David Stern: "Dell Demps is a lousy general manager"

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“I didn’t do a great job of explaining it at the time,” Stern told the publication in the profile posted Wednesday (Oct. 24). “There was a trade that Dell Demps wanted us to approve and I said heck no, but he had told (Rockets GM) Daryl Morey and (then Lakers GM) Mitch Kupchak he had authority to do it and he didn’t. I said no. We just settled a lockout and you want me to approve a basketball trade?”

He continued: “(Demps) had agreed to (trade Paul to the Lakers for) Kevin Martin and Luis Scola or something, and I said we can do better than that.... And the next trade was (to the Clippers for) Eric Gordon and Al-Farouq Aminu and what we thought was a really great draft pick, the 10th pick, which turned out to be Austin Rivers. At least those three and someone else (center Chris Kaman).

“But Dell Demps is a lousy general manager and none of those players are currently with the team anymore, and he may lose Anthony Davis."

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https://www.nola.com/pelicans/2018/1...l-manager.html

What's this, A hit piece on the Pels GM in the middle of our most successful start in almost a decade?

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Wow! This doesn't even seem like it could be true for a former Commissioner to talk down about a current GM. As much as I've taken exception to Demps moves calling him lousy just seems classless. I didn't agree with his vision but at least he had one.

Wow

Well, he was right. Luckily, Demps grew and learned to be a good GM. He made a lot of bad deals and move. After the Boogie... I would say it would be hard pressed to find a better GM.. I really believe that he learned to finally build a team.

Cousins move wasn't too hot either.......we got burned on that one too. I honestly don't think Cousins ever had any
intentions of staying here even before the injury.

Demps is still a mid tier GM. He has as many misses as he does hits.

The only guy from the trade I'd still have on the team is Aminu. Stern needs to STFU

So, Boogie who was set for the supermax with a Godawful Sacramento team and was by all accounts going to take it, would have passed on a max deal with a Pelicans team that probably would have taken him to his first playoff series?

If Boogie doesn't get injured we would have had a different looking team but still would have gone after Niko, gotten him, and likely would have made the playoffs. We would have offered Boogie a max contract this season and there is little doubt to me that he would have taken it. What other even remotely decent team would have made a run? The Lakers and Mavs would have been the only suitors and I doubt he chooses them over us.

The injury makes you think we lost the trade but you do that trade 10 times out of 10 and Dell pulled it off. The fact that we rebounded and look as good as we do now speaks to Dell's ability to take advantage of the opportunities that presented themselves. You can dislike his direction or risks but don't think the Boogie trade wasn't a smart move in hindsight because of a freak injury.

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Originally Posted by Fraunpetri

So, Boogie who was set for the supermax with a Godawful Sacramento team and was by all accounts going to take it, would have passed on a max deal with a Pelicans team that probably would have taken him to his first playoff series?

If Boogie doesn't get injured we would have had a different looking team but still would have gone after Niko, gotten him, and likely would have made the playoffs. We would have offered Boogie a max contract this season and there is little doubt to me that he would have taken it. What other even remotely decent team would have made a run? The Lakers and Mavs would have been the only suitors and I doubt he chooses them over us.

The injury makes you think we lost the trade but you do that trade 10 times out of 10 and Dell pulled it off. The fact that we rebounded and look as good as we do now speaks to Dell's ability to take advantage of the opportunities that presented themselves. You can dislike his direction or risks but don't think the Boogie trade wasn't a smart move in hindsight because of a freak injury.

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No intelligent person would think the trade failed because Boogie went down, that's moon logic

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Originally Posted by AusPel

No intelligent person would think the trade failed because Boogie went down, that's moon logic

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Even If we had hindsight. t Buddy Heild is a solid bench player. I don't think he has more value than Boogie gave us for a year and a half.

i did like that lakers trade for cp3 because odom and scola was good at that time and it would have added depth to our team....the clippers trade got us AD so in hindsight stern was right about a better trade to tank lol...

now saying that bs about demps may lose AD is just them piling up the AD going somewhere else train smh....

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Originally Posted by Taker597

Even If we had hindsight. t Buddy Heild is a solid bench player. I don't think he has more value than Boogie gave us for a year and a half.

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I am glad you are not our GM.

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also the pelicans are 3-0 beating a good clippers team and david stern calling demps a bad GM is the only pelican news we are hearing about lol....

LMFAO.

"Gotta bring those Pels back to Earth!" - Media

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Originally Posted by Fraunpetri

I am glad you are not our GM.

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Jamal Murray was always a better prospect. So, we are lucky we flipped a soon to be 25 year old prospect for Boogie. Never should of drafted him before Murray..

the only question I have is why? not just why now but why ever? stern was good for the game but this is just small

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Originally Posted by wnelson

the only question I have is why? not just why now but why ever? stern was good for the game but this is just small

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Agreed. What would motivate him to so publicly run down a GM like that? Because he was embarrassed by the result of the Chris Paul trade?

Such a poorly timed shot at Demps. It’s obviously agenda driven (I wouldn’t be surprised if he was talked into this by the talking heads). If he had said this after the Asik and Hill deabacles, I would be inclined to agree. He has shown that he is capable of taking the next step now that the Pelicans have more pull with players. What it really boils down to is that David Stern is a colassal narcissist. ‘He saved the franchise’ in his own mind and Dell ruined everything that he worked so hard to accomplish here. It’s sour grapes from Stern now that Dell has managed to build a pretty good looking team- without the players Stern ‘brought in’

Paul Pierce obviously had him on the phone like "quick, please say something so that I'm not the biggest Pels hater in the world anymore"

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Originally Posted by da ThRONe

Wow! This doesn't even seem like it could be true for a former Commissioner to talk down about a current GM. As much as I've taken exception to Demps moves calling him lousy just seems classless. I didn't agree with his vision but at least he had one.

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As someone who has to deal with people in the corporate world, it's not that strange.

I've learned that it's quite ok to be completely classless towards certain types of people, becuase there will be no repercussions. I've seen it too many times. Very strange and odd behavior, but I'm not shocked.

Almost too classy for me... https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...5528894a2c.jpg

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Originally Posted by Mythrol

Almost too classy for me... https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...5528894a2c.jpg

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for real!

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Originally Posted by Mythrol

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nice and nasty ...i like it lol

Damn. What a classless thing to say. Even ESPN is picking up this story...


David Stern: Pelicans GM Dell Demps a 'lousy general manager'

It is apparent to me that Demps knew what he wanted (Gentry) but was handed Monty, Asik was here mainly because AD wasn't ready and didn't want to play the 5. He still doesn't, but now he seems ok since Nico and JR share the job with him. The decisions that get made now are by committee, Demps has been great these last few years. He did more then enough to keep Boogie, and was able to get a more then average replacement in JR for less then half the 20 and 20 he offered injured Boogie last season. I didn't like Demps but now I think he is a bit better then middle of pack GM. Stern is a jerk and classless fool for making this comment. He probably solidified Demp's job here because the Benson family/organization has a history of taking care of their own.

If we extend Demps contract I will believe the organization. Until then the only guy with security is Gentry (his contract runs out after the 20-21 season).

....................

(me still waiting for Gordon to do something positive for us)

Seriously. Both trades were lousy in hindsight.

And the Boogie move was an AMAZING rabbit out of the hat deal. Injury changed it all.

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Originally Posted by UNO Gracias

If we extend Demps contract I will believe the organization. Until then the only guy with security is Gentry (his contract runs out after the 20-21 season).

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He did get his contract extended, this summer. I just don't know if they announced the terms ever.

Did they extend Demps? I know that they extended Gentry, but I am looking for the Demps extension and can’t find it.

Basically just made this ONE gm's job harder as soon as this franchise starts to lose. His name will be linked to this now with every player.

It's like Stern tried to save the franchise years ago, now through lack of class and childish stupidity, he's trying to **** it as long as Demps is here.

I don’t think Stern added any more pressure to Demps than Demps put on himself. Stern isn’t saying anything many Pels fans weren’t already saying. In the end, the NBA is just so damn petty right now.

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Originally Posted by UNO Gracias

Did they extend Demps? I know that they extended Gentry, but I am looking for the Demps extension and can’t find it.

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Yes they extended Demps before Gentry.

Well I mean we know he had to get a new contract because last year was his last year on the old one and he's still here. Lol.

I don't think the terms were ever disclosed. I think someone asked him about his contract during either the season ending press conference or the sometime in the summer and his response was basically he's happy to be here and continue building on the work he's done.

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Originally Posted by UNO Gracias

I don’t think Stern added any more pressure to Demps than Demps put on himself. Stern isn’t saying anything many Pels fans weren’t already saying. In the end, the NBA is just so damn petty right now.

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I don't think he made Demps job harder either as in the front office saw this and was like, "wait this is what he thought of Dell? We need to reevaluate." I think it was just a class-less thing to do especially from the former commissioner.

Where I do think it makes Demps job harder is now its in the news and can be used as a black mark by people trying to sees doubt in players heads and of course the media who desperately wants AD out of here.

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Originally Posted by Mythrol

I don't think he made Demps job harder either as in the front office saw this and was like, "wait this is what he thought of Dell? We need to reevaluate." I think it was just a class-less thing to do especially from the former commissioner.

Where I do think it makes Demps job harder is now its in the news and can be used as a black mark by people trying to sees doubt in players heads and of course the media who desperately wants AD out of here.

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Yeah I'm not talking about the front office immediately thinking they need to re-evaluate him in light of these comments.

I'm talking about down the road when it's time to go after free agents and players immediately think, this is the guy that was called a "lousy manager."

It will no doubt make Demps job harder just from a psychological standpoint.

And no, everyone didn't think the same thing as that idiot. I sure as hell never did. Honestly this team now is "young vets" 2.0. That's how Dell has chosen to build a team and so far it looks very good.

I am happy with our record, and most of Demps moves as of late, but what’s the saying, “The Devil knows more from being old, than from being the devil”. Demps has gotten better with age, but he still has a ways to go before he hops out from the middle of the pack. He is still learning from years of mistakes, so credit to him for doing that, but our success is more about AD being amazing than Demps being a good GM.

And NBA players don’t need the media to tell them when Donald Sterling is their last option. These guys know the situation before they head to a sit down with a team.

So Stern is taking credit for approving moves that put us into the NBA draft lottery where we lucked into Anthony Davis? He wants credit for making us suck? Sit down and shut up old man.

Stern is just an angry old man. He didn't even get the details of the trade correct in the article. Apparently, he has always been an a-hole and has gotten worse in his old age. The "he may lose AD" comment is what makes me upset. A former commissioner to say this is classless and idiotic.

Wait, so we go with Demps trade (and there are rumors that the trade wasn’t the final form, a subsequent trade would have been made after) and where are we? We aren’t in the lottery (so good bye AD), and we aren’t in the NBA Finals (we’re probably barely a playoff team). We would have been in purgatory. I don’t credit Stern with getting us AD, but his plan sure made AD landing here more can’t miss than Demps’ prospective win now moves.

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Originally Posted by UNO Gracias

Wait, so we go with Demps trade (and there are rumors that the trade wasn’t the final form, a subsequent trade would have been made after) and where are we? We aren’t in the lottery (so good bye AD), and we aren’t in the NBA Finals (we’re probably barely a playoff team). We would have been in purgatory. I don’t credit Stern with getting us AD, but his plan sure made AD landing here more can’t miss than Demps’ prospective win now moves.

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If your argument is that the Stern trade got us AD and the Demps trade wouldn't have, then you're agreeing that the Demps trade was better. In no world is Gordon/Kaman/Aminu/#10 better than Dragic/Odom/Scola/Martin/#16. Personally, at the time I wanted the Clips trade (wanted Bledsoe too) and I'm happy we were bad enough to get AD, but just imagine if we'd have gotten the #2 pick and MKG...we'd still be terrible.

in other news,,the rockets are trying to get jimmy butler by offering 4 future 1st round picks.....will they get him?

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Originally Posted by 6warddude

in other news,,the rockets are trying to get jimmy butler by offering 4 future 1st round picks.....will they get him?

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I saw that. If they can help Minny move Dieng to a 3rd team in the deal, I am not sure Minny can turn that down.

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Originally Posted by 6warddude

in other news,,the rockets are trying to get jimmy butler by offering 4 future 1st round picks.....will they get him?

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Dell Demps would be eviscerated if he made this offer. Morey will probably get GM of the year if this goes through.

Morey is the smartest dummy in the NBA.

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Originally Posted by Mythrol

Dell Demps would be eviscerated if he made this offer. Morey will probably get GM of the year if this goes through.

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lol...man if demps would offer a deal like that, the only hang up on our end are the 21 and 22 year picks...those picks are after AD new contract or if he would still be a pelican....

if AD wants to leave,,how would we get our 21 and 22 year 1st round picks back?...

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Originally Posted by PELICANSFAN

I saw that. If they can help Minny move Dieng to a 3rd team in the deal, I am not sure Minny can turn that down.

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Depends who is ultimately making that decision for Sota...Thibs has no interest in 1st round picks.

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Originally Posted by ml wave

Depends who is ultimately making that decision for Sota...Thibs has no interest in 1st round picks.

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Yeah, I don't think he is ultimately going to make the decision. I suspect Taylor will. However, I saw that MM seems to think some of those "1st round picks" are actually options to swap 1st rounders and not true 1st round picks.

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Originally Posted by PELICANSFAN

Yeah, I don't think he is ultimately going to make the decision. I suspect Taylor will. However, I saw that MM seems to think some of those "1st round picks" are actually options to swap 1st rounders and not true 1st round picks.

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It was also Houston dumping some players on Minnesota. So really it was like, 2 1st to take bad contracts and 2 (expected late) 1st for Butler.

It just doesn't have the same sound as "Houston offers 4 1st for Butler".