Y13 [EN]: Chapter 89

Y13-89 Regular Season 2010-11

Starting with the Washington game on February 26th, Dallas faced a challenging 3-game road trip to Toronto and Philadelphia. Having won against Toronto on the 27th in a back-to-back game, the team arranged for spas and massages upon arrival at their Philadelphia accommodations to help players recover from fatigue. Fortunately, they had a day to rest and prepare for the next game.

“Ugh, what’s with this game schedule? Why not Washington-Philadelphia-Toronto? Toronto’s in the middle, forcing us to cross the border.” complained one player.

“I know, right? Washington and Philadelphia are only a 3-hour drive apart. If those games were back-to-back, it wouldn’t be so tiring. Preparing for the game right after traveling from Washington to Toronto was brutal,” another added.

The players grumbled about the schedule, which involved long-distance travel between the U.S. and Canada. It felt like going from Seoul to Tokyo and then to Daejeon in Korea. Playing three away games in four days inevitably left them feeling heavy with jet lag and travel fatigue.

“It’s way more tiring than that recent three-game road trip to Boston and Charlotte from New York. I wish they’d consider travel distance like they did then.”

“Ugh, that was nice. The four-game road trip in January, going from Texas to the East Coast, back to Texas, and then to the East Coast again, was a nightmare.”

The players reminisced about previous road trips as they prepared to soak in the spa.

“Ughhh-”

Groans echoed as the players settled into the spa, enjoying a short but comfortable rest that eased their aches. After completing their recovery routines provided by the club, they returned to their rooms for personal time.

Youngjae entered his room, dropped his bag, and turned on the TV, not to watch it, but for the background noise. To maintain his elasticity and strength, he always ended the day with yoga and stretching. It wasn’t easy to do it without fail, but athletes’ bodies were their livelihood, and Youngjae couldn’t afford to skip it, remembering the regrets from his past.

Since the start of the regular season, Youngjae had gained 5 kg (approximately 11 pounds) to build strength. While bulking up increased power, it also strained the lower body joints. Excessive bulking during the season was a quick path to injury, so Youngjae took his stretching seriously.

After his yoga and stretching, Youngjae pulled out his smartphone and skillfully typed a message with one hand.

[EK. I’m in Philadelphia. How’s filming going?]

Beeep-

[Y13, Filming’s a bit rough. Lots of bugs in the forest. But it’s fun.]

Youngjae pictured Emily battling bugs and smiled before sending one last message.

[Rest well.]

He tossed his phone on the bed and headed for the shower.

The day before the Philadelphia game, a meeting was held at the Dallas Mavericks’ [NBA team] headquarters.

“How’s the Corey Brewer acquisition coming along?”

“It seems we and the Boston Celtics are the only teams seriously negotiating with Brewer’s representatives.”

Dallas owner Mark Cuban and president/general manager Donnie Nelson discussed the matter, surrounded by documents.

“Boston, huh? Their backup for Paul Pierce isn’t great either. We have Marion and Peja [Peja Stojakovic], so Brewer might find Boston more appealing, but what can we offer? Didn’t Brewer emphasize guaranteed playing time?”

With the playoff roster deadline approaching, playoff contenders were actively seeking reinforcements. Corey Brewer, recently waived by the New York Knicks, was an attractive prospect for Dallas.

Corey Brewer primarily played small forward and could also cover shooting guard. A fourth-year player known for his defense, he was waived, but his skills made him a valuable backup for any team. With further development, he could become a significant asset.

News of Brewer’s waiver sparked interest from several clubs, with Dallas and Boston leading the chase. Boston’s backups for Paul Pierce, Marquis Daniels and Von Wafer, struggled to maintain the starters’ momentum, making Brewer’s availability a welcome surprise.

Dallas, on the other hand, evenly distributed playing time between Peja Stojakovic-Shawn Marion, Youngjae-Jason Terry, and DeShawn Stevenson at the 2nd and 3rd positions. While it might seem Dallas didn’t need Brewer, DeShawn Stevenson’s declining performance, Shawn Marion’s inconsistent shooting, and Peja Stojakovic’s injury risk and defensive limitations made Brewer a valuable addition. Plus, Brewer provided insurance for Peja and DeShawn, whose contracts expired that season.

“Boston’s offering Brewer a one-year, $2 million contract. They seem confident they’re Brewer’s preferred choice. We’re considering a two-year, $5 million offer.”

“Two years… good. If Boston offers two years, let’s go to three. Even at under $3 million a year, Brewer’s worth the risk, even on a three-year deal.”

Agents often leak information to different teams to secure the best deals for their players, usually setting a contract deadline and adjusting conditions accordingly. This explained why Boston and Dallas were so well-informed about each other’s offers. Cuban believed Brewer was essential and was willing to take a slight risk to secure him, even with a three-year contract. However, Nelson firmly disagreed.

“Cuban, a three-year guarantee isn’t feasible. We’re already paying Marion an average of $9 million for five years at small forward. Even with Yoon and Boboa [Boban Marjanović] on cheap deals, we don’t know how the new CBA [Collective Bargaining Agreement] will be revised next year, so overly generous salaries are risky.”

“If that’s your stance, General Manager Nelson, let’s include a team option for the third year.”

Donnie Nelson tempered Cuban’s usual generosity, and Cuban proposed a compromise. A team option allowed the team to decide whether to honor or terminate the contract for that season, minimizing financial risk while offering the player a stable, long-term contract. However, Nelson was hesitant, believing Brewer wouldn’t accept a team option given the high demand for his services.

“I think Brewer’s side will reject the team option, so let’s offer a non-guaranteed contract. Brewer’s necessary, but not so urgent that we overpay.”

“Then let’s leave the Brewer acquisition there and move on. What’s the decision on vacating a roster spot?”

Cuban, entrusting negotiations to Nelson, raised another issue.

“After discussing with Coach Carlisle and the coaching staff, we’ve decided to release Ajinca [Alexis Ajinca]. He showed promise in the Summer League, but injuries and lack of playing time made him a liability during the regular season.”

“We had four centers because we were worried about Tyson Chandler’s health. Chandler and Haywood played almost every game, and we even had Mahinmi [Ian Mahinmi] as insurance.”

Tyson Chandler’s skills were undeniable, but his durability was a concern for all 30 teams. In his 10-year career, he only had two full seasons as a starter, averaging just 48 games in the last two years. This led to the decision to roster four centers, including Ian Mahinmi and Alexis Ajinca, despite having Haywood on a long-term contract.

Ironically, Haywood’s poor performance led to an automatic center rotation, but Ajinca failed to capitalize on the opportunity.

He even attempted to transition to power forward, showcasing decent skills and speed, but failed due to injury and lack of playing time.

“Ajinca’s value is low, and we considered waiving him, but it seems a team might be interested in a trade?”

“Yes. It’s almost finalized with Toronto Raptors GM [General Manager] Bryan Colangelo. We’re giving Ajinca, our team’s 13th-year 2nd round pick, and cash, and receiving Toronto’s future 2nd round pick. What do you think?”

Cuban seemed surprised and reviewed documents and laptops after hearing Nelson’s proposal.

“Toronto’s second-round pick would be higher than ours. It looks like a good deal. I approve. Were there any other trade offers?”

“Yes. We initially prioritized DeShawn Stevenson, but his $4 million salary, even with an expiring contract, made him difficult to trade on his own. I tried to package Butler [Caron Butler] and draft picks to acquire a good player, but the response was lukewarm.”

“Expiring contracts are less valuable mid-season than expected. The new CBA’s revisions are uncertain. A lockout would complicate the future for FA [Free Agent] players. It’s a shame the Devin Harris deal fell through recently.”

After Caron Butler’s season-ending injury, Dallas explored trades with various teams, targeting players like Devin Harris (New Jersey Nets), Stephen Jackson (Charlotte Bobcats), Al Harrington (Denver Nuggets), and Andre Iguodala (Philadelphia 76ers). They were close to acquiring Devin Harris in a three-way deal with the New Jersey Nets, but it collapsed at the last minute. New Jersey then included Golden State in a three-way trade with the Utah Jazz.

“Everyone wanted a deal involving Boboa. Perhaps due to last year’s impact, his performance hasn’t been great since returning from injury. Yoon [Youngjae] is rarely mentioned as a trade item since 2011. Anyway, those two are our only young players with trade value.”

“Well, Yoon is non-tradeable, and his player value is comparable to Carmelo Anthony or Deron Williams, who we were targeting. Let’s wrap up this season’s trade market and wait for next year’s FA market. The rest is up to the coaching staff and players.”

The value of a first-year rookie performing near All-Star level was immense. Under the salary cap system, teams had to operate within a fixed budget, making players with good value for money more valuable than their skills. If they were young with long contracts, their value doubled.

The two concluded the meeting.

============================ Author’s Afterword ============================

★Thank you to those who subscribed, recommended, commented, and gave coupons!!

@Ugh, it’s the final exam period ㅠ.ㅠ It’s spread over two weeks, so I’m relaxed but also anxious because many other kids will be studying a lot. But I will continue to post daily~~~

To Vegemilgun and Brilliant Legacy/// It’s because we met Washington in the Summer League and preseason, and they are draft rivals ㅎㅎ. The actual number of games we met is only 4. The same district teams also have 4 games, but we described 3 games, so that’s why. Ah, also in the Rookie Challenge ㄷㄷ

To Cat CEO/// Y!! 13!!

To Devil’s Number/// Hehe, he has to grow more!!

To Mangpo-dong/// It’s the best compliment for us lol

Thank you for your comments to Kundara, -DarkANGEL-, CountOfDark, OLD-BOY, Financia, and misscherry!!

To anwkdk/// It’s just my personal opinion ㅎㅎ. Youngjae is almost 30 in terms of mental age, and I don’t think he’s old enough to match a young woman yet. Personally, I think rich people look for 20-year-old women just for their face and body. I thought that athletes who usually look for a spouse to rely on would prefer women in their mid-20s or older. In Youngjae’s situation, peers or younger are under 20 years old… I’m a little doubtful whether their mental age will match.