The office was silent for a few seconds.
Doc Rivers showed no surprise; instead, he shifted to a more comfortable position and sank deeply into the leather sofa.
As a former head coach who won two consecutive championships under Lin Qi and was intimately familiar with the Boston team culture, Doc Rivers knew Lin Qi all too well.
The strategist who orchestrated the Celtics ' three-peat never made a move without a purpose.
From the moment Lin Qi offered to help him manage the trade between O'Neal Jr. and Mercer, Doc Rivers knew that the final big move was about to happen.
Lin Qi didn't keep anyone in suspense. He turned around, picked up Mark, and wrote three names on the whiteboard in a flourish.
" Michael Redd, Hedo Türkoğlu, Brad Miller."
After finishing writing, Lin Qi slammed the Mark down on the table, braced his hands on the surface, and looked at Doc Rivers: " Doc, these three guys, I'll pack them up for you."
Doc Rivers paused for a moment, sat up straight, and glanced at the three names, his mind rapidly weighing the pros and cons. When he was the head coach in Boston, he had personally participated in Brad Miller's daily training, so he knew all too well the intensity of Boston's hellish intra-squad competition.
" Lin Qi, I have to admit," Doc Rivers sighed, spreading his hands candidly, "These three lads would be guaranteed starters on any other team. Especially Brad, I know how good he is... but that's just a consensus between you and me."
Doc Rivers pointed out the window, his face showing distress. "To the outside world, they can't even get consistent playing time with you guys! If I trade a first-round pick for three fringe reserves, the Orlando media will tear me apart. They'll say I'm doing charity for my former team. I simply can't explain that to the owner and the fans!"
" Doc, it's not their fault they're not getting playing time in Boston," Lin Qi interrupted him bluntly, a cold smile playing on his lips. "Look at my roster: Gary Payton, Chris Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, plus the two Wallace in the paint. Tell me, who can these three young lads steal playing time from?"
Doc Rivers was speechless for a moment, opened his mouth, but found that he couldn't refute it at all.
"Listen, Doc." Lin Qi walked to the whiteboard, slowing his pace. "These three have been honing their skills in our tactical and defensive systems for a long time. Although their regular season stats aren't eye-catching, their tactical awareness and technique are fully developed. Given the opportunity, they're plug-and-play starters. Especially to complement your newly acquired O'Neal Jr.."
Lin Qi's finger slammed down on the name " Brad Miller ": "You just took down Jermaine O'Neal, well done. But tell me, how are you planning to pair him up?"
Doc Rivers frowned, instinctively adopting the coach's perspective. " O'Neal Jr. needs low-post spacing, I'll find him a blue-collar player who can do the dirty work..."
"And then watch as the opposing defense collapses entirely into the paint, sandwiching O'Neal Jr. like a sandwich?" Lin Qi shook his head. " O'Neal Jr. is a bit special. Although he has a mid-range shot, he's fundamentally a power forward who prefers physical battles in the paint. If you pair him with a scrawny player who has no shooting range, his tactical value will be greatly reduced."
Lin Qi drew a dotted line for a tactical movement on the whiteboard. "So, you need Brad Miller. Miller is a white center with excellent technical skills. He can pivot at the high post, make reliable mid-range and long-range shots, and force opposing big men out of the paint. More importantly..."
"He has excellent playmaking ability," Doc Rivers suddenly interjected, his eyes slowly brightening. He had caught up with Lin Qi's thinking. "I understand what you mean. Miller has the ball at the high post, drawing the defense's attention, O'Neal Jr. posts deep in the low post, allowing Miller to make a direct over-the-top pass or a bounce pass to the basket..."
"That's right, the high-low post connection." Lin Qi snapped his fingers. " Miller can perfectly fill the gaps in O'Neal Jr.'s skills, and this inside combination will allow you to execute extremely smooth tactical plays."
Doc Rivers swallowed hard.
"And the other two?" Doc Rivers ' gaze shifted to the remaining names.
" Hedo Türkoğlu. He's 2.08 meters tall, but he has the ball-handling rhythm and excellent vision of a guard." Lin Qi pointed to the second name. "He can create space and dribble the ball up the court. As for positional conflicts? We'll see who's in better form between Mike Miller and him, or let them compete for it. That shouldn't be a problem for you, right?"
Doc Rivers nodded silently. Having two tall forwards who could shoot was a luxury in this day and age.
"Finally," Lin Qi walked to the table, picked up his water glass, took a sip, and looked at Doc Rivers with amusement, "As for Michael Redd... Doc, I think I don't need to promote that name to you much, do I?"
Upon hearing the name, Doc Rivers ' face flushed slightly, and he coughed awkwardly.
"Last season in the regular season, when we played you in Orlando, it was this left-handed guy who, despite your perimeter defense, hit three unreasonable pull-up three-pointers in the fourth quarter, effectively sealing the game." Lin Qi put down his water glass, a half-smile on his face. "I bet your management and Magic fans still dream about his absurd shooting form."
This painful memory was precisely awakened, Doc Rivers leaned back on the sofa, a little itchy, but the resistance in his eyes had completely disappeared.
" Doc, think about your team's starting lineup for next season." Lin Qi rested his hands on the table, leaning slightly forward.
He rearranged the names on the whiteboard according to their positions.
"Starting point guard: Darrell B. J. Armstrong. Starting shooting guard: Michael Redd. Starting small forward: Mike Miller. Starting power forward: Jermaine O'Neal. Starting center: Brad Miller. And don't forget, Hedo Türkoğlu is on the bench; he can be the sixth man."
Lin Qi looked Doc Rivers in the eye, his tone calm yet highly persuasive. "This is not only a playoff-caliber starting lineup capable of winning immediately, but also a young team with ample spacing and a balanced inside-outside game."
The office fell silent. Doc Rivers stared at the formation on the whiteboard, his Adam's apple bobbing.
"So, you don't need to worry at all about how you'll explain this trade to management." Lin Qi's voice carried the certainty of a three-time champion president. "These three players carry the winning mark of the Boston Dynasty. What they lack is playing time, and that's exactly what Orlando has in abundance right now."
"When they perform as you expect on the court next season..." Lin Qi smiled slightly, his tone quite frank, "people will just say, ' Doc Rivers is a genius; he actually robbed the Celtics.'"
Doc Rivers was completely convinced.
As he looked at the names on the whiteboard, his worries about "taking over Boston's fringe players" vanished.
At this moment, he no longer felt that they were a hot potato, but rather the perfect piece of the puzzle that could truly save his coaching career.
"Good."
Doc Rivers took a deep breath, looked up to meet Lin Qi's gaze, and spoke with unwavering resolve.
What do you want to take from me?
Lin Qi straightened up and his smile disappeared.
"Three first-round picks."
Lin Qi held up two fingers and uttered his asking price, word by word. "First, the 10th overall pick in this year's draft that you just got from the Denver Nuggets."
Doc Rivers ' heart skipped a beat; he hadn't even had a chance to warm up the number 10 in his hand.
"Secondly, the player you already had, the 21st overall pick in this year's draft, which you acquired from the Milwaukee Bucks last year."
"Third," Lin Qi stared intently into Doc Rivers ' eyes, "The unprotected first-round pick you got from the Phoenix Suns when you traded Anfernee Hardaway in 1999... give it to me as well. It's a late first-round pick at best."
"Make a deal."
[Transaction Summary]
Orlando Magic vs. Philadelphia 76ers:
Magic delivered:
Bo Outlaw
Ervin Johnson
Four second-round draft picks
From Philadelphia 76ers:
Jermaine O'Neal
Orlando Magic vs. Denver Nuggets:
Magic delivered:
Ron Mercer
From Nuggets:
10th overall pick in the first round of the 2001 NBA draft.
Boston Celtics vs. Orlando Magic:
Celtics sent:
Michael Redd
Hedo Türkoğlu
Brad Miller
Obtained from Magic:
10th overall pick in the first round of the 2001 NBA draft (from the Nuggets )
21st overall pick in the first round of the 2001 NBA draft (from the Milwaukee Bucks )
Unprotected first-round draft pick in 2002 (from The Suns )