Sports Medicine Master System

June 24th. The day of the draft had arrived.

Neither Chen Yu nor Brian went to the event in person. Skiles represented the Suns in New York.

However, the two of them were definitely following the proceedings closely.

Inside the main conference room, Brian’s assistant, Thompson, along with David Griffin and others, were busy writing all the intel and news they’d gathered on a whiteboard.

Chen Yu and Brian, on the other hand, were much more relaxed, even having a couple of drinks together.

"Chen, why don’t you give John another call? The Bulls’ management owes you one for that Jay Williams situation," Brian said, turning his head.

For the past two days, the Suns had been following up with the Bulls’ management, discussing potential trades.

Since trades couldn’t be officially completed on draft night itself, the Bulls would have to make their pick beforehand. And until everything was finalized, there was always the risk they could back out.

Therefore, the risk for the Bulls was not insignificant.

But there was no doubt they were very interested in McDyess.

It wasn’t just a matter of Davis’s cost-effectiveness; they needed a top-tier power forward like McDyess to pair with Eddie Curry.

Eddie Curry, whose weight was rapidly approaching O’Neal’s, used his sheer size to pose a similar threat under the basket, but he also had a lot of problems.

He had poor defensive habits and a weak mentality.

On offense, his youth led to inconsistency. When he was feeling it, he was unstoppable, giving you the illusion of watching O’Neal play. But if he was off, he truly couldn’t make a shot to save his life.

That’s when you needed a prime, blue-collar power forward like McDyess, someone who could take over the primary scoring duties at a moment’s notice and just bang out points.

A poor man’s Duncan. Who wouldn’t want that?

Constrained by their salary cap, the Bulls didn’t have the space to absorb McDyess’s contract directly, making a sign-and-trade the best option.

But there had been no news.

They were probably reluctant to give up two potential rookies at once.

"Forget it. If he really feels he owes me one, he’ll know what to do without me having to remind him," Chen Yu said.

They would just have to see what the Bulls chose to do.

If they picked any one of Livingston, Gordon, or Harris, it would mean they were interested in the trade.

According to previous intel, the Bulls had been wanting to draft a small forward. Their target was Andre Iguodala, whom they had also worked out.

Chen Yu had been keeping an eye on Iguodala.

Chen Yu had been impressed by his athletic talent at the pre-draft combine.

If the Bulls didn’t pick him and he slid to the seventh pick, Chen Yu wanted the Pioneers to select him to fill a spot on the wing.

There was another player, Josh Childress, also a swingman, who was a target for the Pioneers if he fell in the draft.

Brian nodded and didn’t say any more.

On the television, Stern appeared, smiling.

The camera focused on Howard and Okafor.

"Chen, take a guess. Who will the Magic pick?" Brian asked, turning his head.

Chen Yu thought for a moment before saying, "Most likely Howard."

Brian laughed. "Then we’re on the same page."

With Howard and Okafor, there was no wrong answer for the number one pick.

Okafor’s skills were perhaps more polished, having spent three years in college.

However, even with three years of college, his technical maturity wasn’t enough to meet the Magic’s needs for a championship run.

So, for the Magic, no matter who they picked, they couldn’t keep him for themselves. They would have to trade him.

And if they were going to make a trade, Howard, the high schooler, obviously had more potential and was more attractive to other teams.

Sure enough, just two minutes later, the Magic made their choice.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, a grinning Howard walked onto the stage, eagerly putting on a Magic hat.

Although both he and Okafor knew that even if the Magic picked them, they would be traded away quickly, becoming the number one pick and making their mark on history was enough.

"To the Magic and their damn good luck," Brian said, raising his glass. He clinked it against Chen Yu’s and drained it in one go.

Immediately after, the Bobcats didn’t hesitate, taking Okafor right away.

"By the way, Chen, what if we can’t get Ariza in the second round? I think our backup plan, Rashad Wright, is just too short," Brian asked.

The Suns had a second-round pick, and they had already identified their target: Trevor Ariza.

But after his workouts with various teams, Ariza’s stock had risen a bit. At the 59th pick, the Suns weren’t guaranteed to get him.

As for trading up, it was unclear how high they would need to go, and the Suns didn’t have many assets they could easily part with.

The backup plan, Rashad Wright, was a 1.88-meter point guard, and his height was a significant drawback.

"So what are you thinking?" Chen Yu asked casually.

’If we can’t get him, we can’t get him. It’s just a second-round pick, what can you do?’

Brian sat up straight, a shrewd glint in his eyes. "There’s a player from China named Mo Ke. Do you know him?"

Chen Yu paused for a second, then nodded.

With Chen Yu’s connections to the Chinese Basketball Association, how could he not know about Mo Ke?

And in the draft-eligible list released by the NBA this year, Mo Ke, who had turned 22, was included.

It was rumored that the Pistons and the Mavericks—especially the Mavericks, a team that had maintained close ties with China because of Old Nelson—were planning to use their second-round pick on Mo Ke.

Of course, it was just a rumor. No one knew if it was true.

Crucially, Mo Ke hadn’t come to the United States for any workouts. The few teams rumored to be interested in him had only sent scouts to China to evaluate him.

Chen Yu knew a bit about his situation.

In 2000, he officially debuted in the Jia A league and was later traded to Liu Yudong’s team. Last season, he averaged a respectable 17.5 points and 8.5 rebounds.

In China, he was once praised as part of the "South Du Feng, North Mo Ke" duo.

As for the National Team, he was cut from the final roster in ’02 and ’03, but this year he made the Olympic squad.

At 22, he had decent talent but still had significant issues.

He lacked the size to play the five, but his speed and agility, while an advantage at the four in the CBA, weren’t up to par for the NBA.

These kinds of "tweeners," players who are not quite a four and not quite a five, were quite common in the CBA. Liu Yudong was one such example.

But he was still young, after all, so there might still be room for growth.

However, as far as Chen Yu knew, the biggest issue affecting his draft stock was whether the Basketball Association would let him go.

Those few teams that were interested in him were probably worried that the Chinese Basketball Association wouldn’t release him, causing them to waste a second-round pick for nothing.

Not to mention, he was on Liu Yudong’s team, which made his status rather complicated.

After hearing Chen Yu’s concerns, Brian gave a crafty smile. "That’s them, but we’re different. With your relationship with the Chinese Basketball Association, if you mediate, would they dare not release him?"

Chen Yu nodded. That was true.

Brian continued, "Of course, I know his talent is average, and he might not have what it takes to play at an NBA level. But I’m more interested in the Chinese market. After all, our goal from here on out is to make money."

When he mentioned making money, Chen Yu understood.

Although Phoenix didn’t have nearly as large a Chinese population as Los Angeles or New York, the Suns had already attracted a huge number of fans in China thanks to their three consecutive championships.

If they drafted another Chinese player, the attention would only grow.

They would gain an advantage in authentic jersey sales and in attracting advertisers.

For a second-round pick and a salary of a few hundred thousand US dollars, it was absolutely worth it.

Furthermore, from Chen Yu’s perspective, if he wanted to buy a team in China and develop his sports business in the future, he needed more contact with the Chinese market.

"You know, that’s actually a great idea," Chen Yu said, sitting up straight. "Let’s see what happens. If Ariza is taken before our pick, we’ll draft him."

’You could find any random veteran in his thirties in the league who’d be better than him.’

The Suns’ "retirement home" team-building strategy was no longer viable, but their appeal was still top-tier in the league. Taking a gamble in the second round was far less cost-effective than just signing a veteran.

Just then, it was the Bulls’ turn to pick.

As the two of them watched nervously, the Bulls made their choice.

Ben Gordon!

"Nice!"

Brian excitedly high-fived Chen Yu.

Just as they’d thought, the Bulls couldn’t resist the temptation of McDyess.

"Don’t celebrate too early. Nothing’s for sure until August 15th," Chen Yu added.

Whether the trade would be completed, and the specific details of it, were all still up in the air.

Brian was already doing an excited little dance. Hearing Chen Yu pour cold water on his excitement, he said nonchalantly, "It’s fine. The worst-case scenario is we keep him. If we want to trade him, we can do it anytime."

He wasn’t some untradeable garbage asset. The moment he was put on the block, teams from all over the league would be lining up.

Chen Yu ignored him and contacted the Pioneers to exchange information.

Chen Yu was determined to see the Pioneers’ upgrade and rebuild through to the end.

Meanwhile, Brian wasn’t idle either. He had to complete a trade as soon as possible to get a late first-round pick and try to land Kevin Martin.

Following the Bulls, the Fast Ship made their pick: Shaun Livingston.

The stock of these guards was on the rise.

This situation was advantageous for the Pioneers, giving them a better chance to get Iguodala.

At the fifth pick, the first trade of the draft night occurred.

The Wizards and the Mavericks completed a trade. The Wizards sent Stackhouse and Lightner to the Mavericks for last season’s Sixth Man of the Year, Antoine Jamison, and some cash.

The Mavericks got the fifth pick and immediately selected Devin Harris.

Chen Yu didn’t comment on the trade; he was more concerned with Brian’s situation.

It seemed things weren’t going smoothly.

With the sixth pick, the Hawk selected swingman Josh Childress.

This pick made Chen Yu breathe a sigh of relief.

Chen Yu had been quite worried the Hawk would take Iguodala.

The two had similar builds, and both were explosively athletic.

However, Childress’s offense was a bit stronger.

As for Iguodala, Chen Yu had noticed one of his strengths during the combine.

He was a team-oriented player. The most fitting way to describe it was that while everyone else hoped to be the next Jordan, Iguodala wanted to be the next Pippen.

For the win, for the team, he was willing to do anything.

That was a rare quality.

On a team like the Pioneers, which was brimming with talent and full of rookies all chomping at the bit to make a name for themselves, they really needed a player with a steady personality who was willing to make sacrifices.

After the Hawk made their pick, the Pioneers unhesitatingly selected Iguodala.

And it wasn’t over yet.

The Pioneers still held the 15th pick from the Grizzlies, the 26th pick from the Pistons, and their own second-round pick.

They still had more picks to make.