At this moment, Suns general manager Mike McDonough felt like he wanted to die.
Tonight, on their home court, the Suns once again suffered a blowout loss.
And the opponent was the Lakers, a team that had also been struggling this season.
This defeat marked the Suns' third straight loss.
Six games into the season, they had managed only one win, sitting dead last in the Western Conference with a 1–5 record.
It looked like they were already racing toward the first overall pick.
The cruel irony was that they had just owned the first overall pick this past summer.
And they had used it to draft Deandre Ayton—the player they had coveted for years.
Before the season, many media outlets and fans believed that with Booker and Ayton as the core, the Suns would unleash a "youth storm" across the West.
Reality, however, was merciless.
After two decent games, Ayton's flaws were fully exposed.
Offensively, his screens were almost nonexistent, and he even famously collided with his own teammates.
Defensively, he avoided physical contact altogether, earning the nickname "Germaphobe Center" from fans.
Most painfully of all, they hadn't even given Kai Chen—the best-performing rookie of this class—a proper chance.
Looking at Kai Chen's current averages, then watching him lead the Clippers to a 5-0 start and the top of the Western Conference standings, Mike McDonough felt his chest tighten.
But that wasn't the end of it.
What truly drove the knife deeper were the banners held up by Suns fans at home games.
Win or lose no longer mattered to them.
All they cared about was holding up signs with Kai Chen's name, striking blow after blow at management.
After Barkley's furious on-air rant about the Suns' front office went viral, the Suns became the league's biggest punchline.
Fans who loved chaos quickly dug up Booker's and Ayton's preseason quotes.
Booker: Deandre and I will be the new-era OK duo. We'll build our own dynasty!
Ayton: Years from now, you'll be ashamed you ever compared me to O'Neal.
In an instant, the so-called "new-era OK duo" became a century-long joke across the basketball world.
"The modern OK duo, leading their team to compete for the first overall pick!"
"I really like Ayton's confidence—comparing him to O'Neal truly is our shame!"
"Ayton might be the softest center in NBA history—soft as toilet paper!"
"Mike McDonough deserves to compete for greatest GM of all time—skipping Kai Chen for Ayton is historic!"
"At this rate, the Suns didn't just miss Kai Chen—they might've missed an entire dynasty!"
"You're forgetting another team—the Hawks—who drafted Kai Chen and then traded him away!"
But the ridicule aimed at Booker and Ayton didn't last long.
The next day, a TNT breaking news report stole all the attention.
"According to renowned reporter Woj, the Atlanta Hawks are actively seeking a trade to reacquire Kai Chen!"
"The irony is unreal!"
In a livestream, a streamer named NBA Insider glanced at the news on his phone and laughed. "If they knew this would happen, why didn't they think it through earlier?"
After streaming the Clippers–Celtics game for free the night before, Insider had been intoxicated by the massive surge in viewership.
He had personally felt the traffic magnet that was Kai Chen.
That was why he went live early this morning.
The stream title was eye-catching enough:
[League's New King Kai Chen, Coveted by Every Team!]
As a veteran streamer, NBA Insider knew exactly how to hook an audience.
"According to my sources, the Hawks have put everyone on the trade block except Trae Young."
"That means they're open to offers from anyone—as long as the return can help them get Kai Chen."
Watching the viewer count skyrocket, Insider leaned in. "Don't you think what the Hawks are doing is amateur as hell?"
"They drafted Kai Chen, then traded him to the Clippers."
"The regular season's only five games in, and now they want him back?"
"But if the Hawks really do get Kai Chen, they'll be terrifying."
If that trade actually happened, a Trae Young + Kai Chen backcourt would dominate the league for years.
More importantly, both were on rookie contracts, leaving massive cap space for reinforcements.
Just imagining it was frightening.
"Oh—here's another one!"
Insider checked his phone again, grinning. "The Lakers have also made an offer to the Clippers—and their chips are even richer than the Hawks'!"
"The Lakers offered Ball + Ingram + a 2020 first-round pick for Kai Chen, but the Clippers rejected it outright."
Ball and Ingram were former second-overall picks, rare young talents in their own right.
But in the Lakers' eyes, pairing LeBron James with Kai Chen would make them fearless—even against a Warriors team stacked with superstars.
And Kai Chen's rookie contract wouldn't restrict future trades.
That was the key.
Unfortunately for them, the Clippers flatly rejected the offer.
In the Clippers' front office, Ball plus Ingram still couldn't match Kai Chen's value.
They even gave a blunt reason: they wouldn't agree to the trade even if LeBron James were included.
This rejection was the only confirmed news among the swirling rumors.
Everything else—whether from the Hawks or other teams—remained unverified chatter.
Still, the sheer volume of rumors proved one thing.
Kai Chen was insanely valuable.
He had already become the dream shooting guard every team in the league wanted.
As speculation exploded, fans worldwide began debating what kind of package Kai Chen was truly worth.
"Didn't the Clippers say they wouldn't trade him even for two second-overall picks plus the league's best player?"
"Haha, looks like it'll take at least three second-overall picks!"
"At this point, the only one-for-one trade might be prime Michael Jordan!"
"Peak Kobe might work too—but you'd still have to add draft picks!"
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