Could he literally be saying "we tried" as in he was part of that effort? It's possible he is frustrated because he was part of the efforts and still nothing happened. Not having Olshey at the Allen meeting is a good point, but if Dame asked for the team not to trade Davis and to keep Stotts (things like that) wouldn't he be hindering Olshey's ability to make changes?
I think so but only to find out about specific players' personality traits to determine attitude and fit. For example, if Dame says don't trade for Jimmy Butler because he has attitude issues that would be bad for team chemistry, or do trade for Butler because he's exactly the kind of competitor we need, Paul Allen should listen.
First, as the GM, I'd want to know why. If I disagreed, I'd try to convince him, in the same way I'd have to convince the owner that it was a good move. Going against your franchise player would be tough. It would depend on how certain I was in my strategy for putting together the best team, and how strongly Dame was opposed, and for what reason. IOW: For me, there is no hard and fast rule. It's a team, you need cooperation between management and players, but ultimately it's management's call after weighing all the factors, including the wishes and reactions of your best player. I consult members of my staff regarding potential new hires, and I've even complied with a staff member's strong wishes on not hiring a particular person on one occasion (I wasn't going to hire him anyway, but she doesn't need to know that, haha). I always ask for input and other perspectives, but in no way does that mean staff has veto power over my decisions, and they know and accept that. I believe Dame also believes the GM and owner have the final say, and that he accepts that.
Agreed. It's also hard to imagine Dame's and Stotts' opinion of a top level player would differ substantially. Even more so after a discussion between the two. But, we would never hear about this if it were negative.
Interesting read for the history of a big deal and what is involved: http://www.nba.com/2011/news/features/david_aldridge/12/19/art-of-chris-paul-trade-to-clippers/ I don't think a big deal will be made this summer, but more likely at the deadline or next summer when some of the rooks have more value.
Listening to that again, a few things stand out that I think we overlooked when the press conference happened: 1. When asked about what was going to happen the rest of the summer, Neil immediately jumped to starting trade talks. Not one word was said about the TPE. That, in his mind, was only in play as a part of the draft. 2. It’s pretty clear that the decision to let Ed go was about getting more playing time for Zach and Biggie to grow as players. I think the big man spots are set. 3. The only spot he didn’t talk about with respect to current players was SF. It’s no surprise here, but if there’s a trade to come, that’s the spot to look for a change to be made.
https://nba.nbcsports.com/2018/08/0...-c-j-mccollum-were-keeping-the-core-together/ Trail Blazers president Neil Olshey on Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum: ‘We’re keeping the core together’ Long term, we have him for the next fours, which gives us a really good runway. We’re keeping the core together, knowing Dame and C.J. have at least three years left on their contracts. And we give that group the best chance to win without impeding our ability long-term in terms of being into a number that’s completely non-liquid.
