Reborn in 96, I started by taking charge of the Dallas Mavericks.

With the team trading away Jamal Mashburn and Jim Jackson, more and more teams are actively seeking to trade with the Mavericks.

Their target is Jason Kidd, the second overall pick in the 94 NBA draft.

"Boss, the Suns just sent an offer; they want to acquire Kidd."

As soon as Chen Fang returned to Dallas, Old Nelson came knocking on his door.

"Oh!" Chen Fang put down the documents in his hand, looked up at old Nelson, and asked, "What's their offer?"

"Michael Finley plus a second-round draft pick!" Old Nelson said truthfully.

Upon hearing the offer from the sun, Chen Fang's brows furrowed instantly.

"The Suns really have a good plan. They think they can trade a rookie and a second-round pick for one of our All-Star players?"

Chen Fang decisively rejected the Suns' offer. "Tang, tell the Suns' general manager that they can have Jason, but we don't want Michael Finley. We only want draft picks."

"That might be a bit difficult," said Don Nelson with some difficulty. "This year, the Suns only have the 15th pick in the first round and the 43rd pick in the second round. As for next year, the Suns will only have the 42nd pick in the second round."

Upon hearing this, Chen Fang sighed helplessly.

The Suns' draft picks aren't very valuable for trade, but Chen Fang doesn't want the other team's players.

"By the way, besides the Suns, are there any other teams interested in Jason?"

"Yes, the Nets!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Fang tried hard to recall the Nets' draft picks for the next two years.

In 97, the Nets had the 7th overall pick in the first round; in 98...

Chen Fang thought for a long time but couldn't remember what number the Nets were in 98.

After much deliberation, Chen Fang finally decided to give up on the trade with the Nets, as they didn't have enough assets to offer him what he wanted.

Chen Fang's ideal scenario is to use Jason Kidd as the main player in a trade, exchanging some role players for first-round draft picks for the next three years.

"Tang, haven't the Grizzlies, Celtics, or any of those teams contacted you?"

Old Nelson shook his head. "No."

"That shouldn't be the case!" Chen Fang said, looking puzzled.

At that time, the Grizzlies were still called the Vancouver Grizzlies, and like the Raptors, they were a new team that had just joined the NBA the previous year due to its overseas expansion.

"Tang, why don't you take the initiative to contact Grizzly Bear?"

"Okay, boss!"

Old Nelson acted quickly; as soon as he left Chen Fang's office, he immediately contacted the Grizzlies' general manager.

Immediately afterwards, Nelson locked himself in his office and talked on the phone with the Grizzlies' general manager for more than three hours.

Three hours later, old Nelson arrived at Chen Fang's office with a smile on his face.

"Boss, good news! The Grizzlies have agreed!"

"The Grizzlies are willing to trade their first-round picks for the next three years for Jason Kidd, but the other side also wants Lucios Harris. They are willing to trade the Knicks' second-round pick next year to us."

"Here is the detailed transaction plan, please take a look."

As he spoke, old Nelson handed the document to Chen Fang.

Chen Fang glanced at the contents; it was a major deal involving three parties and as many as eight players.

"No problem, I agree to the deal."

……

With Chen Fang's consent, the Mavericks, Grizzlies, and Knicks quickly completed the trade.

小牛送出贾森·基德、乔治·麦克劳德、鲁西奥斯·哈里斯、劳伦·梅耶尔、斯科特·布鲁克斯，得到灰熊97、98、99连续三年的首轮签，以及尼克斯97、98两年的次轮签和一大笔现金。

The Grizzlies traded their first-round picks from 97, 98, and 99, along with two role players, to acquire Jason Kidd, Scott Brooks, and Charles Smith.

The Knicks traded Charles Smith and second-round picks from 97 and 98, along with cash, to acquire George McLeod, Lucios Harris, and Lauren Mayer.

This deal is mutually beneficial for all three parties.

The Mavericks may have emptied their coffers by trading away several players, but they have gained a future.

The Grizzlies sacrificed their future for immediate impact, and are now gearing up for next season.

The Knicks, on the other hand, found Patrick Ewing a helper at minimal cost.

When the trade was revealed, the media questioned the Mavericks' decision and criticized Don Nelson for being foolish.

Chen Fang knew why the media was questioning things; after all, who knows what the future holds?

In fact, Chen Fang was also gambling, betting on the Grizzlies' performance over the next three years.

If things continue as they are, the Grizzlies will remain at the bottom of the league for the next three years.

But now that the Grizzlies have acquired talented players like Kidd, even Chen Fang himself isn't sure if their record will soar.

So he could only gamble, betting that the Grizzlies' record wouldn't improve.

While Don Nelson was busy strengthening the team, Chen Fang was not idle either.

The day after the Mavericks completed the three-way trade, Chen Fang took the initiative to call Don Nelson to his office.

"Boss, are you looking for me?"

Chen Fang personally poured Old Nelson a glass of water and asked him directly.

"Tang, how much do you know about Chinese basketball players?"

"Sorry, boss, I don't know much about Chinese basketball players," Old Nelson replied truthfully.

After saying that, old Nelson seemed to have thought of something.

"Boss, are you planning to scout for top players from China?" Old Nelson frowned and said seriously, "Boss, if I may be frank, Chinese players simply don't have the physical attributes to survive in the NBA."

"Instead of choosing players from China, we should go to Europe to select excellent players."

"Boss, I have some connections in Ouzhu, I can help the team..."

Before Don Nelson could finish speaking, Chen Fang waved his hand and interrupted, "Tang, I am Chinese, and I want to do something for Chinese basketball. This is both my wish and my responsibility."

Upon hearing this, Old Nelson remained silent for a long time. "Boss, I understand what you mean, but we don't know much about Chinese players, and I've heard that the Chinese Basketball Association's system seems to be quite complicated."

Chen Fang nodded; he was well aware of what Old Nelson was saying.

He even knew more than old Nelson.

Some things are beyond his control, but he can't do nothing either.

As soon as he learned that he had been reborn, Chen Fang decided to do his best to change the Chinese men's basketball team.

It would be difficult for him to obtain players from the Chinese Basketball Association through normal channels, so he took a different approach and started training them from a young age.

Based on the timeline, the main players of the Chinese men's basketball team in 08 are now only teenagers.

If these players can be taken to the United States for professional training at this time, and they grow up more than ten years later, the Chinese men's basketball team will leap to become a top international team.

Moreover, bringing these players to the United States at this time would reduce the pressure on Chen Fang significantly.

Otherwise, once these players make a name for themselves in China, they might very well end up like Wang Zhizhi did back then.

Wang Zhizhi was drafted by the Dallas Mavericks in 99, but neither the Bayi Rockets nor the national team were willing to release him, which led to a series of events that followed.