Chương 99: Chapter 98: Breaking News 1
"How's it going, Gar? Did a good night's sleep change your perspective?" Jake asked with a smirk, reclining comfortably in his chair.
Gar Forman, sitting across from him with dark circles under his eyes, looked like he'd been up all night. Clearing his throat, he said, "Our position remains the same. The LaVine trade exception, plus your first-round picks in 2019 and 2021, and a 2020 first-round swap right."
Jake didn't immediately fire back. Instead, he just looked at Gar, a hint of mockery in his expression. "Maybe we started too early today," Jake said, shutting his laptop without hesitation. "I'll take a half-hour break to let Mr. Forman wake up."
As he got up to leave, Jake turned at the door and threw a warning glance back at Gar. "Look, we came here with genuine interest, but if you can't meet us halfway, we'll walk away from this deal in thirty minutes."
"Boss, that was amazing!" Ajali said, admiring Jake's firm stance as they left the room. Jake laughed, no trace of his previous intensity, and gave her a quick piece of advice. "Negotiations are like this. If you're too agreeable, people start tossing lowball offers your way. Sometimes you need to hit pause, break their flow, and make sure they understand who's leading the deal. Remember this—you'll need it one day."
Meanwhile, back in the Bulls' conference room, the mood was grim. Jake's ultimatum weighed heavily on Gar, who had been banking on squeezing out a bit more value for the Bulls. Now, it felt like his job was on the line if he couldn't get the deal done. Though other teams were showing interest, none had offered a package as appealing as Jake's, and if this deal fell through, he might not be GM for much longer.
"What's our move?" Gar asked, looking weary and defeated. His assistant general manager suggested, "We could offer a 2019 first-round swap and the 2020 first-round pick—if that's too high, maybe we can negotiate down."
"We can't push too far, or Jake might back out entirely!" another manager interjected. An uneasy silence fell as the team grappled with the risks. Jake's strategy was working, and Gar could feel the rising tension among his staff. It was clear none of them wanted to bear responsibility for a failed deal.
Jake returned to the conference room after his coffee break, a calm, almost indifferent look on his face as he sat back down. "Alright, Gar, what have you come up with?"
Gar forced a smile. "Here's our offer: your 2019 first-round pick, the 2020 swap right, and a protected 2016 first-round pick."
Jake looked thoughtful but didn't leave his seat. "Protected? No, I don't do protections," he replied coolly. "When we traded Cousins, we only had two first-rounders and a swap. Butler's no Cousins."
Relieved that Jake hadn't outright rejected him, Gar quickly recalculated. "Alright, how about this: a second-rounder in place of that 2016 first-round pick, plus some cash support?"
Jake leaned forward slightly. "Choose any year for the second-rounder, but forget the first-round pick."
"Then… can we add another second-round pick?" Gar said, treading carefully.
Jake took a long pause, then finally nodded. "Fine. But that second first-rounder has to be protected or be a swap option."
The agreement was like music to Gar's ears. They finally had a deal, and with it, Gar had secured his standing, at least for now.
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