Jason Jones on Vlade Divac (excerpt from The Athletic)

#61
Except for the fact “I had a better offer on the table yesterday” or whatever it was he said. :p
actually that was not a counterpoint to the diminishing trade value, its in support of it. Not saying whether is true or not, but what Vlade was saying there is that they did not wait for a trade deadline to make a deal because they felt the offers were likely to become worse as the deadline approached. the better offer 2 days ago was not available any more, and the new offer from Pelicans, in their mind, was the best they will get (as they were going to get worse and worse as deadline approached (in thier mind))
 
#62
actually that was not a counterpoint to the diminishing trade value, its in support of it. Not saying whether is true or not, but what Vlade was saying there is that they did not wait for a trade deadline to make a deal because they felt the offers were likely to become worse as the deadline approached. the better offer 2 days ago was not available any more, and the new offer from Pelicans, in their mind, was the best they will get (as they were going to get worse and worse as deadline approached (in thier mind))
But, for those who believe Vlade is the worst GM of all time, then it’s easy to interpret what Vlade said as an admission of failure (and a promise of more failure to come).
 

SLAB

Hall of Famer
#63
But, for those who believe Vlade is the worst GM of all time, then it’s easy to interpret what Vlade said as an admission of failure (and a promise of more failure to come).
I’m just glad he made up for it by nailing the most important draft pick in franchise history.
 

VF21

Super Moderator Emeritus
SME
#64
I’m just glad he made up for it by nailing the most important draft pick in franchise history.
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Definition: an idiom that means a particular effort is a waste of time as there will be no outcome, such as in the example of flogging a dead horse, which will not cause it to feel pain or anything else.

I shared the article by Jason Jones because most fans want to look to the present/future. You and a few others insist on always bringing up the Doncic issue as though if you talk about it enough they just might redo the draft. It's not gonna happen.

And BTW? Most important draft pick in franchise history? Oscar Robertson - 1960 - Cincinnati Royals.
 
#65
Except for the fact “I had a better offer on the table yesterday” or whatever it was he said. :p
I thought everyone agreed that was when Cousins agent botched the deal on purpose by stating his client would not sign with that team. Vlade had contacted the agent in confidence and of course the agent called the team which botched the deal. The other team reneged thus the better offer was gone. Boogie and his agent were pissed at that point because no max offer:(
 
#67
Except for the fact “I had a better offer on the table yesterday” or whatever it was he said. :p
Found it:

Ric Bucher: Source: better deal for Cousins 2 days’ earlier Vlade Divac referenced was from NO. Boogie’s reps scared NO, NO switched ’19 1st to ’17 2nd.

– via NBC Sports

“I had a better deal two days ago,” Kings general manager Vlade Divac said. Um, what? Divac made Sacramento look foolish with that quote, but according to a league source, the problem was more poor communication with the media — something Divac is no stranger to — than terrible trading. According to the source, the potential trade partner made an offer only to pull it once Cousins’ camp threatened the star center wouldn’t re-sign in 2018. Cousins’ agent, Jarinn Akana, publicly said before the New Orleans deal was consummated that it was “highly unlikely” Cousins would re-sign with any team that trades for him.

Link to it all--> https://hoopshype.com/storyline/demarcus-cousins-trade/
 
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#68
via Sacramento Bee

Cousins, frankly, scares the hell out of people. Four weeks ago, one highly regarded Western Conference executive told me the Kings would be lucky to get two quality players in return. Two weeks later, an Eastern Conference GM said he appreciated Cousins’ talent but wouldn’t touch the player, let alone a long-term extension. Another GM suggested Cousins needed to be paired with an alpha male, then noted that few of the elite teams possess what Divac coveted: young players and draft choices. That left about a handful of potential partners. The Orlando Magic refused to part with any of their promising youth. The Lakers reportedly declined to include draft picks. The Phoenix Suns shook their heads at swapping Devin Booker. The Boston Celtics, who are laden with picks, never entered the conversation. That left the Pelicans, who turned their attention in recent days from Philadelphia’s Jahlil Okafor to Cousins, a former Kentucky Wildcat and friend of Pelicans power forward Anthony Davis.
 
#72
I will bite. Was it Zion Williamson.
Instead, I believe we selected Frank Mason III with the second round pick in 2017
Whoops....everyone makes mistakes.
But missing out on Luca is just unbelievable.
Yes Zion, but as Capt. pointed out it would have been top 3 protected in 2017. So no Zion for Sactown either way.