When pride still matters

Chapter 220 The style of ancient GM
  Since the All-Star break, the Bucks' management has been working intensively every day in order to finalize the deal before the trade deadline.

Larry Harris is not willing to trade Reid.

Because he knows that it is almost impossible for the Bucks to get equivalent returns in the trading market.

Reed has All-Star ability, but his contract is long and cheap.

The four-year, $4 million contract extension he signed last year has only lasted a season and a half.

Where can I find such cheap All-Stars? However, it was going to rain and his mother was getting married. There was a player in the same position of Reed who he couldn't shake. If he didn't want to stay humble, he would have no choice but to leave. If he is forced to stay and make do, his heart is no longer in Milwaukee. Can he still play well?
  For the championship? We already won it last season. For players who do not need to consider their historical status, the championship is really an honor that decorates their career. It is important, but not indispensable. Once you get it, the rest of your career will be It's time to think about yourself.

Reed just wants to think about himself right now.

So the Bucks have to trade him.

Since there is a trade, the first goal is to continue to strengthen the insiders.

Little Harris always feels that their inside line will be broken sooner or later, and relying on shooting alone is too weak.

Therefore, his first target is Rasheed Wallace of the Atlanta Hawks.

Now that Wallace is at the lowest value in history, it is suitable to buy, but the problem is that his annual salary is as high as $1700 million.

If they want him, the Bucks will either have to take out one of Ray Allen or Sprewell, or tear down most of the lineup. But if one of the two maximum salaries is to be given away, why trade Reid? But it's not worth it to tear down a lineup that already has great chemistry for Rasheed Wallace.

Plans to trade Rasheed Wallace are on hold.

This just fulfills the wish of the Detroit Pistons. They are thirsty for Rasheed Wallace. Even if they have to dismantle their own lineup, they have to introduce a top four position that can really help their boss.

In order to get Rasheed Wallace, the Pistons called all the teams and finally made a three-party deal, sending five players and two first-round picks.

The Bucks management was regretting missing Rasheed Wallace, but then, San Antonio called and made them treat it cautiously.

This year's trade deadline is a rare one. Championship teams in both the East and West have chosen to trade for the stability of the team or a higher probability of winning.

The Pistons brought Rasheed Wallace to Ben, completing the last link of the iron barrel formation.

What about the Spurs? In theory, they should be the top favorites to win this season.

Because although F4 looks glamorous on the outside, there are so many internal shortcomings that it is difficult to believe that they can remain stable until they win the final championship.

Karl Malone's injury, Gary Payton's constant complaints about his inability to fit into the triangle offense, and a team that could be ignited by OK's infighting at any time.

No one expected that after introducing the best pure point guard in the league, the Spurs would be worse than before.

Tony Parker entered a rebellious phase, and Jason Kidd's few years in New Jersey made people forget that he was actually a thorn in the side who had a hard time getting along with coaches.

Only next to a Muppet coach like Byron Scott who doesn't use his brain too much, he looks like an obedient and mature player.

In fact, Kidd's excessive self-awareness is a big problem for any coach.

Halfway through the season, the Spurs already regretted this signing.

But like all those who take the wrong first step, they will only follow the wrong inertia and take the wrong second and third steps until they lose everything.

The Spurs don't want to trade Kidd. They still want to believe that Popovich and Kidd can coexist. Therefore, Tony Parker, who has caused rifts in the team for this reason, must leave.

The Bucks put Michael Redd on the shelf to give them hope.

Kidd's arrival has made the Spurs, who were already playing very reasonably, even more reasonable, but they often find themselves playing unreasonable ball when needed.

If Manu Ginobili is on the court, he can still take over, but what if Ginobili is not there?

Reed, a pure scorer who can open up space on the outside and can play in isolation when given the ball, is the player the Spurs need most.

This deal really went deep.

The Bucks can get Parker, a point guard with great potential, and the Spurs can get Reid, each getting what they need.

There is no grudge between the two sides because of the six bloody games in the finals last season. When the deal came to the last minute, Harris began to call Yu Fei and others to ask for their opinions. Yu Fei thought that the transaction could be made, but it was best to listen to the opinions of the coaching staff. However, he was opposed by George Karl. Strongly opposed.

"Absolutely not do this deal!" Karl said, "For us, this deal is 90+5, and for the Spurs, it is 90+20."

Harris Jr. wanted to know more.

"Let me start with a few points. If the Frenchman can't share the ball with Jason Kidd in San Antonio, I can't imagine him being willing to be an off-ball point guard next to Frye. Assuming he is willing to play that position, we also There is a question, is he willing to come off the bench? He refused to come off the bench in San Antonio, so will he be willing to come off the bench in Milwaukee? Our starting point guard is Frye, and there is no place for him. The most important thing is that Frye has the function of a point guard. As a ball-handler, he naturally rejects such a point guard with a strong personality. This deal is not good for us, but it is perfect for the Spurs. We cannot agree to them!"

It’s not that Harris doesn’t understand football. When Karl explained this, Harris himself backed down.

Due to basketball reasons, the deal fell through before it was born.

The Spurs ultimately failed to send Parker before the trade deadline because they failed to receive a satisfactory offer.

The Bucks began listening to offers in droves.

Harris Jr. even talked to the Golden State Warriors about a Redd-for-Eric Dampier trade.

Just when little Harris drew his sword and looked around in confusion, the trading wizard in New York called.

Last December, New York was determined to fire previous president Scott Layden. Because under his rule, the Knicks have neither a present nor a future.

Then, Isiah Thomas arrived with the aura of "the big winner in professional basketball". As the savior of the Knicks, he showed the characteristics of a 2K player from the moment he came up, operating from any angle and in every possible way. trade.

He first bought out the incompetent rookie center Slavko Vrane C, then activated the French fat man Mike Sweetney, and then started his trade show.

He first made a mediocre deal with the Rockets, and then performed a major operation on the Knicks in the deal with the Suns - he sold five players in one go, as well as the first-round picks in 2004 and 2010. draft (the final pick fell to the Jazz and selected Hayward) in exchange for New York's son Stephon Marbury and Penny Hardaway.

After the trade, the Knicks achieved 11 wins and 8 losses.

Well, in a sense, the deal worked.

Thomas was convinced that he was a trading wizard, so he wanted to make one more move before the trade deadline.

At this moment, the Bucks put Michael Redd on the shelf.

After Thomas saw Reid's data and contract, his eyes lit up and he vowed to bring this person back to New York.

The Bucks' transaction reached a deadlock, and Thomas immediately launched an aggressive offensive.

When Thomas originally offered Dikembe Mutombo, Harris Jr. didn't want to talk to him.

Mutombo is good. Although he is no longer at his peak, he is indeed the pillar defensive insider the Bucks need. But are you going to trade Reed for the current Mutombo? Then he is absolutely unwilling.

However, little Harris did not expect Thomas to be quite like an ancient GM.

Seeing that if Mutombo didn't come to Reid, the Bucks couldn't afford Hardaway and his likes, so he patted his head and suddenly thought: I still have the draft pick!

Thomas then added a 2005 first-round pick swap and a 2007 first-round pick to Reid's offer.

Little Harris is confused. It’s common to see teams that don’t want the future and want the current team, but it’s really rare that a player of Reid’s level doesn’t want the future.
  Little Harris remembered that his father once told him that there was a story in the NBA where an owner gave away all the first-round players in the next five years in order to build a team that could not even make the playoffs. The NBA also used this story specifically. The artificial name was introduced to prohibit the sale of first-round picks for two consecutive years.

Isiah Thomas really has the style of an ancient GM.

With two draft picks in hand, negotiations began to move forward.

When it came to the phone inquiry session again, Harris Jr. was uneasy. He was worried that if the trade was rejected due to basketball reasons, then he really had no choice but to keep Reid.

Yu Fei once again said he had no objection.

Karl believes that Mutombo and Anderson are good supplements, not to mention there are two first-round picks. With Thomas's crazy trading frequency, these two first-round picks have a high probability of being cashed into the lottery.

Just like that, the last hurdle was passed.

On February 2, the two sides reached an agreement, and the Bucks sent Michael Redd and Damon Jones in exchange for Dikembe Mutombo, Shanton Anderson, a 18 first-round pick exchange and a 2005 ’s first-round pick.

(End of this chapter)