In June in Boston, the air still carried the lingering fervor of the championship parade.
The air conditioning was blasting in the president's office at the New Garden.
Orlando Magic head coach and president Doc Rivers sat somewhat awkwardly on a large leather sofa. He had flown to Boston alone, without anyone with him.
" Lin Qi, I'm here to keep the promise you made to me on the sidelines in April." Doc Rivers, his hands crossed on his knees, looked at Lin Qi sitting behind his desk, his bloodshot eyes fixed on him. "Ever since we were swept in the first round, the Orlando media has been nitpicking every day. I heard the Magic's owner is scrambling to find a new head coach. I can't take it anymore."
Lin Qi leaned back in his chair, twirling a pen in his hand, his gaze calmly scrutinizing Doc Rivers.
" Doc, since you've personally flown to Boston, I won't bother with those official platitudes." Lin Qi slammed his pen on the table, making a crisp sound. " The Orlando Magic's current predicament is beyond your ability to solve. Your team-building philosophy is rotten to the core."
Doc Rivers paused for a moment, his expression turning somewhat grim, but he did not refute her.
"Ever since Shaquille O'Neal O'Neal was snatched away by the Lakers in free agency, your management has suffered from severe 'superstar PTSD.' For years, you've been clearing salary cap space year after year, always holding your breath, hoping to snag a big fish in free agency." Lin Qi mercilessly tore away the Magic's management's fig leaf. "You're dreaming that Tim Duncan will leave San Antonio for Orlando? Don't dream. A cornerstone star like Tim Duncan would never leave his original team. This 'gambler's' mentality in building a team has led to your roster undergoing major changes every year, with absolutely no continuity or stability."
Doc Rivers took a deep breath, smiled wryly, and nodded. "You're right. Lin Qi, you're an excellent trader. If it were you, what would you do now?"
Lin Qi stood up, walked to the whiteboard in the office, and picked up Mark.
"Abandon those unrealistic fantasies and face reality. Then, thoroughly clean out your current roster and cash out at a high price."
Lin Qi wrote a name on the whiteboard: Darrell B. J. Armstrong.
" Darrell is a good guard, averaging 15.9 points and 7 assists last season, very impressive stats." Lin Qi pointed to the name with his pen. "But he'll be 33 next season, Doc. For a small guard who relies on speed and hustle, 33 is a hurdle. His stats will inevitably decline next season; he's destined to be just a passing phase."
Then Lin Qi wrote down a second name: Ron Mercer.
"And your primary offensive option, Mercer, averages 19 points per game. His stats certainly look good, but those are stats achieved by endlessly firing on all cylinders on a terrible team like yours. He can't change the course of the game."
Lin Qi turned to Doc Rivers and said, "These two players are currently at the peak of their trade value. As for Mike Miller, Bo Outlaw, and Ervin Johnson, they are all decent piece-the-piece players, but they are only supporting roles. Their talent ceiling is not high enough to carry a strong playoff team. No matter how you arrange your lineup, you can't win."
"What do we do then?" Doc Rivers ' voice was hoarse. "Sell them all?"
"Yes, clean it all up." Lin Qi's tone was resolute.
"Then who should we replace as the cornerstone?" Doc Rivers asked anxiously.
Lin Qi did not answer immediately. Instead, he turned around, erased all the names on the whiteboard with an eraser, and finally wrote a name heavily in the center.
Jermaine O'Neal.
Doc Rivers frowned. " O'Neal Jr.? Lin Qi, are you serious?"
"There's no better time to buy him at rock-bottom prices than now." Lin Qi's eyes were filled with amusement. "Last year in the Eastern Conference Finals, he was repeatedly dominated in the paint by Kevin ( Garnett ) and Rasheed ( Wallace ). Not only was he crushed in front of us, but even when he was with the Lakers, he was helpless in the paint. Now the entire American media is criticizing him, saying he's a softie."
Lin Qi walked back to his desk, resting his hands on the surface. "More importantly, his head coach, Larry Bird Brown, is completely disappointed in him. Brown is an old-school coach; he can't stand a lack of toughness in the paint. O'Neal Jr. averaged only 12 points and 9 rebounds last season, far below the expectations of the Philadelphia management. Now, his reputation and trade value have plummeted."
Doc Rivers ' eyes slowly brightened; he seemed to have grasped Lin Qi's logical thread.
"It won't be too expensive, Doc." Lin Qi looked at Doc Rivers and directly offered a trade proposal, "Bo Outlaw and Ervin Johnson. These two have defense, are willing to do the dirty work, and don't need the ball in their hands, perfectly fitting Larry Bird Brown's old-school blue-collar aesthetic. Moreover, their combined salaries match O'Neal Jr.'s contract."
Lin Qi paused, then leaned forward slightly. " O'Neal Jr. is an underrated All-Star prospect, talented on both ends of the court, but he's just not living up to his potential with the Philadelphia 76ers right now."
"Trade two solid starters for a core center with All-Star potential who's currently in a slump?" Doc Rivers narrowed his eyes, his heart skipping a beat as he spoke. He suddenly realized that if this trade went through, it might not just be a reinforcement, but a game-changing move for the team.
"Go try asking Philadelphia." Lin Qi gestured towards Doc Rivers' phone on the corner of the table, indicating he should dial it himself. "Remember, stick to the bottom line: absolutely do not add any first-round picks. If Larry Bird Brown hesitates, just give him a few more second-round picks. For him, O'Neal Jr. is a hot potato right now; he'd love to get two obedient defensive laborers over as soon as possible."
Doc Rivers stared at the phone in front of him, swallowing hard. Without further hesitation, he took out the phone and dialed the number for the Philadelphia 76ers' general manager's office.
Lin Qi leaned back in his executive chair, quietly sipping his iced water, watching Doc Rivers engage in a tug-of-war with the other party on the phone.
At first, Doc Rivers ' tone was somewhat tentative, but when he realized that Philadelphia was indeed showing great interest in Bo Outlaw, he straightened his back instantly and his tone became more decisive.
Ten minutes.
Twenty minutes.
After a heated negotiation, Doc Rivers suddenly covered the microphone with his hand, looked up, and stared at Lin Qi in shock.
"What's wrong?" Lin Qi raised an eyebrow.
"It's done..." Doc Rivers ' voice trembled slightly, unable to hide his excitement, "Bo Outlaw, plus Ervin Johnson. I didn't touch the first-round pick, and in the end, I added four second-round picks. They agreed to send Jermaine O'Neal over."
Two excellent, practical blue-collar workers and four second-round picks were traded for a future Eastern All-Stars center.
During the 2001 offseason, this was tantamount to a blatant robbery.
"Well done, Doc." Lin Qi narrowed his eyes, tapping his fingers lightly on the table. "This deal's done. Let's strike while the iron is hot and continue..."