In fact, it wasn't just the fans at the scene, but also many viewers on social media who were observing the Clippers' choice.

Jerry West, the NBA's "Logo Man," was also known as a behind-the-scenes mastermind.

He had previously created the Lakers' OK combination and single-handedly built the Warriors' four-star lineup, only joining the Clippers this season.

Fans were also anticipating the changes he could bring to the Clippers.

Time passed quickly, and five minutes later, Tatum walked out from behind the stage again.

"With the third overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, the Los Angeles Clippers select Luka Dončić, a 2.01-meter small forward from Slovenia."

The Clippers ultimately chose Dončić.

This result, like the Hornets' earlier, was quite unexpected.

Dončić's fame had surged in the past year, or rather, in the past few months.

In the 2017-2018 season, he led Real Madrid to the EuroLeague championship and was named season MVP and Rising Star.

The championship night had only occurred a month ago, on May 21st.

And just two days before, on June 20th, during the league's meeting, he led Real Madrid to the Spanish ACB League title.

In other words, at the age of 19, he had become the King of Europe, and in terms of strength and potential alone, he was Europe's top talent.

He possessed a sense of rhythm and basketball IQ completely unmatched by his peers, or even by average players, as well as top-notch court vision, a tall and strong build, and excellent physical resistance. He was a small tank among guards. These were all his strengths.

But similarly, he also had some of the weaknesses of white players: his leaping ability and speed weren't particularly outstanding.

Even his shooting, something that white players generally excelled at, wasn't very consistent.

Compared to the "black, rough, and tough" players, this kind of European white player wasn't particularly popular in the draft market.

It was worth noting that Dirk Nowitzki had only been selected ninth overall, and the Suns had been booed by fans when they drafted Kristaps Porziņģis.

So, the Clippers using their third overall pick to select Dončić was understandable, but it definitely carried some risk.

Dončić came to the scene, and when he heard his name called, he couldn't hide the joy on his face.

Wearing the Clippers' hat, he walked lightly onto the stage, took photos with Tatum, and looked full of vigor.

He was truly on a winning streak, having conquered Europe at the age of 19, and now being selected in the top three, and going to Los Angeles.

This was perhaps the protagonist template from an invincible flow novel.

Marvin Bagley was relatively depressed.

This freshman from Duke University, standing at 2.11 meters tall, averaged 20.7 points, 11.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1 block per game in the NCAA.

He also tied J.J. Redick's Duke freshman scoring record of 34 points.

Before the draft, he was a popular choice for the second overall pick, and some media even predicted that he might snatch the top pick from Deandre Ayton.

But now, he hadn't even made the top three, which was quite embarrassing.

"With the fourth overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, the Sacramento Kings select Marvin Bagley, a 2.11-meter power forward from Duke University."

Fortunately, when Tatum came out again, the Kings finally seized the opportunity to select Bagley.

This choice drew wild shouts from the Kings fans at the scene.

They probably never imagined that they could pick up Bagley at this spot.

The Kings' road to revival suddenly seemed full of hope!

The 76ers, picking fifth overall, selected Jaren Jackson Jr.

Their team's roster was overflowing with talent: Markelle Fultz, Brandon Ingram, Julius Randle.

After Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor were successively traded away, they lacked an inside player, and Jackson was that choice.

The Grizzlies, picking sixth overall, selected Wendell Carter Jr.

The Hawks, picking seventh overall, selected Trae Young.

The Bulls, picking eighth overall, selected Kevin Knox.

…

The Clippers, picking eleventh overall, selected Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

This was a draft pick that the Clippers had accumulated from previous trades.

With Dončić and Alexander, the Clippers' road to revival seemed to have suddenly begun.

…

The Spurs, picking eighteenth overall, selected Lonnie Walker IV.

It was worth mentioning that this was the first time in nearly ten years that the Spurs had a pick in the top twenty.

Walker's performance was also worth looking forward to.

…

As the draft continued, Dell Demps began to feel a little restless.

The Pelicans' perimeter offense had been weak last season, and now Walker and Butler, Rose, and Lamb's contracts were all expiring.

In the worst-case scenario, they might not be able to keep any of them, leaving Tang Tian as the only playable perimeter player on the team.

There were many forwards in this year's free agent market, but not many perimeter players with real strength, so the Pelicans would be at a disadvantage then.

So, he had to find a way to draft a guard.

In fact, Tang Tian had also given him a list.

But based on the information he had gathered so far, the Pelicans wouldn't be able to draft any of them with their 30th overall pick.

A trade was the only way out.

But the Pelicans didn't have many players who could be traded, and who had trade value.

Tang Tian couldn't be moved, nor could Brogdon and Siakam. As for Dedmon, Kuzma, Bryant, and others, they had no trade value.

So, the only ones left were Harrell and Bojan.

With Dio and West retired, the Pelicans couldn't be without Harrell now either.

Bojan was the only choice.

Siakam had improved a lot last season, and Bojan's playing time had been significantly reduced.

Moreover, he only had one year left on his 10 million contract, and Tang Tian's contract would also expire next year, which would put a lot of pressure on the team to renew them.

So, trading him was a good option.

But the problem was that his numbers last year were average, and with only one year left on his contract, his trade value wasn't particularly high either.

And more importantly, Bojan and Tang Tian had a good relationship, so he definitely had to know Tang Tian's opinion before trading him.

But he hadn't been able to get through to Tang Tian's phone.

After attending the players' union meeting, Tang Tian had been busy with Olsen trying to have a second child.

He didn't know if they were fighting the good fight or just warming up for it.

With the phone unreachable, he could only make his own choice.

When the draft reached the 22nd pick, he finally made up his mind and called Chad Buchanan, the general manager of the Pacers.

Before long, he had finalized a trade proposal with him.

"A trade has occurred."

When Tatum walked out from the front stage, he didn't immediately announce the next pick, but instead announced a trade first.

On the scrolling screen behind him, the specific details of the trade also appeared.

The Pelicans sent Bojan to the Pacers in exchange for the 23rd overall pick and a 10 million dollar trade exception.

Five minutes later, Tatum came out from behind the stage again and announced the Pelicans' choice.

"With the 23rd overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, the New Orleans Pelicans select Landry Shamet, a 1.96-meter point guard from Wichita State University."

Shamet was the best three-point shooter in this year's draft, and he was also tall, a natural point guard, with excellent passing vision and cutting efficiency.

But his weaknesses were also obvious: limited wingspan and average defense.

This was why he had fallen to this spot.