Chapter 203: Chapter 203: Huang Yu
"I was just joking."
Wade Dong waved his hand dismissively. "Our current roster is solid, and the playoffs are around the corner. We don't need to make any changes."
At this point, without trades, they could only scout for players from other leagues or sign free agents, but finding hidden gems wasn't easy.
Players aren't antiques; their skills are evident on the court, making it challenging to uncover hidden talents.
"Our backcourt is well-stocked, but adding a big man who can rebound and defend would be ideal," Gentry suggested.
"Let's heed Wade Dong's advice; he has an eye for talent."
Sarver turned to Wade Dong, "If you weren't playing, I'd sign you as a scout."
Wade Dong's recommendation led to the signing of Iverson during the previous season, who then peaked in the playoffs, delivering the best performance of his career.
At the draft, Wade Dong suggested signing Green and Middleton, two initially overlooked players who exceeded expectations in their rookie seasons.
Even this season, the trade of Bynum and Dragic for Curry and Thompson was only finalized after Wade Dong's approval.
Curry and Thompson had been with the Suns for almost a month, and their performance was steadily improving. In contrast, Bynum's childish temperament resurfaced after the Warriors' loss to the Suns, causing the Warriors' record to plummet from sixth to eighth in the Western Conference.
Wade Dong chuckled, "You can sign me as a scout when I retire."
"Then you shouldn't retire."
"I can't bear to see you retire. Technically, this is still your first season; you have a long way to go before retirement," Sarver assured him.
"Can you give us any suggestions?" Gentry asked.
"Hmm..."
Wade Dong tapped his finger on the wine glass, paused for a moment, and asked, "Is there a player named Whiteside in the league?"
"Whiteside?" Gentry furrowed his brows, thinking hard before replying, "There seems to be someone by that name. He played in the NBDL for a while and was considering playing in Huaxia."
That background...
Upon hearing this, Wade Dong immediately said, "Sign him. Make it happen."
"Will do!"
Sarver agreed and asked, "How long a contract should we offer?"
"Five years? Seven years?"
Wade Dong casually mentioned two durations, adding, "The longer, the better."
Gentry, intrigued, said, "Whiteside entered the league ten years ago, played only a dozen games, and then played about twenty games in the NBDL this year. I don't see any standout qualities in him."
"That's because you lack vision."
Wade Dong shook his head, smiling.
Whiteside, known as 'White Side,' had a late-blooming peak, but his skills during that time were on par with Gortat's. If it weren't for Gentry and Sarver mentioning team reinforcement, Wade Dong might have forgotten about him.
Signing Whiteside was a risk-free investment.
The three continued their conversation, and Sarver's driver picked up Gentry and Sarver, and they left.
...
After taking a shower and lying on the bed, Wade Dong first asked the Suns' scout to gather information on Huang Yu and send it to him.
He then video-chatted with Li Jiajia for a while before calling Li Pei.
"Hello, Dong Ge!" Li Pei's voice was filled with excitement and enthusiasm as he received Wade Dong's call. "I have some good news to share with you."
"It might not be good news."
"Have you decided to come to the NBA?" Wade Dong asked.
"Yes, I have. You've heard about it? You're well-informed. I followed your lead and sent a letter to Stern, and now three teams have contacted me. The Bulls are even offering me a one-year guaranteed contract."
"What the hell? Are they crazy?" Wade Dong was even more surprised. Did his performance make the league believe that the Huaxia University Basketball League was an untapped treasure?
"To be honest, I don't have much confidence in playing in the NBA, but I see it as a challenge for myself," Li Pei added.
"Are you sure you want to come to the NBA?"
Wade Dong asked again for confirmation.
"Yes, I am," Li Pei affirmed. "Even if I lose, I won't regret it!"
"Since you've made your decision, I support you!"
As a brother, Wade Dong didn't say anything discouraging but instead encouraged Li Pei.
After chatting with Li Pei for half an hour, Wade Dong hung up, and the Suns' scout sent him Huang Yu's information. The report was detailed, including Huang Yu's physical attributes and video footage from his year in the European League.
Wade Dong opened his laptop and carefully reviewed Huang Yu's profile.
Huang Yu, a Huaxia player, grew up in Europe but held Huaxia citizenship. He entered the ACB Basketball League as a rookie last year and won the MVP award.
Wade Dong also watched some of Huang Yu's game footage, and the player was undoubtedly talented.
The Suns' scout's assessment of Huang Yu was that he had excellent dribbling, shooting, and explosiveness, but his weaknesses were in playmaking and free-throw inconsistency. Despite this, he had the potential to be an NBA starter, and his role model was Wade.
"We've found a gem," Wade Dong muttered. If Huang Yu could prove himself in the NBA, he might become Huaxia's third-strongest player after Yao Ming and Wade Dong.
When the Suns' scout sent the information to Wade Dong, he added that Huang Yu was in talks with the Warriors, who were considering offering him a three-year, $17 million contract.
"I hope he doesn't disappoint me," Wade Dong said, closing his laptop. "With this, our chances of winning the 2016 Olympics have significantly improved."
During the previous Olympics, Wade Dong had nearly exhausted himself, using over thirty bottles of 'Lucky Potion' and barely winning. The main reason was the weakness of his teammates.
...
The next day, two news stories caused a stir in Huaxia.
The Warriors signed Huang Yu, the MVP of the ACB League and a Huaxia player, to a three-year, $17 million contract.
The Bulls signed Li Pei, Wade Dong's former teammate from the CUBA League, to a one-year, $870,000 contract.
Compared to these two stories, another piece of news went almost unnoticed: the Suns signed Whiteside to a seven-year, $9.6 million contract.
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