LeBron James, your house got robbed.

Gilbert, on the other end of the phone, was visibly bewildered by Chen Shuo's words.

He didn't understand Chen Shuo's ideas at all, but he was still willing to listen to Chen Shuo's opinions.

After all, since Chen Shuo took over the team, he has quickly made it the number one topic of discussion in the league.

These days, any news about the Cavaliers attracts a large number of reporters.

In the current North American sports scene, the Cleveland Cavaliers are just as popular as the Miami Heat, who have their Big Three.

NBA teams have multiple ways to monetize their teams, mainly through ticket sales and sponsorships. Sponsors can be further divided into league sponsors and local sponsors.

But for Gilbert, he is not pursuing team profits in the short term; what he wants is traffic and attention.

Just as Chen Shuo said before, the team is nothing more than fuel for Quicken Loans.

With the rise of mobile internet, now is a critical time to seize market share, and this traffic is extremely important for quick loan companies.

Chen Shuo did indeed keep his promise, using the feud between the team and James to generate enough buzz.

That's why Gilbert, having tasted the benefits, gave it his full support.

Even if the team falls into chaos for a period of time afterward, it will be worthwhile as long as they get through the crucial period of the first few years.

Gilbert snapped out of his reverie, carefully weighed the pros and cons, and then answered the question.

"Even if I remain neutral, someone will still jump out."

"Sterling absolutely cannot tolerate such a trade. With Paul joining the Lakers, they will inevitably usher in a new golden age, and may even continue their dynasty."

"The Clippers, who are from the same city, have no hope."

"Once the council starts voting, this deal will inevitably be rejected."

Gilbert racked his brains but couldn't find a way to help make the deal happen.

"Dan, I think you've misunderstood me."

Chen Shuo's voice came from the other end of the phone:

"I don't want this deal to go through."

"But I need you to remain silent."

Gilbert realized it almost instantly:

"Chen, should we try to get Chris Paul?"

Chen Shuo gave an affirmative answer.

"Yes, he can help the team rise quickly."

"So I don't want you to be on the opposite side of Chris Paul at this time."

"You know those persistent reporters, they'll definitely try to spill the beans, so let Sterling do the dirty work."

Gilbert had many questions about trading Paul, but he didn't ask for any more details.

"I will remain neutral in this incident."

After hanging up the phone, Chen Shuo sat slumped in his chair, and the room fell into a long silence.

Some images kept replaying in my mind.

For the first time since his transmigration, Chen Shuo was caught in a dilemma.

In contrast to Chen Shuo's silence, online public opinion has completely exploded.

Lakers fans popped champagne early and arrogantly declared that the championship was already secured.

Fans of other teams sighed, indicating that the season was over.

Of course, there are also rational people who believe that even a team as strong as the South Coast Big Three has won championships, and anything can happen.

They even borrowed the league's old slogan, saying that the NBA is a place where miracles happen, and that this season might see another Dallas Mavericks team emerge.

Various media outlets also began reporting on the deal frantically.

Almost every few minutes, you can see different trading speculations and lengthy analyses.

Even the content of a single interview can be cut into several short articles and released separately.

Columnists worked tirelessly, writing article after article about the deal.

However, just 45 minutes later, many reporters suddenly realized that their articles were no longer valid.

The NBA league office announced that the trade will be vetoed by basketball for "basketball reasons".

Lakers fans who had just taken to the streets to celebrate were stunned and stood there, not knowing what to do.

Immediately afterwards, ESPN broke the inside story, claiming that Clippers owner Donald Sterling strongly opposed the trade and convened a board vote.

The deal was ultimately rejected by a vote of 23 to 2.

This caused an uproar throughout the sports world, with various interpretations offered regarding the so-called basketball reasons.

Some experts believe this is the least basketball-like reason, because the trade fully complies with the terms of the collective bargaining agreement, and behind it is a compromise made by the league office to the interests of the owners.

Some have argued that the trade should never have happened, and that superstar alliances shouldn't be allowed to spread in the league.

Of course, the most miserable ones are the columnists, who have to discard half-written articles and start analyzing the so-called reasons for basketball.

Among them were some clever individuals who simply modified the discarded drafts and released them directly: "Kobe and Paul's 'if line'," satisfying the fantasies of many Lakers fans.

At the same moment, Paul also received a call from team manager Dell:

"Chris, I'm sorry, we can't send you to the Lakers."

Paul was stunned for a moment, and even after hearing the so-called explanation, he still couldn't quite believe it.

Just recently, he spoke with Kobe to discuss the team's future playing style.

Kobe was right up his alley, not just in terms of his basketball skills.

Like himself, he had a crazy desire to win, was eager to win, and was willing to pay any price for it.

Paul stood there, suddenly overwhelmed by a sense of tragic destiny, and began to ponder what missing this opportunity truly meant for him.

However, he quickly cleared his mind of these chaotic thoughts, knowing that no matter where he was, he would never give up his desire for victory.

He immediately notified his agent and conveyed his request.

The Hornets are in a state of chaos. Former owner George Shinn sold the team to the league due to a debt crisis, and staying here is a complete waste of his prime.

Besides, leaving a meniscus in New Orleans means he's done right by the fans there.

……

Cleveland, Ohio

All of the Cavaliers' executives were present, staring at the information on the blackboard.

After the deal was rejected yesterday, Paul expressed his wishes through reporters.

First, you need to go to a big city; second, you need to join a competitive team.

On the other side of the blackboard were the offers from each team.

Grant quickly stepped forward and asked a question:

"Chen, from any perspective, we don't meet the requirements. Is it really necessary to submit a quote?"

Chen Shuo did not answer the question directly, but instead asked him to analyze Paul's most likely destination.

Grant kept an eye on the offers from each team.

"First, rule out the Knicks and Magic; their offers are too low."

Chen Shuo glanced at the Knicks' offer; they dared to offer such a paltry sum.

Veteran Chauncey Billups and last year's rookie Landry Fields are no match for the Knicks, who had already used up all their assets in the Anthony trade.

New York's only advantage is that it's a metropolis, but the league, which manages the Hornets, will certainly not agree to such a deal.

Especially during the sensitive period immediately following the conclusion of labor negotiations, it's important to understand that in addition to the primary conflict between players and owners, there was also a secondary conflict between large and small market teams during the league lockout.

The league would certainly not force Paul to be parachuted into New York at this critical juncture.

Grant thought for a moment, then continued:

"In terms of trade assets, the Grizzlies, Warriors, and Clippers are all good options."

"The Grizzlies have given up Conley and Gay, and might even be willing to give up a first-round pick."

"The Warriors offered Curry and this year's rookie Fredette. If I were the Hornets' management, I would choose this offer."

These words made Chen Shuo take a second look at Curry, who hadn't fully developed his talent yet that year.

Although they had achieved good efficiency, their offensive approach, which relied mainly on three-pointers, did not align with the prevailing aesthetic at the time.

Chen Shuo shifted his gaze to the last team and asked:

"And what about the Clippers?"

"Eric Gordon, Aminu, Chris Kaman, and a first-round pick—how's that package?"

Grant replied without hesitation:

"Kaman suffered a serious injury, and his performance after recovering was far from what it used to be."

"Aminu has excellent physical attributes, but his shooting and technique are too rough."

"Gordon put up some good stats, but his ceiling as a cornerstone player for a team isn't high enough."

In my opinion, the Clippers' assets are not as good as the Warriors'.

After a pause, Grant added:

"It's important to note that, in addition to the chips, Paul's attitude also needs to be respected."

"His contract has a player option for the last year. If Paul is unhappy with the team and opts out, these assets will only get him a one-year contract."

Grant suddenly raised his voice and said seriously to Chen Shuo:

"As far as I know, Paul wants to be in big cities, and even privately he's narrowing it down to Los Angeles and New York."

Looking at Grant's serious expression, Chen Shuo knew that the other party was reminding him that forcing a trade for Paul would be a waste of time and effort.

But Chen Shuo had his own ideas. He stepped forward to the blackboard, picked up a marker, and quickly wrote down a name.

"This is our bargaining chip."

Grant's expression immediately changed drastically. Even though Chen Shuo's actions were unpredictable, this time it still refreshed his understanding.