Chapter 49 – The Big Deal Is Settled!
"Boss! The Trail Blazers have agreed to the trade!"
"YES!"
Inside the Suns' executive suite, Head Coach Mike D'Antoni and team owner Robert Sarver high-fived with excitement.
They'd just pulled off a major deal with the Portland Trail Blazers—securing the No. 2 overall pick in this year's draft: Chen Yan.
To land the coveted rookie, Phoenix had to pay a hefty price. They sent All-Star forward Shawn Marion and Sixth Man of the Year Leandro Barbosa to Portland. In return, they received Chen Yan and Vaughn Weaver.
On paper, it was a 2-for-2 swap. But let's be real—anyone with half a brain knew this was a 2-for-1 deal in disguise. Vaughn Weaver? Just a roster filler. Odds were high he'd be waived the moment the trade cleared.
Still, the Suns weren't hesitating.
After a string of playoff heartbreaks, Phoenix's front office decided it was time to shake things up. Marion had been vocal about wanting a max extension—he threatened to walk in free agency if he didn't get one. Rather than risk losing him for nothing, the Suns flipped him now while his value was sky-high.
Behind the scenes, D'Antoni had been eyeing Chen Yan for a while. He just kept things under wraps—no public comments, no leaked interest. That's why this move caught everyone off guard. Total curveball.
But that's the NBA Draft for you. Every GM's playing poker. Smoke screens everywhere. You don't know what's real until the picks are in.
D'Antoni saw Chen Yan as the perfect fit for his signature run-and-gun system. The kid had explosive athleticism, deadly speed in transition, great off-ball movement, and a smooth jumper from mid-range and deep.
But most importantly—Chen Yan could get buckets on his own.
A true isolation weapon.
D'Antoni had taken heat for being too reliant on pick-and-rolls and fast breaks. Critics said he had no half-court offense beyond Steve Nash's wizardry.
Well, now? He had an answer.
"Give the damn ball to Chen Yan."
With Chen Yan in the mix, D'Antoni believed he finally had his own version of Dwyane Wade or Kobe Bryant—an elite scorer who could create offense from nothing and elevate the team to another level.
---
Meanwhile, over in Portland, the Trail Blazers front office was just as hyped.
From day one, the franchise had locked in Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge as their foundational duo. They never really planned to keep Chen Yan—they saw him as a high-value asset to flip.
And the return?
Shawn Marion, one of the league's most versatile defenders. The man averaged 17.5 points and 9.8 rebounds last season and could legitimately guard positions 1 through 5. Point guards, wings, bigs—you name it, Marion could shut it down.
There's even that wild stat where he managed to defend Shaq for stretches. Not stop him, but still—that's absurd.
Pair Marion with a rising Roy-Aldridge combo, and you've got a hell of a core. Add Barbosa, the Brazilian blur off the bench, and suddenly the Blazers had a lethal rotation.
They were calling it:
"The Yellow Mamba" (Roy)
"Justice Rasheed" (Aldridge)
"Hacker" (Marion)
"Brazilian Lightning" (Barbosa)
That's not just playoff material—that's Western Conference Finals potential.
Bottom line? Both sides got exactly what they wanted.
---
As the crowd buzzed and analysts scrambled to update their draft boards, the rest of the night kept rolling.
With the third overall pick, the Boston Celtics were on the clock.
But let's be honest—there was no suspense.
Kevin Durant was the easy call.
The Celtics had already shown their cards earlier this year when they illegally contacted Durant's mom during the recruitment process. The NBA slapped them with a fine for that, but it didn't matter. Boston had their eyes on KD all along.
In fact, after watching Durant dominate in college, GM Danny Ainge reportedly told the front office to tank—hard. He even considered trading Paul Pierce just to secure a top-three pick.
All the talk before the draft about "maybe taking Oden or Chen Yan" was pure smoke. Durant was the guy.
And Durant? He looked pumped.
Even though he fell to the third pick, he didn't care. Boston was the place he wanted to be—a historic franchise in a major market, ready to build something great.
Back in Texas, Durant's college coach Rick Barnes couldn't stop smiling. With Chen Yan and Durant going No. 2 and 3, the University of Texas had officially become a draft factory. Their summer recruitment was about to blow up.
---
At pick No. 4, the Seattle Supersonics went with Al Horford—a safe, solid big man with a high floor.
He wasn't flashy, but he was reliable. In a draft class full of stars and gambles, Horford was the kind of player you could plug into any system and trust to perform.
The Memphis Grizzlies rounded out the top five with a familiar move—selecting Mike Conley Jr., just like they did in the old timeline.
With Pau Gasol and Rudy Gay already in place, what the Grizzlies needed was a steady hand at the point. Conley brought leadership, high IQ, and excellent passing instincts. He was the most dependable floor general in this draft class.
In a small green room backstage, Chen Yan was sitting across from an ESPN reporter, lights glaring and cameras rolling.
"Chen, as the No. 2 pick in the NBA Draft, how are you feeling right now?"
Chen let out a soft chuckle, shaking his head slightly. "Honestly… it's been wild. Just a month ago, I was a nobody. If someone told me I'd be the second pick today, I'd have called them crazy. But here we are. I feel like my story gives hope to a lot of people out there."
His voice was steady, sincere. It was exactly how he felt after experiencing the whirlwind of the past month since he arrived in this new timeline.
The ESPN reporter nodded, clearly impressed. "And now, you're heading to the Portland Trail Blazers. What are your thoughts on joining that franchise?"
"Portland's a good city. The fans are passionate."
That was it—short and clipped.
Chen didn't want to say much more. Just moments ago, his agent Bill Duffy had warned him there might be a trade incoming. Chen wasn't about to go all in praising the Trail Blazers only to find himself suiting up somewhere else the next day. That'd be awkward as hell.
Right on cue, the ESPN reporter touched his earpiece, clearly receiving live updates. His eyes lit up.
"Breaking news, folks! We've just got word of a trade between the Trail Blazers and the Phoenix Suns—Chen, you're headed to Phoenix!"
Chen blinked, genuinely surprised. He had braced himself for a trade, but the Suns? That came out of nowhere. Their response during his private workout hadn't been particularly enthusiastic. Still, Phoenix had potential—he just didn't expect this twist.
"Chen, what's your reaction to joining the Suns?"
Now that it was official, he didn't have to hold back.
"The Suns are a great team. I love their fast-paced, run-and-gun system. It's exciting basketball—my kind of style. Honestly, I've been a fan for a while now. I can't wait to wear the Suns jersey. And Phoenix? Great city. Warm weather, passionate fans… it's a great place to live. I love everything about it."
That was the truth. Compared to Portland, the Suns gave him more room to shine. With Steve Nash running the point, he could already picture the highlight plays. His scoring numbers might just skyrocket next season.
Across the ocean, in the CCTV5 studio, the news hit like a bomb.
"Breaking news from the NBA Draft! The Phoenix Suns have acquired Chen Yan from the Trail Blazers! This marks the first blockbuster trade of the night!"
The studio, which had been relatively calm, suddenly erupted.
The three Chinese commentators practically jumped out of their seats.
"Whoa! He's going to the Suns? Didn't see that coming at all! But honestly, that system fits Chen Yan perfectly. I think he's going to thrive there."
"This trade reminds me of 1996… remember when rookie Kobe Bryant was traded for Vlade Divac?"
"Yeah, but this time, it's even crazier! Kobe was traded for an All-Star, sure—but Chen? He got swapped for an All-Star and the reigning Sixth Man of the Year!"
The excitement was real. The commentators were so caught up in the news, they completely missed the next moment on stage. It wasn't until Yi Jianlian walked up to shake David Stern's hand that they snapped back to attention.
"Wait, Yi Jianlian just got picked too? Sixth overall!"
But this time, the team was different. In his previous life, he'd gone to the Milwaukee Bucks. Now, it was the Chicago Bulls who called his name.
Yi looked thrilled. The Bulls had a strong basketball market, a great legacy, and a team setup that could help him shine. It was a win all around.
That night, Chinese fans suddenly found themselves rooting for two NBA teams: the Suns and the Bulls.
Meanwhile, the Bobcats took Brandon Wright with the seventh pick. Michael Jordan's scouting instincts were still as bold as ever.
The Bucks, now left without Yi, pivoted and selected Joakim Noah at No. 8. The Timberwolves followed with Corey Brewer at No. 9.
Later on, Nick Young was selected 15th overall—still by the Washington Wizards. It seemed like fate was unshakable.
Chen couldn't help but smirk at that. Even in this life, Nick Young couldn't dodge what was coming.
In his last life, when asked in a SLAM magazine interview, Gilbert Arenas had proudly admitted to sleeping with Nick Young's girlfriends. Yes, plural.
And his reasoning? Equally insane.
"If Nick falls for a woman that's clearly trash, I'll sleep with her myself," Arenas had said. "It's my way of warning him—'This woman ain't worth your heart, bro.'"
What kind of big brother logic was that?
Elsewhere, another Chinese player, Sun Yue, was taken with the 40th pick by the Los Angeles Lakers. However, he planned to delay his NBA debut for another year. It seemed the beginning of his journey with the Lakers—one that would become legendary in its own quirky way—would have to wait.
After the dust of the draft settled, all the lottery picks gathered for the traditional photo with Commissioner David Stern.
Chen Yan stood to Stern's left, Kevin Durant to his right. Behind them were Yi Jianlian and Greg Oden.
As the cameras flashed, Chen flashed a wide, confident grin.
Somewhere, someone watching would remember this moment.
For them, this was where it all began.
The beginning of a new era.
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