Although he had the idea of making a trade, for now it was only an idea. The team's record was decent, and there was no pressing need to pursue a deal. Presti was simply planning ahead.
He'd suddenly realized that the team might make the playoffs this year, and might even finish higher than last place. So he immediately began looking for ways the team had turned out differently from what he'd expected.
Westbrook's ridiculous performances and Chen Xi's firepower off the bench were the two things he focused on most.
That was what gave him the idea to strengthen the roster. The Thunder still had a full twenty million dollars in cap space before they even came close to the luxury tax, well within the owner's means. If they used Oladipo as the centerpiece of a trade and agreed to take on someone else's bad contract—or added a few more pieces—they might be able to land a respectable small forward. Paired with Westbrook and Chen Xi in the backcourt, that should give the team a real boost.
At the very least, they couldn't keep losing so miserably.
Presti thought back to the season opener against the Warriors.
Durant's departure had made Presti the target of public criticism for a while. It was impossible to say he hadn't been angry about it.
In Chen Xi's studio apartment.
The tiny single bed was bearing a weight it was never meant to carry.
Damn it! Damn it all! I'm just a 1.6-by-2.0-meter single bed!
Chen opened his bleary eyes. Looking down, he found a magnificent pair of breasts pressed against his chest.
The tall, incredibly flexible Veronica was sprawled on top of him like a frog. No wonder he'd been having trouble breathing.
He looked up at the ceiling, meaning to make some kind of remark, but instinct made him lower his head again.
Looking down was just another way of looking up. Following his instincts, Chen stopped behaving himself the way he had while asleep.
"Mmm..."
With a soft moan, the beauty in his arms slowly woke.
"Chris, good morning."
"Morning."
They smiled at each other, and Veronica lowered her head to rest against his strong chest again.
Guys, who understands? I really like this.
So that's why athletes are in such great shape!
As he thought, he ran his hand over the man's waist. He could clearly feel the muscles packed beneath the skin, and couldn't stop touching them.
Was Chen supposed to put up with that kind of provocation?
I'll give you my Lightning Five Consecutive Whips!
By the time the sun was high in the sky
Chen strolled toward the kitchen, humming as he made "breakfast."
As an athlete who trained incredibly hard, eating five meals a day wasn't too much. He'd gotten up late today, so he'd have to make up for it by eating plenty.
"Mmm! Delicious! Chris, you just earned another ten points with me!" Veronica said, savoring Chen Xi's cooking.
"A man who can cook is so charming."
"I learned from my grandpa. I'm only so-so at Western cooking. I was worried you wouldn't like it, so I didn't make anything Chinese. I'll give it a try next time. Once you get used to it, you'll love it."
"Chinese food? I can't wait."
"Sure. I'll pick up some ingredients next time, and then I'll show you the charm of a culinary tradition with five thousand years of history!"
Chen was quick to get carried away once he started bragging.
Chesapeake Energy Arena
The Thunder players warmed up with shots along the sideline.
Westbrook came over, waggling his eyebrows.
"Chris, I knew it! You two were definitely going to hook up!" Turtle Turtle wore a look that said every man would understand. He'd already spotted Veronica sitting courtside.
"You'd better thank me for inviting you to my party that day!"
"Yeah, yeah, thanks a lot. How about I take your Lamborghini and fill it up as a thank-you?"
"Is that your idea of thanking me? If you drive it off, am I ever getting it back?" Turtle Turtle had already seen through Chen Xi's dirty tricks and wasn't falling for it. The guy had been eyeing his Lamborghini ever since they were in the garage last time, and now he was making his intentions obvious. He'd better stop driving it around Chen. Maybe he'd take the Hummer to the arena from now on.
Of course, Turtle Turtle was still underestimating Chen's shamelessness.
A Hummer or a Lamborghini, I'll take them both.jpg
The game was about to begin. After a quick chat with Veronica courtside, Chen Xi returned to the bench.
Back on their home court, the Thunder had no intention of letting their losing streak continue.
Westbrook came out firing, repeatedly driving into the Suns' paint. The aging Boxer could no longer provide the rim protection he once had, while the young Aquaman kept catching Westbrook's inside passes. With the defenders' attention drawn away, attacking the rim became effortless.
The Suns, meanwhile, weren't nearly as hot as they'd been last time. T.J. Warren's magic had run out, and Booker's handful of mid-range shots weren't enough to keep them afloat.
By the time Chen Xi checked in, the Thunder were already up 19–8, with an eleven-point lead.
"Long time no see, little Booker." Chen grinned at Booker, getting into his head the moment he stepped on the court.
The young 13th overall pick and shooting guard clearly wasn't mentally strong enough to live up to his draft position. He was easily swayed by his emotions, which was one of the biggest things holding back his development.
Chen tossed out a few more bits of trash talk, and Booker started to crack. He called for the ball, determined to take on the foul-mouthed jerk one-on-one.
At 1.98 meters, Booker had a slight advantage over Chen, who stood 1.96 meters, in both strength and build. Unfortunately for him, Chen's excellent defense and veteran sense of how much contact he could get away with left Booker at his wits' end.
"Damn it, get your hand off me!" Booker finally snapped, batting away Chen's hand, which had been discreetly resting on his waist.
Having studied footage of a certain Spurs legend, Chen immediately put on an innocent expression, watching Booker rage with nowhere to vent.
The referee hurried over and separated them.
Booker wanted to let loose with something harsher, but Bledsoe pulled him away.
"Calm down, Devin. Think about Redick. This guy's no pushover. He could come over and grapple with you at any moment. Trading blows wouldn't work in our favor."
"Do you think I'm afraid of him?" Booker retorted, still refusing to back down, even as his feet followed Bledsoe's pull and he retreated, fighting as he fell back.
"Geez, you're learning. You've made some progress." Chen watched Booker back away with a smug grin, while keeping an eye on P.J. Tucker and Dudley, who looked eager to jump in.
Tch. Those two weren't exactly angels either.
Play resumed, and the Suns changed tactics. They began setting picks up top, letting Booker get away from Chen and take on Oladipo one-on-one.
Odie was a good defender too, but he was still at a disadvantage in size. Booker hit him with two consecutive post-up mid-range shots.
Donovan called a timeout. He needed to adjust the defensive strategy. Switching hadn't worked, while chasing Booker would give him room to shoot.
For the moment, he couldn't find a suitable defensive adjustment.
Then they'd make a substitution!
Before you continue