The Step-Over Revenge.

Does being a good guy mean getting a gun pointed at your head?

Not necessarily.

But if Wade had once willingly handed over the alpha role to LeBron, then coming off the bench in Cleveland wasn't a big deal.

What? You say Wade did it for a championship back then?

Isn't he chasing a championship in Cleveland too?

That was exactly why Han Sen had said the Cavs were different from the Bulls.

Han was so confident that as soon as they landed in Cleveland, Malone had a conversation with Wade.

And to Malone's surprise, Wade agreed almost immediately.

"I'll sacrifice for a championship."

If anyone knew Wade best, it was Han.

The Cavs' first game after the All-Star break was against the Warriors—Round 2 of their season series.

But before that, one last crucial date loomed—the trade deadline.

With Irving and Cousins already moved, and Larry Bird refusing to budge on any Paul George trade offers, this year's deadline was mostly about minor roster tweaks.

When a superteam like Golden State existed, a lot of teams simply chose to fold.

But just when everyone thought the deadline would end quietly—

A shocking three-team trade went down.

Hawks sent: Dwight Howard & Thabo Sefolosha

Hawks received: Boban Marjanović, Boris Diaw, Bobby Portis, two second-round picks

Bulls sent: Pau Gasol, Bobby Portis, two second-round picks

Bulls received: Dwight Howard & Thabo Sefolosha

Spurs sent: Boban Marjanović, Boris Diaw

Spurs received: Pau Gasol

The biggest shock?

The man who once 'could be traded for LeBron straight up'—Dwight Howard—had become this cheap?!

Just last season, the Hawks had given up Al Horford and a first-round pick to acquire Dwight.

Now, they were practically giving him away.

Breaking it down, it made sense:

1. Declining Athleticism – With age and the rule changes (verticality rule), Dwight was no longer an elite defensive anchor.

2. Locker Room & Playoff Struggles – Last year, the Hawks got bounced in the first round, and Dwight publicly clashed with Coach Bud over his role. This season, Atlanta was barely hanging onto a playoff spot. If they had no real shot at competing, blowing it up made sense.

(The Nets had dumped Dwight for the same reason last season.)

As for the Bulls—

Their decision to double down made perfect sense.

Back when Han talked to Griffin, Chicago had planned to rebuild.

But once they landed Irving while keeping Butler, that plan changed.

Swapping an aging Gasol for Dwight?

Yes, Dwight's contract was massive, but in the short term, it was worth it.

Adding Sefolosha? Just icing on the cake.

(Sefolosha had been dumped by Miami after their rebuild. Atlanta took a shot on him, but with their rebuild beginning, they flipped him.)

Bobby Portis, though—

That was Chicago's real choice.

Before this season started, a huge fight had broken out in Bulls training camp.

Portis punched Nikola Mirotić so hard he broke two bones in his face and gave him a concussion.

Golden State had the Splash Brothers.

Chicago? They had the Blood Brothers.

Punching a teammate in the face is a bad look in the NBA.

The Bulls had to choose between the two.

And they chose Mirotić.

Not because of 'justice'—front offices don't care about that.

But because Mirotić's floor-spacing was a better fit alongside Dwight.

And the Spurs?

They just stole Gasol for nothing.

Boban had signed a 3-year, $21M deal last summer but barely played.

Diaw was old, his real value being his expiring $7M contract.

Trading those two for Pau?

On paper, that was a steal.

But Pau had signed a 2-year, $30M contract with Chicago, and his decline was real.

Not that Popovich cared.

After the trade, he immediately welcomed Gasol in a press conference.

"People underestimate Pau. Watch what happens next."

You could hear the confidence in his voice.

Only time would tell if he was right.

---

The Cavaliers made no moves at the trade deadline.

Their previous trade had significantly bolstered their depth—but it also gave Malone a major rotation challenge.

With Deron Williams, Powell, J.R. Smith, Korver, Covington, Cunningham, and Nene, plus the starting five, Malone had two options:

Go full Steve Kerr with a deep rotation or trim it down and cut someone out.

He chose the latter.

Before the All-Star break, Powell and Nene had already started falling out of the rotation.

The front office even asked Nene if he wanted a trade, but he chose to stay.

At this stage in his career, all he wanted was a championship.

And in his mind, there was no better place to chase one than Cleveland.

Despite the internal competition, the Cavs maintained a strong locker room dynamic, smoothly transitioning into the second half of the season.

The memory of their Christmas showdown against the Warriors was still fresh—so naturally, their second matchup of the season drew major attention.

But for the Cavs, especially Han Sen, this game carried even more weight.

Looking back, Kyrie's departure had been inevitable.

No one could reason with a man determined to leave.

But if it hadn't been for Draymond Green stirring the pot, Kyrie would've at least finished the season before moving on.

Instead, Kyrie's early departure had forced Cleveland's hand, pushing them into an unwanted trade.

So now?

Han was ready to deliver a message to the man who caused it all.

---

The game was set to take place at Oracle Arena, with the Cavaliers arriving in Oakland a day early.

And on that very day, LeBron James was asked about Dwyane Wade in a media session.

"I'm happy for my brother, DW. He joined a championship contender—that's a great opportunity for him at this stage of his career."

"We talked after the trade, and if he had chosen a buyout, I would've recruited him without hesitation. I was looking forward to playing alongside him again… but unfortunately, it didn't happen."

It wasn't until LeBron brought it up that fans were suddenly reminded—

Of the peak Miami Heat Big Three.

Wade and LeBron—a duo that had fought hard for two runner-up finishes together.

"Did he really reach out to you?"

On game day, Han came across the news and couldn't help but ask Wade about it.

Wade just smiled and shook his head.

"It's nothing… he's always been like that."

Making up conversations that never happened to boost his own narrative?

Wade had just confirmed it—LeBron really was a professional liar.

"You really are a good guy." Han couldn't help but tease.

Wade must have owed LeBron a lot of money in a past life.

---

That night, Oracle Arena was electric.

The TNT crew was live on-site, setting up their pregame discussion.

Kenny Smith took the first swing.

"The Cavs lost two of their last five games before the break," he pointed out.

"Since the Kyrie trade, they haven't looked as dominant. Even before, it took a historic performance from Han just to beat the Warriors. Winning tonight? That's gonna be tough."

Barkley shook his head immediately.

"Nah, I see it completely differently. Cleveland got way deeper after the trade. Once the chemistry clicks, they'll be even stronger than before."

Kenny pushed back.

"Golden State's depth isn't lacking either, Chuck."

Neither backed down.

Both turned to Shaq, expecting a tiebreaker.

Shaq, arms crossed, gave a serious nod.

"Well… I like Cleveland's size advantage. Jokić gives them a weapon inside, and Han? He can control the tempo."

Then, after a pause, he smirked.

"Plus, you know me… I got a Cavs jersey in my closet somewhere."

The desk burst into laughter.

Barkley rolled his eyes.

"Man, you got a jersey from every team."

Shaq just shrugged.

"Gotta keep my legacy alive, Chuck."

The pregame debate wrapped with the crew still chuckling.

---

After the pregame ceremonies, both teams revealed their starting lineups.

Cavaliers: Han Sen, J.R. Smith, Robert Covington, Tristan Thompson, Nikola Jokić.

Warriors: Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, LeBron James, Draymond Green, Zaza Pachulia.

As soon as Cleveland's lineup was announced, a wave of murmurs spread through the arena.

Even Steve Kerr's eyes widened.

Two starters swapped out at once?

Malone was hitting him with a curveball.

The game tipped off, with Jokić securing possession for the Cavs.

Han took the ball up the court.

Though Malone had already adjusted the rotation after Wade's arrival, this was Han's first time officially starting at point guard.

And on the other end?

His matchup wasn't Curry.

In fact, even Klay Thompson found this setup strange—because it meant he had to guard Han from the backcourt instead of focusing on off-ball defense.

Han crossed half-court.

Covington and J.R. spread to the corners.

Jokić stepped up for a high pick-and-roll.

As soon as Klay was clipped by the screen, Jokić cut hard to the rim.

Han, seeing Zaza switched onto him, immediately attacked—forcing Pachulia to shift his balance before pulling up for a quick jumper.

No Wade in the starting lineup meant no more holding back.

Han was going to play fully unleashed.

Zaza wasn't even close to contesting it.

Han had a clean look.

Clank.

But Jokić was right there.

He grabbed the offensive rebound, muscled through Klay, and converted the second-chance points.

Han missed, but his quick shot had forced Golden State into a mismatch scramble—leaving Zaza stranded outside.

Draymond's rebounding was elite.

But against both TT and Jokić?

Cleveland had the size advantage.

Cavs on the board first.

On the other end, LeBron brought the ball up.

But his first drive was instantly disrupted by Covington.

It was clear.

Covington was a LeBron-stopper.

The wingspan.

The lateral quickness.

The defensive instincts.

It was a perfect counter.

And now that LeBron had slimmed down, even the weight difference wasn't a factor anymore.

LeBron couldn't even get deep into the paint before Covington forced him to pick up his dribble.

No lane.

No shot.

With no other choice, he swung the ball to his old buddy—Draymond.

And Draymond?

Clank.

The shot bricked off the rim.

---

Draymond had been struggling since Christmas.

His three-point percentage had cratered from 38.8% last season to 30.8%—barely playable.

All the money he was making off the court?

It made him willing to take a backseat to LeBron.

But money couldn't fix his jumper.

Jokić snagged the rebound.

But Golden State's transition defense was locked in.

No fast break.

Cavs settled into half-court offense.

Han and Jokić ran another pick-and-roll.

This time, Kerr shouted for Pachulia to step up quicker.

Han hadn't hit his first jumper, but Kerr wasn't taking chances.

Zaza lunged out hard.

Han read it instantly.

He exploded past him.

Green rotated over.

Pachulia chased from behind.

Kerr had set up a double trap for Han in the lane.

Normally?

Han would kick it to TT for the dunk—especially since Jokić had already popped out for spacing.

But tonight?

Han wasn't passing.

He gathered. He jumped.

Draymond met him at the rim.

But he was late.

Realizing it mid-air, Green went for the desperation foul—grabbing both of Han's shoulders.

But Han was too strong.

Even through contact, he forced the shot attempt.

It didn't drop.

But Draymond lost balance from the struggle—crashing to the floor.

Whistle.

The ref immediately pointed at Green—shooting foul.

Draymond started to protest, but before he could even finish his first word—

He looked up—and saw Han's legs passing over his head.

Han stepped right over him.

Han just dunked on him—without the dunk.

For a moment, Draymond froze.

Then?

He lost it.

He jumped up in fury, ready to shove Han—

But before he could, Jokić had already stepped between them.

For a guy with such a calm demeanor, Jokić's big frame was a damn effective deterrent.

Slavic instinct.

By now, Han had turned around.

Seeing Draymond still heated, he tilted his head.

Then, with a perfectly innocent expression, he said—

"LeBron already stepped over you… why can't I?"

Oracle exploded.

The bench reaction was wild.

And Draymond?

His face was priceless.