Chapter 128: Elgin Is Busy

As soon as the trade rumors broke, Elgin’s phone started ringing off the hook.

The quickest to act was Larry Bird.

"Come on, let’s make a deal. I’m the one who’s most sincere," Bird said.

"Oh, are you looking to trade either Al Harrington or Peja? Either one would be a loss for me; you'd need to add more assets." Elgin was in a decent mood. The Pacers were a good trade partner; with players like Al Harrington and Peja Stojakovic at the same position, he wouldn't have to worry about roster gaps after the trade. However, their stats were significantly lower than Elton Brand’s, and Elgin felt he would be coming out on the losing end.

"Hell, who told you I wanted Brand? I want He."

Bird’s words nearly caused Elgin to smash his phone.

Bird kept rambling on the other end: "Brand has already proven himself, but He is just a rookie. Can you guarantee he’ll play well in the future, or that he won’t get injured? Plus, his personality is a huge issue. He’s practically a locker room cancer who will cause tons of trouble off the court. He is definitely not a cornerstone for building a team..."

He went on such a tirade that, if you didn't know better, you’d think Bird was the world’s number one hater.

But Elgin wasn't stupid. He countered, "If He is such trash, then why do you keep asking for him time and time again?"

"I’m just looking to take a gamble, and help the team sell some tickets while I'm at it. As for you, Elgin, this is the best chance you’ll ever have to build a championship roster. Think of the glory that comes with winning a title."

Bird morphed into a master salesman, reeling off one twisted logic after another.

Surprisingly, Elgin actually felt a bit tempted.

However, thinking of Sterling’s attitude, Elgin could only sigh. "Larry, even though what you're saying makes sense, He is a non-tradeable asset designated by my boss. There’s nothing I can do. If you want Brand, we can keep talking."

"What a pity."

In the end, Larry Bird hung up.

The only person he wanted was He Xinghui. As for Brand, Bird felt his ceiling had already been reached; he was fine as the leader of an average team, but he was still a step away from being the cornerstone of a championship contender. Moreover, Bird only felt motivated because of the chance to trade for He Xinghui. If he had wanted Brand, he could have easily left Elgin hanging for a few days to drive the price down.

The moment Bird’s call ended, "The Smiling Assassin" Isiah Thomas from the Knicks called.

"Thomas, please don't tell me you're calling about He," Elgin complained.

"Damn, when did you start learning mind reading? Since you’ve already figured it out, I don’t need to waste words. You should know how sincere I am," Thomas said.

"I don't want to know about your sincerity. He is non-tradeable."

"Why? He and Brand have already had a falling out; they can't coexist. We Knicks don't have a good forward, but we have a bunch of excellent guards. We can trade for He and make it a win-win." Thomas was currently stressed; with Marbury, Crawford, and Francis all overlapping in position, the team desperately needed a trade.

"You speak as if I can only trade with you Knicks. There are tons of people who want to trade with me, too many to count. I just hung up on Larry, and now I’m hanging up on you."

With that, Elgin Baylor proudly hung up the phone.

Come to think of it, he had been approached by many managers seeking trades this year, which made him feel quite smug. The pity was that their target was almost always He Xinghui, who happened to be off-limits. It made Elgin feel like his talents were going to waste, which was a real shame. When bored, he had even fantasized about trading He to assemble several different championship rosters, enough to earn him the title of Executive of the Year. Unfortunately, those were just dreams.

Not long after hanging up on Thomas, the phone rang a few more times. Without exception, they were all inquiring about He Xinghui. No matter how much the media smeared He Xinghui, it didn't affect the judgment of those team managers. If they could take this opportunity to acquire He, most managers would be willing to offer a "take your pick of players" deal. If not for Sterling holding him back, Elgin wouldn't have been able to resist such temptation.

A series of unserious inquiries left Elgin quite irritated.

*Ring, ring, ring...*

The phone rang again. Elgin didn't even want to answer; it was bound to be another person asking for He Xinghui, just wasting his time. But after a moment of hesitation, he picked it up.

Before the other party could speak, Elgin snapped, "I said it before: He is non-tradeable. Do you understand?"

"What? Isn't it Brand who wants to leave? Did I get my intel wrong?" A confused voice came over the line.

It was the Kings' GM, the only professional manager of the bunch.

"Sorry, Geoff. I thought you were just another person asking for He. Damn, I’ve already had seven or eight of those calls today," Elgin complained.

Geoff laughed heartily and then said, "I’m genuinely here to inquire about Brand."

"Oh? What assets are you willing to offer?" Hearing that the caller wanted Brand, Elgin immediately became interested, his mind racing to recall the Kings' roster and which talented players he could target.

"An All-Star player, Shareef Abdur-Rahim. That’s a fair offer, my friend. Brand has already actively asked to leave; other managers will definitely use that to squeeze you on the price. No one will be more generous than me..."

Geoff’s words made Elgin want to hang up again. He really wanted to tell Geoff that nobody else was actually squeezing him—only he was. An All-Star player in Abdur-Rahim? That "All-Star" descriptor was used generously; in reality, Abdur-Rahim had only been an All-Star once, and as a reserve at that. Although Brand didn't have many accolades either, at least he had the stats—putting up 24 and 10 wasn't something just anyone could do. On the other hand, Abdur-Rahim’s stats had dropped to 12 and 5 this year; one look told you he was washed up.

Elgin felt Geoff was just messing with him. If he dared to agree to this trade, the furious fans would tear him to pieces the next day.

"Stop it, Geoff. I know you all think I’m stupid, but in fact, I’m not stupid at all. Unless you’re willing to trade Brad Miller and Artest, don't even think about it," Elgin Baylor laid out his terms.

The Clippers were thin at center, and Brad Miller would be a great addition. As for Artest, he could fill the void left by Brand’s departure.

Now it was Geoff’s turn to complain. In short, after a round of "friendly" exchanges, the negotiations collapsed.

It left Elgin feeling exhausted. Trading Brand for appropriate value was proving to be incredibly difficult. Plus, with the news of Brand wanting to leave leaking out, other managers would only become even more brazen.