While He Ximeng was chattering on stage with David Stern under the glare of countless camera flashes, Popovich, representing the Spurs, was in a state of bewilderment. He had already begun leveraging his connections to communicate with the Hornets' management.
From his understanding, the Hornets were slated to pick Tony Delk from Kentucky at the 16th pick in the first round... Their sudden change of plans had completely disrupted the Spurs' strategy.
The Knicks also called around the same time. With He Ximeng being picked, would the trade between the Spurs and them still proceed?
The implication was whether the Spurs had a backup choice.
Popovich made a decisive move. He first canceled the verbal agreement with the Knicks and then shifted the focus of the trade to the Hornets!
As long as the Hornets' asking price wasn't too exorbitant, the Spurs were willing to "bleed" a little to acquire He Ximeng...
Because of He Ximeng's emergence, he occupied the 16th pick in the first round, originally belonging to Tony Delk. This caused Tony Delk's draft position to slide all the way to the 24th pick in the first round, where he was selected by the Lakers.
And this position was originally meant for Derek Fisher from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock!
Derek Fisher fell from the 24th pick to the 27th pick, where he was then selected by the Magic!
And Brian Evans, who was originally supposed to be at the 27th pick in the first round, had it worse, falling out of the first round entirely and dropping into the second round...
"Let my own troubles disappear by passing them to others!"
He Ximeng was no longer concerned with how the fates of the rookies behind him were changing.
He Ximeng's current worry was whether the Hornets had picked him for their own use or as a trade chip. He needed to figure this out as soon as possible.
As soon as the draft concluded, He Ximeng, accompanied by his family and friends, headed to the team's representative seats! As a drafted rookie, it was standard procedure for He Ximeng to report to his own team.
Halfway there, He Ximeng encountered Popovich, who was preparing to go and communicate with the Hornets.
"We originally planned to select you at the 18th pick! We even had a verbal agreement with the Knicks..." Popovich explained.
"I believe you!" He Ximeng certainly knew Popovich was telling the truth, as there was no reason for him to lie. The fact that he was willing to explain meant he wanted to acquire He Ximeng.
"But for some reason, the Hornets changed their target! Based on our information, the player they were previously interested in should have been Tony Delk from the University of Kentucky..."
Tony Delk? Indeed! Historically, the Hornets had selected him at the 16th pick.
Although the Hornets were also quite interested in He Ximeng, many teams harbored concerns due to his identity as a Chinese player and kept their distance, unwilling to take the risk! After all, the 16th pick in the first round was neither too high nor too low. There was a lot of room for selection. Compared to choosing He Ximeng, the probability of wasting this first-round pick by selecting an American player, or even a European player, was much smaller...
The only reason the Hornets dared to take the risk was that He Ximeng's alma mater, Wake Forest University, was in the same state as the Hornets, North Carolina.
"Or, the Hornets are just completing a trade?" He Ximeng suddenly realized. Because the Hornets selected him at the 16th pick, Tony Delk, who should have been selected at this position, dropped to the 24th pick, where Fisher was supposed to be selected...
The 24th pick belonged to the Los Angeles Lakers!
"The Lakers!" Popovich and He Ximeng said in unison!
"If the Lakers are causing trouble, this will be quite troublesome!" Popovich rubbed his temples. "Things are man-made! Let's see if there's any room for maneuver..."
"It's going to be difficult!" He Ximeng said with a frown. "Because I'm worried this might be related to another trade between the Lakers and the Hornets..."
As expected!
When He Ximeng and Popovich arrived at the Hornets' representative seats together, Lakers General Manager Jerry West was already chatting and laughing with Hornets General Manager Bob Bass!
Seeing Popovich and He Ximeng arrive together, Jerry West immediately understood the Spurs' intentions. He stood up, gave He Ximeng a warm hug, and then pointed to James Worthy next to him, saying loudly, "Mr. Ximeng, James has nothing but praise for you, saying your future is limitless..."
Unexpectedly, Lakers assistant coach James Worthy had become his "benefactor"!
First, he helped introduce Dave Odom of Wake Forest University, and now he had helped recommend him to Jerry West...
James Worthy not only served as an assistant coach for the Lakers but also held a position as a scout within the Lakers' management...
"Thank you, Mr. Worthy!" He Ximeng then hugged James Worthy.
"You're welcome! I'm just doing my job by scouting the most suitable talent for my team!" James Worthy patted He Ximeng's back and chuckled heartily.
On the other side, Jerry West extended his hand to Popovich and smiled, "I'm sorry, old friend, you're a little late!"
Popovich shook the "Logo Man's" hand perfunctorily; he still had to maintain basic etiquette and demeanor.
Then, Popovich ignored Jerry West's subtly barbed smile and turned to Bob Bass, asking, "What did the Lakers offer? The Spurs are willing to add a bit more!"
"An All-Star center!" Jerry West interjected before Bob Bass could speak. "We are willing to send Divac, are you willing to send David Robinson?"
Popovich snorted, "Both are All-Star centers, but Divac averages 13 points and 8.6 rebounds, while David averages 25 points and 12 rebounds. Are they in the same league? David is non-transferable for the Spurs, but besides David, any other player you're interested in, we can sit down and discuss... If the business doesn't work out, the friendship remains..."
"I'm very sorry, Gregg, it's not that I'm not giving you face, but Jerry's offer is indeed generous... We just lost Mourning, and we need an All-Star center to anchor our inside game... This is a multi-player trade..."
As they were speaking, Kobe Bryant also walked over with his family and friends.
"Hey, Kobe, come over quickly and meet your future new teammate!" Jerry West enthusiastically called Kobe over to meet He Ximeng.
"You're coming to the Lakers too?" Kobe asked He Ximeng, a little surprised by Jerry West's words.
He Ximeng said with a slight helplessness, "I just found out! I've also been traded to the Lakers by the Hornets. Perhaps, we're in the same trade..."
"You two know each other?" Jerry West asked with some surprise. "That's even better! I hope you two young fellows can fulfill your potential together in Los Angeles..."