Milwaukee Bucks 38-39 Presser
Posted: Sat Dec 12, 2020 10:33 am
Greetings NEWBS (no, not you jlmarines and whoever the Trailblazers GM is this week)
Last year, I think the playoffs broke something in me. We were on pace to be one of the best iterations of this team in franchise history. And then De'Aaron Fox got hurt. And then we lost in game 7 to the Nets thanks to a "SHOOTERS GOTTA SHOOT" game from Joshua Mitchell. It broke me worse than acquiring a PS5 is breaking @false9's spirits. I didn't know where to go or what to do. I considered resigning from my position and stepping away from basketball operations. I don't think I could ever build a team as well built as the one we had last season. But it was the end of that era.
So after some time, I collect myself and put on my thinking cap. Some moves needed to be made because we were facing a very expensive future if we had stayed the course. Thus, Ja Morant had to unfortunately be shopped. It was difficult because Ja came in a few seasons ago and really helped to elevate this team to a new level. Moving on from him was incredibly difficult. But you know what else was incredibly difficult... the market for him. His salary wasn't cheap but it definitely was reflective of the impact he has on the court as a player and leader. We finally found a taker in Indianapolis who was looking to upgrade their point guard position ahead of a Diakite payday, and there was already existing tape on those two playing together on the court. So we pulled the trigger and were able to bring back John Blakemore in return, who came out of training camp looking phenomenal. Best wishes to Morant and the Pacers in their upcoming season... always a consummate pro when it comes to GM relationships and negotiations....
On the other side of that coin of consummate pro in GM relationship maintenance and negotiations, we have the Ferguson Olney situation. We fully intended to bring Olney back, even at a max level. He had been a key piece of our team off the bench and is a valuable player. However, after the results of RFA came trickling in, I knew that things were going to be difficult when I saw who Olney chose over us. We considered the max match still, but having moved Morant, matching a max would severely limit the roster flexibility for UFA.. so we had to weigh all options. We don't fault Ferg for chasing money, even though the team he chose generates 4 points per season towards their bank. They offered him priority dollars for a non-priority role. I don't blame Ferguson at all. I just wish the GM would conduct negotiations in a more good faith method, like the Indianapolis Pacers GM. Best wishes again to the Pacers.
Now, onto UFA! Despite the frustration and disappointment in Fox's injury history, we brought him back on a supermax. He's that kind of special. Maybe with all that money he can invest in a hyperbaric chamber or something to help with his health and wellness. We also brought back Brian Grinder, Thomas Navarro, Cliff Paugh, and Joseph Kish. However, before signing all those fellas, we snuck in Colby Lopez, to help shore up some of the lost depth from Olney's departure.
All-in-all, we once again have high expectations for this team. It is now Fox and Pastor's time to shine. GO BUCKS
Last year, I think the playoffs broke something in me. We were on pace to be one of the best iterations of this team in franchise history. And then De'Aaron Fox got hurt. And then we lost in game 7 to the Nets thanks to a "SHOOTERS GOTTA SHOOT" game from Joshua Mitchell. It broke me worse than acquiring a PS5 is breaking @false9's spirits. I didn't know where to go or what to do. I considered resigning from my position and stepping away from basketball operations. I don't think I could ever build a team as well built as the one we had last season. But it was the end of that era.
So after some time, I collect myself and put on my thinking cap. Some moves needed to be made because we were facing a very expensive future if we had stayed the course. Thus, Ja Morant had to unfortunately be shopped. It was difficult because Ja came in a few seasons ago and really helped to elevate this team to a new level. Moving on from him was incredibly difficult. But you know what else was incredibly difficult... the market for him. His salary wasn't cheap but it definitely was reflective of the impact he has on the court as a player and leader. We finally found a taker in Indianapolis who was looking to upgrade their point guard position ahead of a Diakite payday, and there was already existing tape on those two playing together on the court. So we pulled the trigger and were able to bring back John Blakemore in return, who came out of training camp looking phenomenal. Best wishes to Morant and the Pacers in their upcoming season... always a consummate pro when it comes to GM relationships and negotiations....
On the other side of that coin of consummate pro in GM relationship maintenance and negotiations, we have the Ferguson Olney situation. We fully intended to bring Olney back, even at a max level. He had been a key piece of our team off the bench and is a valuable player. However, after the results of RFA came trickling in, I knew that things were going to be difficult when I saw who Olney chose over us. We considered the max match still, but having moved Morant, matching a max would severely limit the roster flexibility for UFA.. so we had to weigh all options. We don't fault Ferg for chasing money, even though the team he chose generates 4 points per season towards their bank. They offered him priority dollars for a non-priority role. I don't blame Ferguson at all. I just wish the GM would conduct negotiations in a more good faith method, like the Indianapolis Pacers GM. Best wishes again to the Pacers.
Now, onto UFA! Despite the frustration and disappointment in Fox's injury history, we brought him back on a supermax. He's that kind of special. Maybe with all that money he can invest in a hyperbaric chamber or something to help with his health and wellness. We also brought back Brian Grinder, Thomas Navarro, Cliff Paugh, and Joseph Kish. However, before signing all those fellas, we snuck in Colby Lopez, to help shore up some of the lost depth from Olney's departure.
All-in-all, we once again have high expectations for this team. It is now Fox and Pastor's time to shine. GO BUCKS