Basketball trainer, I created a super giant

Chapter 450 Screw Shaq, I want Durant!

With the number one draft pick in hand, Ainge definitely can't miss this year's draft.

He's here right now, in the Celtics' draft office.

After selecting Bynum, he went to meet him and warmly welcomed him.

He also gave an interview to reporters, expressing his admiration for Bynum.

They said they were already extremely satisfied with him during the trial period.

However, when Angie returned to the office, his previous joy vanished, replaced by an extremely conflicted expression.

He still hasn't made up his mind to completely reject the trade with the Lakers.

Like I said before, that's Shaquille O'Neal after all.

"Danny."

A bald white man spoke.

His name is Mike Zarren, and he used to be a die-hard Celtics fan and season ticket holder.

But because of his passion, he worked hard to get into the Celtics' management team, starting as an unknown, unpaid intern.

Now, he is the general manager's assistant and Anji's most trusted confidant.

These days, he knows that Ainge has been struggling with this deal and hasn't made up his mind yet.

He waved his hand, signaling the others to leave first, and then said, "I think we should give up."

The draft is not over yet, so there is still an opportunity for trades.

When Ainge looked at him, Zaren continued, "If it were before, I think we could take a gamble. After all, that's Shaq. He could immediately turn us into a championship contender and also fulfill the owner's wishes."

In 02, the Celtics changed hands, with Wick Grosbeck acquiring the team for $3.6 million.

A new boss naturally wants a fresh start.

That is, to win the championship.

So Angie came along, and he's been working on it, but so far there's been no result.

This is one of the reasons why Ainge wanted to trade O'Neal.

Zaren continued, "But things are different now because of Kevin Durant."

"Danny, to Don, Andrew is just an ordinary, decent inside talent. Although he started training with Don early on, have you ever seen Don praise Andrew in public?"

"No, I think in Tang's mind, he's just an ordinary, talented player."

"But Kevin is different. Tang said directly that he wants to select the most talented player from all over the world and then work hard to develop him into the best player on the planet."

"So Kevin and Andrew's talents are not on the same level."

Angie is a smart man, and when Zaren said this, he understood somewhat and said, "You mean we should pursue Kevin."

Zaren nodded quickly.

"There's one more year, which is next year, and Kevin will be participating in the draft."

He's already been selected by Tang Sen and is training with him, so it's impossible for him to go to college. Therefore, Durant will definitely participate in the draft next year.

Zaren said, "This is what I think: Shaq is getting old, and his professional attitude has never been very good."

This is nothing new news.

Everyone in the league knows that O'Neal indulged himself during the offseason, spent the regular season recovering from injury, and then put in the effort again in the playoffs depending on the team's performance.

His steadily increasing weight speaks volumes.

"Even if we get Shaq, it will be difficult to control him. He may not accept the reality that he is too old and can only be the second-in-command."

Shaquille O'Neal's personality is so petty; unless you're at Kobe's level, it's hard to get him to back down.

Even now, Shaquille O'Neal doesn't fully acknowledge Kobe as the Lakers' leader.

They simply put the issue aside and stopped discussing it.

So, if he came to the Celtics, would he be content to be the second-in-command?

Pierce's personality is acceptable.

But what about the future?

If the Celtics pursue Durant, they will definitely have to build around the young Durant. Would O'Neal be willing to be Durant's sidekick, a high school kid?
He's already been through it once; it's no wonder he'd be willing to go through this.

"Not to mention that he only has a one-year contract, and it's still a question whether he'll be willing to renew it with us."

“So I really think Shaq isn’t a good fit for us.” Angie sighed. He knew about all the things Zaren mentioned and had considered them.

But I'm still conflicted.

After all, which general manager wouldn't be tempted by the opportunity to have a player of O'Neal's caliber?

Zarren continued, "My idea is that we'll tank for another season next year and then focus all our efforts on padding Andrew's stats."

"In other words, we need to be prepared for both possibilities. It would be best if we could draw the top scholar's lot."

It's not like there haven't been lucky players in the NBA who got the number one draft pick two years in a row.

“If we don’t get the pick, we’ll trade Andrew for the number one pick. Danny, you have to trust Don’s judgment. Since he picked Kevin, I think he really has the potential to become the next MJ.”

"We can't be like the Trail Blazers, can we?"

The Trail Blazers missing out on Jordan is definitely the biggest joke in NBA history.

Angie's expression changed slightly upon hearing this.

Hearing this, he understood what Zaren meant.

This year's number one draft pick, the equally talented Bynum, is being used as a stepping stone to challenge Durant next year.

If Durant has the ability to become the next Jordan, then the Celtics will have the cornerstone for the next decade.

And it has the potential to recreate the legend of TD Garden.

After thinking it over carefully with his arms crossed, Angie gritted his teeth and nodded.

Screw Shaq, I want Durant.

Just then, the phone rang.

It was Kupchak who called.

Clearly, the Lakers are also anxious.

Angie snorted and ignored him, instead dialing her boss's number.

He needs to discuss this decision with his boss and obtain his approval.

Everything went smoothly. Wick Grosbeck clearly believed in Townsend's vision and ability, and accepted the idea of ​​tanking for another year and then having Bynum pad his stats.

Meanwhile, the Lakers were unable to get through to Ainge by phone even after the draft was over.

"Fake!"

Jackson cursed bitterly, never expecting that one day he would be stuck with a star of O'Neal's caliber.

The problem is that it looks like it will continue to be stuck with us.

Trading Shaq would be a huge loss if he wasn't a top-tier talent.

But there will be another genius of that caliber next year, namely Durant.

If Zaren could think of pursuing Durant, how could Jackson not have?

Durant's position overlaps with Kobe's.

Jackson studied Durant and concluded that he was certainly talented, but he wasn't sure how his talent compared to Kobe's.

Even if Durant plays the small forward position, the wing-guard pairing has already proven that winning a championship is very difficult.

A combination of internal and external approaches is still better.

Most importantly, the Lakers are unlikely to tank for the number one draft pick.

So if they can't get Bynum or a better big man like Howard, they'll have to keep him.

However, if he stays, O'Neal's own problems are getting bigger and bigger.

Especially his weight; just thinking about it gave Jackson a headache.

After thinking for a while with his arms crossed, Jackson suddenly had an idea.

He suddenly looked up and gazed at Kupchak.

Kupchak was startled by Jackson's strange look, not understanding what it meant.

“Mickey, are you willing to make a sacrifice for the team?” Jackson suddenly asked.

These words made Kupchak's heart skip a beat again.

(End of this chapter)