chaos too.”
And events unfolded exactly as Harris had predicted.
As the season gradually approached its end, other teams already in the offseason began making their own moves.
...
Inside the Utah Jazz’s conference room.
Coach Quin Snyder took a deep breath and looked toward the man seated at the head of the table.
Team owner Ryan Smith, accompanied by his private staff, was holding a brief internal meeting.
“Dennis has been with the team for many years,” someone said.
“Even if he doesn’t have major achievements, he’s put in a lot of work. I still don’t recommend firing him.”
Kevin O’Connor, the Jazz’s former general manager and current Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations, spoke up.
“Hayward leaving back then was unavoidable. Anyone in that position would’ve faced the same outcome. You can’t pin that on Dennis.”
The main topic of today’s meeting was whether to dismiss the current general manager, Dennis Lindsey.
O’Connor, who had personally promoted Lindsey to the GM position, naturally didn’t want to see him fired.
After all, the team was currently run largely by O’Connor and Lindsey together. If Lindsey left and someone unfamiliar replaced him, O’Connor’s influence within the organization would inevitably decline.
“But the team’s middling record is an objective fact,”
Ryan Smith said grimly.
“And this situation isn’t caused by Lindsey alone, Kevin. You bear part of the responsibility too.”
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