Another second-round pick, 54th overall, Popovich originally wanted to try his luck. Popovich possessed a unique talent for finding and developing late-round draft picks. He Xi Meng never doubted Popovich's secret formula, but this year, He Xi Meng strongly urged Popovich not to make a move, warning that any attempt would backfire. He Xi Meng suggested that Popovich trade this second-round pick for next year's, and the trading partner would be the Golden State Warriors!
"Why the Warriors, and not another team?" Popovich countered, perplexed.
He Xi Meng, with a straight face and a steady heart, replied, "Because the Warriors are weak enough! Next year's pick will be high enough!"
Popovich casually flipped through his work notebook, densely packed with information on every team in the league. He turned to the page for the Golden State Warriors and carefully reviewed their roster for the current season. He predicted that the Warriors' core lineup would likely remain largely unchanged next season, and their record... would probably be close to what He Xi Meng had forecast, landing them near the bottom of the league.
His interest piqued, Popovich immediately contacted the Warriors' management. The Warriors weren't particularly interested in trading a second-round pick. However, they noticed the Spurs' rookie Ginobili on the bench and proposed swapping their second-round pick for the Spurs' if Manu Ginobili was included in the deal. In other words, the Spurs would send their 2000 second-round pick, 54th overall, for the Warriors' 2001 second-round pick of an unknown selection.
Ginobili? Popovich rejected the Warriors' request without a second thought.
"Getting Ginobili is impossible. That kid is eccentric, but he's a key rookie we're cultivating. If you're serious about a trade, I can offer you a shooting guard from our bench who's in his prime, Jaren Jackson! No need for you to develop him, he's plug-and-play and can add immediate impact to your weak bench..."
After Popovich's skillful persuasion, the Warriors, in a daze, traded Ginobili for Jaren Jackson and handed over their 2001 second-round pick to the Spurs.
He Xi Meng had successfully helped the Spurs sign Reed and acquired a valuable 2001 second-round pick, a bountiful harvest. More importantly, He Xi Meng was extremely pleased with Popovich's "willingness to follow good advice," making his move from the Lakers to the Spurs worthwhile.
Of course, it was a mutually beneficial situation. Thanks to He Xi Meng's arrival, the Spurs had successfully defeated their long-time rivals, the Lakers, this season. While not entirely He Xi Meng's doing, the Lakers had lost an All-Star point guard, while the Spurs gained one. This swing in talent had fundamentally altered the overall strength of both teams. Last season, the balance of power clearly favored the Lakers. This season, it decidedly leaned towards the Spurs. In high-stakes games, victory often hinges on the narrowest of margins.
He Xi Meng, in a significant way, had indeed determined the ownership of the Western Conference championship and, consequently, the league championship.
Even if it was out of a sense of "reward," allowing He Xi Meng to decide the Spurs' 2000 draft strategy and give him a taste of front-office work was understandable. After all, they were just two second-round picks, not of particularly high standing or significant value... As for Jaren Jackson, his performance had severely declined this season, and Popovich had been looking to move him for a while...
After concluding the draft, He Xi Meng originally planned to part ways with Popovich in Minnesota. He had no intention of returning to San Antonio but planned to fly directly to Los Angeles to vacation with Kayla before heading to Sydney for the Olympics.
However, Popovich stopped He Xi Meng, insisting that he first return to San Antonio and help the team finalize Duncan's contract extension before going on vacation with Kayla.
He Xi Meng then remembered that Duncan's rookie contract had expired!
The summer of 2000 was turbulent for the league. At least three franchise-building players' contracts were expiring, testing the free-agent market. They were Duncan, Hill, and McGrady! Among them, Duncan's influence was the greatest, and he attracted the most suitors.
To put it simply, at least more than half of the league's teams had extended invitations to Duncan, leaving spots open and showing full sincerity, willing to meet any conditions Duncan set!
Yes, any condition that a club could fulfill, they would!
Among these, a few teams offered the most generous terms.
The New York Knicks undoubtedly ranked first.
The Knicks publicly declared that if Duncan joined, not only would he receive a maximum salary, but his girlfriend would also be arranged a respectable, high-paying job. The club would also help Duncan secure more endorsements! Dolan, the owner of the Knicks, was the executive chairman of Madison Square Garden, the Knicks' home arena, and also the president of Cablevision... With a vast empire and significant advertising resources, the promise of "finding more endorsements for Duncan" was not just lip service. Arranging a respectable job for Duncan's girlfriend could also likely be a position within the television network, which would be very attractive to Amy, who was already financially secure and aspired to become a star!
Furthermore, the Knicks also promised to transfer a portion of the team's equity to Duncan after his retirement, making him a minority owner. And if Duncan wished to continue working, they would reserve a commentator position for him...
In short, as long as Duncan agreed to join the Knicks, the team was willing to take care of him and his family for the rest of their lives...
What is called lavish spending? This is called lavish spending.
The Magic looked on and thought, "Damn! We can't outspend the Knicks, so we have to find another way, a less expensive but extremely respectful path..."
Thus, after much deliberation, the Magic management adopted a posture of utmost deference!
First, they dispatched a private jet to pick up Duncan from San Antonio and bring him to Orlando.
Second, they spared no expense in lobbying throughout the city of Orlando, placing "We want Duncan to join Orlando" billboards on almost all landmark buildings, such as the Great Castle at Orlando Disney. No matter where Duncan went in Orlando, he could look around and see the Magic's "sincerity."
Third, they invited the then-unstoppable golf superstar Tiger Woods as a persuasive agent to convince Duncan to join the Magic. Duncan himself wasn't a great golfer but greatly admired the exceptional Tiger Woods. Therefore, Woods's persuasion had a considerable impact on Duncan.
Finally, the Magic management used Hill and McGrady as bait, promising to build a "Big Three" lineup around Duncan. The implication was: "As long as you come to the Magic, you'll likely win the championship next year, and the Finals MVP will also be yours..."