He Ximeng's additional condition was that whenever He Ximeng was selected for the All-Star Game, Nike would launch He Ximeng's exclusive brand series of sneakers: Dynasty SI.
While dating Amy, Duncan also occasionally participated in their discussions, offering some small suggestions. Duncan's impression of John, still an intern agent, grew significantly! John was proving to be a capable advisor... and the best part was, the commission could be negotiated freely... it was up to them to decide...
He Ximeng and John first listed the approximate draft order for this year's NBA draft.
Although it was approximate, with He Ximeng being such a "bug," the draft order was essentially transparent.
Scanning from top to bottom, the teams with the first ten picks were the 76ers, Raptors, Grizzlies, Bucks, Timberwolves, Celtics, Clippers, Nets, Mavericks, and Pacers!
Among these ten teams, four were likely interested in point guards: the 76ers, Bucks, Timberwolves, and Nets.
He Ximeng's competitors included Iverson, Marbury, Ray Allen, Kobe, Nash, and Kittles, at least six individuals!
Frankly speaking, He Ximeng didn't believe he could compete with the six individuals listed above!
It wasn't a matter of skill, but his skin color came with a built-in disadvantage!
Even if He Ximeng, alongside Duncan, led their team to the NCAA national championship, it wouldn't change the NBA's evaluation system.
A championship didn't guarantee a high draft pick! In the original history, Tony Delk, the core point guard for the University of Kentucky, despite winning the MOP in the NCAA Final Four, was still drafted lower than the aforementioned six players, ranking only 16th in the first round.
Therefore, after careful analysis by He Ximeng and John, they essentially ruled out the possibility of a top-ten pick.
However, He Ximeng still asked John to contact the management of the 76ers, Bucks, Timberwolves, and Nets to request tryouts, just in case they found someone with good judgment.
Next was picks 11-20, which was a more realistic range for He Ximeng. If the upcoming tryouts went smoothly and he gained the approval of a team, there was a decent chance he would be selected by a team in this range.
The ten teams in the middle, in order, were the Warriors, Cavaliers, Hornets, Kings, Suns, Hornets, Trail Blazers, Knicks, Knicks, and Cavaliers!
The Hornets had two picks, namely the 13th and 16th picks in the first round.
The Knicks also had two picks, the 18th and 19th picks in the first round. Looking further down, the 21st pick in the first round also belonged to the Knicks.
Based on the probability of success, He Ximeng should focus his tryouts on the Hornets and the Knicks! After all, both teams held five first-round picks.
Looking further down, from the 22nd to the 29th picks were the Grizzlies, Nuggets, Lakers, Jazz, Pistons, Magic, Hawks, and Bulls!
Among these eight teams, He Ximeng immediately fancied the Lakers!
Not only because the Lakers were a powerhouse, but also because, barring any surprises, the Lakers would likely choose point guard Derek Fisher this year.
He Ximeng asked himself, he couldn't compete with Iverson, but competing with Fisher should be no problem, right?
The most regrettable thing was that the Spurs' 26th pick in the first round this year had already been traded away in the Rodman deal and was now in the hands of the Pistons.
However, He Ximeng wasn't prepared to give up on the Spurs.
In this tier, He Ximeng asked John to focus on contacting the Lakers and the Spurs!
These two teams were not only the teams He Ximeng had the most hope of joining, but also the teams he most wanted to join!
After identifying his targets, the next step was to await responses from the teams and then participate in tryouts according to schedule.
The Hornets were the first team to invite He Ximeng for a tryout.
The Hornets, with Glen Rice, Larry Johnson, Kenny Anderson, and Dell Curry as their core this season, had a high probability of making the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Starting point guard Kenny Anderson, recently traded from the Nets, averaged 15 points and 8.6 assists, showing considerable skill! However, Kenny Anderson did not get along with the Hornets' star player, Glen Rice, and was unlikely to remain with the team next season.
Backup point guard Muggsy Bogues, the shortest player in NBA history at only 1.60 meters tall, was an inspirational role model for basketball players worldwide. He graduated from Wake Forest University in 1987, making him He Ximeng's alumnus.
With Kenny Anderson's departure, Muggsy Bogues was expected to become the team's starting point guard, and they would need a backup point guard position next season.
The Hornets were impressed with He Ximeng's first tryout and were expected to extend an invitation for a second tryout.
NBA rookie tryouts were far more complex than most people imagined...