Bishop of the Devil

"Let's go, Li, what are you waiting for?"

"There will be a flight back to Washington in two hours. I'll find someone to book your ticket right now!"

Jordan is really crazy about it...

Richard looked at it strangely. He didn't know if he should add a fifth condition, that is, he would not go to Jordan's team...

In fact, speaking of it, joining the Wizards is indeed a pretty good choice, mainly because the Wizards won the No. 1 pick in this year's lottery.

It was the No. 1 pick that Jordan used to sign Kwame Brown.

If Richard joins the Wizards, without Jordan being involved in the draft, he can get Pau Gasol or Joe alone...

However, since Richard has decided to take Yao Ming, the big increase is actually not very useful. It is a waste to use the No. 1 pick to make a big increase.

As for selecting Joe Johnson, Richard also feels it is a bit of a waste.

Besides, there's no telling whether Jordan will get involved in the draft. You know, this guy absolutely favors Kwame Brown.

Looking at Kwame Brown makes me feel closer than looking at my own son...

This may also be a matter of love and hate. Kwame Brown did not meet Jordan's requirements and directly drove Jordan crazy.

If he were an ordinary player, Jordan wouldn't be so harsh.

…

As soon as these four conditions were stated, many teams sighed, they were completely out of luck.

Pat Riley of the Heat originally wanted to stay here to see if things would turn around.

But when I heard that Richard wanted to hold three positions simultaneously, I immediately rolled my eyes.

Is this guy a devil? He has done these three positions, so what do I do? Become a stadium cleaner? !

Most of the team owners and executives sighed and left...

Mark Cuban's balls hurt very much. He had just bought the Mavericks, so he definitely couldn't fire Nelson. That would be too heartless.

Moreover, the Mavericks are also a Western Conference team and do not meet the conditions of an Eastern Conference team...

Under such circumstances, Cuban could only leave sadly.

In the end, there were five teams left in the field, the Washington Wizards, New Jersey Nets, Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons.

These five teams basically meet Richard's requirements, and now they are all praying that luck will befall them.

The Nets just fired Larry Brown a few days ago, not because of Richard, but because of the irreconcilable conflict between him and Marbury.

Marbury told the management that he would either trade himself or fire Larry Brown and let the management make a choice.

The result is naturally not difficult to guess. The miserable Larry Brown is unemployed again...

This unemployment is so great that it may basically spell the end of Larry Brown's coaching career.

At least in the NBA, it's completely over.

It's not that his coaching ability is not good, nor is it because he has not led the team to achieve any good results in recent years. What really killed him was his ability to deal with the relationship with the players on the team.

The Pacers had a heated argument with Reggie Miller before, and now they can't coexist with Marbury. Which team would dare to risk signing Larry Brown.

He’s not a super coach like Richard…

…

Richard is not very interested in the Washington Wizards, so only four of these five teams are left.

"Why don't you go back first? There are only five teams left to choose from!"

"I can't run away, I have to find a job in the league..."

Jordan and others immediately waved their hands and said no.

"We'll wait for you to make a decision in Portland. If it doesn't work today, then we'll have to wait until tomorrow. Anyway, if you don't make a decision for a day, we won't leave for a day!"

Others had similar thoughts to Jordan. They came here to take Richard back.

Once they get Richard to join them, they will get rid of their status as a weakling!

"Well, you can do it yourself, I have to think about this matter carefully!"

"I'll give you an answer before the end of tomorrow!"

Richard said with a frown.

He really has to think carefully about this matter. This is not a game of playing house. If he doesn't choose well, Richard will be very passive when the time comes.

…

After Jordan and others left, Richard finally became clean.

Sitting in the office, Richard frowned and began to think.

The Wizards were eliminated, leaving the Nets, Cavaliers, Hawks and Pistons.

Among them, the Cavaliers team can basically be ruled out...

In order to get Harrington, they gave away the team's two first-round picks in the next three years, namely the first-round picks in 2001 and 2003...

Although it will not affect Richard's selection of Yao Ming in 2002, it is still difficult for Richard to accept the loss of two first-round picks at the beginning, which is almost equivalent to the loss of two All-Star players.

The Eagles don't have any issues with draft picks, but they have Fat Tou Tuo in their hands right now.

It makes Richard a little bit unbearable...

Fat Tou Tuo's contract is still for many years. In Richard's opinion, this guy is a cancer. He can't do good things when he leads rookie teammates. If the tragedy of Billups happens to Yao Ming, then Richard will There is really no place to cry.

As for the Nets, they actually have such a problem. There are cancers in the team, and the Nets' salary space is currently locked...

The maximum-salary contracts of Marbury and Keith Van Horn still have several years to come to an end, and Richard feels a little shortchanged...

Looking at it this way, excluding the Wizards, Hawks, Nets and Cavaliers, it seems that the only one suitable for Richard is the Pistons.

Several teams are in roughly the same situation right now, but the Pistons have their own unique advantages.

The first is salary space, which is quite sufficient.

With Grant Hill poached by the Magic, the highest-paid player on the Pistons this season is Stackhouse's annual salary of over five million.

Although Richard doesn't like Stackhouse very much, it doesn't mean that other teams don't like him.

Averaged 29.8 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists per game, but with such data, he only has an annual salary of 5 million. In the eyes of other teams, this is simply a piece of cake...

You must know that in the season that just ended, Stackhouse was third in the scoring list, second only to Iverson and Kobe!

As for Iverson and Kobe, both players have a maximum salary of more than 10 million, which is more than twice as expensive as Stackhouse.

There are still some players who don't have enough salary space and lack defenders, and they are eager to join Stackhouse.

Stackhouse's transaction value is quite good. Although his strength is not great, the data is there and it is not expensive. It can be easily exchanged for good bargaining chips.

…

Excluding Stackhouse, the Pistons currently have no famous players.

It can't be said that, there is also Joe Smith who is famous, but at the moment he is also outclassed by everyone, and he earns an annual salary of more than 2 million in the Pistons.

Otherwise it's blank, blanker than a blank sheet of paper...

This is just the right time for Richard to show off his talents!

The Pistons' current foundation is really poor, but it is precisely because of such a poor foundation that Richard's ability can truly be demonstrated!

Moreover, Richard also likes the historical style of the Pistons team.

There are the Bad Boy Pistons to the east and the Portland Gangsters to the west.

The only thing that made Richard a little unhappy was that the Pistons traded Grant Hill with the Magic in exchange for a bunch of stinky tomatoes and rotten eggs!

In exchange for Atkins and Geon Clark!

Under normal history, Hill was exchanged for Atkins and Ben. However, the Magic definitely did not have Ben. Instead, they got the super center Clark who was "hand-picked" by Richard.

If he were to handle this deal by himself, Richard would definitely not want any players but draft picks.

In this way, you can still make a difference in this year's draft!

At the moment, the Pistons only have two draft picks on hand, one is the ninth pick they just drew, and the other is the 37th overall pick in the second round.

A bit embarrassing...

This No. 9 pick is neither high nor low, but it is a bit difficult to use.

The No. 9 pick cannot accommodate Sister-in-Law and Singles Joe. It would be a waste to sign Elvis Presley. After all, Elvis Presley was selected at the bottom of the first round...

Therefore, Richard will probably have to trade this first-round pick by then.

As for the second-round pick, under normal history, the Pistons would have gotten Memit Okur. This choice is almost like picking up a fish that slipped through the net.

The peak Okur can also average 18+9 per game, and has a good three-point ability. Regardless of his mediocre defense, Okur is actually a pretty good player.

Even if his defense is mediocre, Okur is fierce enough on the defensive end...

It's a pity that under normal circumstances, Larry Brown came to the Pistons and sold Okur directly to the Jazz.

Otherwise, the talent of that Pistons team is really terrifying...

But if you think about it carefully, if Okur had not been sold, he might not have been able to play under Larry Brown.

…

Of course, in addition to the above reasons, the Pistons actually have another attraction that attracts Richard.

That was the second pick in 2003...

In the trade between the Grizzlies and the Pistons for Thorpe in 1997, the Grizzlies and the Pistons agreed that in the next six years, that is, in the six-year draft from 1998 to 2003, the Grizzlies can give the Pistons a draft pick in any year. The second to the 18th overall pick.

It sounds a bit convoluted...

The general meaning is that from 1998 to 2003, the Grizzlies could hand over their 2-18th pick to the Pistons every year, which was their bargaining chip to trade Thorpe.

It's roughly similar to a kind of draft pick protection...

It's just that their protection method is quite different, and it is different from the top three protection, top five protection, and lottery protection that other teams trade with each other.

As a result, from the beginning of 1998 to this year's 2001 draft, the Grizzlies' draft picks were all very high. In the first three years, they were all second picks...

This makes the Grizzlies reluctant to give it to the Pistons.

They want to try their luck. Maybe they will be the 15th or 18th pick next year? In that case, giving it to the Pistons wouldn't be considered a loss...

As a result, this collision was terrible, and it directly collided with 2003. Although they were in the sixth position in 2001 this year, they had their favorite players and were reluctant to give them away...

Wait until next year in 2002, and the same will be true for their fourth pick.

In 2003, they got the second pick again. This time the Grizzlies were dumbfounded and couldn't even think about giving it...

Just like that, the Pistons got an extra second pick for no reason, and their luck was incredible.

…

If history does not change, it is unlikely to change. The Grizzlies are still the biggest fish in the West and will be difficult to turn over.

When Richard joined the Pistons, it was like the Platinum Generation in 2003. He could get the second pick without doing anything. This was simply a blessing.

With so many favorable conditions, Richard would be sorry for himself if he didn't go to the Pistons.

"It looks like the Pistons are the only option!"

Richard made up his mind that his final choice would be the Detroit Pistons.

…

Early the next morning, Richard contacted the other four teams and told them his decision. After all, it was not appropriate to waste money on others.

When Jordan learned the news, he was stunned...

Richard is playing with himself? !

You agreed to join the Wizards, but suddenly changed your mind and joined the Pistons? !

If Richard knew that Jordan thought this way, he would probably be quite innocent. When did he say he wanted to go to the Wizards...

I didn’t consider the Wizards from the beginning, okay?

As for the Nets, Hawks and Cavaliers, they can only sigh secretly. They are not the lucky team, and there is nothing they can do about it.

They are now envious of the Pistons' good fortune...

That's Richard. They have every reason to believe that the Pistons will rise in a short time!

Even if the Pistons win the championship directly next season, they probably won't be too surprised...

…

The Pistons also had their own boss, William Bill Davidson, take action this time.

The Pistons are a team with a long history. Davidson was not the first boss of the Pistons. The first boss was named Zollner. He was a crazier boss than Cuban and did many earth-shattering things. …

For example, invite a referee to be the head coach of your team.

For example, taking his girlfriend to sit on the team's bench and watch the game.

For example, if a 24-year-old player in the team is appointed as the head coach, the player and coach will be the only one in history...

After Davidson took over the Pistons, because of his relatively stable, introverted, low-key and steady personality, this may have also affected the Pistons' style of play.

In terms of assets, he is considered to be in the upper reaches of the NBA bosses, and his asset status is similar to that of Mark Cuban.

In addition to the Pistons, there are many other sports clubs under his name.

…

Richard didn't have a detailed chat with Davidson, and agreed to meet him in Detroit half a month later.

At present, Richard is still planning to finish the work on the Trail Blazers first.

Apart from anything else, at least after I leave, I have to recommend a successor head coach to the Trail Blazers...

Richard directly recommended Zhang Weiping to Paul Allen.

Zhang Weiping has been with the Trail Blazers for many years and has a good understanding of the situation of the players in front of the Trail Blazers.

In addition, his ability to deal with players is quite good, and he gets along well with his players. Whether it is Ben or O'Neill, they all have a good impression of this funny and humorous middle-aged man.

Paul Allen agreed without saying a word. If it were another coach, he might not be at ease.

It is not uncommon for championship teams to collapse due to disagreements between generals.

Now with Zhang Weiping, at least we don’t have to worry about the generals being at odds with each other...

As for ability, Zhang Weiping's ability to adapt to changes is definitely not as good as Richard's, but now that the Trail Blazers lineup has been fixed, they just need to follow the route drawn by Richard and continue on.

Taken together, Zhang Weiping may be the best head coach candidate.

Of course, Stevens is actually good, but he is still too young and is still not as experienced as Zhang Weiping in dealing with some difficult things.

…

"I feel so exhausted. Why did I suddenly become the head coach? I was not mentally prepared at all..." Zhang Weiping sat in Richard's office and expressed his bitterness.

Richard was speechless. Did Mr. Zhang still behave well after getting an advantage? !

You must know that the salary offered by Paul Allen to Zhang Weiping is 3 million per year. It may not be much compared to Richard's annual salary, but it is still higher than the average coach.

There are currently at least ten coaches in the league whose annual salary is around US$2 million!

"Teacher Zhang, how about I tell Paul and let Stevens do this work?" Richard asked with a chuckle.

"Oh, don't bother..."

"Wouldn't I be a fool if I didn't do such a beautiful job?" Zhang Weiping laughed and said.

"You are going to Detroit in a few days. Please tell me what you have to say next..."

"To tell you the truth, I'm a little confused right now. I really don't know what to do next." Zhang Weiping said with another wry smile.

Richard nodded: "Nothing difficult, just a draft and an offseason trade!"

"In the draft, I will provide you with two candidates. It's up to you to choose. One is post Zach Randolph, and the other is point guard Tony Parker!"

"Both of them, with the draft picks our Blazers have, they definitely can't be selected..."

"But we still have the Cavaliers' first-round pick on hand, so it shouldn't be a problem to pick one."

"But don't worry, it's best to sell Nowitzki and Ginobili in exchange for more chips. What you want to change depends on how you, the head coach, want to build the lineup next. Got it!"

Richard smiled and told his plan, which made Zhang Weiping stunned for a while.

Good guy, before Richard left the team, he actually thought about who to pick in the draft for the Trail Blazers? !

Zhang Weiping immediately took a small notebook and wrote down the names of Zach Randolph and Parker.

However, he is quite puzzled. He can understand the trade of Nowitzki. After all, Nowitzki's contract is one year old. If he does not trade, after this season, he will be wasted like Kobe.

Can Ginobili be traded?

Shouldn't we trade another Lewis who has a contract year?

"What do you mean by trading Ginobili?" Zhang Weiping asked curiously.

Richard really can't explain this to Zhang Weiping...

The reason why Ginobili can have such strong offensive and defensive strength now is because he is bound to Beverley!

When Richard goes to the Pistons next season, he will definitely have to change the bound players...

By then, Ginobili's defensive ability will decline, so it would be better to take advantage of his high transaction value and sell him first to get more chips for the team.

Anyway, you have to sell it sooner or later...

As for not selling Lewis, the main reason is that his transaction value is not very high. Even if he were to trade, he would not be able to get a very good bargaining chip. It would be better to keep it for his own use, just to replace Nowitzki's position.

Richard waved his hand, not prepared to answer Zhang Weiping's question about Ginobili.

The path itself has been drawn out for the Trail Blazers...

Richard didn't even need to name Zach Randolph and Parker.

The main reason is that Richard feels guilty about the Blazers and now wants to make up for the Blazers.

If the Blazers don't follow their own path, there's nothing Richard can do.

You’ve done what you need to do, and it’s enough to have a clear conscience!