"If Li Fei leaves after the season, we'll lose more than the league's best player. We'll lose the core of our team, along with our ratings and public attention. Without Li Fei, tickets at Madison Square Garden could become impossible to sell overnight, and our sponsorship revenue would take a huge hit."
"So we need to start looking now, in both the free-agent and buyout markets, for someone who can support Li Fei and help us chase a Four-Peat—and who can also carry the Knicks into the future if Li Fei leaves."
"This player needs to be talented and influential enough to boost our ratings and raise the Knicks' profile. He has to keep the fans watching and the sponsors supporting us."
"Simply put, he needs to be both Li Fei's 'second-in-command' and the Knicks' 'savior' in the future."
His words made the mood in the conference room grow heavy again.
There were very few players like that in the entire league.
An executive furrowed his brow. "The league's top stars have either signed long-term contracts or command salaries we simply can't afford."
"Take Barkley, Olajuwon, and Pippen on the Houston Rockets. They're all on max contracts, and we don't have the cap space to sign them. Malone on the Bulls is also under a long-term deal. There's no way he'd be traded easily."
"Younger stars aren't good enough to carry the Knicks into the future or boost our ratings."
Another executive chimed in. "We also have to consider how the player fits. He needs to complement Li Fei and work with his style of play, without clashing with him over the ball."
"Li Fei is a mid-range maestro who loves contact. He needs a frontcourt partner who can set screens, rebound, and defend, but who also has some scoring