The rest is just noise

Chapter 301: Maximum pressure, extreme price increase

"Reed hates giving away first-round picks the most in his life. I'm afraid he won't agree to it, right?"

Tomjanovich, like Louis, came from Boston and knew Auerbach's likes and dislikes very well.

"The current situation does not allow them to refuse to agree." Louis said with a gloating smile, "Last year he did not agree to my deal with Phoenix, and this year he has to beg to make a deal with me. It is indeed a cycle of karma and retribution."

Jackson was confused when he heard it: "What karma?"

Tomjanovich told Jackson about the deal Louis negotiated last year but was unilaterally vetoed by Auerbach.

There are a number of reasons why Luigi decided to leave Celtic.

If you want to ask when he made up his mind, it was the moment Auerbach rejected him.

Being conservative and cautious is not a bad thing, it depends on the time.

Louis was the head coach of the Celtics at the time. He knew that Maxwell would break out sooner or later. In order to remove this sting, it was worth it even if he suffered some losses.

Besides, Larry Nance deserves it.

If that deal is negotiated, the Celtics' top six are Thomas, Long, Bird (SF/PF), Nance (SF/PF/C), Sampson (C/PF), Laimbeer

.

There are three swing wings among the six strongest players. This is the diversity of the lineup in the small ball era. It can truly play in any game in any era and deal with all opponents. No matter how the opponent moves, they have counterattacks.

, and a lineup without any dead spots.

The only problem is convincing Laimbeer to play sixth man.

Based on the relationship between Louis and Laimbeer, he believed that the success rate of this matter was much higher than that of Maxwell who had seen through the world and played the sixth man obediently.

To put it bluntly, the price Auerbach paid to keep those two almost useless first-round picks was to allow a team that could have won consecutive championships from 1984 to 1990 to be defeated by factors other than injuries.

possible.

While they were talking, another phone call came.

"Hello. Who is this?"

"Road, I'm Stu Inman."

Louis took the phone and asked casually: "Mr. Inman, do you have anything to do with me?"

"That's right, I hope to negotiate a deal with you."

"If you want to discuss a deal, you should call our general manager, right?"

"Lu, stop pretending to be confused, you know why I'm looking for you."

Louis behaved extremely simply, like a kind person who did not delay the other party: "I know why you are looking for me, you want Pat Cummings, right?"

"Um"

"It's a pity that it's too late. I've reached an agreement with Boston."

"Boston?" Inman asked, "What chips did they give?"

Louis smiled and said: "Mr. Inman, you should know the rules. I can't tell you the content of the transaction. I can only say that it is simply difficult to refuse."

"Lu, I have no doubts about your professionalism, but Boston is where you used to work, and you will prefer them in your heart. However, I'm afraid it's inappropriate to make a decision without even hearing our quotation.

"

Louis deliberately remained silent for a few seconds, as if reflecting.

"I'm not sure you can afford two or more draft picks."

Louis' words shocked Inman and he asked: "First-round pick?"

"Of course it's a first-round pick. Aren't second-round picks used to get rid of beggars?" Louis had long forgotten that Motta got him with a future All-Star + a second-round pick.

The Celtics' trading intention is the most obvious, they want to get rid of Maxwell.

The Knicks just happen to be able to provide a player of the same type as Maxwell, so even if the Celtics offer good players, they still have to pay more if they want to reach a deal.

Inman didn't expect the Celtics to hit him so hard.

He couldn't figure out for a while whether Louis was "fishing" or whether he had really received an offer from the Celtics.

After Inman, someone else called, and it was Chuck Daly from Detroit.

"I shouldn't be the last one to ask about the price, right?"

Daley didn't talk useless nonsense to Louis, he just got on with the topic.

"You are indeed the last one." Louis waited until he found the prey he really wanted.

He has no intention of helping the Celtics out of trouble unless they send away two first-rounders.

Louis doesn't want to make a deal with the Trail Blazers. They don't have many players on their team that Louis is interested in.

Although Louis wants draft picks, he also wants some young players who seem to have little use, but are actually influenced by the team and have performed poorly.

These people are scrap metal in their hands, but when the Knicks come, they might turn into gold.

If they become talented, maybe Louis can use them himself. If they don't work well, he can wait for them to show their worth before selling them.

Neither the Celtics nor the Trail Blazers have such a player.

The Pistons are the only team that desperately needs Cummings, has the young players he wants, and at the same time thinks he is only focused on draft picks.

"I want to know, what would it take for you to trade Pat Cummings?" Daley asked bluntly.

"How about this, I tell you the quotations of the other two teams?"

"Is this appropriate?"

"Of course, I won't tell you everything. I will only tell you some necessary information."

Louis said bluntly: "In addition to players, Boston also comes with a first-rounder and a second-rounder; Portland is only willing to give one first-rounder, so I kicked them out early."

"Chuck, if the chips you send are higher than Boston, we will make a deal."

"Sorry, I still have a phone call to answer."

After saying that, Louis hung up.

"My Jesus Christ, you don't have a word of truth!" The more Tomjanovich looked at Louis, the more he felt something was wrong.

Louis said shamelessly: "If you had seen Vanity Fair, you wouldn't say that."

"So what if you've seen it?"

"You will know that 'those who speak the truth will go to hell sooner or later'."

While they were chatting, a second call came from the Celtics.

"Lu, Cedric adds a first-round pick, what do you think?"

"It's too late, Mr. Jane, someone has a higher bid than you." Louis said bluntly: "Please tell Reed that his only chance is to increase his chips to two first rounds before I get the next call.

"

Volker was silent for more than ten seconds, and Louis knew that he was discussing with Auerbach.

Suddenly, another voice appeared.

Husky, powerful, with a bit of a temper, Louis had heard it countless times.

"Listen, kid, don't even think about two first-rounders, at most one first-rounder and one second-rounder!" Auerbach was sure that no one had a higher bid than him. "If you don't agree, we'll pull it down and hold on to it."

Let your Pat Cummings go moldy!”

Louis laughed, took a big sip of Coke, and burped before replying: "Reed, even if I can't sell Cummings this year, I can next year. If it doesn't work, I can keep him for my own use. You know he is

The kind of players who can play. But what about you? I don't know what's going to happen if you continue to let Cedric's foul mouth talk nonsense in the Garden locker room."

"Reed, I'm not in a hurry. If your bid doesn't satisfy me, then I can only wish you good luck."

"Wait!"

On the other end of the phone, Auerbach, who exerted extreme pressure, did not get the results he wanted.

He regained his composure and said: "You win, Lu."

"Don't dare, how could I possibly defeat you, Reed?"

"You are too humble. I want to break your neck now. You'd better not appear in front of me in the next few years!" Auerbach said with a little anger, "One price, one first round, two second rounds,

Give me a pleasant word!"

Louis couldn't help but laugh.

He really can't control himself.

"What do you think this old man wants? Just listen to me last year!" Louis forgot to hold down the phone, and all his complaints to Tomjanovich and Jackson came through.

"You bastard, don't gossip in front of me!"

When Louis heard Auerbach's thunderous roar, he actually felt a little guilty.

"Sourui, the old man I'm talking about is not you, but my assistant coach Phil Jackson. Do you know him? He is."

"Stop fucking nonsense! Do you agree or not?"

"Reed, I am very satisfied with your quotation, but you should also know that the highest bidder gets it. I admit that your quotation is the highest so far, but I also want to give other companies a chance." Louis paused.

, "Please wait for my call."

"One hour! If I don't receive your call within one hour, even if I shark Cedric and throw him into the Charles River, it won't be your turn!"

What he said made Louis want to see if Maxwell would be killed in an hour.

Louis hung up the phone, holding the Coke bottle in his hand, thinking seriously.

Auerbach indeed gave the theoretical best offer, Cummings for Maxwell + three draft picks, it was such a huge profit.

Louis increasingly felt the pleasure of watching Auerbach do his own thing.

"Lu, do you really not want to make a deal with Boston?" Even Tomjanovich found the bargaining chip offered by the Celtics difficult to refuse.

"No," Louis smiled broadly, "I changed my mind."

Tomjanovich saw Louis' eyebrows "out of control" for the first time in a long time. The more excited he laughed, the more wildly his eyebrows "danced".

Daley's second call came.

"Chuck, let me tell you the latest offer first." Louis seemed to be ending the back-and-forth bargaining war. "Boston has raised its chips to one first-rounder and two second-rounders."

After hearing Louis' words, Daley felt like a balloon on the other end of the phone.

"If what you say is true, we can't give you a higher price."

"Yes, I know you can't afford it." Louis paused and then said, "So I thought of a plan that has the best of both worlds. I wonder if you are interested in hearing about it?"