Our Alexander has real talent," the agent insisted over dinner, still focused on singing his player's praises. Jake, however, was fully engrossed in the delicious meal before him. He had to admit the agent knew a good restaurant; the food was fantastic and just to his taste.
"Mmm, I see," Jake responded casually as he finished, dabbing his mouth with a napkin. "Alexander has promise, but his skills are raw."
Taking a sip of lemonade, Jake continued, "Bring him over sometime. We'll give him a shot—a ten-day contract, just to see what he's got."
The agent nearly sighed with relief. For him, even a short contract with the Kings was a significant win. Securing any NBA contract, no matter how brief, was something his player could leverage in future negotiations. Even if Jake decided not to renew after ten days, Alexander would have had a taste of the NBA spotlight.
After their meal, Jake caught his flight back to Sacramento. News of his interest in Alexander spread quickly among other team managers, sparking confusion.
"Are we sure about this?" one GM asked, scratching his head. "Jake came to watch the game and ended up only meeting with Alexander's agent."
"What could he want with a player like Alexander?" Another manager frowned, puzzled. Jake's supposed interest in Alexander left the others speculating.
"Better safe than sorry," said another. "If Jake's interested, maybe Alexander has untapped potential. After all, Jake pulled Greg Oden back from the brink."
While the rest of the league was busy theorizing, Jake had already arrived at his Sacramento office, only to be met with some unexpected news from Peja.
"Stockton?" Jake asked, frowning. "Why am I being sent there? I'm not busy enough as it is?"
Peja shrugged apologetically. "The boss's orders. He wanted you to know, but you were on a plane."
Jake scowled but nodded. His boss had recently fired the GM of the Kings' development league team, and now he wanted Jake to step in temporarily. Peja leaned closer, whispering, "The boss is assigning Ajali as your assistant there. She's on track to work her way up."
"Oh, I get it now. This is part of grooming her for management," Jake mused aloud. Ajali had been shadowing him since the offseason, and it looked like she was gradually being prepared for a bigger role within the organization. This would be her chance to gain some hands-on experience before moving up.
"Don't worry about things here; Divac and I can cover for you," Peja assured him. "Besides, you don't need to stay there full-time. Just a day or two each week."
"Got it." Jake sighed. "Guess I'll play mentor for a bit."
Every NBA team has an affiliated development league team, typically called the NBDL, or G League. It's a pro basketball league in its own right, though a few notches below the NBA in terms of skill, recognition, and professionalism. The G League is where players just shy of the NBA hone their skills, hoping to get called up. For some, it's a career-launching pad; for others, it's where they work tirelessly for a minimal salary just to keep their basketball dreams alive.
Arriving in Stockton, Jake stepped out of the luxurious black town car and took in the sight of the dated sports center before him. "Can't say I've been here before," he muttered, looking around.
Behind him, Ajali emerged in a sharp, custom black business suit, mirroring his polished look. Together, they seemed completely out of place against the rundown backdrop of the arena.
A middle-aged, slightly overweight man with disheveled hair and a wrinkled polo shirt hurried over. "Mr. Jake, welcome! Name's Pete—former financial director here."
Jake raised an eyebrow, sizing up Pete and his noticeable double chin. "How long have you been around? I don't recall seeing you."
Pete chuckled nervously, wiping his forehead. "Well, Stockton's financials have been…lukewarm the past few years. Peja has handled most of the oversight with me."
"'Lukewarm' is putting it mildly." Jake smirked, recalling the Stockton Kings' bleak financial reports. The team had been scraping by, with the main team occasionally bailing them out to keep things running.