When Han Sen returned from his vacation, David Griffin quickly paid him a visit.

During their initial discussions, Han had emphasized one thing:draft picks.

Given how difficult it was to attract top-tier free agents to Cleveland, their best hope for building a contender was nailing their draft selections. Especially now, since three of their next five first-round picks were shipped to Memphis in the deal to acquire Han, those remaining picks were even more precious.

Griffin's visit had a clear purpose — he wanted Han's input on trade options.

The Cavaliers' trade assets were limited, and without touching their draft capital, the available upgrades weren't exactly impressive.

Han knew that. But even with those constraints, when Griffin laid out the list of potential trade targets, one name left Han a little stunned.

JaVale McGee.

Yep, the same JaVale McGee that Han remembered as "Shaqtin' a Fool's" most frequent guest.

McGee had been a starter early in his career with the Wizards but had since slid to a bench role in Denver, where injuries significantly reduced his playing time over the past two seasons.

Denver had signed him to a4-year, $44 milliondeal in 2012, and he still had about a season and a half left on that contract.

The trade was simple —Andrea Bargnani for McGee. Salary-matching was perfect, and Cleveland could even snag a protected first-round pick from Denver in the deal.

Han immediatelypassed.

Sure, McGee had the size, length, and athleticism that made him an ideal small-ball center for this era. But his basketball IQ? That wasn't just low; it wascatastrophically low.

If JR Smith looked like a wild card at times, McGee was afull-on glitchin the system. Bringing in McGee would turn the Cavaliers into ajuvenile detention centerrather than a serious contender.

Han wasn't interested in playing the role of warden.

Next on the list wasTimofey Mozgov.

Denver had drafted Jusuf Nurkic, who was showing promise, making both McGee and Mozgov expendable.

Mozgov hadone and a half years left on his contractat a much more reasonable price — around$10 million over two years, with the second year being ateam option.

His numbers?8.5 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game— solid, dependable, and capable of protecting the rim.

But there was a catch.

The Nuggets wanted two protected first-round picks.

Han recalled that in "history," the Cavaliers actually did acquire Mozgov at this very trade deadline.

Mozgov's strengths were obvious:

- Excellent shot-blocker.

- Explosive around the rim.

- Strong in traditional defensive schemes.

But his weaknesses?

-Lateral quickness was a disaster.

-Useless on switches.

- Couldn't guard out to the perimeter, which was essential in today's evolving NBA.

In short, Mozgov was aregular-season bigwho might be unplayable in critical playoff games when teams relentlessly exploit defensive mismatches.

Han shook his head.

If they could swapSpencer Hawesfor Mozgov? Sure.

Buttwo first-round picks? Not worth it.

Han went through the rest of the list, and frankly, most of the names weren't exciting.

Big men who could truly make an impact in today's game were rare. The league was moving away from traditional centers, and anyone who could thrive in the modern era wasn't going to be easy to acquire.

But then, one name made Han stop in his tracks.

Kevin Garnett.

Wait... what?

KG was39 years old, averaging7.5 points and 6.8 reboundson atanking Celtics team. His shooting percentage had plummeted to45.5%, and hisbest days were clearly behind him.

Also, Han knew thatGarnett had a no-trade clausein his contract.

Then it hit him —KG went back to Minnesota this year.

He was traded back to the Timberwolves to finish his career where it all began, a sentimental move to close the circle.

Would Garnett waive his no-trade clause to come toClevelandof all places?

Not a chance.

Han chuckled. Honestly, there was a better shot at Kevin Durant wanting to join the Cavs.

Still, the idea made Han smile. If he somehow convinced KG to join Cleveland, thenarrativewould be wild.

Imagine the headlines:"Han Sen Forms a Big Three with KG!"

Garnett wouldn't even need to contribute much on the court. His mere presence would sparka media frenzy.

And if Han leaned into the whole"superteam" villain role, hishater pointswould skyrocket.

"Let's keep an eye on KG," Han told Griffin. "If he doesn't waive his no-trade clause, we might be able to get him after a buyout."

...

Time flew by, and before anyone realized it,the trade deadline was here.

And boy, did it start with abang.

Miami Heat acquired the Dragic brothers from Phoenix in a blockbuster deal!

The Heat senttwo future first-round picksanda package of playersto the Suns in exchange forGoran and Zoran Dragic.

Wait... what?

WasPat Riley playing 2K?

With this trade, the Heat'snew starting fivelooked scary:

Dragic, Wade, Durant, Deng, and Gasol.

It was clear — the Heat weregoing all in.

But there was a catch. The two first-round picks they sent to Phoenix?

2017(two years from now).2021(six years from now).

Both wereunprotected.

There was a lot riding on this.

Why?

Kevin Durant's contract expired in 2016.

If Miami didn't win it all by then, Durant mightleave.

And if Durant left, those picks would becomeextremely valuable— apotential lottery goldminefor Phoenix.

The Suns weren't just giving Dragic away for nothing. They were making acalculated betthat Miami could implode in the near future.

In fact, Dragic had already made it clear he wanted out. The Suns hadthree starting-caliber point guards— Dragic, Eric Bledsoe, and Isaiah Thomas — which createdchaosin the locker room.

The team's decision to go with adual point guard systemled tofrustrationsacross the board.

Last season, Dragic averaged20.3 points and 5.9 assists. Now, his numbers had dipped, and he wasn't happy about it.

The Suns realized they couldn't keep him happy andcashed in while they could.

The Heat weregambling big. Pat Riley knew that if Miami didn't win a championship in the next two seasons,Kevin Durant would be gone.

Whether the recentloss to the Cavaliersbefore the All-Star break played a role in this aggressive trade was anyone's guess.

But one thing was certain — the Heat's roster was nowterrifying. Their starting five of Dragic, Wade, Durant, Deng, and Gasol, combined with a bench rotation ofChalmers, Sefolosha, and Vucevic, was enough to make any playoff opponentdespair.

As the trade deadline approached, teams across the league started making their moves.

The Thunder sentReggie Jacksonto the Pistons in a three-team deal and landedEnes Kanterfrom the Jazz to bolster their frontcourt.

TheLakers, desperate to fill the void left byVarejao's season-ending injury, gave uptwo protected future first-round picksand some minor assets to acquireTimofey Mozgovfrom the Nuggets.

Meanwhile, theCeltics, continuing their rebuild, traded theGrizzlies' first-round pickthey had previously acquired, along with some minor pieces, to the Suns forIsaiah Thomas.

The Suns, having shipped out both Dragic and Thomas, promptly acquiredBrandon Knightin another three-team deal.

At this point, it was obvious whyDragic wanted out of Phoenix— the team's front office had no clue what they were doing. They had just offloaded two starting-caliber point guards and immediately traded for another.

Honestly, sometimes NBA general managers made you wonder ifJR Smithwas secretly running their front offices.

In that same three-team trade, the76ers sent Michael Carter-Williamsto the Bucks in exchange for a future first-round pick.

Once upon a time,MCW's debut had shocked the league.

His first NBA game stat line:22 points, 7 rebounds, 12 assists, and 9 steals— just shy of a quadruple-double.

During his first week in the league, he averaged20.7 points, 9 assists, and 4.3 steals, leading the Sixers to a3-0 startand becoming thesecond rookie since Shaquille O'Nealto winPlayer of the Week honors.

Back then, fans said he wasliving up to his name, like the protagonist of a cheat-mode sports novel.

Though his performance dipped after that hot start,MCW still averaged 16.7 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 6.3 assistsin his rookie season, winningRookie of the Year.

And now?He was traded in just his second season.

For the Bucks,acquiring MCW was like adding a turbo boostto their young core.

But Han knew the truth.

MCW, like Mozgov, was born in the wrong era.

His defense and playmaking were solid, but his lack of shooting was a fatal flaw in thesmall-ball era. Without a reliable jumper,point guards like him would struggle to stay relevant.

As time would prove,Ben Simmonswould become the most vivid example of this issue.

Finally, as the trade deadline came to a close, theCavaliers and Celtics struck a deal.

The Cavs sentAndrea Bargnanito Boston in exchange for...

Kevin Garnett.

KG was really coming to Cleveland!

Han didn't have time to figure outhow the trade happenedorwhy Garnett waived his no-trade clause. He grabbed his58 burner accountsand immediately startedspreading the "superteam" narrativeon social media.

He even threw in a comparison toShaquille O'Neal's stint with the Cavsto spice things up.

Who cared about37 versus 39 years oldorAll-NBA credentials? Those were justdetails to be ignored.

As Han expected, the narrativeexploded online.

Especially fromLeBron fans.

For years, they had been searching for proof thatHan was just as guilty of forming superteams. And now,they had it.

Fromthe Heat's big movetothe Cavs' headline-grabbing acquisition, this trade deadline wasinsane.

In fact,41 players were traded, making it thebusiest trade deadline in NBA history.

It felt likethe aftermath of Jordan's first retirement, with GMs across the leaguedesperately chasing a championshipafter theGrizzlies' dynasty crumbled.

Two days after the deadline, during a Cavaliers practice session,Tyronn Luestrolled into the gym,laughing and chattingwithKevin Garnettat his side.

No one knew how Lue had pulled this off — he and KG had never been teammates.

But there he was, guidingKG straight toward Han Sen.

When they met,Garnett greeted Han with a handshake and shoulder bump.

"Welcome to Cleveland Village." Han welcomed him with humor.

Sure,Han was curious why KG came, butthat wasn't the focus right now. The important thing was —he was here.

Even ifGarnett wasn't the "Big Ticket" anymore, his experience could be invaluable to ayoung, playoff-inexperiencedCavaliers squad.

As far aspast grudgeswent, if KG didn't care, Han wasn't going to, either.

After their chat, Garnett made his way around,greeting the rest of the team.

KG'slegacystill commanded respect. Even if hisbest days were behind him, hisreputation as one of the fiercest competitorswas well known.

Lue originally just wanted KG tointroduce himself and get acquainted, but things quickly took a different turn.

KG stripped off his warm-up gear.

"I'm not here to coast."

Heinterrupted Lue mid-sentenceand made his intentions clear.

After a quick warm-up,Garnett joined the team's full-court scrimmage.

What surprised Han washow seamlessly KG fit into the "four-out, one-in" system.

Despite never playing in this modern offensive style,KG's high basketball IQwas on full display.

People used to sayGarnett was the smartest big man in the league, capable of playing all five positions.

While that might have beenan exaggeration, it was clear KG still had akeen understanding of spacing and positioning.

But what shocked Han more thanKG's court smartswashis attitude.

KG'strash talk didn't stop for a second.

Han had played against KG before and knewhis mouth never stopped, but this wasnext-level intensity.

What was supposed to bea regular practicesuddenly felt likea playoff game.

By the time practice ended, most of the players who hadinitially welcomed KGwere nowavoiding him.

EvenCunningham couldn't help but complain to Han.

"Man,David brought us a cranky old dad."

In American slang,"old dad"referred to someonegrumpy and overbearing.

Han simply patted Cunningham on the shoulder without saying much.

KG wasn't pretending.

No one wouldintentionally piss off their new teammates on Day One.

The only logical explanation?

That's just who KG was.

Was that a bad thing?

Han didn't think so.

In fact,it reminded him of the role he played back in Memphis.

Sometimes,every team needs a villain to push them harder.

-End of Chapter-

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by lotustale.com