With Jim's assurance, Chen Yilun's confidence soared.
Before, while the Bulls' internal struggle was still unresolved, he figured he had about a 60% chance of landing Butler. But with Jim's words, that probability now jumped to 80%.
Having an insider makes everything so much easier!
With Jim covering for him inside the Bulls, it was far better than having to clash with Gar Forman head-on.
Now, some might ask:
Wouldn't Jim helping him like this jeopardize his own job?
Not at all!
As an assistant coach promoted into the head role, Jim was clearly just a transitional figure—he was never meant to last long. By helping Chen Yilun, he could also build a good reputation within the circle. Once he left the Bulls, it would only make it easier to land his next job.
With this reassurance, Chen Yilun caught the earliest flight back to Sacramento the next morning.
What surprised him was how seriously his boss, Ranadivé, was taking the matter.
"This time, I'm giving you full authority."
Ranadivé sat in the main chair of the conference room.
"Everyone is on the trade block except Booker and Jokić. Bring Butler back at all costs!"
And why did Ranadivé want Butler so badly? The old man didn't know a thing about basketball—he was chasing Butler's commercial value.
The Kings' record this season was already much better than the year before, but their star power had dropped sharply.
Last year, they had two All-Stars; this year, they might have none.
Cousins was gone, CJ was injured, and while Jokić had broken out with strong performances, his All-Star votes were still far too few.
But Butler still had top-level fan appeal in the East. If he stayed healthy, his All-Star spot was almost guaranteed. That was exactly what Ranadivé craved.
Sacramento was too small a market to lure big-name free agents. The Kings had to either develop their own stars—or trade for them.
"Don't worry, boss."
Chen Yilun sat beside Ranadivé.
"I'll make sure we get a good deal and bring Butler in—without touching the core of this team."
"Excellent!"
Ranadivé's mood brightened instantly.
"If you can pull this off, every member of the front office will get double their regular-season bonuses this year!"
"Let's lock in our strategy."
Onboard Ranadivé's personal jet, Chen Yilun opened his laptop and pulled everyone into a quick meeting.
This wasn't the team's old, worn-out private plane—this was Ranadivé's personal one, several levels more luxurious.
Seizing the rare learning opportunity, Anjali had even flown in from Stockton to observe.
"Based on what we discussed earlier..."
Peja picked up after Chen Yilun.
"The centerpiece of the trade will be LaVine, with future assets to supplement."
He glanced at his laptop before continuing.
"Since this is an in-season deal, the salaries need to match. We may have to include Thaddeus Young as part of the package."
"If the Bulls want Young, then we'll reduce the future assets," Chen Yilun added, tapping on his laptop.
"As for those assets, we absolutely cannot touch our Knicks and Wizards first-round picks. Got that? We'd rather give up our own first-rounders than move those."
"Got it!"
The front office staff answered in unison.
"Such a grand show! Hahaha!"
Gar Forman was already waiting at Chicago's airport with his assistant. When he saw Chen Yilun arriving with a large entourage, lugging bags and boxes, he laughed.
"Well, that's just to show our sincerity, isn't it?"
Chen Yilun laughed just as loudly, striding forward to shake Gar's hand.
To outsiders, they looked like longtime friends. In truth, they barely knew each other—and both were secretly plotting to outmaneuver the other.
The conference room in Chicago was packed, with both the Bulls' and Kings' front office teams seated in full.
As soon as Chen Yilun sat down, a blond man in a gray suit across the table gave him a subtle wink.
Chen Yilun returned the gesture with a faint smile.
His Senior still loved to play around—giving him a signal even in such a tense meeting. But that little prank actually helped relax Chen Yilun's nerves.
"Our demands are clear: LaVine, plus the mid-level exception you're holding, and three first-round picks."
The Kings currently had a full mid-level exception, acquired from the earlier Thaddeus Young trade.
Since LaVine was still on his rookie deal, his salary didn't come close to matching Butler's. The exception was needed to balance the trade.
"Three first-round picks? No way."
The moment Gar finished, Chen Yilun shook his head vigorously.
"At most, we can offer LaVine, the exception, and our 2019 first-round pick."
"Then there's nothing to talk about!"
Gar leaned back, spreading his arms.
"Your offer shows no sincerity at all!"
Chen Yilun chuckled at that.
"You're the one lacking sincerity. Sure, I like Butler—but last year's Most Improved Player was my CJ, not your Butler. If I were selling CJ, I wouldn't even dare ask this price. How am I supposed to counter with what you're demanding?"
And he wasn't wrong.
In the original timeline, Butler's trade value spiked only after he won Most Improved Player and became the Bulls' temporary leader following Rose's departure. That combination inflated his price.
But this Butler wasn't MIP, and Rose was still there. That gave Chen Yilun the leverage to push back.
"You can't frame it that way."
Hearing Chen Yilun's move, Gar dropped his flippant tone, straightened up, and got serious.
"Our Butler carried the team single-handedly last season. Every point was earned through pure skill—unlike your CJ."
Chen Yilun sneered.
"Single-handedly? What about Gasol? Noah? Gibson? The core lineup you built around Rose is still there. You just swapped Rose for Butler. How can you call that a one-man team?"
Gar's face stiffened under the jab.
"Then name your price. Either way, Butler is the core of our team right now."
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / GhostParser