Bishop of the Devil

After the awards ceremony, the group returned to Portland. The boss, Paul Allen, had already been waiting for the heroes to return triumphantly at the airport.

Another sweep to win the championship, which makes Trail Blazers fans feel a little regretful!

Because these two championships were won at their home courts, they, the Trail Blazers fans, were naturally a little regretful because they could not witness their home team winning the championship.

But no matter what, it would be good to win the championship, so what else is there to do about the bike?

…

There were still three days left before the championship parade. On the second day after returning to Portland, Richard stayed in his office for the whole day.

Everyone else could relax, but Richard couldn't relax at all because there were too many things at hand.

Richard received calls one after another from Heat head coach Pat Riley and Magic head coach Doc Rivers.

Naturally, they called to see if Richard could help persuade McGrady to consider his own team.

Both teams are desperate for Tracy McGrady.

The Heat currently have Mourning, Mashburn and Tim Hardaway as the core, and they still have salary space on hand, enough to give McGrady a maximum salary.

If they can get Tracy McGrady, their lineup can't be said to compete for the championship. At least they can dominate the Eastern Conference and become the dominant player in the Eastern Conference.

As for the Magic, they also have plenty of salary space...

Richard naturally didn't give these two head coaches any accurate words. Now that McGrady has nothing to do with the Trail Blazers, how could Richard become a lobbyist.

At eight o'clock in the morning, Richard saw Maddie in his office.

McGrady is here to say goodbye...

Richard was quite satisfied with this, and Maddie's behavior of coming to him to say goodbye made Richard feel good about him.

At least I didn't leave without saying goodbye...

"Young man, have you decided where to go?" Richard said with a smile.

McGrady nodded, "Get ready to go to the Magic. The salary they offer is good, and I heard Doc Rivers say they will make big moves!"

Richard couldn't help but laugh. The big move that Douglas Reeves said was really not a lie to McGrady.

At present, the Magic has begun to contact the Pistons. They want to get the Pistons' Grant Hill, and then pair them with a young and unlimited Tracy McGrady, and use this as a basis to attract Duncan to join.

Richard is not sure whether Duncan will eventually choose to join the Magic. After all, the Magic are still quite attractive to him.

Good friend Grant Hill is gone, and if McGrady and Duncan join, this Magic will directly become the top power in the league.

Originally, Richard really planned to introduce Duncan during this offseason...

But now it seems that there is no such opportunity. Duncan is also a completely free agent now. How can Richard get Duncan a maximum salary.

…

Richard is going to pay attention to the situation with the Magic. If Duncan really goes to the Magic, it may not be a bad thing for the Trail Blazers.

If Duncan leaves, the Spurs will be finished, and the Blazers will have one less opponent in the West.

Just need to find a way to deal with the Lakers...

"Well, I wish you can achieve the achievements you expect in the Magic!" Richard patted McGrady on the shoulder and wished him sincerely.

…

After sending away another powerful star, Richard must not feel very good.

The main reason is that Richard is completely unable to gain any benefit from McGrady's departure.

Like Wu Sheng Jackson, when he was traded by Richard, he got quite a lot of bargaining chips and got Artest and Tracy McGrady...

Now that Tracy McGrady is gone, it is equivalent to Wu Shengdan replacing Artest, which is actually not a loss.

Mainly, Artest is on a rookie contract, while Wu Sheng will sign a big contract this offseason!

It is rumored that the Raptors are not prepared to give Wu Sheng a maximum-salary contract, but the contract amount is quite large. A six-year contract of US$50 million is not too shabby...

Now it depends on whether Wu Sheng agrees to this contract or not. ,

If Richard hadn't made that deal with the Raptors, then he could only watch Wu Sheng Jackson being signed by another team now, without getting any benefits!

After all, how could the Trail Blazers offer Wu Sheng such a high contract.

Now at least they got Artest, a cheap coolie who has been working for four years, which is not a loss no matter how you look at it.

…

Now that Harrington's transaction value is extremely high, Richard is no longer prepared to keep it in his hands. Continuing to waste Harrington's words is completely harmful to others and himself.

Keeping Harrington for one more year will reduce Harrington's trade value. After all, there are two years left on his rookie contract and only one year left on his rookie contract, which are definitely not the same thing.

Moreover, if Harrington joins another team, he can also get more playing time, which is good for Harrington.

As soon as McGrady was sent away, Richard called Harrington into his office.

"Stevens, first go and compile a list of teams that wanted Harrington before!" Richard said to Stevens.

Stevens went to find the list, and Richard looked at Harrington with a smile.

"Young man, congratulations, maybe in two years you will become one of the highest-paid players in this league!"

"Thank you, coach, for your training! It's an honor for me to be a member of West Lafayette!" Harrington, who is shy by nature, started to feel numb at this moment.

Richard smiled and nodded. He deserved Harrington's gratitude. If it were not for the task of making a god, Harrington's rebounding strength would be relatively ordinary, averaging about six rebounds per game. For a combo forward, Can't say it's too good.

But now Harrington has the ability to average 8 rebounds per game, and his achievements in the future may be higher than normal.

This is why Richard can accept Harrington's thanks with peace of mind.

"Okay, let's not talk so much nonsense. You should know that we have plans to trade you. Now you can tell me if there is a team you prefer to go to. If so, I will try my best to satisfy you. request." Richard asked straight to the point.

There is no need to be secretive. There is no reason why Harrington cannot accept this win-win situation.

"Coach, I want to go to a weaker team..."

Harrington is a little embarrassed. He is not the kind of ambitious player. At the moment, he may prefer to become the second boss of a team, or even the boss, and get a maximum salary contract in two years.

As for winning the championship, Harrington already has two championship rings on hand. At least for now, he doesn't have much pursuit of the championship.

So he doesn't really want to play in a strong team.

A strong team naturally has top stars. If he joins, he will definitely not be cultivated as the cornerstone of the team.

Richard nodded, want to go to the weak team? This is easy to handle.

If Harrington said he wanted to go to a strong team, then Richard would find it a little difficult, because the strong team wouldn't have much leverage to trade for Harrington.

"Okay, Al, go back and wait for the news. I will give you a satisfactory answer in three days!"

…

"BOSS, this is the team that called before wanting to trade Harrington. Several more teams have called in the past few days, a total of thirteen teams!" Stevens quickly sorted out team roster.

Richard took it over and took a look at it. Without saying a word, he crossed out several teams with outstanding records such as the Pacers, Philadelphia 76ers, and Heat.

These teams are all strong teams and do not meet Harrington's requirements.

Moreover, the draft picks these teams have on hand are very bad. Since Richard wants to trade Harrington, his main purpose must still be to get the draft picks.

These teams definitely don't have any decent draft picks...

So Richard crossed out these teams without saying anything. Although the relationship between the Philadelphia 76ers and Richard is very strong, Richard cannot give them a Harrington for nothing.

A good relationship is a good relationship, and brothers are still settling accounts. The value of a Harrington is quite high. If Richard really gave Harrington away for free, I'm afraid all the Blazers fans would go crazy.

Now, every decision Richard makes is actually not only responsible for himself, but also for the countless fans of the Trail Blazers.

…

After crossing out those strong teams from the list, Richard simply crossed out those playoff goalkeeper-level teams.

These teams are all hovering around the top eight in the Eastern and Western Conferences. If they get Harrington, their record will probably improve a lot, but the draft picks will still be very low.

Richard had suffered such a loss before, when he traded with the Hornets, so he was smarter this time and directly targeted those really weak teams.

As a result, there are not many teams left to consider.

Several weak teams, such as the Hawks, Cavaliers, Wizards and Warriors, are quite sincere.

They are all willing to use their unprotected draft picks for next year to trade Harrington. Of course, they also know that it is only a first-round draft pick. Richard will only agree to the trade unless his brain is watered...

So they more or less have some other bargaining chips.

But Richard was not satisfied with any of these chips.

For example, the Wizards actually wanted to trade a speedster and a first-round pick for Harrington...

"Coach Walker, I want to ask if you are serious about your chips?" Richard called Walker, the current head coach of the Wizards.

The speed at which the Wizards have changed coaches in the past two years is astonishing...

"Coach Li, this is the trade offer proposed by Michael. I don't have that much authority over this kind of thing..." Coach Walker said bitterly to Richard.

"Jordan?!"

"Who else could it be if he wasn't..."

Richard thought for a while and called Jordan directly.

"Michael, if you are really sincere, it is obviously impossible to exchange for a player like Harrington with a speedster and a first-round pick." Richard said unceremoniously.

"Li, do you still remember what you got from the Wizards in exchange for the speed car?"

"No, it wasn't the Wizards at that time, it was the Washington Bullets!" Jordan asked with a wry smile.

Richard was startled. The speed car transaction was the first transaction Richard made after traveling through time. Naturally, he was quite impressed.

In that deal, Richard traded the speedster for Wizards backup power forward Rasheed Wallace and the Nets' first-round draft pick.

Richard used this pick to select Kobe...

It's like saying that Richard used a flying car to get Rashid and Kobe in exchange!

"Ahem, Michael, it's boring for you to say this..." Richard said with a dry smile.

It's really boring to say this. The speedster was really worth the price at that time. In exchange for a substitute rookie and a first-round pick, the Wizards can't say that they suffered a loss.

But now the situation is completely different. The speedster is not the same speedster as before, and Harrington is not the Rashid he was then.

Rashid's statistics at that time were completely inferior to Harrington.

"Can't you help me?" Jordan asked sadly.

From Jordan's point of view, it is really unreasonable...

When Richard took a speeding car, no, it was not a speeding car, it was a shabby old car, and replaced Rasheed and Kobe!

A double MVP Kobe, and Rasheed who got a maximum salary in the Bulls!

Now the Wizards want to return the speed car to Richard, but Richard obviously doesn't like it...

Even if it costs them a first-round pick, Richard doesn't want it...

"T-Mac has left the team, and the Blazers are now short of a backup point guard. Let Ginobili start, and Speedy come on the bench. I think it's quite appropriate!"

"And with our first-round pick, you can get a reliable rookie next year. It's a good deal for you no matter what..."

Jordan spoke.

"Ahem, Michael, I want to help you, but I definitely don't want a flying car. To the Trail Blazers, a flying car isn't even worth a dime!"

"Then what do you think we should do? Our Wizards only have so little possessions now. Apart from Hamilton, who is not for sale, who else can you like?" Jordan asked speechlessly.

Richard was also speechless. He really looked down on the Wizards with so little wealth...

"Then there's no other way, Michael. We can only cooperate if we have the opportunity in the future..." Richard said with a smile.

At the moment, Richard is actually not just running around without a head, he still has a goal.

For example, he is currently interested in the Suns' hacker Marion, but the Suns have not shown any interest in Harrington.

Next, Richard called the Cavaliers again.

The Cavaliers were single and offered two trading plans.

One trade plan is for them to take out Andre Miller, the No. 8 pick in 1999, in exchange for Harrington.

In the season that just ended, Andre Miller averaged about 11 points and 6 assists per game. For a point guard, his strength is quite good.

Richard is actually a little tempted, but the problem is that Miller has no three-point ability and is not suitable for Richard's tactical system.

Another trade plan proposed by the Cavaliers is to protect their top three first-round picks in 2001 and 2003...

Without the protection of the top three picks, Richard would probably have agreed to this trade plan without saying a word.

Because it was the year of the 2003 draft, and the Cavaliers had the No. 1 pick!

But now that he has a top-three pick to protect him, Richard's chances have dropped a lot...

After walking around in the trading market, Richard found helplessly that the Cavaliers seemed to be his only choice.

The main reason is that the Blazers currently don't want players with big contracts, which has eliminated several teams...

As for other teams that were willing to offer new players and draft picks in exchange for Harrington, Richard looked down upon the new players they offered.

It’s not as cost-effective as the Cavaliers’ draft picks…

In the end, Richard made a direct decision and made a trade with the Cavaliers, exchanging Harrington for the Cavaliers' first-round top three protected draft picks in 2001 and 2003.

The main reason is that Andre Miller is valuable in the hands of the Cavaliers. Otherwise, Richard will probably get something out of the hands of the Cavaliers.

Harrington received two first-round draft picks. In fact, from the outside world, Richard did not earn much.

However, Richard is very clear that these two draft picks can exchange the Blazers for rookie players that far exceed Harrington's value.

2000 was a small year for the draft, but 2003 was a big year, and 2001 was not bad.

For example, with the Cavaliers' first-round pick in 2001, Richard could even select a high-quality player like Joe Johnson.

As for 2003, due to the protection of the top three in the first round, the Blazers probably won't be able to get it and can only get the Cavaliers' 2004 first-round pick.

But even so, the Cavaliers were still a lottery pick in 2004!

2004 is also a big year for the draft. This good draft pick may help the Trail Blazers get Iguodala, Al Jefferson or Josh Smith to strengthen the team.

Therefore, a loss is definitely not a loss.

…

After the deal was finalized, Richard told Harrington the news.

Harrington must be quite satisfied with this. Richard didn't lie to him and really traded him to a garbage team.

Garbage within garbage…

The Cavaliers currently have Kemp who is about to be scrapped and a rookie point guard Andre Miller. If Harrington joins, he will probably be treated like God by the Cavaliers management.

Want the right to take action? Come on, Kemp is finished anyway. Isn’t Andre Miller a point guard’s job just to pass the ball...

Want to show up? Give it, give it, as long as you can play, you can play forty-eight minutes in every game!

Harrington couldn't help but smile from ear to ear when he thought about his happy life in the future.

In such a team, if he works hard to collect data, he can definitely get a 20+8 data before the end of his rookie contract. Such data is enough for Harrington to get a maximum salary contract.

…

Harrington nodded happily, agreeing with Richard's operation.

In this case, because Harrington is under contract and the trading targets are draft picks, both parties have nothing to hide and directly disclose their trading plans.

Richard sent Harrington, and the Cavaliers offered two draft picks and a rookie player with one year left on his contract, and the deal was concluded.

The reason why the Cavaliers took out this player was mainly to balance the salary, and Richard didn't even think about it.

Anyway, the Trail Blazers are short of players, so they just use these cannon fodder players to make up the 13-man roster.

…

The news that the Trail Blazers sold Harrington caused a big sensation in the league.

As a defending team, any news about them can attract the attention of fans...

Although the Blazers fans were a little reluctant to sell Harrington, they also knew that Richard would not make a loss-making deal. The final beneficiary of this transaction would definitely be the Blazers.

…

The lottery has ended long ago, and the Trail Blazers have three draft picks in hand this year.

A first-round pick with the 29th overall pick, and two relatively low second-round picks.

It was only a few days before the draft started, and Richard finally sold the two second-round picks...

Two second-round picks were exchanged for one second-round pick from the 2001 Warriors.

The main reason is that this year's two second-round picks are of no use at all. Richard has decided to use their bottom first-round pick to select the golden left-hand Reed just to be safe.

…

In late June, the annual draft begins.

In this year's draft, the Trail Blazers were quite low-key. They only used the bottom pick in the first round to acquire a shooting guard who was 198 centimeters tall.

Michael Reed, a junior from Ohio State.

Richard's choice of Reed is actually quite surprising, mainly because Reed is a little less well-known and a little older...

According to Richard's usual selection characteristics, the players he wins in the first round are usually extremely young players.

Before the draft started, Reed was predicted by major media to be selected in the middle of the second round. Reed's name was not even included in some media prediction lists.

…

Now that Richard has selected this junior player, it means that this player is probably an underestimated player. Otherwise, Richard will definitely not take action.

When the draft is over, the Blazers often held trade conferences with other teams in previous years.

But this year they did not hold any press conference. Obviously, this year they are like 1997, without too much action.

Michael Reed is the Blazers' only gain in this year's draft.

…

For a time, the media from all sides were quite puzzled.

With Tracy McGrady leaving, doesn't it mean that the Trail Blazers lack point guards? ! Why did you choose a shooting guard of standard height now...

Could it be said that Germany has the potential to play point guard here? !

Many reporters have looked for video of Reid's college games. Through analysis, it seems that Reid does not have the ability to play point guard...

This is quite strange. Could it be that Richard is not planning to become a point guard? !

…

Of course, a point guard is needed. In fact, Richard is having a headache about the point guard right now.

If there is any reliable point guard in this draft, Richard will definitely be selected even if he pays a price.

But the problem now is that in this damn draft year, there isn't even a decent point guard.

In desperation, Richard now has no choice but to start looking for rookie point guards from other teams.

If there is only one point guard, Ginobili, that will definitely not work...

It's impossible to let Ginobili come on the court and beat him for forty-eight minutes every time!

Apart from Ginobili, there is no player on the Trail Blazers who can assume the point guard duties.

Mobley can't do it, and neither can old Curry!

So the most urgent task before Richard now is to find a reliable point guard.