The Golden Age of Basketball-Chapter 587 - 7 A True Man Should Be Like This_2

The translator conveyed Buckwalter’s words to Divac, and Divac’s eyes immediately lit up.

"Yeah, Petrović is also coming to Portland. He was drafted by the Trail Blazers earlier than me.

Not only Petrović but also Sabonis, and even that man, the one who calls the shots in the NBA.

After thinking for a while, Divac gave his answer, saying, "If you’re certain you won’t trade me again, I’m willing to play for Portland."

Buckwalter thought for a moment, and at this point, since the Lakers were unwilling to make a trade, they might as well keep Divac.

Thus, the two shook hands, reaching a verbal agreement, and Buckwalter told Divac to report to Portland after some time.

On the other side, in front of the television, Gan Guoyang was waiting for news of the trade, not particularly concerned about who would be his substitute.

He believed that after an offseason of rest, training, and recovery, his physical condition and energy would be at their peak for the next season.

The 88-89 season was indeed too torturous, both mentally and with the calf strain during the playoffs, all of which left him out of form.

Edwards would be the best to come, of course. Gan Guoyang had faced off against him many times. Edwards was a tough player who was very tricky to deal with and could make crucial plays at critical moments.

Such a player is a typical old basketball fox who, based solely on their talent and a few special moves, can survive well in the NBA and play for a long time.

In the playoffs, he would definitely make an impact, especially against the front lines of Detroit and Los Angeles, which could relieve some of Guoyang’s pressure.

Sabonis and Divac come from a different system, and what they’d be like in the NBA was still an unknown.

During the 1988 Olympics, Guoyang had challenged Sabonis to a one-on-one duel, and Sabonis was no match for Guoyang.

Of course, one-on-one duels don’t represent a player’s basketball strength, and someone who is strong in solo play might be poor in games.

Watching him play, Sabonis’s basketball IQ and skills were no problem, but health and keeping up with the NBA’s pace were question marks.

Divac’s situation was similar to Sabonis, sharing the usual strengths and weaknesses of European centers.

Not only did the two overlap in function and position, but the countries they hailed from weren’t exactly friendly with each other. Add Petrović and Gan Guoyang to the mix, and it was quite complex.

In the second round, the Trail Blazers smoothly picked Cliff-Robinson, and the team’s security measures were quite effective.

Had the Heat sniffed out the news, they might have snatched him up as well, as the Heat had the first pick of the second round.

As the draft was nearing its end, a reporter on the scene reported:

"We’ve got news from the Portland Trail Blazers, they’re sending away Cheche Vandeweghe. This is a three-team trade, with the Cleveland Cavaliers as the third party. The Knicks are sending one of their draft picks to the Cavaliers, who in turn are sending Mike-Sanders to Portland, while taking on New York Knicks’ center Greg Butler. As for the Knicks, they will receive Cheche Vandeweghe."

The trade involving Mike-Sanders had gone through smoothly.

Sanders, a quiet UCLA graduate, was an unheralded, blue-collar forward-guard. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

He was the type of player that a traditional coach loves—quiet, humble, with excellent shooting, always on point with defense, and does a lot of guarding, blocking, and chasing on the court—low-key, but a player every strong team sought to have.

Gan Guoyang had a deep impression of Sanders; this guy had played for the Suns, and at the beginning of every season, the Trail Blazers would encounter the Suns early on.

When Walter Davis was troubled with injuries and drugs, Mike-Sanders would always step up to support the team’s backcourt.

Later, due to drug scandals, almost the whole Suns team was wiped out, and Sanders was not involved but inevitably got traded.

He was sent to the Cavaliers along with Larry Nance in exchange for Kevin Johnson.

It turned out that the Cavaliers had made a bad move. Mark Price was good, but Kevin Johnson’s talent was obviously superior, with greater potential.

And as for blue-collar players like Mike-Sanders, his contract was ending this summer, and he could choose to join another team as a free agent.

The Pacers were interested in Sanders, but since they were rebuilding, and with similar financial offers, Sanders wanted to taste what it was like to be a champion.

Buckwalter reached out to Sanders and the Cavaliers. The Cavaliers, who were originally going to lose Sanders for nothing, were now happy to get a draft pick.

Through a series of communications and arrangements, the Trail Blazers, Knicks, and Cavaliers submitted the trade proposal to the league office, and after approval, Sanders could report to Portland.

The trade involving Sanders was satisfying, but Gan Guoyang was unclear whether the team would keep Divac.

Gan Guoyang waited until his son had pooped on him, the stench hitting his nose, and still there was no news of the Divac trade.

After changing Gan Wenshan’s diaper and washing his bottom, Guoyang put him to sleep and into the room, Gan received a call from Buckwalter.

"The trade’s off, the Lakers don’t want to send away Duckworth or Edwards," Buckwalter said on the phone. "West miscalculated. Don Nelson’s got us forming a socialist brigade."