My absurd experiences in North America over the years

"Bird rejected our offer and is unwilling to discuss any deal involving Granger," Thompson's voice came from the other end of the phone.

This is entirely understandable, because Warriors general manager Pat Riley, following Li Fu's plan, made a tentative offer to trade Monta Ellis in exchange for the Pacers' Danny Granger.

Although the Warriors have made it clear that they are willing to take on the Pacers' bad contract if the Pacers are willing to trade their rising star small forward, Granger.

For example, Mike Dunleavy's expiring contract.

But given Bird's personality, how could he possibly look down on a weak team player like Ellis?

Being rejected is to be expected.

Bird's attitude was clear: Granger was not for sale, Ellis's playing style was not suitable for the Pacers' system, and he always valued team defense and tactical discipline.

Li Fu was not surprised. Bird's eye for talent was indeed sharp. Ellis's high shot attempts and low efficiency, as well as his lack of winning mentality while padding his stats on weak teams, were all exposed in the eyes of an old-school player like Bird.

However, Bird still showed some leniency, indicating that if the Warriors had other trade ideas, they could discuss it further, as long as it didn't involve Granger.

Li Fu quickly reviewed his plan in his mind. "Next, we'll inquire about Stephenson's price. We'll have Riley tell Bird that we noticed Lance Stephenson's driving ability and playmaking skills in the Summer League, and believe he could be Curry's backcourt partner."

He decided to take a step back and move forward, not asking about George's price, but another rookie who was not highly regarded.

First, offer a future second-round pick plus some cash to inquire about the price, to test Bird's true attitude towards that second-round pick.

Li Fu believes that since Bird has completely blocked the trade for Granger, it means that George, whose position overlaps with Granger's, is a possible candidate for trade.

A reserve rookie can't be untouchable.

He never intended to actually acquire Granger; he was merely laying the groundwork for a subsequent feint.

The faint sound of waves outside the window seemed particularly long on a summer afternoon.

Back at the team's headquarters in Oakland, Riley was already typing out a new email, preparing to send a tentative second-round offer to the Pacers.

All of this was pre-arranged by Li Fu, who patiently waited for Larry Bird to walk into the trap he had laid.

Of course, it's also possible that Bird, fearing a loss, might not make any further trades.

However, Li Fu believes this possibility is very low, because Bird was very confident, and confident people often feel that they can control the situation.

This NBA legend probably never imagined that after rejecting Granger and Stephenson, what Li Fu truly wanted was Paul George, whom he never even mentioned, who was one of the most important pieces of the Warriors dynasty puzzle.

For the next two days, Li Fu and Taylor Swift enjoyed the sun and sand in Malibu, having a very pleasant time.

On the evening of the third day, Riley called.

Stephenson's inquiry also hit a snag; Bird replied that Lance is a key player the Pacers are developing and they won't be trading him at this time.

Lance Stephenson was only a second-round pick. Although he performed well in the Summer League, the Summer League is just the Summer League and is far less intense than the NBA regular season.

At present, probably not many people think he can really make a name for himself.

However, Li Fu and Bird are not among these people.

Li Fu had the ability to see the future and knew that Stephenson would grow into one of the Pacers' five stars. In the next few years, the Pacers' five stars would be able to compete with the Heat's Big Three at their peak.

Bird was known as the smartest basketball player in NBA history because of his extremely keen basketball sense, and this reputation was well-deserved.

Their confrontation was bound to involve some back and forth.

Li Fu's deliberate offer of Stephenson was actually an attempt to entice Bird, as he highly regarded this tough backcourt player and wanted him to partner with Curry.

In reality, it was to conceal his true choice of candidate.

Bird, however, believed that Li Fu's winning status was based on his "prophecy" and his lavish spending, which he could take advantage of.

Li Fu leaned back on the deck chair on the terrace, gazing at the setting sun sinking over the distant sea. The orange-red light bathed the entire bay; the scenery in Malibu was breathtaking.

"Okay, I understand," he sat up and stretched. "Now we can let the outside world know that we see rookie Ekpe Udoh as our future core player and don't intend to use him as trade bait in future deals."

"Aren't we going to trade for Udoh?" Riley was a little confused.

"This is a strategy to make the opponent make the wrong prediction about us," Li Fu briefly explained his thinking.

Riley suddenly realized what was going on and immediately contacted the team clerk to release the relevant information.

The 2010 offseason was packed with superstars. Not long ago, on July 8th, LeBron James officially announced on ESPN's nationally televised special program "The Decision" that he would be taking his talents to Miami.

The Heat formed an unprecedented and unparalleled Big Three at their peak, causing an uproar in the basketball world and widespread public opinion.

Those who haven't experienced this era will find it hard to understand and appreciate how fans reacted to this news. At first, they would definitely think it was fake, but after confirming it was real, they would immediately feel that there was no way to play anymore and that the championship was already a foregone conclusion.

With two of the league's top five players plus another top-fifteen power forward, fans of other teams can only feel despair.

The basketball world was still buzzing at the end of the month, but no one paid attention to the news sent out by Warriors beat reporters. What kind of buzz could the 6th pick have?

However, the management of each team is certainly paying close attention, as they want to see what Li Fu, the winner, will do next.

Bird's rejection of the Warriors' trade for Granger and Stephenson made headlines on sports media outlets like ESPN, with many believing the Warriors are eager to promote Curry and find him a backcourt partner.

Stephenson's name began to be mentioned repeatedly, and some betting websites even offered bets on his chances of winning Rookie of the Year.

Granger is also considered a top contender for the All-NBA Team for the new season.

Even Ekpe Udoh was ranked in the top three in the predicted Rookie of the Year rankings, with the first and second picks being the top two and Stephenson being the fourth.

George's name was never mentioned once, leading many to mistakenly believe that the Pacers' biggest acquisition this summer might be second-round pick Lance Stephenson.

George was completely ignored.

It can be said that every action Li Fu took was preparation for that final blow.

In the following days, the Warriors' management and Pacers president Larry Bird continued to discuss the possibility of a trade.

Ultimately, Bird was misled, and the Pacers formally proposed a trade, sending Mike Dunleavy and Paul George to the Warriors in exchange for Ekpe Udoh and Andris Biedrins.

Mike Dunleavy has a $1056 million contract expiring next summer, while Biedrins has a four-year, $36 million long-term contract.

The difference is that Dunleavy's contract would take up the team's salary cap space and he couldn't provide any immediate impact, while Biedrins has a long-term contract with an overpaying price and still has potential to be tapped.

It doesn't matter if the former is placed on a tanking, bottom-tier team, since they won't achieve any results next year anyway. When their contracts expire next year, the team can clear salary space and make it easier to sign other talented players.

The latter could provide immediate impact to the Pacers, who desperately need results, filling the gap in their domestic competition. The downside is that he is overpriced, but fortunately he is younger than Delyns and still has potential to be tapped. He was able to put up double-double numbers the year before last.

This is a win-win situation, with the Pacers incurring a slight loss.

The key point is the subsequent swap between George and Udoh.

This was also Li Fu's ultimate goal.