Sports Medicine Master System

Chapter 646: Chapter 572: Can Trade for Anyone

Inside the conference room, the Phoenix Suns’ management team was assembled.

Old Kolangelo had also come in person.

Last night’s dinner meeting hadn’t resulted in any real conclusions.

"Scott, what are your thoughts?" Seeing that no one was speaking, Old Kolangelo looked toward Skiles.

Management could handle the trade, but they also had to listen to the head coach’s opinion.

After all, Skiles was the one who would ultimately lead the team in games.

Skiles glanced at Chen Yu, crossed his arms, and said, "To be honest, I was truly shocked when I first heard the news."

O’Neal for Nowitzki would be a league-shattering trade.

"As for how they’d fit in the lineup, I don’t think it would be a major issue with either Shaq or Dirk."

Chen Yu agreed with him on this point.

In terms of playstyle, O’Neal was an unstoppable force in the paint, while Nowitzki’s game was primarily based on his back-to-the-basket and face-up plays.

On defense, the two were more or less the same.

Nowitzki was criticized for being soft, while O’Neal was mentally lazy and disliked playing defense.

Of course, just by planting himself under the basket, O’Neal provided a sufficient defensive presence.

But Nowitzki could also step out and run pick-and-rolls with Hardaway.

And the most critical piece was Hardaway.

Aside from his subpar defense, Hardaway was a relatively well-rounded player.

On offense, Hardaway could shoulder the scoring load, becoming the primary ball-handler and shot creator. Alternatively, he could take a step back and become a master facilitator, focusing on feeding the ball to his big man.

So with his skillset, he would have no problem partnering with either O’Neal or Nowitzki.

Skiles paused before continuing, "So, in terms of overall strength and lineup composition, the trade wouldn’t have a massive impact either way. I don’t think our team would get significantly weaker."

In terms of scoring stats alone, the two of them aren’t that far apart.

"We’ve already shifted our team-building strategy. We’re no longer chasing championships."

"Our goal is to remain competitive while trying to reduce expenses and turn a profit."

Skiles was well aware of the management’s thinking.

Having secured a three-peat, the Phoenix Suns were more or less satisfied, if not completely without ambition.

"The only thing we need to consider is the future."

To be profitable, you still need stars.

You can trade for them, or you can develop them yourself.

And the Phoenix Suns already had their eyes on the future.

"So under these circumstances, I don’t see much point in making a trade now. It would be better to try and trade Shaq for the number one pick in two years to get Oden."

Skiles looked at Chen Yu.

He had watched every single episode of Chen Yu’s show without missing one.

Although the show’s hype was always focused on Durant, he had been keeping a close eye on Oden’s performance. In his mind, Oden was the true cornerstone to build a team around, the core for the next ten years.

So by keeping O’Neal, they would have enough of a trade asset in two years to get Oden.

"Besides, if we really do decide to trade O’Neal, there’s no need to limit ourselves to Nowitzki, Garnett, or Stoudemire. We could even make another trade with the Magic for Howard. We have many, many options; we don’t necessarily have to make a deal with the Mavericks."

Putting O’Neal on the market at this time, they could trade for almost anyone, with only a few exceptions.

Brian nodded, looked at Chen Yu, and said, "Chen, Scott’s thinking is actually the same as yours."

During dinner last night, Chen Yu had stated his opinion, which was also not in favor of the trade.

A trade always has a purpose: either to strengthen the roster for a championship run or to cut salary.

In Chen Yu’s view, the Phoenix Suns didn’t have such a pressing need to trade O’Neal at the moment.

Would trading O’Neal immediately lower their payroll?

That was impossible.

As for what Skiles said about trying to get Oden in ’06, that was actually a pretty good option.

"Oh, right, there’s something else I need to mention."

Chen Yu remembered something else and said, "According to information I’ve received, the league might eliminate the high school draft in the next couple of years. In other words, high school players will have to play one year in college before they can be drafted. But as for which year that will start, David hasn’t made a final decision yet."

"But this will affect us too, because if this rule is implemented, Oden won’t be eligible for the draft until ’07 at the earliest."

"And in ’07, Shaq will be 35, and his trade value will take a hit."

Although he didn’t hold a position in the league office, Chen Yu still had access to internal league information.

Stern had actually revealed this piece of information when he and Chen Yu were discussing business related to China a few days ago and the topic of the draft came up.

Stern had always felt that players who entered the draft straight out of high school were too young and not mentally mature enough.

A year of development in college would allow them to mature more.

Most importantly, if they went undrafted, they could still continue their college education instead of giving it up and ending up with nothing.

Chen Yu supported this idea.

Just look at Kwame Brown, who was still struggling.

But this would affect the draft eligibility of players like Oden and Durant.

Skiles was taken aback and asked in surprise, "Chen, are you sure?"

Chen Yu nodded.

Stern had probably had this idea for a while, but only in the last couple of years had he resolved to implement it.

At this, Old Kolangelo also nodded and said, "That’s right. I’m aware of this situation as well."

This was also the reason why he and his son wanted to trade O’Neal last night.

Even if Chen Yu could help O’Neal maintain peak physical condition at 35, his age was undeniable, and his trade value would definitely be affected.

Skiles furrowed his brow in thought for a long moment, then gritted his teeth and said, "Then let’s make the trade."

Chen Yu sighed internally.

’Just as I thought. After hearing that news, Skiles changed his mind too.’

But as far as Chen Yu was concerned, it didn’t matter whether they made the trade or not.

They had won their championships. Now, Chen Yu’s objective was also very clear: profitability and making money.

As for trading O’Neal, sentimentality wasn’t really a factor.

He was a professional athlete. Just like with J Kidd, a trade wouldn’t affect their friendship.

Brian glanced at the others again. Seeing no further objections, he finally looked at Chen Yu. When Chen Yu gave a slight nod, Brian said, "Alright then. We have a consensus. We’ll officially start looking into a trade for Shaq."

No longer conflicted, Skiles immediately said, "In that case, we might as well trade with the Magic and get Howard. Besides, I’d rather send Shaq to the East."

Trading with the Mavericks would mean strengthening a Western Conference rival.

Brian glanced at Chen Yu and shook his head. "Scott, the Magic aren’t a good option."

The three of them had discussed this point at dinner last night: if they decided to trade O’Neal, should they pursue another trade with the Magic?

After some discussion, the three of them unanimously agreed it wasn’t a good idea.

If they were going to trade O’Neal, it had to be for another star.

Stars guarantee ticket sales. Howard was good, but as a rookie, his influence was nowhere near James’.

James’s arrival in Cleveland had given the Knights’ market a massive boost.

Trading for Howard would impact the team’s revenue. If that was the case, they might as well just keep O’Neal.

Skiles nodded and said no more. He now fully understood that Chen Yu and Old Kolangelo had reached a consensus: everything was predicated on making money.

Especially over the past two years, with the high salary expenditures and the luxury tax on top of that, the team had actually been losing money. The shareholders had to bear the cost, which was another source of pressure.

Chen Yu and Old Kolangelo were wealthy, but compared to a top-tier billionaire like Paul Allen, they were far from being in the same league.

They definitely couldn’t sustain long-term losses.

So from that perspective, trading for Howard really wasn’t a good choice.

Trading McDyess for Howard would be fine, but using O’Neal wasn’t worth it.

"What about trading for Hill, or Tracy McGrady? Or even Carter?"

In terms of star power and guaranteed ticket sales, Hill and Tracy McGrady weren’t bad choices, and neither was Carter. These guys were perennial All-Star vote leaders in the East.

They didn’t necessarily need an inside-outside combo; a dual-guard backcourt would also work.

Especially Tracy McGrady. He was a fan of Hardaway, so bringing him over would absolutely not cause any locker room problems.

"Or Garnett!"

If Nowitzki was an option, why not Garnett?

As for whether to trade with a Western Conference team, it wasn’t a major issue for the Phoenix Suns.

The Phoenix Suns didn’t care about strengthening a rival.

Of course, the current Phoenix Suns still wanted to win a championship, but not by assembling a "Five-star Phoenix Suns" lineup. They wanted to do it in a cost-effective way.

Everyone nodded. If they were really going to trade O’Neal, the Phoenix Suns had a great many options.

Brian said, "Then let’s leak the news first and see what kind of offers other teams make. Also, we need to ask for Shaq’s opinion and see if he has a preferred team."

You couldn’t just trade a star of O’Neal’s caliber on a whim from the front office.

It was just like when he first came to the Phoenix Suns. If Hardaway hadn’t personally gone to talk to O’Neal and promised, "Come to the Phoenix Suns, and I’ll always pass you the ball," the trade might never have happened.

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