Chapter 414 - 415
Chapter 414: Refinement
“Morant went to the Jazz.”
Chen Yilun tilted his head, thinking it over.
If he remembered correctly, the Jazz already had Gobert and Jalen Brunson—and now they’d added Morant on top of that.
“Hiss!”
The realization made Chen Yilun draw in a sharp breath.
“You don’t say… you really don’t.”
It had only been two years since Divac left, and they’d already managed to piece together a core capable of pushing the team back into contention.
Before Chen Yilun could sort out the implications, Adam Silver appeared at the podium once again.
“With the third overall pick in the first round, the Phoenix Suns select RJ Barrett from Duke University.”
“So they’re finally starting to draft ball-handlers.”
Watching the screen, McNair couldn’t help but comment.
“The Suns are already loaded inside. This is exactly the time to shore up their on-ball creation.”
Last season, the Suns’ frontcourt pairing of Ayton and Isaac had played exceptionally well together.
It really was true—put the right person in the right place, and everything changes.
Isaac, who in another timeline would have been plagued by injuries from the moment he entered the league, had miraculously regained his health under the care of the Suns’ miracle-working medical staff. Minor knocks still popped up from time to time, but those season-ending injuries were truly gone.
Over the past two seasons, Isaac’s availability had been consistently reliable.
“Especially Isaac.”
Malone spoke up from the side. “I’m honestly jealous. That kid is incredible.”
In the original timeline, Isaac had been known as the “DPOY in 2K.”
His physical tools and defensive ceiling were absurd, but constant injuries meant he could never cash in on that potential in real life—only dominating in video games instead.
Now, thanks to the Suns’ medical team, what once existed only in fantasy was slowly becoming reality.
“Those two on the Suns—one offense, one defense—they really do make some noise.”
Malone watched Barrett smiling on the screen, a trace of caution in his eyes.
That wasn’t wrong at all.
Chen Yilun thought about it. The Suns’ situation really did have something to it.
Ayton and Isaac went without saying, and Barrett himself wasn’t lacking either.
After being traded to the Raptors, Barrett had stepped up once Barnes’ form dipped, taking on the team’s burden and even giving off the sense that he might replace him outright.
Put those three together, and it was hard to say what kind of strange chemistry might emerge.
Not long after Barrett left the stage, Adam Silver returned yet again.
“With the fourth overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers select Darius Garland from Vanderbilt University!”
After all the twists and turns, the Cavaliers at fourth overall finally welcomed their long-awaited violinist.
“Boss, we’re almost up.”
Prince leaned in close and whispered, “The league’s already sent people over twice. They’re asking us to submit our draft card.”
“What’s the rush?”
Chen Yilun replied without even lifting his head, though the rapid shaking of his right leg betrayed how calm he really wasn’t.
“Ring ring ring!”
At that moment, his phone rang abruptly.
It’s here.
Chen Yilun glanced at the caller ID and immediately broke into a smile.
“You’ve got some nerve—waiting until now to call me.”
His tone was relaxed as he answered.
“That’s because you wouldn’t give me any room to negotiate.”
A helpless laugh came from the other end. “Fine. We’ll go with what you said.”
“Good.”
As he spoke, Chen Yilun passed an envelope he’d prepared long ago across the table to Prince.
“Submit it.”
“Got it!”
Envelope in hand, Prince bolted out of the room.
“Just made it.”
Watching him leave, Chen Yilun stretched, his whole body finally relaxing.
In truth, he’d been thinking about how to handle his two lottery picks even before the draft began.
Outsiders saw this draft as one last grand celebration, but Chen Yilun knew better. Among the top prospects this year, there was no true franchise cornerstone.
“Fat Tiger” Zion was riddled with injuries.
“Big Sniper” Barrett was wildly inconsistent.
The last of Duke’s trio, Reddish, had turned into an ice-cold shooter the moment he entered the league—and never climbed out of it.
The only one who had truly proven his worth, Morant, was ultimately undone by off-court issues—going from a generational star to a cautionary tale.
So these two high picks in his hands? Chen Yilun genuinely didn’t want them.
Honestly, if team-building necessities didn’t force his hand, he would’ve loved to trade away every pick he had this year and wait for future opportunities.
At that moment, Adam Silver stepped onto the stage once more.
“With the fifth overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, the Sacramento Kings select De’Andre Hunter from the University of Virginia, and trade him to the Charlotte Hornets. In return, the Kings receive the Hornets’ 11th overall pick and a 2023 unprotected first-round pick.”
As Silver finished speaking, Hunter’s expression in the green room shifted—from pure elation, to confusion, and finally to frustration.
It felt like getting into a top-tier university, only to be told moments later that there’d been a mistake and your acceptance was being revoked.
Going from the league’s famous rookie academy straight to Charlotte, the graveyard of prospects, would leave anyone feeling awful.
But as the one being selected, Hunter had no choice. He swallowed his disappointment, walked onto the stage, and put on his cap.
“So we’re heading back to scratch lottery tickets again?”
Malone asked curiously as he watched Chen Yilun’s series of moves.
By now, Malone was long used to this. No need to overthink it—just close your eyes and trust.
“More or less.”
Chen Yilun was trimming his nails with a pair of clippers as he spoke.
“We already have plenty of young players. There’s no need to bring in another high pick and dilute the ball for guys who are halfway through their development. At this stage, we should be looking further down the board—players who don’t need much polishing, or who are already usable right away.”
Everyone in the room nodded along.
“So who are we picking, then?”
“We…”
Chen Yilun stood up and pointed the nail clippers at a name on the player list spread across the table.
“We pick him.”
The draft continued smoothly.
At seventh overall, the Bulls selected Coby White, just as history remembered. At ninth, the Heat scooped up Cam Reddish.
Under Coach Spoelstra’s guidance, maybe this ice-cold shooter would finally get a chance to realize his potential.
Soon enough, it was the Kings’ turn again.
Adam Silver stepped forward once more.
“With the 11th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, the Charlotte Hornets select PJ Washington from the University of Kentucky. Due to a prior trade with the Kings, Washington is automatically traded to Sacramento.”
....
Chapter 415: Twin Towers (1)
“PJ Washington?”
Inside the 76ers’ small draft room, Divac stared blankly at the footage playing on the TV.
He honestly didn’t know much about this Washington kid.
“He was in the McDonald’s All-American class before.”
Hearing Divac’s confusion, the 76ers’ assistant general manager quickly explained.
“Later went to Kentucky. One of that guy’s disciples.”
“Oh, right.”
That immediately cleared things up for Divac.
Back when he was still with the Kings, Chen Yilun had been very close with Kentucky head coach Calipari. Last year’s selection of Alexander had reportedly come directly off Calipari’s strong recommendation.
Picking another Kentucky product now made perfect sense.
“Is Chen Yilun really being that generous? Spending money just to buy goodwill?”
Divac frowned, sensing something wasn’t quite right.
His former boss had always been famously tightfisted—getting anything out of him was like pulling teeth. Yet now he was suddenly so easygoing?
Two straight years of Kentucky picks.
“It can’t just be because of Calipari. There has to be something I’m not seeing.”
After leaving Sacramento, Divac had only grown more aware of how unconventional Chen Yilun’s moves really were.
“Go check if Chen Yilun’s had any private contact with Kentucky lately.”
In truth, Divac was overthinking it this time.
Chen Yilun picked Washington purely for locker-room reasons.
With Durant and Butler about to leave, the Kings were in desperate need of rebuilding their internal structure. When those two were still around, Durant kept his head down and handled the basketball side of things. If any conflicts came up, Butler naturally stepped in to deal with them. The younger players just had to follow behind the two veterans.
But now that protective canopy was gone, and everything had to be shouldered by the young guys themselves.
Before, Chen Yilun could afford to ignore everything else and draft purely for future superstar upside.
Now he couldn’t. He had to find players who actually fit the team’s structure.
A team that blindly chases potential is never sustainable.
There had been plenty of examples around the league—teams that ignored results, ignored the development of existing players, and tanked endlessly just to chase high-upside prospects. In the end, reality proved that path didn’t work.
A proper team needs clear hierarchy and defined roles.
Scorers score. Playmakers organize. Defenders defend.
Only teams like that are truly competitive.
Washington was exactly that kind of player.
Purely in terms of ability, whether on offense or defense, Washington wasn’t on the level of Siakam or Anunoby. But he had something else—an edge forged on the streets, a rough, gang-like toughness paired with a strong sense of brotherhood.
That was precisely what the Kings were lacking right now.
Murray also came from the streets and had that same tough aura, but he didn’t have the kind of “I’ll bleed for the team” mentality. And as a future near–All-Star, there were plenty of situations where Murray simply couldn’t be the one to step in.
That’s why Washington—with his physical style and plug-and-play toughness—was Chen Yilun’s best option at the moment.
“Alright, alright, don’t worry. I’ll take good care of the kid you recommended. Okay, okay, no more chatting—I’ve still got a pile of work to deal with here. I’ll head to Kentucky in a couple of days and we’ll grab a meal.”
“You big shot better be ready to pay up then! Hahahaha!”
Almost the moment the Kings selected Washington, Calipari’s call came through to Chen Yilun’s phone.
The relationship between NCAA head coaches and NBA executives had always been mutually beneficial. NBA front offices needed firsthand information from college coaches, while NCAA coaches relied on league connections to help their players reach the NBA and strengthen their own résumés.
So even though Calipari was highly senior in coaching circles, Chen Yilun’s meteoric rise over the past two years meant the two were now practically on equal footing.
As Calipari liked to put it:
“We all do our own math. Your mentor and I are brothers, and you and I are brothers too. Everyone counts their own way.”
“This really is a mess.”
Chen Yilun shook his head with a wry smile and hung up.
“Where are we now?”
“The lottery’s almost finished.”
Graham, who’d been glued to the TV the whole time, spoke up.
With the Celtics selecting Romeo Langford, the lottery phase of the draft finally came to an end.
“All the main star prospects this year are already gone,”
Graham whispered to Chen Yilun.
“Alright.”
Chen Yilun picked up the tablet on the table and glanced over it.
By now, most of the usable players were already off the board.
The only ones still worth a look were Grant Williams, Jordan Poole, and Keldon Johnson.
Grant was a classic system player—he could only reach real value within the right structure.
Poole had once flashed as the Warriors’ X-factor, but after that punch from Green, his development never truly delivered on his talent. In this timeline, with the Wizards, he was merely average—far from someone you’d build a team around.
As for Keldon Johnson, despite being a fan favorite among Spurs supporters, his actual ceiling was highly questionable. His best statistical season came when the Spurs were free-falling in the standings and he was pushed into a temporary leadership role during the Wembanyama sweepstakes.
His ability to lead a team or deliver in high-pressure situations had never really been proven.
That was why Chen Yilun—even as a die-hard Spurs fan in his previous life—still didn’t choose Johnson.
“Let’s wait for now.”
Chen Yilun took a sip of his coffee and spoke calmly.
“We’re not getting involved in the first round anymore.”
“What about the second round?”
Catching the implication immediately, Prince asked.
“We’ll see.”
Chen Yilun took another small sip.
“There are some decent players in the second round. We can watch how things play out and grab someone if the fit is right.”
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / GhostParser
Comments (0)
Please login or sign up to post a comment.