Volume 1: A rookie who breaks into the basketball world Chapter 7 The Next Bob Bass?
Judging from the look on Bob Sweet's face, he might have just done it on a whim at first.
Maurice Cheeks joked: "Do you regret it now? I didn't expect this guy to be so popular, but the Grizzlies have already chosen him. If you break the contract, it will have a bad impact on your next job, right?"
"No, I have a legitimate reason for refusing. The actual situation is that they want to reduce the chips they give us. Logo man lowered the price after selecting that rookie."
"He's trying to lower the price. Isn't he afraid that we won't trade him and he'll just rot in our hands? They later drafted a point guard. They probably didn't plan to keep him for themselves."
"They have other buyers to trade to ."
"who?"
“Lakers.”
Maurice Cheeks was really surprised this time: "The Lakers wanted to get that rookie so badly? Bob, do you think it's possible that the logo guy just used the Lakers to lower the price?"
"Maybe, but it doesn't matter. Let's satisfy the boss and your needs first. It doesn't matter if I lose a little. I'm going to quit anyway. If you hadn't said you wanted to choose that rookie, I would have quit long ago."
Maurice Cheeks felt so casual. A top-notch swingman in the league like Bonzi Wells was treated so casually.
But this is the current situation of their Trail Blazers team... He shook his head and said, "It seems that I need to reconsider how to arrange this lottery pick."
Bob Sweet was surprised: "I thought your vision was the same as the logo guy's. Didn't you suggest that I pick the rookie because you like him?"
Maurice Cheeks responded honestly: "I don't have much confidence in his talent or his ability to fight immediately."
"Then why did you choose him?"
Maurice Cheeks said: "The strength of our newcomers is not the most important thing. It is more important whether they can withstand the pressure and show their strength under such pressure. He has talent in this regard."
"This is also considered talent..." Bob Sweet had to admit it painfully: "I understand. The Knicks' desire to select him should be the same as yours."
The Trail Blazers and the Knicks have one thing in common - newcomers will be bullied.
But Liu Xiu, the rookie...
Bob Sweet recalled that when he and Maurice Cheeks came to the Trail Blazers two years ago, they were full of energy and ambition. Who knew they would end up with such a team?
Don't they want to set things right? Of course they do, but they can't do it. But they are also trying, just like the general manager of the Knicks also wants to set things right and is working hard.
But this kind of thing cannot be accomplished just by thinking about it and doing it.
The Trail Blazers and the Knicks are two big pitfalls!
Fortunately, he is about to jump out of this pit.
Maurice Cheeks knew that Bob Sweet had decided to leave the team, and he considered the gains and losses of the team only out of professionalism. Also, after Bob Sweet left, he would still work under Paul Allen and go to Paul Allen's other professional team, the Seattle Seahawks.
Maurice Cheeks was truly envious of this, but he did not have the ability to coach other sports, his old friend was about to leave, and he had to struggle in this quagmire.
"The Lakers want our rookie. I guess it was the Logo Man who suggested it. Even if we don't agree to his bargaining, he might stay or be traded to the Lakers..."
Maurice Cheeks originally wanted to select a substitute who might be able to gain a foothold in the team. Now, he has increased his attention to the rookie he just selected.
…
At the same time, in the suite of Grizzlies general manager Jerry West at the Four Seasons Coast Hotel in New York, in addition to Jerry West, there was also Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak.
"Mitch, we've already sent No. 13 to Portland. It's too late for you to regret it now."
Jerry West wants Bonzi Wells, but the Lakers also have someone Jerry West wants. Role players such as Devin George and Medvedenko can be put on the Grizzlies, which will also be very useful and can help the Lakers create the future. Of course, Jerry West would rather trade with the Lakers.
Now his relationship with the Lakers is not as weak as it will be ten or twenty years later.
"We don't have time. Jerry, Kobe doesn't want to wait, Shaq doesn't want to wait, but we don't have time to wait. If we can't win the championship right away, the OK combination you created will be gone."
Jerry West was speechless after hearing this. He left with a full-level account, but it actually collapsed?
He has only been gone for a year!
But think about it, it's not easy for Kupchak either, as the successor does not have much actual say.
If he personally took charge of the team, after three consecutive championships, he would send away some of the champions for various reasons after the start of the new season and rebuild the lineup of role players to prepare for the future. If the boss disagrees, he will hype it up to show that he, the general manager, is acting on his own and will not let the boss, who is careful about his reputation, take responsibility.
Relying on his past resume, no matter how much he is criticized, his position will not be shaken. Since becoming the general manager of the Lakers in 1982, he has won 6 championships for the Lakers.
And when the operation comes to fruition, if the result is good, those people who criticized it before will immediately turn their guns around and praise it to the sky. Even if it fails, the pressure has been overcome and they can just start over.
But Kupchak can't do that. If Kupchak really did that, the Lakers would have no reason to keep him and wait for him to bear fruit.
Not everyone can take the blame.
Kupchak didn't want to think about this sad thing anymore, so he asked something interesting: "Jerry, is that rookie really talented?"
Jerry West thought of the information he got from his old friend Jim Boeheim, shook his head and said, "Not necessarily, but it's worth a gamble, so I suggest you select him at the 24th pick. I just didn't expect the Knicks and Grizzlies to move him up to the 13th pick, but the 13th pick is also worth a gamble."
"Why don't you keep him?"
"If I were still the Lakers manager, I would choose to keep him. The Lakers can afford the gamble, but the Grizzlies can't."
"So you didn't even go to the draft in person, but asked your assistant to go instead. Are you afraid that you won't be able to resist buying lottery tickets again?"
Jerry West laughed at the pun and said, "Maybe I'll be the next Bob Buss?"
"Then I have to observe this rookie carefully and see if our logo man will embarrass himself."
Bob Buss, a very powerful NBA management staff, has worked in the NBA for more than 30 years since 1967. His most famous operation was selecting Kobe Bryant with the 13th pick in the 1996 draft. After holding it for more than ten days, he traded him to the Lakers in mid-July 1996 in exchange for All-Star center Vlade Divac.
Kupchak was willing to take the gamble at first, but Jerry West strongly recommended the 24th pick and did not insist on the 13th pick.
After all, searching for hidden gems is gambling.
Obviously Jerry West was taking a gamble based on the 24th pick in the draft. Even if he lost, it wouldn't be a big loss. The 13th pick in a big draft year... after all, that's Kobe!
Liu Xiu's ranking was promoted to 13th, which was completely unexpected.
…
…
At 7 o'clock in the morning, Liu Xiu woke up from his sleep and his biological clock was just right.
Anthony, on the other hand, was so excited that he fell asleep only after daybreak, and now he is sleeping like a pig.
Liu Xiu went to have breakfast alone and came back. He glanced at the system screen that was still in the simulation training, yawned, lay down on the bed, turned on the TV, and turned down the volume so as not to disturb Anthony.
At the beginning, Liu Xiu was not actually this lazy look.
But as he spent more time on simulation training, he became more and more lazy.
He has despised himself many times and wanted to step out of his comfort zone.
But it's really comfortable...
He even felt sorry that his sleep quality was so good because of the system that he couldn't sleep in even if he wanted to.
Not long after, the system prompt came.
"Basic skills of layup and rebounding for 2 hours, basic skills of handball for 1 hour, and 3-point shooting for 1 hour and 22 minutes. The simulation training has ended. Extracting the results of the simulation training will consume 191 healing points. Do you want to extract them?"
In simulation training, you can set which items to train, how long to train, and in what order, but simulation training will not continue once the "remaining physical strength" is consumed.
"Four hours and 22 minutes? That's a bit shorter than during the season. Fortunately, the summer league will start in about ten days. Right now, improving our strength is the most important thing."
Liu Xiu lay down, grabbed the quilt with both hands, bit the quilt with his mouth, and silently recited "extraction" in his heart.
"Consuming 191 healing points, extracting the results of the simulation training..."
As soon as the new prompt came, Liu Xiu felt a soreness all over his body... and almost cried out.
pain!
But the degree of pain is not really painful. To be more precise, it is sore.
After doing it a few more times, it feels good...
After a few seconds, Liu Xiu released his hands and mouth at the same time, and let out a breath while suppressing his sound.
The sourness came and went quickly, and after it passed, he didn't feel any changes.
The improvement brought by training cannot be seen overnight.
The most important thing is that after those few seconds of soreness, you’ll be fine, unlike the “soreness” you feel the next day after a real training session that consumes your physical energy to the extreme.
Leaning against the head of the bed again, Liu Xiu glanced at Anthony who was still sleeping soundly, turned his head and looked at the TV, but in his heart he was thinking about his uncertain future.
Liu Xiu was very good at daydreaming. Two hours passed in a flash. At around ten o'clock, the doorbell rang, interrupting Liu Xiu's divergent thinking.
"Who is it at this time?"
Liu Xiu got up and opened the door, and it was Bill Duffy.
Bill Duffy first contacted Anthony, and later learned that Liu Xiu was also looking for an agent, so he pulled Yao Ming's relationship and signed Liu Xiu as well.
Bill Duffy signed more than just Liu Xiu and Anthony as rookies this year. He signed more than ten people in total, three of whom were selected. Another one was selected in the middle of the second round, named Willy Green, who was traded to the 76ers after being selected.
However, those who were not selected did not give up. On the contrary, these unselected rookies are the reason why Bill Duffy is very busy at the moment.
Bill Duffy had to find a way out for these people, and of course, in fact, it was also to make his wallet fatter. If these people found jobs, he would take a commission on their salaries.
Anthony has made an appointment to meet with the Nuggets at 2 p.m. Liu Xiu doesn't know where he will go, but he has been contacting various teams since early this morning, hoping to get his undrafted players to a team to play in the summer league and try to get a contract.
Liu Xiu asked, "Bill, why are you here? Didn't Carmelo meet with the Nuggets this afternoon?"
Bill Duffy's expression was not very good, and Liu Xiu felt that something bad was going to happen.
really……
"Jace, the Grizzlies just called me and told me you were traded to the Trail Blazers."
"??? Portland Jail?"
Liu Xiu unconsciously to the maximum, scaring Anthony who was sleeping so much that he jumped up.
"Jace! I want to challenge you in a duel!"
…
How could Liu Xiu have thought that his campus gang background, which he thought was the factor that lowered his draft prospects, could actually become one of the factors that led to his selection under certain circumstances? And it also greatly improved his final draft position!
"Come on, Carmelo. Let's have a one-on-one duel. You asked for it."
"...I'm still sleepy. I have to go negotiate with the Nuggets this afternoon. I didn't sleep well last night, so let me catch up on some sleep first."
Seeing Liu Xiu's violent state, Anthony decisively wrapped himself in a quilt.
It’s okay to practice Liu Xiu normally, but in this situation, Anthony said he is tired.
"Ahem," Bill Duffy coughed dryly and soothed, "The Trail Blazers are also good. Damon Stoudemire and Jeff McGinnis performed poorly last season. You might have a good chance if you go to the Trail Blazers... Let's try to apply for a trade."
Bill Duffy himself couldn't say any more.
Portland Trail Blazers, that damn place, who would want to go there!
It was fine a few years ago when Sabonis was in charge. At that time, the Trail Blazers were thriving and making an unstoppable attack on the championship.
The current Trail Blazers are a standard rookie graveyard type of team.
Last year's Quintelle Woods and the year before's Zach Randolph, although their draft picks were not high, both showed great talent in the summer league, but both of them were half-dead in the Trail Blazers.
Jeff McGinnis played so well in the 01-02 season, but now he is on the decline in the Trail Blazers.
The fact that his playing ability is ruined is secondary. This year's 13th pick in the draft will earn about 4 million US dollars in 4 years. Based on Bill Duffy's understanding of Liu Xiu in the past two months, it is enough for Liu Xiu to start a new life.
But if people learn bad things, it will be troublesome.
Quinter Woods was even tricked by local dealers into selling drugs, and was jailed for two months and suspended for one month during his rookie season.
As an agent, Bill Duffy knows the teams very well.
Although Liu Xiu is not as clear as Bill Duffy about how big the Trail Blazers' hole is, he doesn't need to be that clear. In the past ten months, eight out of ten news reports he has seen about the Trail Blazers were about someone getting into trouble again.
Just when Liu Xiu and Bill Duffy were both in a state of annoyance, Anthony, who had just been in bed, appeared beside them and said with a look of disdain, "What's there to be afraid of when you go to the Trail Blazers? I'd even go if the Pistons chose me."
Liu Xiu finally reacted: "That's right!"
Bill Duffy slapped himself on the forehead. How could he forget that these two people were not good people either?
But this is not the solution that this good guy wants!
