readytorunbook Chapter 421 A steady stream of telegrams
Chapter 421 A steady stream of telegrams
Chapter 421 Constant Calls
On the eve of Thanksgiving, the Knicks played against the Celtics again and were defeated mercilessly by them.
This time, Byrd returned.
Moreover, the Celtics did not allow themselves to lose to the same opponent three times in a row.
"The Celtics are playing championship basketball, and everyone is doing well, while the Knicks are wading through the player turmoil and trade rumors."
Marv Albert was talking about Bol's trade rumors and Dell Ellis' off-court troubles.
Ellis got into a fight with a few Cavaliers fans at a bar in Cleveland the other day.
There were several teammates present, and Rodman unexpectedly played the role of breaker, but he couldn't stop Ellis from attacking fans with a bottle in a rage.
He managed to send a fan into the ICU with an empty wine bottle.
Now, he faces charges including willful injury, and a settlement could cost him hundreds of thousands of dollars.
For him, that's a lot of money.
He had reached a four-year $4 million contract extension with the Knicks half a year ago, but if he lost hundreds of thousands of dollars because of a fight, it would be a major blow to him.
Fighting is never right, no matter the cause of the incident.
Ellis had a serious negative impact on the Knicks' image, and Louie announced an eight-game suspension for him as punishment.
The Knicks responded quickly. Seeing that Ellis was suspended for 8 games by the Knicks themselves, the league did not respond.
Interested people can find that Ellis was suspended for eight games, but the wages for these eight games were not deducted.
He just can't play the game.
Ellis will be suspended from November 11 to December 22. During this period, his starting position will be rotated back and forth between Rodman, Curry and Corbin.
Ellis' fight had a certain impact on the Knicks.
The ripple effect of Ball's trade rumors is overblown.
Ball asked Louie face-to-face if it was true that he was about to be traded.Louie admitted that the team may trade him because the coaching staff can't satisfy his desire for more playing time.
As a result, Pohl said hastily: "I just said it casually."
"Manute, you are right. If you are on another team, you will get more opportunities." Louis said frankly, "If the time is right, I will trade you. Before the transaction, I will ask your opinion. If you don't want to go to that team, we will stop the transaction. In this matter, you have the right to choose."
Ball clearly loves playing in New York.
"Coach, must I be traded?"
"There is no certain thing in the world, I can only say that there is a possibility for this thing." Louis laughed.
The reality is that when the Knicks put Bol on the tradable list, Elgin Baylor's phone was off the hook.
Auerbach also personally called Louis' home to ask what kind of chip the Celtics had to offer in order to trade for Ball.
Louie doesn't want to send the top three rim protectors in the league as a substitute for the No. [-] center on the planet.
So, he made Auerbach an impossible asking price.
Classic three rounds.
Moreover, in addition to the three first rounds, Ron Harper is also needed. If Auerbach can agree to this, Louis will definitely send Ball there.
Alba was furious.
"You bastard, if you don't want to make a deal, just say so!"
"Pay attention to quality, Reed, there is no righteousness in business."
"I have no sense of justice with you bastard, go to hell, brat!"
Then he hung up the phone angrily.
Louis ushered in Thanksgiving under such circumstances.
That morning, his home phone calls came one after another.
They are all general managers or coaches who have a personal relationship with him.
The head coach of the Lakers, Pat Riley, expressed for Jerry West that the Lakers wanted Ball.
Moreover, the Lakers are willing to play two first rounds for Ball.
Trail Blazers general manager Stu Inman wants to use Kevin Duckworth + first-round pick for Ball.
Warriors general manager Jack McMahon is also an old friend of Louie, who has been a scout and assistant coach for the 76ers for decades.When Louie was a scout, they talked a lot.
McMahon came up with an exciting trade proposal.
With Joe Barry Carroll, Greg Ballard (SF/PF), 1989 first-rotation Bol, Oakley and an injured Bernard King.
Louis would be lying if he said he wasn't moved.
Ballard is a wing swingman he admires very much. Most of the time he plays small forward and averages 7 rebounds per game, with a tough style.
But he is a veteran and can't play for a few years.
Carroll has averaged 22+8 per game so far this season, and is a quasi-All-Star insider at his peak.
The unfocused might agree, but Louie thinks for a few minutes before saying, "Jack, how about we trade Manute Ball, Dale Ellis and a 1988 first-round pick for your Greg Ballard and Chris Mullin."
"Hahaha!" McMahon laughed loudly. His laughter was so hearty that Louis could imagine the fat on his rich face trembling. "Lu, you are planning to draw us out!"
If the Knicks do not have Kevin McHale, maybe Louis will agree to the trade plan proposed by McMahon.
Being able to take Carol out shows his sincerity.
However, McHale is the No. 50 offensive player in the Knicks. Before Wilson grows up, his position is difficult to shake.There are also Ewing and Oakley. The combined scoring average of these three insiders is close to [-] points per game.
Louis doesn't need a Carol with a bad reputation and a reputation of "don't care about anything" to increase internal risks.
After all, Louie never thought of stacking up the frontcourt lineup like the Pistons.
If Carroll is traded, the Knicks will have four insiders who can start.How do you do this rotation?It won't be long before the locker room blows through.
Therefore, Louis backhandedly put Ellis, who has been in constant trouble recently, into the transaction, thinking of swapping the shotgun for the gun holster Mullin.
Of course, McMahon was not stupid. He knew it was over, so he made a haha, and both parties hung up the phone in a friendly manner.
Louie's constant phone calls made Lorraine very unhappy.
Originally, Thanksgiving was a holiday, but I didn't expect to be uneasy at home.
After Louis and McMahon finished talking, Lorraine had decided to unplug the phone line.
Unexpectedly, just as she was about to make a move, the phone rang again.
This time it was Bill Fitch of the Houston Rockets.
Fitch is Louis' old boss. They have cooperated for four years. Although there are good and bad, they each lead a team now. There is no need to look at Auerbach's face. The unpleasantness in the later period of cooperation has long been forgotten.
Just as Fitch was about to make an offer, Lorraine said from the living room phone, "Today is Thanksgiving, can you stop talking about work, Mr. Lu?"
Louie's home phone is connected in parallel, so it will be like this.
"Ahem. Isn't it time for me to call?" Fitch asked shyly.
"It's too late."
"Okay, Lu, let's talk next time."
Fitch hung up the phone.
Lorraine hurried into the room and said, "You promised me not to talk about work today."
"I don't want to, but this call is endless, endless." Before the words finished, the phone rang again.
"Leave me alone!"
Lorraine answered the phone, "Hello."
"Is Little Lu at home?"
"I am Jane Walker of Boston, and I have business with him."
"He is on vacation today and won't talk about work. Goodbye."
Lorraine hung up the phone quickly and unplugged all the phone lines in the house.
After doing these things, Lorraine asked, "Do you think I'm too reckless?"
"It's a bit reckless, but not too reckless. It's too shameful for these people to call to discuss work even during the holidays." Louis couldn't help asking, "By the way, who was the person who called just now?"
Lorraine asked vigilantly, "You don't want to call back, do you?"
"No, I just want to know who the caller is."
"He calls himself Jane Walker."
Next, what Louis had to do was much simpler.
He pretended to be going to the Blue Palace to give Thanksgiving gifts to his colleagues, but actually went straight to the office to call Volker back.
Walker wanted to continue the negotiations on behalf of the Celtics, but they couldn't give them a good bargaining chip.
Louie also didn't want to send Ball to those competitors to add to his troubles.
For a while, every club in the league called to ask for prices.
Players like Ball are of good quality and low price, and he will fight for them if he can get them, so Louis is not in a hurry. Even if he doesn't have a good bargaining chip in the end, he will send Ball to a good next home for himself that will not pose a threat to the Knicks.
Giving Thanksgiving gifts is a lot easier than these negotiations.
Last year, Knicks players pooled money to buy Louie a purple suit.
This year they changed their tricks. They also raised funds, but they bought a piece of golden whistle.
The gift looks small, but the price is expensive. The whistle is made of real gold and is worth a lot.
This time Louis was also prepared and returned a gift to everyone.
There was only one person who didn't receive a gift, and that was Dale Ellis.
He is busy dealing with his own troubles, and Louie has shown the team's attitude by suspending him without pay.He's disappointed, but the suspension for so many days is also to give him enough time to wipe his ass clean.
As for whether he can understand it, I don't know.
(End of this chapter)