The rest is just noise

"Draft pick? No..."

"Then there's no need to talk."

Louis' ability to change faces is also unique. Russell can clearly feel that the enthusiasm in Louis' tone has dropped from the highest temperature of the year in Florida to the lowest temperature of the year in Minneapolis.

"Except for the draft pick..." Russell said, "You can take anything but this!"

Louis said with certainty: "I don't want anything except the draft pick."

"How many draft picks do you want?"

"At least two, Bill." Louis said, "A potential insider who can average 17 points and 7 rebounds per game on the bench is replaced by a substitute who averages 6 points and 5 rebounds per game. This kind of good thing does not happen every day."

Russell knew that Louis would not be able to trade with him without acquiring more draft picks.

Auerbach said that Louis is the bastard he wants to strangle in this league because he is too much like himself.

This sounds like self-praising, but who else can make Auerbach comment like this?

"I can give you a draft pick...but not this year or next year." Russell believes in Tisdale's potential, but he doesn't want to work for others.

"Bill, I only accept offers for two draft picks."

"If you can't come up with the extra two picks, we don't have to talk."

Russell was forced to have no choice but to say: "You know this has gone too far, Lu!"

"How could it be too much? Bill?"

When Louis gets the upper hand in a negotiation, his tone becomes lazy, as if he's just woken up.

This is because he likes to lie on his desk and talk on the phone.

Now, his tone gave Russell the lazy feeling of someone tickling him.

"I know you want to achieve something to prove that the ideas of the 1960s can also be successful in the 1980s, so I want to make a deal with you. I want to support your work, but you can't just take advantage. I can't touch you.

"You also have to pay a little bit of the future as a price for your lineup." Louis said with a smile, "If it were someone else, believe me, I would use LaSalle Thompson (C/15+9 per game) and future draft picks.

as a starting line for negotiations.”

Russell laughed angrily at his words.

"If you want to support my work, you shouldn't make things so difficult for me."

"Are you embarrassed, Bill?" Louis' tone was very casual, "I only want Joe Klein and two future draft picks. You also said before that the draft picks I want cannot be from this year or next year. OK, I

Accept. Look, I don’t want to embarrass you, I just want to put a long-term perspective. If your performance still cannot improve after three or four years, what does it mean? It shows that your abilities are limited and you have failed me today.

Sincerity, if these two draft picks become valuable lottery picks by then, it will be because of your incompetence. As a friend, I already support your work, what do you think?"

Russell knew he couldn't talk to Louis anymore.

This matter must be settled as soon as possible.

“Which two-year draft pick do you want?”

As long as Russell is willing to add two first-round picks to this deal, no matter which year it is, Louis will win.

He decided to "be good to the end".

"I said, I come here with sincerity. Bill, you can tell yourself which two years of draft picks you want to give away."

Russell certainly hopes to extend this timeline.

So, he said, "What about 1994 and 1996?"

"That's not good, Bill."

"Why is it bad?" Russell became irritable, "Why is it bad again?"

"I mean, this is not good for you. If, I mean if," Louis turned sideways and made a seductive pose.

Beside him, Zhao Yuanzheng opened a bottle of Coke and put a straw in it, but Louis used a very powerful gesture to express: NO straw!

Then Louis picked it up and took a sip.

"What if you tell me?!"

Listening to Russell's tone, I felt like I was going crazy.

"If you are still not competitive in 1994 and you have to mess up, you will run into some trouble. My opinion is, give us the first-round draft picks in 1993 and 1996, so that even if you are in 1993

If we are still not competitive, we will have at least two years to reorganize our strength after that year."

When Zhao Yuanzheng heard what Louis said, he said with great admiration: "Coach Lu, you are such a loyal person!"

"Thank you, I think so too." Louis smiled.

Hearing Louis' colleagues praise him as a loyal person, Russell's blood pressure instantly spiked.

He was almost pissed off.

But when you think about the fact that all you have to do to get Tisdale is give away a piece of trash called Klein, and two draft picks that won't be realized until at least four years later, there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with it, as long as Tisdale realizes his potential...

.

"Bill, are you still thinking about it?"

"Don't rush me!"

"Okay, then you think about it slowly, I'm done."

Louis hung up the phone and all that was left was to wait.

Zhao Yuanzheng asked: "Coach Lu, why do you want the first-round picks in 1993 and 1996?"

Why? Because I opened my eyes and knew that those two years were the draft years, ho ho ho ho ho~~~

Of course, Coach Lu couldn't explain it to Zhao Yuanzheng like this.

Because Zhao Yuanzheng himself said - "I am a loyal person, as you said, I am just doing what I should do." Louis winked sincerely.

This made Zhao Yuanzheng feel chilly.

"Will the Sacramento office call again?"

There are many transactions, no matter how well negotiated they are, after both parties calm down, they may regret it, and then nothing will happen.

Louis wasn't sure.

Asking for two first-rounders is a bit of a rip-off. He knows Russell likes Tisdale, knows the Kings need strong immediate combat power, and also knows that as long as Russell dares to agree to this deal, the Knicks will definitely make money.

.

Russell's obsession with Tisdale puzzles Louis.

Because apart from his good personality, there is nothing about Tisdale that makes people think he can assume the role of the cornerstone of a playoff team.

Will Russell call again?

This question ended after 11 minutes.

Louis' office phone rang again.

"For the first-round pick in 1996, I will set up a top-three protection." Russell said fiercely, "If you don't agree, we will break up!"

"Ah this..."

Louis hesitated and made tea remarks, which made Russell very angry.

After 5 seconds, "How is it?" The tone was slightly excited.

After 10 seconds, "Do you agree or not?" was already angry.

A minute later, Russell roared: "Is it that difficult?"

After another 10 seconds, when Russell was about to get angry, Louis let out a long sigh.

"Bill, you're the only one who can make me compromise in a deal, because you're my friend."

No matter what Louis' physiological reaction was, Russell was about to vomit anyway. This was the first time in his life that he had a physiological reaction that was not due to routine vomiting before a game or vomiting due to illness.

"So, I won't make it difficult for you. I'll just do what you say and put a top-three protection on the 1996 first-round pick."

At this time, Russell heard Louis' colleagues praise him again: "Coach Lu, you are really the most reasonable person I have ever seen in the world!"

Russell was just shy of vomiting.

"Then so be it." Russell hung up the phone bitterly.

At the same time in the Blue Palace, the moment Russell hung up the phone, Louis stood up immediately. Standing on the desk, he looked down at Zhao Yuanzheng as if he was three meters tall: "Go and get the transaction fax done.

As soon as Sacramento confirms it, we will immediately send a fax to confirm the alliance! Quick, quick, quick!!!"

Half an hour later, the league office confirmed the Knicks' second trade of the day.

In just a few hours, Wayman Tisdale was traded from the Pacers to the Knicks, and then from the Knicks to the Kings.

On the surface, the Knicks' strength has been slightly weakened.

They lost Oakley, one of the league's best hitters and bodyguards, a reliable rebounder and a regular in the murderous tight end lineup.

However, with Bird out for the season and looking around the league, they can hardly find an opponent who can threaten their prospects of defending the title. It is understandable to trade Oakley to prevent him from being selected in vain in the expansion draft in June.

Stop loss operation.

What's more, from a long-term perspective, this is not a stop loss at all.

This is killing the future of Sacramento!

Louis traded Oakley for Joe Klein and two first-round picks that will most likely be converted into the top 15 picks in the future.

The world is about to enter the 1990s.

For Louis, the NBA in the 1990s is no longer as illusory as it was in the 1980s. He will meet a lot of familiar names.

The draft is like an open treasure chest for him. He can supplement players according to his needs.

It's hard to say what the Kings' two draft picks can get them in exchange for, but even at the end of the first round, Louis can maximize its value.

On the day the deal was announced, there were cries across the league.

Bill Walsh complained as if Louis had stolen 2 million: "If Sacramento would give me two draft picks, I would send Wayman there too."

The New York Times mocked Russell the next day: "Russell once again proved that even as an ultimate winner, he cannot bring the success of his playing days to another identity."

Bob Ryan of the Boston Globe made a pessimistic prediction about the trade: "Has Russell forgotten what happened to the last team that bet its fate on Little Lu?"

Even the Sacramento media felt like Russell had been kicked in the head.

Russell, on the other hand, is happy they got Tisdale.

"I don't care what other people say, they don't understand basketball." Russell held a press conference for Tisdale's arrival. He sat next to him. "The young man next to me will change the game of Sacramento."

Professional basketball, he is more powerful than you think!"