O'Neal ignited a firestorm in Chicago, and the Los Angeles Lakers, two thousand miles away, was equally abuzz with excitement.
"Boss, we just left California yesterday, Lakers GM Kupchak held an emergency press conference, swearing that the team would absolutely not trade Sean Marion."
Standing by the table, Presti pointed to the large photo on the front page of the newspaper, his tone tinged with a hint of schadenfreude. "No sooner had Kupchak gotten rid of the reporters than the local Los Angeles sports radio stations were buzzing with excitement."
Lin Qi glanced at the column articles in the newspaper.
The rift between Kobe and Sean Marion was inextricably linked to Shaquille O'Neal's instigation during All-Star Weekend.
A couple of days ago in Los Angeles, during a radio interview, O'Neal raved about Marion in front of a nationwide audience, calling Marion the best forward he'd ever played with, praising his smart movement, tireless defense, and how Marion was indispensable to his and Jordan's championship with the Lakers. He then added that some players returning to the Lakers now monopolize the ball and don't understand how to respect championship contributors.
These words struck a chord with Marion.
Marion was always a sensitive player who valued his position on the court and his stats. When Phil Jackson traded Kobe, the starting player he brought back was Marion. After that, Marion truly became the starting small forward, helping the Lakers win a championship alongside Jordan, Kidd, and O'Neal.
As a result, when Jordan retired last summer O'Neal was traded, Jerry Buss defied public opinion and brought Kobe, who was embroiled in a lawsuit with Eagle County, back to Los Angeles, treating him as the face of the team once again.
Marion sees himself as a key contributor to the Lakers ' championship run. With Jordan and O'Neal gone, the team should naturally build their offense around him. Meanwhile, Kobe, who hadn't won a championship with the Lakers and was traded by Zen Master, shouldn't be expected to take over 25 shots per game after Kobe's return, while he's relegated to the corner, doing the dirty work, guarding the opponent's star player, and playing second fiddle to Kobe.
"The statistics on the court don't lie." Presti flipped through the game records sent back by the West Coast scouts. " Lamar Odom is easygoing, doesn't fight for the ball, and gets along fairly well with Kobe. But Marion is completely sulking on the court right now. In the past five games, Marion has grabbed defensive rebounds and pushed the Kobe Kobe than three times in total. When Kobe gets to the frontcourt, even if he misses a tough shot against two defenders, he refuses to pass the ball to Marion cutting to the basket. The Lakers ' record has now dropped to third from the bottom in the Western Conference, Jerry Buss is single-mindedly protecting Kobe. If these two continue to be so awkward, Marion will definitely be put on the trading block by Kupchak in the summer."
Lin Qi put the Lakers clippings aside, picked up his coffee, and took a sip.
Scroll down further, and you'll find a briefing on the Philadelphia 76ers.
Philadelphia is also having a tough time. Allen Iverson has pushed his body to its limits in recent years. A few years ago, during the Philadelphia 76ers' peak, they could fight tooth and nail against Boston in the Eastern Conference Finals, but this season, Philadelphia is struggling to even make the playoffs. Iverson is riddled with over ten old injuries, his wrists, shoulders, and knees being treated with pre-game fluid drainage. To make matters worse, the newly appointed interim head coach, Chris Ford, is an old-school coach who emphasizes discipline. In his first week in charge, he fined Iverson $20,000 for missing shooting practice. The two don't even speak to each other on the sidelines now. Philadelphia's general manager, Billy King, is still publicly calling Iverson a city hero, but privately he's already started making offers to several Western Conference teams. However, wary of the fiery temper of Philadelphia fans, King doesn't dare to make any moves mid-season and will have to wait until the summer to make his plans.
Each of these teams in the Eastern Conference and Western Conference has its own mess, but what really caught Lin Qi's attention were the movements of the Phoenix Suns and the Houston Rockets.
Lin Qi's gaze fell on the Phoenix Suns ' salary report on the corner of the table.
Last night, while he was still on the plane, Patrick, who was in Dublin, called him from overseas to say that the financial handover for the acquisition of the Suns had reached the final stage.
The Phoenix Suns are currently at a very awkward juncture. Their payroll lists four large contracts simultaneously: Grant Hill, Tracy McGrady, Kenyon Martin, and Marcus Camby, with salaries well over the luxury tax threshold. Sports media outlets are speculating that the Suns this summer to save money, with the consensus being that Suns will retain the younger McGrady and trade the 31-year-old Grant Hill.
But the inside information Lin Qi got from Patrick was exactly the opposite.
During his two years playing in Boston, head trainer Ed Lasset and the medical team helped Grant Hill fully recover from his ankle injury, restoring him to over 90% of his pre-injury condition. More importantly, Hill developed a reliable mid-range and long-range jump shot in Boston. This season in Phoenix, Hill not only drives and passes the ball, but his pull-up jumper at the free-throw line and his three-point shooting are virtually flawless, consistently averaging 27 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists per game, with a field goal percentage over 50%.
In contrast, McGrady, hampered by congenital scoliosis and lower back pain, increasingly relied on pull-up jumpers from the perimeter. Both he and Hill needed to handle the ball extensively on the wings, their positions and playing styles clashing, making them more of a liability when paired together. The Suns' management and the soon-to-be-inherited Patrick's team clearly understood that Hill's professionalism, locker room influence, and current healthy condition made him far more suitable as the team's cornerstone than McGrady's inconsistent performance.
Lin Qi flicked the Houston Rockets briefing next to him with his finger.
In Houston, the conflict between head coach Jeff Van Gundy and star point guard Steve Francis has become public. Two weeks ago, during Super Bowl weekend, Steve Francis claimed he missed the team's chartered flight to Phoenix, only to be exposed as staying in Houston for Super Bowl party. This angered Van Gundy, who immediately suspended him for one game. Van Gundy wants a structured half-court offense, but Steve Francis can't shake his tendency to dribble for too long and commit too many turnovers, leaving the Rockets stuck in the middle of the Western Conference standings. Rockets general manager Dawson has been actively promoting Steve Francis in exchange for a star perimeter player.
The Suns want to move McGrady, Rockets want to trade Steve Francis.
Lin Qi already knew that these two companies would most likely be at the negotiating table this summer.
Lin Qi stood up and walked to the window to look at the snowflakes falling outside.
O'Neal of the Chicago Bulls, Marion of the Lakers, Tracy McGrady of the Suns, Steve Francis of the Rockets, and Steve Francis Iverson of the Philadelphia 76ers. Two years ago, these five players would have been indispensable assets to their respective teams. However, in the cold winter of February 2004, they all became the protagonists of trade rumors.
But none of these big fish are likely to make a move before the trading deadline at 3 p. m. on Thursday.
All of these players have contracts in the maximum salary range. Under the current collective bargaining agreement's salary matching rules, no two teams could assemble such a large pool of assets to match salaries in just four days. The flood of inquiries these past few days are all preliminary tests for the June draft and the July free agency market.
"Ignore them." Lin Qi turned to Presti and instructed, "These past four days have been all bark and no bite; the real action will come in June. Send Rick Carlisle a copy of the recent scouting reports for the Suns, Chicago Bulls, and Lakers. You continue to keep a close eye on each team's contact with the Charlotte Bobcats. Let them fend for themselves in the rumors; we just need to focus on playing well in the second half of the season."
Lin Qi picked up the empty coffee paper cup from the table and casually tossed it into the trash can on the corner of the table with a soft thud.