Chapter 150: The Trade That Shocked the League

Although Jerry West could bypass those below him and force the trade through, it was inevitable that he would later face investigations from the owner and the league. Taking such a huge risk just to return a favor to the Lakers was simply not worth it.

Therefore, he picked up the phone and dialed Mitch Kupchak, delivering the terrible news.

Upon receiving the call, Kupchak felt as though the sky were falling. At the same time, he felt profound regret for having gloated in front of Kobe just moments ago. Had he not shown off, it wouldn't have mattered much even if the trade fell through. But now, he had given Kobe infinite hope, only to shatter it with immense disappointment moments later. Such an emotional rollercoaster was agonizingly difficult to endure.

"Mitch, what happened?" Kobe asked from the side.

"The trade fell through," Kupchak said awkwardly.

"Why?"

"Because the Clippers offered Elton Brand for Pau Gasol, and the Grizzlies couldn't resist that temptation."

"F*** the Clippers! F*** He! It must be his doing, that son of a b****!" Kobe cursed furiously.

Although it was obviously a decision made by the Clippers' front office, in Kobe's eyes, the Clippers were Xing-He (He Xinghui), and Xing-He was the Clippers—there was no distinction. Now that the Clippers were ruining his good fortune, it meant He Xinghui was ruining his good fortune.

"......"

Kupchak was left speechless on the other end, acutely aware that Kobe was practically losing his mind. What Kupchak didn't know was that Kobe was currently under immense pressure.

After losing Shaquille O'Neal last season, he had led the team straight to an early offseason, sitting at home fishing. He had originally planned to use this season to prove himself, but the team's record remained dismal, while that fat man in the East was thriving.

What made it even more fatal was that a damn guy named He Xinghui had suddenly emerged in the same city of Los Angeles, defeating him twice and leaving him thoroughly embarrassed. What was even more infuriating was that the guy acted like a clown, seeking attention every single day. Even though he was currently averaging over 40 points per game, he didn't get nearly as much media exposure as He Xinghui, which left Kobe deeply depressed.

Kobe desperately needed to prove himself right now, yet he was no god—not even a demigod. He needed good support, good teammates, a championship, a victory over He Xinghui, and a victory over the fat man.

Just as Kobe was venting his frustration on a basketball, Kupchak received another call from Jerry West.

"Mitch, I have an idea. Not only can it make up for your losses, but it might even get you an even better deal," Jerry West said.

"Jerry, at a time like this, you're still in the mood to joke? You have no idea how close Kobe is to going crazy," Kupchak said, unable to hold back a sigh.

"Don't rush, listen to me. Find a way to contact Elton right now and persuade him to come to the Lakers. As long as Brand adamantly refuses to go to Memphis, the Grizzlies will have no choice but to accept a three-team trade. In the end, it will create a scenario where Gasol goes to the Clippers, Elton goes to the Lakers, and the Grizzlies get Kwame Brown plus draft picks. Originally, you were only getting Gasol, but now you get Brand instead. Isn't that an even better deal?"

Jerry West's words almost made Kupchak drop to his knees in worship. He wanted nothing more to say than that ginger truly gets hotter with age; he had actually come up with such a brilliantly malicious plan in such a short amount of time.

Moreover, the success rate of this plan was exceptionally high. After all, persuading Brand was not difficult at all. Los Angeles was infinitely better than Memphis. Besides, the Lakers were a playoff team, and with the addition of Brand, their roster on paper would actually look even stronger than the Clippers'. Partnering with a scoring champion and a Kobe Bryant who possessed rich Finals experience made the championship prospects look far greater than staying with the Clippers. All of these were massive temptations for Brand.

"Okay, I'll do it right now. Please, Jerry, you have to help me this time. I will never forget this favor..."

After hanging up the phone, Kupchak excitedly ran over to tell Kobe, only to be met with Kobe's cold stare. Until the deal was actually finalized, Kobe intended to remain completely indifferent.

Having made a fool of himself, Kupchak could only walk away awkwardly and begin contacting Brand's agent to discuss the possibility.

Soon, he and Brand's agent hit it off immediately. Brand's agent naturally did not want Brand to leave the grand stage of Los Angeles for a declining small market like Memphis. Furthermore, playing alongside Kobe meant exposure would not be an issue. Of course, playing next to Kobe meant saying goodbye to the alpha dog status.

However, Kobe was at least a long-established superstar, a scoring champion, and a holder of championship rings. Being Kobe's second-in-command was clearly a bit more respectable than being a rookie's second-in-command. Coupled with the hope of contending for a championship alongside Kobe, and Kupchak's promise to strengthen the supporting cast—unlike the stingy Clippers—it all added up.

In short, going to the Lakers was much better than staying with the Clippers. That was the assessment of Brand's agent, and Brand himself somewhat agreed with it.

Combined with the fact that Kobe proactively called him to paint a rosy picture of the two of them joining forces, Brand ultimately chose to cooperate and agreed to go to the Lakers.

How many twists and turns, how many thrilling power struggles went on behind the scenes of this blockbuster trade, the fans had no idea. They were simply taken by surprise on February 13th when a sudden news report dropped: the Clippers, Lakers, and Grizzlies had reached a three-team agreement.

This trade could well be described as the most significant deal of the season, one capable of altering the entire landscape of the league. The number of players involved was actually small, but each possessed heavy-hitting credentials: one was a beast averaging 24.7 points and 10 rebounds, another was the franchise star of the Grizzlies, and the third was a former number-one overall pick.

The specific details of the package involved the Lakers giving up Kwame Brown and two future first-round draft picks to acquire Elton Brand. The Grizzlies traded Pau Gasol to receive Kwame Brown and the two first-rounders. Meanwhile, the Clippers traded Brand to acquire Gasol.

Once the trade was finalized, pundits immediately began offering their analyses. The most common consensus was that the Lakers had struck gold, earning an A+ grade for the trade. They had dumped a bust of a first overall pick and two worthless first-rounders in exchange for a top-five power forward in the league.

The biggest losers were judged to be the Grizzlies, receiving a D- grade. They had lost their franchise player and gotten virtually nothing in return. Fans could only offer their sympathy, especially after details leaked that Pau Gasol had actively requested to leave. The tragedy of small-market teams was once again brought up for discussion.

As for the Clippers, they received a C- grade in this trade—a remarkably low rating. Even though they landed Pau Gasol, they lost a superior player in Elton Brand without receiving any additional compensation. More importantly, this trade had inadvertently funded their arch-rival, the Lakers, strengthening their crosstown enemy's roster.

This was the part outsiders could not fathom; under normal circumstances, even if you had to take a loss, you should never let your arch-rival profit. Yet now, it felt as though they were in cahoots with the Lakers.