Shortly after the Kings completed the deal, Jake's staff began to receive calls. Again, there were no secrets in the league! Their informants or intelligence sources started reporting the trade information of other teams.
"Pick the important ones! Prioritize the West!" Jake instructed, seeing his team scrambling to report the updates. He quickly stepped forward to stop the chaos.
"The Nets and the Timberwolves traded—Garnett returned to the Timberwolves!" one assistant manager reported.
"That doesn't matter," Jake dismissed. "A wolf king who's already at the end of his career can't pose any threat. Next?"
"The Thunder traded Reggie Jackson and Kendrick Perkins, getting back Kyle Singler, DJ Augustin, Enes Kanter, and Steve Novak!"
"Quite a trade! So many players moved!" Jake commented. Reggie Jackson, another standout from the Oklahoma Whampoa Military Academy, had capitalized on Westbrook's injury this season, excelling as the Thunder's starting point guard. However, Reggie didn't want to remain a backup, forcing the Thunder to remove him from their future plans.
"In addition to trading with us, the Suns also sent Dragic to the Heat!" another staff member chimed in.
"The Suns are determined to break up their team," Malone said with satisfaction. The news was music to his ears. The Thunder's trade had weakened their short-term competitiveness, and the Suns' collapse removed a rival playoff contender. As for the Timberwolves, Malone dismissed them entirely—Garnett's return wasn't something to worry about.
However, what Malone didn't realize was that Garnett's trade would mark the beginning of the Nets' downfall. Brooklyn's disastrous plans were about to crumble, and the Nets' general manager would soon be ridiculed.
Meanwhile, top talents like Reggie Jackson, Isaiah Thomas, and Goran Dragic were heading East. This could cause some trouble for the Cavaliers, but for the Kings, things were looking up.
"Everyone's been working hard recently!" Jake clapped his hands to gather everyone's attention. "Let's call it a night. Go home, rest well, and come back recharged. The focus now is on making the playoffs. Mike and I will make sure you're all rewarded this summer!"
On February 24th, the Kings faced off against the Celtics at home. Before the game, Jake and Mike Malone welcomed Jae Crowder, the newest addition to the team, in their office. Crowder still felt disoriented. This was the second time he'd been traded this season—he had just been sent to Boston from the Mavericks a few months ago and was planning to settle down there. Now, here he was in Sacramento.
"Claude, you've only just arrived, so you won't play today," Malone said, handing Crowder a set of training clothes. "Your jersey hasn't been made yet. Wear this for now."
"Thank you, coach!" Crowder nodded, taking the clothes. As he stepped out of the office, he noticed a familiar-looking figure waiting for him—a tall, burly man.
"Are you Claude?" the man asked. "I'm Peja Stojakovic, and from today on, I'll be your shooting coach."
Peja! Crowder immediately recognized him—he was the Kings' legendary three-point shooter. And now he was to be Crowder's coach?
"Don't get too excited yet," Peja said, pulling Crowder toward the practice hall. "I'm going to be strict. Divac has been bragging about his apprentice, and I don't want you to embarrass me!"
Later that evening, the Celtics, still adjusting to their new roster, were no match for the Kings. Without Isaiah Thomas, who was still en route to Boston, the game was a blowout.
In one moment of the game, CJ McCollum squeezed into the paint with Casspi's help and lobbed the ball toward the hoop. Cousins, already waiting inside, jumped and slammed it down with authority. He celebrated with CJ, though his enthusiasm nearly knocked CJ off his feet.
"This Kings team is really fun to watch this year," Charles Barkley remarked in the studio, watching the Kings' smooth offense.
"You weren't saying that at the beginning of the season!" Kenny Smith quipped, teasing Barkley.
"That was different!" Barkley quickly retorted. "At the start of the season, this team was just a bunch of misfits, led by someone who wasn't even fully recovered!"
"But you have to admire Coach Malone and Jake," Kenny replied. "Their hard work has paid off. The team has great chemistry now."
By the third quarter, the Celtics' young coach Brad Stevens pulled his starters, conceding the game. But as Stevens glanced at the Kings' bench, he knew they were becoming a real threat. If Jake and Malone could continue to build on this momentum, the Kings might become championship contenders.
Meanwhile, Peja had already whisked Crowder away to the training hall for some late-night practice.
Crowder's teammates—Lavin, Ben, Bojan, and others—watched as Peja put Crowder through the ringer. They knew all too well what Crowder was in for. Since Divac had started showing off his protégé Jokic, Peja had become determined to train his own apprentice just as rigorously.
Peja's intense extra practices had been notorious among the team, especially for Lavin and the other shooters. The regular NBA schedule was already grueling enough, but with Peja pushing them to practice shooting after games, they had been on the verge of collapse more than once.
As they watched Crowder head to practice with Peja, Lavin and his teammates silently wished him luck. "Hang in there, brother," they thought. "We've all been there."