Y13 [EN]: Chapter 31

“Cuban, I think we need to have a serious talk with Yoon.”

“Indeed. Let’s have Coach Carlisle join us as well. And…”

Just then, a Mavericks (MAVS) official rushed over and greeted Nelson and Cuban.

“What’s going on?”

“Yoon’s agent, Bill Duffy, is here.”

The two, who hadn’t expected Bill Duffy’s visit at all, were momentarily stunned before bursting into laughter.

“Yoon seems to be more thorough than we thought.”

Cuban smiled and nodded at Donnie Nelson’s words. Impressed by the rookie’s dedication to the workout, the two quickly wrapped it up and politely escorted Youngjae and Bill Duffy to the office.

“Nice to meet you, Yoon. I’m Donnie Nelson, President and General Manager of the Dallas Mavericks.”

“Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks.”

“We met earlier. I’m Coach Rick Carlisle.”

The three men, sitting in the office, briefly introduced themselves and shook hands. Youngjae and Duffy pleasantly accepted the handshakes and settled into their seats.

“How were the workout results?”

It was Bill Duffy who started the conversation. He opened his mouth, surprisingly relaxed, towards the three key figures of the Mavericks.

“There are many aspects to analyze, but we are looking at it positively. Yoon has shown a lot of potential today, just as the scouting report suggested.”

Donnie Nelson, the most cautious and unemotional of the Mavericks’ top three, calmly responded to Bill Duffy’s words and took a sip of his steaming coffee.

“I see. Haha, this is really interesting.”

Bill Duffy chuckled lightly and began to elaborate on his statement.

“I believe you are well aware of Yoon’s character—his mentality, his dedication to the team. Yoon’s mental strength isn’t just limited to the game. His perseverance and effort are what drove him to grow this far. Today’s Mavericks workout is the last one for Yoon, concluding the workouts with all the teams that invited him. As you already know, Yoon has never taken any workout lightly. And every team has said the same thing as Mr. Nelson: ‘We need to analyze, but it’s positive’…”

Duffy subtly made the Mavericks trio anxious with his words. The Dallas Mavericks could also guess that he had visited all 10 teams and that everyone was satisfied.

In the end, information warfare is fundamental until draft day. And then, winning over the player’s heart is next. In any case, the player’s opinion isn’t that important on draft day. If drafted, they must sign with that team unconditionally. However, from the team’s perspective, it was also important to win over the rookie’s heart, as having them satisfied with the team, maintaining a good relationship, and adapting quickly was the way to avoid wasting the pick.

Dallas’s 25th overall pick in the first round was a risky position, but after the workouts, the Mavericks, along with the other nine teams, had kept Youngjae on their pick list. Among these, Dallas had the second-highest pick.

“Of course, we are well aware. We know that Yoon’s skills are complete and that he is a player worthy of such attention. However, I believe no team has conducted a more in-depth workout with Yoon than the Mavericks. Thanks to that, the Mavericks were able to confirm Yoon’s true potential to some extent.”

“Even though the Texas Legends, a D-League [NBA Development League] team, were the opponents, Yoon’s ability to create teamwork among players who were seeing each other for the first time was truly remarkable for a nineteen-year-old.”

Cuban chimed in appropriately, praising Youngjae and subtly watching his expression. He wondered if there would be any change in his expression, but Youngjae simply took a sip of water with a serious look.

“By the way, how do you like Dallas?”

Dallas, located in Texas, is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. It is a commercial city centered around finance and the cotton industry, with the internet-related network industry gradually becoming more active.

Players often prefer to play in large cities that can be referred to as ‘big markets’ rather than cities classified as small markets, so the mention of ‘Dallas’ was subtly used to lighten the somewhat stiff atmosphere.

Duffy, who understood Cuban’s intentions, simply smiled and remained silent, while Youngjae nodded and spoke plainly.

“Of course, it’s great. The weather is clear today, and the atmosphere feels good. But more than the city’s atmosphere, I was most impressed with the team’s facilities. From the various training facilities to the condition of the court and the atmosphere of the coaching staff, I feel more and more motivated to play basketball.”

Youngjae immediately refused to talk about the city. He emphasized that he liked the facilities more than the city. He also liked playing with the coaches. Duffy also understood Youngjae’s intentions and smiled contentedly. Unlike a rookie, he was able to grasp the other party’s intentions like a sly fox without being told, preventing the conversation from being led as they wanted. It was as if he had experienced this situation many times before, and there was no need to give Youngjae any special advice.

“Getting to the point, do Chairman Cuban, President Nelson, and Coach Carlisle intend to draft Yoon in this draft?”

As the conversation turned to the player’s future, Coach Carlisle, who had been quietly listening, began to speak in earnest.

“As you know, the Mavericks’ offense has consistently been at a high level in the NBA. At the center of that is the early offense. As you’ve seen in the Mavericks’ games, most routes involve creating space through quick passes. The team shoots both 2-pointers and 3-pointers. But we lack a slasher.”

Slasher. This term is mainly used to refer to guards who are good at dribbling and have great speed, making them excellent at penetration. A player who has the ability to tear through the opponent’s defense with penetration. A player who can create space by breaking through the defense and who can choose to attack, whether it’s scoring or passing. The Mavericks’ biggest weakness was the lack of a slasher.

The Mavericks’ only slashers are Rodrigo Beaubois and J.J. Barea, who were drafted last year. The problem is that these two players have narrow vision, inaccurate passes, and show weaknesses in defense.

“If we had a slasher like Yoon, or even if Yoon’s case lacks the intensity to be called a slasher, a player with consistent and stable shooting, as well as occasional appropriate penetration that makes opponents nervous, the Mavericks’ offensive tactics could be infinitely diversified. In that respect, Yoon is one of the players the Mavericks covet,” he said.

*We* intend to draft Yoon, but even if we can’t pick Yoon, we have other options, Carlisle was implying. If a third party had witnessed how much maneuvering went on in this short conversation, they would have been breathless. After revealing their positions, Mavericks coach Carlisle frankly stated his position on how Yoon would be utilized.

“The Mavericks are aiming for the championship again this season, as they always have. As a result, there will be many changes within the team, and the competition will be fierce. We can guarantee Yoon two things.”

Carlisle paused for a moment to drink a cup of coffee, then slowly continued.

“First, our current starting point guard, Jason Kidd (37), is at an age where he cannot play long minutes. And Jason Terry (33) has a fatal flaw to play as a starting shooting guard. We had hoped for Rodrigo Beaubois’s growth to back them up, but Beaubois was still too unrefined to push out Jason Kidd and J.J. Barea, so he wasn’t given much time. Nevertheless, Beaubois’s skills improved in the limited time he had, and Beaubois was included in the Mavericks’ plan for this season. But this season, we need to reduce Kidd and Terry’s playing time even more. And we can use Yoon in that position. At the very least, we will guarantee Yoon an average of 5 minutes or more per game. Increasing playing time is up to Yoon himself.”

This meant that they would not send Youngjae down to the D-League and would include him in the roster from his first season, using him as the fifth guard. And depending on the player’s adaptation and development, they could increase his playing time.

“Second, we are building a systematic training system that can further improve Yoon’s skills. We have the best coaching staff in the league, centered around head coach Dwane Casey (current Toronto Raptors coach), who is in charge of the defense system, and assistant coach Terry Stotts (current Portland Trail Blazers coach), who is skilled in the offensive system. Our Mavericks team can guarantee that we have the best training facilities and trainers. I think we have the best conditions for Yoon to grow.”

Other teams also tried to win Youngjae’s heart with sweet words and verbal promises, but no team had a clear plan like this. Moreover, all of these words were not empty promises but conditions that Dallas could sufficiently provide to Youngjae.

“Finally, one last word.”

As the conversation was coming to an end, owner Mark Cuban, who had been listening silently, slowly opened his mouth.

“I tend to trust my judgment. That’s why I like to watch many games with my own eyes. I observe the players and take a lot of notes. So this season, I’ve been thinking a lot while watching Dominic Jones play.”

Youngjae listened to Cuban’s honest thoughts without interrupting.

“Along with Dominic Jones, whom I personally confirmed, we combined the opinions of the scouts who have been working diligently for the Mavericks and narrowed it down to a total of three candidates. In fact, until this morning, Yoon was the third candidate in my mind. But now, without a doubt, I want to welcome Yoon as a member of the Mavericks. Of course, if it benefits the team even a little, I will do my best to steer the conversation in our favor, but at least I am saying this because I have no doubt that bringing Yoon in will be the ‘greatest benefit to the team.’”

A man who truly deserves the title of eccentric. A man whose pure passion for basketball is second to none, Mark Cuban’s honest remarks. Youngjae and Duffy also had ambiguous expressions, not knowing how to react this time, but soon Youngjae stood up first and bowed deeply.

“Thank you very much for presenting me with a clear plan and for telling me your honest thoughts without embellishment. It’s true that I’m happy and burdened by the excessive attention… but if you really think I can be a member of the Mavericks, please pick me on draft day.”

“……”

Cuban also stood up without a word and stared at Youngjae, who had straightened his back, then extended his right hand, and Youngjae simply grasped it tightly.