Los Angeles, USA, Lakers General Manager's Office.

After seeing the TV footage, NBA commissioner Adam Silva announced that the Timberwolves had selected Yi Feng, Kobe Bryant slapped the table hard, "Damn! How could the Timberwolves choose Yi! ”

Mitch Kupchak also frowned, "Didn't they always like Downs?" Why did you suddenly change your mind? ”

Don't?!

A thought suddenly flashed through Kupchak's mind, could it be that they wanted to take advantage of the fire to rob?

Kobe Bryant's previous action was too big, which attracted the attention of many caring people, and many managers knew that the Lakers wanted to win Yi Feng.

Bryant only favored Yi Feng, but turned a blind eye to the equally talented Towns.

Before the draft, Towns had said that he would only go to the team with the first and second picks to tryout, whether it was self-confidence or arrogance, in short, Kobe Bryant subconsciously didn't like him.

Later, he took a fancy to Yi Feng again, so he looked down on Downs even more. Even if Towns later went to the Lakers for a tryout, Kobe Bryant was not interested in taking a look at it at all.

Now, Yi Feng in Kobe's phase was snatched away by the Timberwolves first, just like the meat in his mouth suddenly fell off, Kobe Bryant felt very uncomfortable.

Kupchak said to the gloomy Kobe Bryant: "Could it be that the Timberwolves are deliberately trying to trap us?" ”

Kobe Bryant's face was so black that he was dripping, "Trade with them, at any cost!" Anyway, Jim has already given you the power, so you can still do it, right? ”

Kupchak nodded and dialed Timberwolves President Philip Sanders.

He and Kobe Bryant have already reached a consensus, or a deal, and Kobe Bryant made such a promise, then he will also bring Yi Feng to the Lakers, at all costs.

However, he is not without cards to play.

"Hahaha, I'm Mitch Kupchak, old man, you should be able to hear me, right?"

Kupchek said, "Philip, why are you suddenly interested in that Chinese boy?" You Timberwolves have so many talented young players on the outside, why do you want to pick another one? ”

On the other end of the phone, Philip Saunders said: "There are not too many talented young people, right?" And there is competition, there will be progress. ”

Get out of your "competition is progress"!

If you don't have the ball, who can play it? Even Michael Jordan has to be blind to his talent!

Although Kupchak was scolding the "grass and mud horse" in his heart, he said, "Your words really make sense, Philip." However, compared to your team's focus on outside attacks, our Lakers are ready to focus on the interior next season! You see we have Julius Randle, a really great young man, and Karl Anthony Towns, who is about to be taken by us, is even more talented, with a combination of interior body and guard skills! ”

"With such an interior player, the future of our Lakers is promising, hahahaha......"

Philip Saunders' words were full of concern, "Who are you going to ask to raise these two children?" ”

As the saying goes, if there is an old man in the family, there is a treasure. In the NBA, it's no different. When you have an experienced veteran in the squad, it's like a treasure for the young players. Because of the guidance of veterans, young players can grow rapidly.

Both the Timberwolves and the Lakers have such a veteran, but the Timberwolves veteran Garnett can't coach the young players on the outside at all, and similarly, the Lakers veteran Kobe Bryant can't give too much guidance to the interior players.

When Philip Saunders said this, he was clearly uneasy and well-intentioned.

"We have a lot of inside giants for the Lakers, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar can teach them hook shots, and Bob McAdoo can teach them jump shots."

Kupchak can't show weakness, otherwise he will be pitted out by the other party in this conversation.

"Whether it's Karim or Bob, they're all from ancient times, and the skills of modern basketball are very different from the basketball skills of their time. Are you sure you want to ask them to teach? ”

Philip Saunders' tone was rather playful.

The Lakers want Yi Feng, but unfortunately Yi Feng is now drafted by the Timberwolves; And what the Timberwolves actually want is Towns, and the reason why they chose Yifeng is to get more benefits.

Now that's the case, and Philip Saunders and Mitch Kupchak both know it. For the sake of the interests they represent, they pulled each other and fooled each other, and the conversation never got to the point.

The clock was ticking by, and it was the Lakers' turn to make their pick with the second pick in the first round.

Kupchak looked at Kobe's darkening face, and had no choice but to propose a trade first, which means that he showed weakness to the Timberwolves.

"Philip, to be honest, you guys are very clever at this move. Let's go straight to the conditions, we Lakers want to get that Chinese rookie. ”

"Hehehe," a hearty laugh came from the other end of the phone, "everyone is an old friend, friends are in need, of course I am obligated to help without hesitation, how can I open conditions?" Convenient with others is convenient with yourself. ”

"Huh."

Mitch Kupchak also responded with a brief laugh.

Oh, although there are only two words, the grammar is rigorous, the words are neat, the structure is ingenious, and it is catchy, which can be described as concise and to the point. Kupchak replied to Philip Saunders with these two words, indicating that his mind had been occupied by thousands of grass mud horse beasts.

"However, as the president of the Timberwolves, I represent the interests of the Timberwolves. Although I personally want to help you for free, but the reality does not allow it. ”

"Well, you give us your No. 7 pick last year, Julius Randle, plus this year's first-round pick and second pick, and then you can get the Chinese rookie you've been dreaming of."

Although Julius Randle was injured in the opener of his rookie season and failed to prove himself in the NBA after the season was reimbursed, he was at least traded by the Lakers for a first-round No. 7 pick!

Now the Timberwolves actually put forward the request of the No. 2 pick in the first round plus the No. 7 pick in the first round to package the first round No. 1 pick!

True Nyima is whimsical!

Kupchak understood that this was business, but he felt deeply the humiliation of being fooled.

"Why, I heard you gasp so loudly, don't you agree? I know you've made a plan to train Julius as a young man, but business is business......

Philip Saunders added: "My ears can feel the breath blowing from your nostrils, is it necessary to be so reluctant?" Okay, as an old friend, I'll give you another hand, and replace it with Jordan Clarkson, who you selected with the 16th pick in the second round last year, how about it? This should satisfy you, right? ”

Kupchak is angry, how can this old fox target the potential stocks of the Lakers?

"Although this young man Jordan is a second-round pick, his talent is completely at the level of a first-round pick or even a lottery show. His performance this season has simply amazed the whole league! If you want to get him, you'll have to trade Ricky Rubio. ”

Ask for a price and pay back on the spot. Who wouldn't?

I'm rubbing, Ricky Rubio is the starting point guard of the Timberwolves, and there are also a few point guards in the entire league, how can you be a rookie for the Lakers?

Sanders feels that Kupchak's statement is ridiculous, are you here to be funny? Do you want to trade or not? Just now, I kept asking me to put forward conditions, why are there so many famous halls now?

"Just use the No. 2 pick and No. 27 pick in the first round to trade the Chinese kid, okay?"

What a yarn......

Sanders was speechless.

The No. 27 pick in the first round is no different from the second-round pick, what other treasures can you find when you get this pick? Not every second-round pick is called Manu Ginobili or Gilbert Arenas.

Some time ago, there was news circulating in the league that the Celtics, who had the 16th and 28th picks in the first round, wanted to package these two draft picks and exchange them with other teams for picks with higher picks.

As a result, the Detroit Pistons, who had the 8th pick, also declined, the Charlotte Hornets, who had the 9th pick, and the Miami Heat, who had the 10th pick, also declined.

Although Danny Ainge, the general manager of the Celtics, is shrewd, no one is a fool among the managers who mix in the NBA.

Sometimes, the difference between the first and the last is the difference between heaven and hell. Especially the difference between the champion sign and the list eye sign.

If in 2003, the Detroit Pistons had not a first-round pick but a first-round pick, would they have created a strong dynasty by selecting LeBron James?

However, the reality is that they used the list to take down the big parallel Darko Milicic.

Every year's draft, there aren't too many sought-after rookies, and if you don't have a top-10 pick, it's impossible to get involved in the snatching of those rookies. At this time, the higher the rank, the greater the possibility of getting the desired rookie.

And in the mid-to-late stage draft, it's hard to get star players, and teams with these picks will choose functional role players according to the needs of their own teams. At this time, the rank and low level basically don't have much significance.

So the Celtics' first-round picks of the 16th and 28th picks can't be exchanged for a lottery pick with a higher pick.

"To be honest, it's easier for me to pick a rookie with the No. 27 pick and see if he can bring benefits to the team, so I might as well ask for cash directly."

Philip Saunders was straight to the point.

"A million?"

Mitch Kupchak probes.

"Five million!"

Sanders is quick to speak.

Kupchak began to bargain, "Five million is too much, almost a year's salary for the top show." Two million, no more! ”

"You Lakers have a lot of salary space, the most important thing is that the Chinese rookie is worth the price, isn't it?"

Sanders' words almost left Kupchak speechless. It's not me or you who thinks the Chinese rookie is worth the price, it's the great Mr. Kobe Bryant!!

But helplessly, he is now driving Kobe's will, and he can only think that Yi Feng is worth this price.

The teeth creaked, and Kupchak agreed to this condition.

Kobe's face finally stopped darkening......