Inside the Golden State Warriors' draft war room.
This was a small, private studio equipped with trade phones and stacks of scouting reports. Larry Riley, the current General Manager who had taken over from Chris Mullin just a month prior, looked at the legendary head coach sitting beside him. "Don, who are we taking?"
"Stephen Curry!" Don Nelson's voice was resolute. Even though Curry had refused to work out for the Warriors, Nelson was fully sold on him.
"But we already have Monta Ellis! If we take Curry, is he just going to back up Monta?"
"No," Nelson replied. "We play them together. A dual-guard backcourt."
Larry Riley's eyes widened. "Dual backcourt? Two 6'3" guards? Our defense will be incinerated!"
"Defense? Does that matter? As long as our offensive firepower is greater than the opponent's, we'll make up the points we lose on the other end."
For a coach who started his career rooted in defense, Nelson had drifted further and further down the path of "Run and Gun." Back in the 70s and 80s, his Milwaukee Bucks were a top-three defensive unit. He coached Sidney Moncrief, the first player to ever win Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) in 1983, and then win it again in 1984.
But after arriving at Golden State in the 90s, he began researching the fast-break system. He developed Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash in Dallas. After Nash left for Phoenix, the "Run and Gun" seeds Nelson had planted blossomed into an MVP career. Nelson was also the architect of the 2007 "We Believe" Warriors, the team that famously pulled off a "Be Believe" upset over the top-seeded Mavericks. Even in 2020, Nelson still held the record for the most wins in NBA coaching history. He was a madman.
"Fine... all right then," Riley conceded. Since the upset of the Mavericks, the Warriors' ownership and fans treated Nelson like royalty. If Riley said no, he'd likely be packing his bags by tomorrow morning.
Nelson smiled, walked to a whiteboard, crossed out every other prospect's name, and left only one: Stephen Curry.
At that moment, Jeff Austin, sitting next to Luke, received a phone call. He nodded twice, hung up quickly, took a deep breath, and leaned over to whisper in Steph's ear. Steph's parents clearly overheard; their faces were etched with shock. They couldn't believe what Austin was telling them.
Austin comforted them, then returned to Luke. "I just got word. The Warriors plan to take Steph at No. 7! Don Nelson is a lunatic. we've made it clear—Steph does NOT want to go to Golden State!"
Austin immediately called the Knicks. He explained the situation, but Donnie Walsh remained skeptical. Luke could faintly hear Walsh's voice over the line: "They have Monta Ellis. If they take Curry, they have two 6'3" guards. It doesn't make sense!"
Austin pleaded with the Knicks to trade up, but they weren't biting. They didn't believe the Warriors would pull the trigger.
Luke, listening in, interjected: "Don't forget who's running the show in Oakland. Don Nelson. He's the 'Mad Scientist.' There's nothing he won't do. And when has his intuition ever been wrong?"
"What if Nelson has another crazy vision?" Luke added.
Those two sentences plunged Donnie Walsh into silence. Historically, Nelson's gambles tended to pay off. In the mid-90s, while briefly coaching the Knicks, he wanted to trade Patrick Ewing for a young Shaquille O'Neal. Fans revolted, and Nelson was forced out. Shaq went to the Lakers for a three-peat; Ewing finished his career without a ring.
Then there was Dirk and Nash. Even though Dirk was called "soft" after the 2007 upset, no one could deny his greatness or his MVP. Nash's two MVPs were the ultimate validation of Nelson's eye for talent. If Mark Cuban hadn't refused to pay Nash in 2004—choosing instead to give Dampier a massive contract—the Mavs might have won a title much sooner.
Recalling these events, Walsh realized that Nelson's career errors were few and far between. "Fine," Walsh said after a brief pause. "I'll try."
Luke looked at a nervous Steph. History is about to change, he thought.
Before Walsh could hang up, Austin added one more thing with a cunning smile. "Oh, and by the way. Word is the Raptors are eyeing Luke Thorne at No. 9. If you still want him, you'd better move fast!"
Luke looked at Austin in surprise. He knew Austin hadn't received any such news. Just yesterday, Austin had analyzed the draft and predicted DeRozan to the Raptors at No. 9. Austin just winked at Luke, signaling him to keep quiet.
On the other end, Walsh seemed to be consulting with D'Antoni. After a moment, he said "Okay," and hung up.
"Jeff?" Luke whispered. He understood the game, but not the draft-day manipulation. "Why tell them the Raptors want me?"
"Just testing the waters," Austin said, tapping his phone on the table. "Maybe the Knicks will grab you and Steph both in the top ten."
"Will that actually work?" Luke wasn't sure.
"Who knows? Anything can happen tonight," Austin replied.
Luke sat back, his mind racing. If the Knicks traded up and the Warriors lost out on Curry, would Golden State ever become a dynasty? And what about him? Where would he land?
The timeline was officially in chaos.