Chapter 690 - 615: Do You Want to Get Carter?

Chapter 690: Chapter 615: Do You Want to Get Carter?

The secretary’s mind raced as he tried to decipher the intention behind Yuan Weimin’s words.

’When a leader makes idle small talk, every word has a deeper meaning.’

’Maybe he’s heard some rumblings?’

From the moment this was set in motion, there had always been internal opposition, and for many reasons.

For instance, Pioneer Sports charged exorbitant fees.

They did business in US dollars, and the final settlement had to be made in foreign currency.

Another major reason was the feeling that for a great nation like ours, entrusting two major sports like football and basketball to an outsider—even one of Chinese descent—was somewhat inappropriate.

It was a loss of face!

If not for the resolve of Yuan Weimin and the higher-ups, who continuously pushed the initiative, the matter would never have reached this stage.

’So, for Yuan Weimin to say something like this now... was he trying to justify his decision to his subordinates?’

And the best way to do that would be to prove the method worked.

By achieving results, for instance.

At this thought, the secretary immediately said, "Director, I think it’s possible. They are true professionals."

"You see, from our investigation, we know that Pioneer Sports already operates in the NBA and the European Five Major Leagues. Mr. Chen has also used his network to bring together a large number of world-class trainers."

Not to mention retired stars like Ewing and Old Curry. Even someone like Glover, Jordan’s personal trainer, is world-renowned.

"Mr. Chen himself is a top sports medicine doctor. The concept of sports medicine was proposed abroad several years ago, and Mr. Chen happens to be a leading authority in the field. His idea of integrating medicine with athletics and training is very forward-thinking."

"He is deeply connected in North America’s Four Major Leagues and also holds a position with FIFA. He has a strong network in both basketball and football, and these are all significant advantages."

"Therefore, I believe their selection process can identify talented players. If we then train them using their methods, we can certainly produce outstanding athletes."

After he finished, the secretary cautiously watched for any change in Yuan Weimin’s expression.

’When the boss says something like that, you have to support him without reservation.’

Laying out these points, one by one, was logical and well-supported. It not only showed his stance but also proved he wasn’t just spouting nonsense.

Just as he’d hoped, Yuan Weimin nodded slightly.

The secretary continued, "But Director, I believe this is a partnership. Since we are the client, we can be more proactive. For example, we can set some requirements. We’re in the business of sports, and results are what speak loudest."

"I have a small idea. Next year, there’s the FIFA World Youth Championship and the Gothenburg Cup. I remember the Football Association was discussing participating in the Gothenburg Cup next year. Perhaps we could request that Pioneer Sports assemble a team to participate in some youth tournaments."

"By this time next year, they will have been training for some time, and it should be showing some effect. They could compete in the Summer, which would be a perfect opportunity to see the results."

Yuan Weimin swiveled his chair slightly to gaze out the window, lost in thought.

After a moment, Yuan Weimin nodded. "Alright. Notify everyone so we can discuss this further and reach a consensus. Then you can contact Pioneer."

"Yes, Director."

The secretary immediately nodded and jotted it down.

Meanwhile, Chen Yu had returned to the United States to handle a huge backlog of surgeries.

Rob Barbercock also came to see him upon hearing the news.

"Chen, is Vincent’s recent Achilles injury related to those times Bowen undercut him?" Barbercock asked with a serious expression.

Chen Yu shot him a curious look.

Bowen had indeed undercut Carter twice—once in 2000 and again last season.

Undercutting someone is a nasty play, of course, but those two incidents didn’t have a major impact on Carter.

What really affected his athleticism was his knee injury.

But Chen Yu had already fixed that.

This current Achilles strain, however, was a traumatic injury. He fell during a layup. It wasn’t the kind of situation where a chronic old injury and inflammation made the tendon brittle, eventually leading to a tear or rupture.

The latter case would have been far more troublesome and difficult to treat.

An accidental strain like this, which isn’t particularly severe, isn’t a big deal.

It doesn’t require surgery. A few weeks of rest, and he’ll be fine.

"It has nothing to do with that," Chen Yu said, knowing what Barbercock was worried about. "Vincent’s issue isn’t serious. It won’t affect your trade."

"By the way, who are you planning to trade him to?"

Chen Yu added, curious.

Carter, one of the four great shooting guards, a high-flyer and phenomenal dunker, was definitely one of the most popular stars in the league. And being so young, trading him would be an earthquake for the league.

"Never mind," Chen Yu said, waving his hand. "I’m not that interested anyway."

Chen Yu wasn’t particularly concerned about where he’d be traded.

Still, Toronto really wasn’t a great spot. It was freezing cold, the market wasn’t great, and the team’s record was abysmal. It was only natural that Carter wanted out.

Just as Chen Yu lost interest, Barbercock took the initiative to ask, "Chen, from a professional standpoint, how long do you think Moning can keep up his current performance? Has he truly made a full recovery since his kidney transplant?"

Moning had a kidney transplant last year, which ended his season.

After a full season of recovery, he made his comeback this season.

He was playing pretty well. Throughout November, he was averaging 10.4 points and 6.4 rebounds per game.

For a 34-year-old who’d had a kidney transplant, he was in pretty good shape.

Chen Yu said, "Since he’s had the transplant, he’s recovered. It shouldn’t be a major issue."

’That guy’s a true warrior, you have to admire him.’

After a pause, Chen Yu added, "Are the Nets willing to give up Jefferson?"

The fact that he was asking about Moning meant he was obviously preparing to make a trade with the Nets.

Of course, the Raptors would get absolutely fleeced if they traded Carter for Moning.

No matter how great a star Moning used to be, at his age and after a kidney transplant, the risk was just too high.

’If it were up to me,’ Chen Yu thought, ’they’d at least have to get Jefferson in the deal.’

’A rookie with immense potential for an established superstar—that would be a fair trade.’

At the mention of Jefferson, Barbercock’s expression turned a bit awkward. He mumbled, "The specific details of the trade are still under discussion."

Chen Yu shook his head inwardly.

’The subtext was clear: the Nets weren’t willing to part with Jefferson.’

’If they can’t get Jefferson, it’s a huge loss. A ridiculously bad deal.’

’Even if they can’t get Jefferson, they should at least get Marbury in return.’

’You pass on the Nets’ two biggest stars and settle for an aging Moning? What’s that about?’

’You just took over. Make a disastrous trade like that, and the Toronto fans will eat you alive.’

Barbercock clearly didn’t want to discuss the Carter trade in detail. Having gotten the answer he was looking for, he excused himself and left.

As soon as he was gone, Chen Yu thought for a moment before picking up the phone and calling Brian.

"Brian, have you thought about acquiring Carter?"

It was no secret the Raptors had wanted to trade Carter for a while now, and their desire to do so had intensified to an extreme degree since the season began.

Carter was not happy with the new head coach, Sam Mitchell.

Mitchell, in turn, didn’t seem to like Carter much either and had cut his playing time.

Just last month, a reporter had photographed Carter chasing Mitchell out of the training facility, shouting, "I’m filing a grievance!" The reason for the outburst was later dug up by the press: during practice, Mitchell, perhaps jokingly, had actually grabbed Carter by the throat.

He claimed it was a joke, but it clearly wasn’t that simple.

As for Carter, he had already become completely disaffected.

The media reported that during the Raptors’ game against the Supersonics on the 20th of last month, Carter had even intentionally leaked team plays to the opposition.

It was simply unthinkable.

Taking all these factors into account, Chen Yu felt certain that Carter’s departure was a done deal.

The Raptors didn’t want to drag things out with him any longer; they just wanted to get on with a serious rebuild.