Chapter 691 - 616: Just Send the Money

Chapter 691: Chapter 616: Just Send the Money

But after saying that, Chen Yu immediately changed his tune.

"Forget it. Just pretend I never said anything."

Then, Chen Yu hung up the phone.

Whether it was for his skill or his ability to sell tickets, a Carter with a twelve-million-dollar salary was extremely attractive.

But the Phoenix Suns didn’t have the right trade assets.

Hardaway and Nowitzki were untouchable. If they offered Marion, Barbocock would probably be so happy he’d grab Brian and kiss him a couple of times.

The Carter trade had dragged on for too long, all the way until the new season had already started.

Every team’s roster was already set. Even if their record wasn’t what they’d hoped for, they would still play it out and see, waiting until next year’s trade deadline rather than making a team-dismantling trade right now.

The Phoenix Suns were in the same boat.

Over a month into the season, the Phoenix Suns had just started to build some chemistry.

Right now in the West, the Lakers had taken an early lead, constantly battling the Spurs for first and second place.

The Phoenix Suns were right behind them, their championship foundation still intact.

In fourth were the Mavericks.

O’Neal truly had the ability to change a team’s fortunes. Nowitzki, who had always been criticized for being soft, was really missing O’Neal’s unstoppable, clutch scoring ability.

After them came the Nuggets, Grizzlies, King, and Pioneer.

Anthony paired with J Kidd, and Wade’s partnership with Gasol were both gelling well, sparking endless speculation.

Even the King, a team that had made a name for itself in previous seasons with the Princeton offense, had slipped to seventh place, proving that the West was still a bloodbath.

The Pioneer, on the other hand, led by Nash, had surprisingly secured the eighth spot. They were only one win behind the King and could move up a rank at any moment.

Their run-and-gun style of play was also gradually becoming familiar to other teams in the league, who were now paying attention and studying it.

So, under these circumstances, while a backcourt combination of Hardaway and Carter was very tempting, the best choice was still to stand pat for now.

If they traded for him, it would be fine for Miller to be a substitute, but what about Gordon?

He had just started to make a name for himself as a starter; they couldn’t just send him back to the bench, could they?

What happened to the promise of fully developing him?

After hanging up, Chen Yu did a little self-reflection.

The Phoenix Suns’ main focus now was making money. Winning a championship would be great, but if they couldn’t, there was nothing to regret.

In this situation, he couldn’t get impulsive just because there was a chance to get a good player.

There would always be good players; he couldn’t just try to get every single one he saw.

However, Chen Yu’s thoughtless remark sent Brian rushing straight to the clinic.

When he arrived at the clinic, Chen Yu was doing his rounds and had just gotten to Oden.

The young man’s leg was internally fixated, making it as difficult to move as if he were part of a science experiment.

His treatment had really just begun. Because Chen Yu had been in China, without the boost from the system’s effect, the bone growth could only be described as okay.

But from now on, Chen Yu would be staying in the United States and would be monitoring him frequently, so it wouldn’t be a major issue.

Seeing Brian push the door open, before Chen Yu could speak, Oden had already greeted him obediently, calling out, "Mr. Kolangelo."

"Greg, how many times have I told you? Call me Brian. We’re friends." Brian pretended to glare at him, then asked with a smile, "Did you finish the book I brought you last week? If you did, I’ll bring you another one."

Chen Yu gave the two a strange look. After finishing the examination, he pulled Brian out of the room and frowned. "You come to see him often?"

’And "friends," no less.’

"What’s wrong? Is there a problem?" Brian asked, feigning ignorance.

Chen Yu rolled his eyes at him. He knew exactly what Brian’s little scheme was.

’He’s trying to build a good relationship, play the sentiment card, so that when Oden enters the draft, he might be willing to come to the Phoenix Suns.’

A player’s preference can be quite crucial sometimes.

"Don’t worry, you have no chance of getting him." Chen Yu was more than happy to pop Brian’s daydream.

For a championship-contending team like the Phoenix Suns, getting the number one pick would require a massive sacrifice.

"Besides, compared to Oden, you’d be better off focusing your attention on Durant. I actually think Durant has more potential."

Oden belongs to the category of players with top-tier talent, but his talent is the kind that all elite centers possess.

So, while his talent is elite, it’s not rare.

But Durant is different. His type of talent is very rare; nothing like it has ever appeared in history.

That actually makes it more valuable.

At the same time, Chen Yu could sense that the league was continuously evolving toward the perimeter, so from that perspective, perhaps Durant would have a better future development.

"Or you could pay more attention to Stephen," Chen Yu added.

During the filming of the show, although Curry was eliminated early, he at least made it to the playoffs.

Being able to stand out from among nearly three hundred talented players already says a lot.

"Stephen?" Brian said, puzzled. "Would he even go to any other team besides the Phoenix Suns?"

Phoenix has practically become Curry’s second home. And with his connection to Chen Yu, if Curry were to enter the league, his first choice would definitely be the Phoenix Suns.

Most importantly, with Curry’s small frame, he’d be lucky to get picked in the first round. They could just grab him with any second-round pick later on.

Just based on his relationship with Chen Yu, the Phoenix Suns would give him a multi-year contract to try him out.

Chen Yu thought about it and agreed, so he didn’t say any more.

As for the Carter matter, Chen Yu simply sent Brian on his way.

’It’s a lost cause, better to just forget it.’

After that, Chen Yu returned to his usual routine.

He went to and from work on time, saw a few patients, scheduled some surgeries, handled a pile of work emails every day, and monitored the progress of his various business ventures.

When game days came around, he inevitably had to deal with the pestering from visiting teams.

Lexi was also nearing her due date, so Chen Yu wanted to spend more time with her while also awaiting the birth of his first child.

They had already thought of names.

The Chinese name would be Chen Yanfei. Chen Yu had a flash of inspiration while idly flipping through the Classic of Poetry and coming across the poem "Yan Yan" from the "Airs of Bei."

In traditional Chinese concepts, the swallow has a very beautiful symbolism and also represents one’s hometown.

Chen Yu also hoped his daughter would never forget that she had another homeland: China.

The English name would be Luna, which was Lexi’s idea.

She was of Mexican descent, and in Mexican culture, Luna represents the moon goddess—another beautiful meaning, in any case.

Then one day, Chen Yu was contacted by the Chinese Sports Administration.

"So, you’re saying the Sports Bureau wants us to first organize a team to participate in next year’s World Youth Championship and the Gothenburg Cup?"

On the other end of the video call, Hunter nodded.

Chen Yu asked, somewhat puzzled, "Why would they suddenly have an idea like this? Do you know the reason?"

Hunter shook his head. Although he had been diligently practicing his Chinese, he still couldn’t accurately understand what a sigh or a smile from the person sitting across from him truly meant.

After a moment’s thought, Chen Yu said bluntly, "Give them a clear reply: we do not agree. How this group of kids trains, when they compete, and what kind of competitions they participate in—all of that will be decided by us."

’They should just honestly send the money and be done with it. Why are they thinking so much?’