Chapter 91: Storm Clouds Gathering
“Why so sudden?”
Malone sat in the conference room, brows furrowed. His fingers tapped rhythmically on the table, almost unconsciously.
“According to our development plan, the team isn’t ready for this at all.”
He was baffled. He had just returned to Sacramento when Chen Yilun pulled him aside for a talk, only to drop a bombshell right away.
“Weren’t we supposed to focus on developing rookies this season, then make moves in the offseason—package deals for an All-Star? Why the sudden rush?”
“It’s not exactly urgent. I just wanted to give you a heads-up,” Chen Yilun quickly explained.
“Plans can’t keep up with reality! I got some inside news—starting this season, there might be major personnel shifts within the league’s front office.
So I’m moving our plan forward. This kind of chaos gives us the perfect chance to make moves.”
Malone suddenly understood. If a team’s roster and management were stable, trades became exponentially harder. But the more unstable things were, the easier it was to pull off deals.
That’s exactly when GMs like Chen Yilun thrived—striking during management transitions or shakeups. Those were the best times to act.
“Got it. What do you need me to do?” Malone asked seriously.
“We’re going to trade LaVine.”
Chen Yilun didn’t hesitate.
“LaVine had a strong season and he’s young. No way people overlook his potential! We’ll increase his usage a bit, then use him as the centerpiece to trade for a quality player.”
When trading a high-potential player like LaVine, the GM and coach had to “tell a story.”
That meant deliberately giving him more opportunities before a trade—on both ends of the floor. It allowed other teams to see his upside, fueling their imagination about his future and raising his trade value.
Of course, there were also cases where the player couldn’t handle the added responsibility, and his value collapsed instead.
“Make the most of LaVine’s finishing and defense. Keep the ball-handling out of his hands,” Chen Yilun reminded.
Since being drafted, LaVine’s development had veered far off from his original timeline.
He’d joined the Kings just as the team was taking off, leaving no time to gradually polish his ball-handling. To secure a rotation spot, he’d spent an entire season grinding defense. That summer, he trained with Chip specifically on spot-up shooting.
Now, LaVine was firmly on the path of a 3-and-D player.
By the time Chen Yilun realized it, LaVine was already entrenched in that role. Last season, at Chen Yilun’s request, Malone even tried forcing him into a bench ball-handler role—but the results were mediocre.
So now, around the league, LaVine was seen as: a prototypical shooting guard with elite athleticism, steadily improving three-point shooting, and defense that, while not yet at a lockdown level, was already above average among perimeter players—with clear upside for growth.
And on top of that, LaVine had highlight-reel dunks, something front offices valued for ticket sales.
After the Warriors won the championship last season, Kerr’s “Death Lineup” stunned the league. Every forward-thinking team wanted to replicate their model.
LaVine, in his current form, was plug-and-play—no ball-dominance issues, cheap rookie contract, and only in his second year. The upside was huge.
“Trade LaVine?” Malone let out a deep sigh. After a pause, he forced a wry smile. “Honestly, it’s hard to let him go.”
Strictly speaking, LaVine and Jokić were the first players Malone had personally developed into standouts. He had poured a lot of effort into LaVine, so the thought of trading him now left him with a knot in his chest.
“You’ve just had too few young players you personally molded. After a few more times, you’ll get used to it.”
Chen Yilun brushed off Malone’s emotions.
“In a business league, you think sentiment actually matters?”
Then he added, “Without disrupting the team’s operations, give me another name as a backup. Just in case we need to sweeten the deal.”
“Understood.”
Malone nodded firmly.
“But don’t get too anxious.” Chen Yilun lit a cigarette and continued, “I’m just letting you know early. The league won’t see any action for at least two months. The storm hasn’t started yet.”
“So when do you think it’ll start?”
Malone pressed. He needed a rough timeline to plan his work.
“When?” Chen Yilun thought for a moment.
“Hard to say for sure. Probably around the All-Star break.
If nothing unexpected happens, this year’s trade deadline will be a frenzy.”
“Got it.” Malone nodded. “Can I ask if you already have a target in mind?”
Chen Yilun chuckled.
“That’s a secret!”
Seeing Chen Yilun’s mischievous grin, Malone suddenly had the illusion that the man in front of him was a sly little fox in human skin, secretly plotting behind the scenes.
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