Lin Yi's plan had been solid — at least until the draft board turned into a game of dominoes.
Just as the Knicks had intercepted the Warriors, and the Warriors had intercepted the Spurs… now the Spurs were planning to turn around and intercept the Knicks.
Right before the 21st pick was announced, San Antonio made their move. They packaged their 29th pick, Steve Novak, and some cash to trade up with Minnesota.
The Timberwolves already had more rookies than they knew what to do with, and they were clearly looking to stockpile future picks instead.
Popovich, watching the chaos unfold after the Mavericks-Suns trade, realized he couldn't afford to wait any longer. If he didn't act fast, there'd be no quality wings left on the board.
The Knicks tried to trade up, too, but they couldn't — they were still hoarding assets for a bigger prize: Chris Paul.
That was actually why New York had grabbed Markieff Morris earlier. If you didn't take one of the Morris twins when you had the chance, they'd be long gone before your next pick.
With the 21st pick, the Spurs selected Jimmy Butler.
It was Popovich's Plan B after Kawhi Leonard got snatched away. Butler, with his two-way skillset and relentless mindset, fits the Spurs' system perfectly. And honestly, in that kind of environment, who's to say whether he'd end up better than Kawhi?
The Knicks, with the 23rd pick, seeing Jimmy sniped out, went for Donatas Motiejūnas — a skilled big man with a smooth shooting touch from deep.
As long as the Knicks could convince him not to extend his European contract, Motiejūnas would be a solid rotation piece — and a valuable trade chip down the road. New York didn't operate like Daryl Morey's Rockets, so they weren't worried about Motiejūnas turning into a drama case.
Reggie Jackson was considered.
But he was never fully in the picture. Once Chris Paul came aboard, there'd be no minutes for him. He wouldn't get to develop, wouldn't put up numbers, and the Knicks would just lose value on the pick.
Instead, the Knicks went with a clever second-round steal — Chandler Parsons, right under Morey's nose.
Parsons was versatile, able to play both forward spots, shoot from range, and move well without the ball. Plus, his clean-cut looks didn't hurt; if he played well, he'd have trade value just from the attention.
As for Isaiah Thomas?
The Knicks passed on him without a second thought.
The 175 cm dynamo would've been a nightmare against the Knicks, but useless with them. In New York's offensive scheme, he'd just get lost. Lin Yi had principles — he wasn't going to draft someone just to ruin their career.
By the end of the night, the Knicks' 2011 draft class was complete: Klay Thompson, Marcus Morris, Motiejūnas, and Parsons — a pretty strong haul for a reigning champion.
The front office had done what they could, but championship teams rarely have big trade chips to spare. That was the key difference between the Knicks and the Mavericks.
Dallas had gone full mad-scientist mode — Kyrie, Terry, Marion, Dirk, Stoudemire, Kidd… they were all in on the title chase.
Across the league, new superteams were forming. The Heat's Big Three were still the measuring stick. The Warriors had laid the foundation of a future dynasty. And somewhere down the line in the future, who knew which team Durant would choose to join rather than beat.
Meanwhile, Cleveland — after trading for Carmelo Anthony — looked like they might have a path of their own. If LeBron ever returned home, with the top pick and third pick of the 2003 draft teaming up again. That would be a sight. Lin Yi couldn't shake the feeling that J.R. Smith would somehow end up in the middle of that chaos, too.
By the time the draft wrapped, Lin Yi's summer plans were clear. He'd spend the offseason training with Klay. The Knicks' management, meanwhile, got in touch with Motiejūnas immediately, reassuring him not to stress about the lockout. Parsons and Marcus Morris were already excited about joining the Knicks' championship squad.
After the draft, Lin Yi sat down with Javier Stanford for a quiet talk. The Knicks' trade offer for Chris Paul was already locked in. If it came down to it, they were even willing to include Lou Williams. That did hurt Lin a bit. Lou was a good teammate, but that's how serious they were — Paul was worth it.
And financially, the Knicks were more secure than ever after such a smart draft.
The coaching staff gave a clear summer assignment: Parsons, Markieff Morris, and Motiejūnas were all to focus on their three-point shooting. Accuracy would decide their minutes.
As for Klay?
Lin Yi smiled. "Defense. He's gonna work on defense. The shooting? I don't lose sleep over that."
...
On June 25th, negotiations between the NBA's players and owners collapsed yet again.
The tension was thick, and now most people had accepted the grim reality — a lockout was coming.
Fans everywhere were anxious, not because of money or contracts, but because a shortened season meant fewer games, fewer rivalries, and fewer moments to remember.
Reports soon followed: the league and the players' union would make one final attempt to reach an agreement on June 30th. If that failed, Commissioner David Stern would officially announce a lockout.
Then, on June 28th, local media in San Antonio revealed the owners' new terms — and they weren't pulling any punches. If the talks broke down, they would demand a $45 million hard salary cap, abolish guaranteed contracts, and enforce a 33% pay cut for players.
Their previous concessions — a flexible $62 million cap and a guaranteed total salary pool of $2 billion — were suddenly off the table.
The players' union, led by Derek Fisher, immediately pushed back. They accused the league of intimidation tactics and vowed to file legal appeals.
And then came June 30th — the day everything fell apart.
While Lin Yi was somewhere breaking his waist with Olsen, the labor talks were breaking down for good.
At midnight, July 1st, David Stern appeared before the cameras and delivered the news no one wanted to hear:
"The NBA is officially in a lockout — indefinitely."
The statement sent shockwaves across the sports world.
Still, compared to past disputes, the players had managed to hold on to a decent share of their rights. Lin Yi, however, chose to keep his thoughts to himself.
Even Michael, now an owner, had stepped in to criticize the players for being greedy, and that move had only dented his public image.
Plenty of players were furious for the disloyalty shown since he once fought against this as a player.
"Easy for him to say," one veteran reportedly scoffed. "He made thirty million a year back then and used to be a critic of the union. Now we can't even ask for a little more for our service? Talk about flip-flop."
…
When the lockout officially began, uncertainty hit the league like a storm. Many players panicked, wondering where their next paycheck or training ground would come from.
Whiteside, meanwhile, looked particularly lost.
"Lin… you really think I should go to the CBA?" he asked, brows furrowed.
Lin leaned back in his chair, calm as ever. "Of course. Just make sure you include a clause to terminate the contract once the lockout ends. You'll earn some money, stay in shape, and get a ton of playing time. It's a win-win."
Whiteside hesitated. "But… China? That's pretty far."
Lin chuckled. "You'll live. Besides, if you can dominate over there, you'll come back with more confidence — and maybe even a few new moves. Trust me, it'll do you good."
Deep down, Lin knew exactly what he was doing. He wanted to see whether Whiteside was ready for a real breakthrough — mentally and physically.
With O'Neal retired, the Knicks needed someone to rise as their next interior anchor. Motiejūnas could fill in at center, sure, but Lin wanted Whiteside to evolve into that reliable double-double machine he knew he could be.
Meanwhile, the Chinese basketball scene was buzzing with excitement.
Headlines exploded across local media:
Yao Ming Returns to Shanghai!
Yi Jianlian Rejoins Guangdong!
Kobe Bryant to Play Alongside Yao?
Lin Yi Signs with Beijing Ducks?!
The Chinese media was a circus of ridiculous rumors. Lin could only shake his head.
"Forget the CBA," he muttered. "This summer's already going to be crazy enough."
He had a full plate ahead — training with Klay, attending Steph Curry's wedding, possibly representing the national team for the London 2012 Olympic qualifiers, and restarting his Lin Yi Training Camp.
...
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