Nuggets general manager Tim Connelly was lounging in his office, casually reviewing the rookie draft list when his phone buzzed with a call from an unfamiliar number. Picking up the receiver, Connelly heard, "Hello, this is Jake, general manager of the Kings."
That one sentence jolted Connelly upright from his relaxed position. Of course, he knew who Jake was—the new GM of the Kings. And while rumors painted Jake as inexperienced, Connelly wasn't naive enough to believe that. In the NBA, no one lasts by being a fool, and a young guy, especially one with Spurs ties, required extra vigilance.
When a GM calls, it means one of two things: either they're fishing for intel, or they think they've found a deal you can't pass up. Connelly braced himself. "What can I do for you?"
"I've got a deal I think you'll want to hear," Jake's voice hummed through the phone, confident yet calm.
Connelly's mind instantly ran through Sacramento's roster. "I'm sorry, but the Kings don't have the players we need right now. Thanks for reaching out, though."
Jake chuckled. "No, no, I think you misunderstood. I'm talking about our No. 8 pick this year."
The No. 8 pick?! Connelly's interest piqued instantly. "Hahaha, well, why didn't you say so? If you're talking about moving the No. 8 pick, we're definitely interested." The Nuggets were stuck with the 11th pick, and moving up three spots in a loaded draft year could make all the difference. Connelly mentally noted Jake as one of those inexperienced GMs who might be willing to make a short-sighted deal.
"What would you want for it?" Connelly asked, careful to keep his voice neutral.
"You've got the No. 11 pick," Jake started. Standard. A move down in the draft is normal when teams want a little extra. But then Jake added, "And Wilson Chandler."
Connelly nearly shot out of his seat. "That's impossible!" Chandler was the team's third-best scorer, averaging 13.6 points a game. He wasn't about to throw in a key player just to move up three spots in the draft. "We're prepared to offer a first-round, lottery-protected pick for 2016. That's a fair deal."
The offer was reasonable. By 2016, the Nuggets were banking on being a competitive team, making the pick less valuable. Jake could swap the No. 8 for the 11th and an additional pick without much risk.
But Jake wasn't having it. "No, no, no. I'm looking for someone who can contribute now. 2016 is too far out."
"Okay, how about Andre Miller?" Connelly countered, trying to meet him halfway.
"Miller?" Jake's mocking tone was unmistakable. "He hasn't retired yet?"
Miller, a veteran from the 1999 draft, was well past his prime. Jake wasn't interested in trading for a player who had little left to offer. "What exactly are you looking for?" Connelly's patience was starting to thin. He needed clarity.
"At least Hickson. That's my bottom line," Jake pressed.
Connelly scoffed. Hickson was a key player in their rotation, averaging 11.8 points a game. Trading him was off the table. "We're not trading starters. That's my bottom line."
Secretly, Jake was relieved Connelly didn't agree to trade Hickson. He knew the forward was about to fall off a cliff, performance-wise, and disappear from the league. If Connelly had agreed, Jake might have regretted that one. But now, it was time to play his real card.
"How about Mozgov? And you throw in your No. 41 pick this year. Otherwise, the deal's too one-sided." Jake's voice was steady, finally revealing his true target: Timofey Mozgov.
Mozgov, a center who was still flying under the radar, would soon become a crucial part of Cleveland's title-contending team as one of the "Cleveland Seven." With the right development, he could fill the defensive gaps that the Kings desperately needed to patch. Cousins was a force offensively, but his defense was a known liability.
Mozgov? Connelly paused. Losing Mozgov would hurt the Nuggets' interior defense, but not irreparably. They could always find another big man on the market. And the No. 41 pick was hardly a dealbreaker. "I see... we can discuss that. But I'll need to check with my management on the specifics."
Jake smirked. Connelly was trying to buy time, likely hoping to squeeze more out of the deal. But Jake wasn't about to give him that chance.
"Sure, take your time. But if you're thinking of swapping Mozgov for Fournier, don't bother. We don't need another shooter." Jake wasn't bluffing. The Kings already had enough shooters in Ben McLemore, Ray McCallum, and Jimmer Fredette.
Connelly knew the game was up. Fournier wasn't going to sweeten the deal for Jake. He could feel the weight of the decision closing in, and Jake's relentless, savvy approach was putting him on the ropes. The kid was no pushover after all.
The deal was now on the table. Would Connelly pull the trigger? Only time would tell, but Jake had proven one thing already—he wasn't just another rookie GM, and he had no intention of playing the fool.
Realizing the flaw in his own offer, Connelly gave a sheepish smile. "I'll check with management and get back to you by tonight." With that, he hung up abruptly, trying to hide his discomfort.
As the busy tone echoed in the room, Jake couldn't help but smirk. If everything went according to plan, his first major deal as Kings GM was about to be a done deal. What the media hyped up as the "deepest draft class" in 2014 didn't live up to the chatter—few standout players emerged near the No. 8 pick, and many mid-lottery talents were busts. However, Jake knew where the real value lay: the Nuggets' overlooked No. 41 pick. That pick would become none other than Nikola Jokic, the future MVP.
While Jake could have pushed harder for a haul of draft picks and brought a host of future stars under the Kings' banner, he knew better. The Kings weren't ready to nurture an army of raw talent. Developing young players required not just potential but a combination of top-tier coaching, organizational support, and the player's own grit. The Kings were in no position to provide that level of grooming for multiple prospects.
After some careful thought, Jake decided that two prospects were the sweet spot, given the team's situation. Sure enough, the next day, after a night of back-and-forth negotiations with Connelly, the trade was finalized. The Kings not only landed Mozgov, but Jake also managed to wrangle veteran Reggie Evans from the Nuggets.
As the news broke, reactions across the league were mixed. In the TNT studio, the debate was on.
"I think it's a solid move for the Kings," Kenny Smith started. "They managed to trade down and pick up Mozgov, who boosts their rim protection significantly. Mozgov showcased his defensive chops last season. Pairing him with Cousins will help shore up the Kings' leaky interior defense, which has been a huge issue."
But Charles Barkley wasn't convinced. "Nah, I don't like it. Sure, Mozgov is a solid defender, but offensively? He's a liability. With that size and lack of mobility, pairing him with Cousins is going to slow the Kings down. They're going to get eaten alive on fast breaks next season. And they lost the No. 8 pick for that?"
Kenny shook his head, grinning. "They didn't lose it, Chuck. They moved back a couple spots, but they still have the No. 11 pick. Plus, don't forget—Jake knows how to find gems late in the draft. Look what he did with the Spurs."
Barkley jumped in, laughing. "That's because the Spurs never had a high pick to begin with! He had no choice but to look low!"
The studio erupted into laughter, but despite the playful banter, no one could definitively say who won the trade. It was too early to tell, and all eyes were beginning to shift toward the drama brewing in Miami, as rumors swirled about the disintegration of their dynasty.
For now, Jake's first major move as GM was complete, but the real outcome wouldn't be clear until the season unfolded—and maybe not for years to come.