re: Pels going to try with AD, Meeting Tentatively set in May

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Putting yourself in THAT exact scenario. Get out of your fandom. How could you possibly blame him from wanting LA over NOLA

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At the time most people understood and accepted it. Then his agent started trying to strong arm the franchise so the fans naturally got defensive. They'll probably remain defensive unless Griff comes out and tells us everything's fine and Klutch isn't trying to screw us anymore.

So I'm supposed to put aside all the years of ineptitude with the Lakers organization for a few good weeks they had at the 4 seed? When the Pelicans actually advanced in the playoffs the season before?

I'm sorry AD got played by LeBron and his crew. The fact he(LeBron/espn) thought they could force him to LA even though the Pelicans wouldn't then and still won't now get anything worth AD back in a trade.

AD saw the easy way out and wanted to take it and the organization for one of the few moments in this city actually played it correctly and will end up better for it in the end.

People are optimists. I am sure you "put aside all the bad history" of the Pelicans when they swept the Blazers. I bet you would have been sold easily on, "We will take this, add X and Y and be a real contender for years to come!"

To blame AD for being sold an optimistic idea when his current situation was glib would be to do nothing more than call him a human being.

is NY or LA worth 50m more endorsements than he would get in NO? I don't think this is about the money.

Im sure AD's team has already positioned this to him. My guess is he will listen, good for him to listen, and decide to move on.

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Meeting Tentatively set in May

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I like our chances!

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I know nobody on this board will buy it, because I get how emotion and fandom work, but I truly do not believe that Rich Paul is just using AD as a pawn and only doing what is best for Lebron at the expense of what is best for AD.

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I agree with this fully, however what I also believe (perhaps blindly without as much insight as you) is that Rich Paul was ultimately doing what was best for Rich Paul. Doesn't Rich Paul get a % of all those extra endorsements and movie deals he can drum up for AD? If I am correct those alone could out weight the difference in the contract AD would be getting in NOLA vs LA. Perhaps I'm wrong and the agent/agency only gets a % of the "contract" but it sure seems like the get more than that/.

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But the thing that is best for Rich Paul is to build his business and get as many clients as possible. To have power after Lebron retires and no longer has sway.

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And he can't do this if he's shown to purposefully screwing clients for his benefit or the benefit of a single client like Lebron. Makes sense, fwiw i never blamed AD for his decision, cringed a little at how it went down, but agree that most fans can not get their heads wrapped around the business side of sports management because of their investment in that team or player.
I do hope Griffin can sell his brand of Pelicans basketball to AD.

i like tatum as a player (granted i'm the average casual nba fan) but i just don't see him ever being that elite level guy in the league.

Ok so here is my take.

(1) I assume this May meeting will take place after the draft lottery, so we have more information regarding our assets and those of other teams.

(2) As others have said, AD is not a bright guy. He doesn't have the practical business smarts like KD, Lebron, Steph, Harden, and other superstars. He acts on emotion and is averse to owning his actions.

(3) AD comes by it honest though. His pops seems devoid of all intelligence and is a huge influence on his decision making. Despite being a grown man, AD got too much money too early and has never matured. He still overly relies on his family for support in managing his career, but they aren't capable of giving logical advice.

(4) Because AD and his father can likely be influenced either way, the real trick is that Griff will have to convince Rich Paul that NOLA is a better option for AD from a winning and brand building perspective than BOS, LA, or NY. This will be a tall order.

(5) The organizational changes here are great, but those other markets/teams offer a lot more exposure and endorsement opportunities for a non-charismatic star like AD. They also offer an easier path to consistent post-season appearances and a greater ability to recruit others to join him. Not to mention the enhanced lifestyle and unlimited potential baby mommas.

(5) Regardless of the institutional changes put in place by Griff here, I think there is maybe a 5% chance Rich and AD agree to commit to a 5 year supermax. There is no guarantee of annual post-season success or the individual accolades which are absolutely necessary for brand building in this size market. Building out his brand is the entire reason AD hired Klutch.

(6) If Griff really wants to convince AD to stay, he needs to leverage his extensive media connections and present AD/Rich with a vision not just of the basketball side of staying in NOLA, but also the business side. He needs to convince them he will be able to open opportunities available in other big markets. He also probably needs the threat of sending AD to Toronto or some other less desirable market as a stick.

A superstar like Davis really doesn't need an agent for his NBA contract.

He need his agent to find commercial endorsements. Davis ain't looking to be spokesman for a furniture store on St Claude Ave

The best outcome would be a list of teams that AD is willingly to sign an extension. This will allow the Pels and Davis to move forward.

All these trades are fantasies without an extension. Just revisit what the Spurs received for Leonard to determine AD's market value.