"Really? Why did the game footage I saw make this Argentine kid look like a hothead, brave but with poor shot selection… If there weren't for the buyout clause, I'd consider recruiting him, maybe train him a bit, see if I can fix his bad habits. Perhaps he could become a decent backup point guard…"
"I guarantee, he's a perfect fit for the Spurs! You'll thank yourself for this decision in the future…"
"You smart aleck, don't butter me up! Alright, I'll contact Virtus Bologna about him. We can try to negotiate the buyout clause down…"
"If it doesn't work, we can consider the team covering part of the buyout, and you covering the rest!"
"Will that Argentine kid be willing?"
"I'll talk to him! If he's not willing, we can deduct it from his future salary… If he's too poor to afford it, I don't mind fronting the money for him. However, if he becomes a star in the future, I'll expect a cut…" He Xi Meng chuckled as he spoke.
"Good idea! It seems you have a very high opinion of this Argentine kid!"
"Absolutely! If Jerry West trusted me as much as you do, I'd probably use a Lakers' second-round pick to lure the Argentine kid you're talking about to the Lakers…"
"You've got me so eager to meet this magical Argentine kid… But wait, who were we discussing just now?" Popovich suddenly realized and asked He Xi Meng.
"Johnson's trade! Why trade Johnson for a big man and not a guard!"
"Oh~ Yes, now I understand what you mean. With the Argentine kid as a supplement, plus Jaren Jackson and Mario Elie, we certainly don't lack guards…"
"But what if the Hornets don't want to trade Campbell? Campbell's market value is quite high right now."
"Then we'll take their third center, Brad Miller, and a draft pick as well! A first-round pick is best, but a second-round pick will do!"
"Hmm?" Popovich suddenly smelled a hint of conspiracy. "You, my friend, weren't aiming for Campbell from the start, were you?"
He Xi Meng chuckled, "Deception and truth, truth and deception! Campbell is fine, but Brad Miller is actually not bad either…"
"Excellent! The Spurs management welcomes talent like you…"
Thus, just as the offseason began, the Spurs and the Hornets completed a not-so-insignificant trade. The Spurs sent out their former locker room leader, "The Little General" Avery Johnson, to free up the starting point guard position and some salary cap space for He Xi Meng. The Hornets, in return, sent out former undrafted player Brad Miller and a second-round pick. Both sides seemed to get what they needed.
Meanwhile, He Xi Meng paid for a newspaper advertisement in Los Angeles, publishing a thank-you statement and completely severing ties with the Lakers.
"Thank you to the Lakers organization, Coach Harris, Shaq, Kobe, Fox, Horry, Glen, Knight… Thank you to all my Lakers teammates, and to you, all the Lakers fans… For the past three years, we sweated together, cheered together, and strived for championships! Now, due to personal reasons, I must regrettably leave this charming city of Los Angeles. I will cherish the wonderful times spent here forever. I wish the Lakers continued dominance in the new season and all the best to Lakers fans in their lives and work… There's an old Chinese saying: 'Green mountains remain unchanged, and clear waters flow forever.' We shall meet again, in the jianghu…"
The Lakers organization also released a thank-you statement at the same time, accompanied by a photo of He Xi Meng's back as he raised the FMVP trophy.
"We thank Simon for everything he has done for the Lakers organization! He is an excellent team player, and he has made outstanding contributions to the Lakers over the past three years! We wish him success in his new team…"
Kobe called again, following up on his phone call a few days prior questioning He Xi Meng.
"My dearest brother, although I still can't understand your reason for leaving Los Angeles… I've come to terms with it now! I wholeheartedly welcome the fact that you will become one of my fiercest rivals in my career! When you were with the Lakers, you always refused to engage with my taunts… Now, no matter which team you go to, you can't avoid a challenge, right? Well, in that case, it's good that you're leaving. Go, go, come challenge me…"
Uh, Kobe's competitive spirit was truly bizarre… Kobe, who was trying to persuade He Xi Meng to stay last time, was now urging him to leave… This sudden shift truly baffled He Xi Meng.
After Kobe, O'Neal also called.
"Hey, brother, it was fun playing with you. If we get a chance in the future, let's collaborate again…"
O'Neal was always an optimist and didn't dwell on things. He Xi Meng's departure was regrettable for O'Neal. But having been in the league for seven seasons since being drafted by the Magic in 1992, O'Neal had weathered many storms and calmly accepted He Xi Meng's move.
"Switching teams, who hasn't done it?"
Finally, O'Neal sincerely wished He Xi Meng success with the Spurs and expressed his hope for future collaboration, or at least to maintain a good relationship even if not. O'Neal's attitude confirmed He Xi Meng's words: "Green mountains remain unchanged, and clear waters flow forever. We shall meet again, in the jianghu…"
The fans in Los Angeles had actually been urging the Lakers' management to match the Spurs' offer and keep He Xi Meng. Although He Xi Meng had announced his intention to join the Spurs, and the Spurs had revealed the contract details, He Xi Meng had not yet officially signed with the Spurs. Logically, the Lakers still had a chance to snatch He Xi Meng back from the Spurs.
But the final outcome deeply saddened the fans in Los Angeles. He Xi Meng had indeed reached the point of "severing ties" with the Lakers.
From the various reports during this period, it appeared that He Xi Meng's departure from the Lakers was not due to internal conflicts, but rather due to complicated and unavoidable issues with the management, with the finger pointed directly at General Manager Jerry West.
Jerry West immediately realized that there might be dissatisfaction with him within the Lakers' management. As a player about to leave, He Xi Meng had no reason to publicly disclose such details at this juncture. It was detrimental to He Xi Meng's future career, essentially offending Jerry West, whose influence in the league extended far beyond just the Lakers.
In fact, after seeing these reports, He Xi Meng immediately called "Logo Man" and subtly conveyed a message: "The news out there is absolutely not from He Xi Meng or his team…"
If it were an ordinary person, they might have doubted, suspecting He Xi Meng of playing both sides. But who was "Logo Man"? He immediately discerned the authenticity of He Xi Meng's call and analyzed that the problem stemmed from within his own organization. It seemed someone was trying to cause trouble, perhaps because they felt he was "too powerful."