NBA: Warrior godfather.

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"Boss, I think Danny Ferry's offer is good, but sending both Stephen and Monta at the same time will have a huge impact on the team's strength…" Lillie hesitated for a moment, then tried to persuade.

He shared the same view as Danny Ferry—James would definitely stay with the Cavaliers. Those three first-round picks sounded good on paper but didn't actually hold much real value.

If it weren't for the league's rule against trading first-round picks in consecutive years, Larry Riley was sure that Ferry would have thrown in all his future first-round picks without a second thought.

Liam responded slowly, "Accept it!"

"Alright, boss, I'll turn it down right now… wait, what? Accept it?" Larry Riley was shocked.

"Yes, accept it. We've struck a deal." Liam smiled slightly. "By the way, if I remember correctly, the trade is still about a million short to balance it, right?"

"Yes, Monta and Stephen's combined salaries are 18 million, while Varejao and Big Z's are a little over 16 million. But it's a minor issue—the Cavaliers can add a bit of cash to cover the difference."

Liam thought for a moment and then said, "They drafted a player named Danny Green in the second round this year. See if they can include him in this deal."

"Alright, boss. Ferry should accept that condition… but are you sure you don't want to think this over?" Larry Riley asked, stunned.

He could barely believe that Liam made a decision so quickly.

They were trading away the team's top two players. Shouldn't such a big move be handled with caution?

"The Cavaliers have finally offered us a strong position; we have to seize this chance," Liam said with a smile.

"Well… that's…"

"Do you have any other questions?"

"No, none…"

"Then let's proceed. Get in touch with Danny as soon as possible before he changes his mind. I'm waiting for your good news."

"Boss, I think…"

"Click--"

Larry Riley hung up, feeling both physically and mentally drained.

Previously, Chris Cohan had been stingy, but he didn't know much about basketball and stayed out of team affairs. With Cohan, Riley had the freedom to make his own decisions on trades and drafts.

But Liam was different. He knew basketball far better than Cohan and was widely regarded as one of the sharpest minds in the sport. Winning two NCAA championships was no fluke, yet his approach felt unpredictable…

One of Liam's first moves after taking over the team was to release Corey Maggette, who averaged over 20 points per game, then to personally step in as head coach. Rather than appointing a well-known coach, Liam decided to take on the role himself.

To his credit, he had a good eye for talent. The three undrafted players he scouted proved their worth on the court.

However, now Liam was willing to package Monta Ellis and Stephen Jackson, the team's two most prominent players—the only two Warriors who could even be called "stars." And he was ready to trade them away…

Destroy it; I'm tired.

Once this trade goes through, the world will come down on me with criticism and ridicule!

"Ping--"

Just as Larry Riley was feeling desperate, his phone buzzed with a message.

He picked it up and saw a text from Liam:

"Contact Danny Ferry as soon as possible and close the deal."

Larry Riley's hand shook, almost dropping his phone.

This just keeps getting more intense…

Boss, do you really not see that we're losing big time in this trade?

Meanwhile, Liam was blissfully unaware of Riley's distress. He put down his phone, hummed a tune, and headed to the kitchen to wash the dishes.

"Today's a good day~"

To outsiders, this deal might look like a massive loss for the Warriors, but no one could have predicted that James would take his talents to South Beach at the end of the season, teaming up with the Heat to form the "Big Three."

As long as the Cavaliers failed to make the Finals and win the championship, James's desire to leave wouldn't change.

Stephen Jackson and Monta Ellis weren't weak players; otherwise, Danny Ferry wouldn't have been so eager. However, their actual help to James was limited. At best, their arrival would allow the Cavaliers to advance a bit further in the playoffs, but it wouldn't bring a major shift in their performance.

There was probably no one in the league who knew James's playstyle better than Liam.

In his Cavaliers 1.0 era, James was like a tank—unstoppable, bursting with physical energy, and at his athletic peak. As long as he had enough space, he could break through any defense!

In Liam's previous experience, James succeeded with the Heat and later the Cavaliers by having sharp shooters around him who spread the floor, giving him ample room to drive to the basket. With a secondary scorer alongside him, he could maximize his impact on the offense.

The Lakers' championship win was an exception, but that was a unique case. James had a superstar like "Big Brow" at his side. It's still up for debate who played a more crucial role in that win.

It was well-known across the league: James needed shooters alongside him.

But Monta Ellis and Stephen Jackson barely made it into the second-tier category. In the playoffs, they fell short of being reliable stars, a far cry from the likes of "Big Brow" or Kyrie Irving.

Points scored in easy situations during the regular season wouldn't necessarily translate to success in the playoffs.

During the regular season, the Cavaliers might improve slightly with the two additional scoring options. However, in the playoffs, against top teams, James would face the same challenges.

Monta Ellis's three-point shooting percentage was just 30.8%, while Stephen Jackson's was marginally better at 33.8%.

When the two stood outside the three-point line, James would realize that the paint was as crowded as ever, with double-teams coming at him just as eagerly as before.

Given the ball, they could score on weaker teams, but they couldn't be counted on in tough games.

By then, with James still in limbo, the Cavaliers' draft picks would become much more valuable!

The following day, the trade between the Warriors and Cavaliers was finalized, and the news quickly spread to the public.

Fans were stunned. It had been less than five days since the Warriors put Monta Ellis on the market. Many teams were still negotiating, but the deal was abruptly concluded, with Stephen Jackson thrown into the mix.

Major media outlets rushed to cover the story, fueling heated debates.

Charles Barkley commented, "This is a foolish trade for the Warriors. With James on that team, those draft picks are worthless. Larry Riley should trade in his GM position for a job on a cattle ranch instead of handling basketball assets."

Even Bill Simmons wrote, "...Congrats to the Cavaliers! Danny Ferry finally made the right move. While the Cavs' center may be aging, they rid themselves of Big Z's contract and picked up two solid reinforcements. Jackson's experience and Ellis's scoring can push the Cavs deeper into the playoffs. I give this trade an A+ for the Cavaliers."

End of this chapter

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