"Talk about trades that can get us draft picks!" He Xi Meng steered the conversation.
"The Kings are interested in Kevin Martin and willing to offer Catino Mobley plus a second-round pick!"
"Catino, huh..." He Xi Meng pondered. Old Cat's offensive ability was unquestionable, but would he be willing to play sixth man? Previously, whether with the Rockets, Magic, or Kings, he had always been a starter.
Though He Xi Meng coveted Old Cat's offensive prowess, he didn't want to create trouble for himself. Moreover, wasn't Mobley's contract substantial right now?
"That can't be right? Catino's contract is quite large, and we're trying to cut salaries. We can't bring him in, can we?"
Collins nodded. "The Kings want to move Catino and are tentatively asking if we're interested. We're not! However, we can bring in a third team to take him. We'll just take the draft pick."
He Xi Meng thought of Monta Ellis and Lou Williams among this year's draft class, both of whom were ready-to-play rookies and suitable for a sixth man role. He agreed to Collins' proposal.
"Kevin can go to the Kings! But the condition is that we must get a first-round pick plus a second-round pick, and it must be this year's!"
"Alright! I'll try to see if we can arrange a three-way trade."
Collins quickly pulled out his notepad and jotted down He Xi Meng's demands.
"The Hawks are interested in Josh Smith and are asking if we'll start trade talks."
"The Knicks are interested in Ariza and asking what chips we need."
"The Grizzlies are interested in Tony Allen and asking what terms we want."
"The Mavericks are interested in Hu Wei Dong and asking if we're interested in a trade."
...
"Good heavens! This is quite a situation. Except for me, Vince, and Da Yao, they want everyone else? We've only won one championship, and now a whole army is at our doorstep trying to poach our players!"
"To be precise! You, Vince, and Yao Ming are also on those guys' shopping lists! However, I directly rejected them for the three of you. You are our untradeable assets!" Jordan added.
"Alright! I'll look at them one by one."
"The second is the Hawks."
He Xi Meng flipped open the Hawks' current player roster: Antoine Walker, Al Harrington, Tyronn Lue, Terry Dehere, Corliss Williamson, Boris Diaw...
"Hey? This Diaw could work! If the Hawks want Josh Smith, Diaw plus a second-round pick might be considered!"
"Next is the Knicks."
He Xi Meng flipped open the Knicks' current player roster: Stephon Marbury, Jamal Crawford, Penny Hardaway, Allan Houston, Tim Thomas...
Wow, the Knicks were truly flush with cash, hoarding a bunch of star players with large contracts and injury histories.
Allan Houston's salary this season was 17 million, but he only played 20 games before being sidelined for the season.
Anfernee Hardaway's salary this season was 14.6 million, and he also only played 37 games before being sidelined for the season.
If these two veterans were on minimum contracts, He Xi Meng wouldn't mind them coming to the Celtics to retire and pass on experience and skills to the younger players.
But Allan Houston's salary next season was a whopping 19 million, and Anfernee Hardaway's salary next season was also 15 million. He Xi Meng immediately abandoned his unrealistic thoughts.
Apart from these top players, there were no role players on the Knicks that He Xi Meng found appealing.
"Forget about a trade with the Knicks! Unless they are willing to offer two first-round picks, or one first-round pick plus two second-round picks, then Ariza is not for sale."
"The fourth is the Grizzlies."
He Xi Meng flipped open the Grizzlies' current player roster: Pau Gasol, Mike Miller, Bonzi Wells, Jason Williams, Stromile Swift, Shane Battier...
"Hey? Battier from the Grizzlies is good! Unfortunately, I remember Battier was a 2001 draft pick and is already out of his rookie contract. How much is his salary next season?"
Collins quickly looked up the Grizzlies' information and replied, "4.9 million!"
"And Tony Allen?"
"1 million!"
"Forget it! Let's keep Tony! He's useful and not expensive."
"Which team is next?"
"The Mavericks! They're inquiring about Hu Wei Dong. Dallas has always wanted to expand its influence in the Chinese market, and recruiting a Chinese player to play for them would be the best option."
After hearing Collins' explanation, He Xi Meng flipped open the Mavericks' current season roster: Dirk Nowitzki, Michael Finley, Latrell Sprewell, Josh Howard, Jason Terry, Glenn Robinson, Erick Dampier, Devin Harris, Greg Buckner...
Good heavens, the Mavericks had some serious roster depth!
If this lineup were in He Xi Meng's hands and well-managed, contending for a championship should not be a problem.
In fact, if it weren't for the San Antonio Spurs acting as a formidable obstacle in the Western Conference, the Mavericks this season, under new coach Avery Johnson, would have had a chance to contend for a championship.
Unfortunately, the Mavericks couldn't shake off the Spurs in the semifinals.
The Mavericks were rich in talent, and He Xi Meng worried that Hu Wei Dong might become a mascot in Dallas. To avoid potentially harming Old Hu, He Xi Meng decided not to initiate a trade.
"Forget about the Mavericks. Hu Wei Dong performed well last season, so let him stay with the team!"
Collins glanced at Michael Jordan, who nodded.
"I have no objections. Let's proceed according to Xi Meng's wishes!"
"Okay!" Collins closed his notepad. "Then I'll contact these teams according to your intentions and see if we can facilitate some trades..."
For a general manager, the trade season each year was the most crucial part of the job. Without trades, how could one enhance their presence and influence in the league?
When he was with the Wizards, Collins was often at a disadvantage when facing other general managers in the league. After all, there were more times when he needed favors than when favors were sought from him.
Now, the Celtics' players were highly sought after, and Collins, as the general manager, was naturally being courted.
The situation had reversed, and many general managers wanted to build good relationships with him to facilitate poaching the Celtics' talent.
Collins was thoroughly enjoying his current work state, wishing he could work 24 hours a day.
He Xi Meng's original intention was that trades for Kevin Martin, Josh Smith, and Ariza could happen if they could, and if not, then so be it.
However, Collins, aiming for his KPI this year, stubbornly sought out the slightest possibility in the impossible, intending to trade all three players that He Xi Meng had agreed could be listed for trade...