A few years ago, when the Cavaliers were head- hunting for a general manager, resulting in the hiring of Danny Ferry, agent Warren LeGarie tried to pressure Nuggets owner E. Stanley Kroenke into giving lame duck general manager Kiki Vandeweghe a new contract at a sizeable salary spike.
Without his client’s knowledge, LeGarie asked Kroenke to allow Vandeweghe to interview for the Cavs’ opening. Though Vandeweghe, now the Nets’ general manager and interim coach, probably would not have gotten the new contract he wanted — Bret Bearup, Kroenke’s close friend, was killing him starkly — that leverage play undeniably doomed Vandeweghe in Denver.
It’s uncertain what Kroenke disdained more, being blatantly squeezed or the thought of the team’s top executive publicly seeking service elsewhere. One way or the other, despite the fact that Vandeweghe decided against meeting with Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert, the damage could not be undone. At season’s end, Kiki was a free agent, a fancy term for being unemployed.
Not that it affected LeGarie’s lavish lifestyle. Considering Vandeweghe was blindsided by a power play that boomeranged, I could not quite comprehend why he continued to retain the agent.
“Warren was just trying to help me,” Vandeweghe rationalized.
Naturally, those who have dealt with the awfully fluent, commendably cunning LeGarie know better. He believes unconditionally that you have got to have at least two conflicts of interest to be successful. His cup runneth over in that regard.
Many of his coaching (Mike D’Antoni, the Thunder’s Scott Brooks, Kurt Rambis of the Timberwolves) and decision-making (Vandeweghe, Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo, Sixers GM Ed Stefanski) customers are strewn throughout the NBA.
Some clients (Chris Wallace) hire other clients (Lionel Hollins) after another client (Marc Iavaroni) was paid to leave the Grizzlies.
Some clients (Kim Hughes and Neil Olshey) replace another client (Mike Dunleavy) in Clippers management, one job at a time, at least temporarily, as LeGarie queues other clients to succeed them, just in case.
“You’re right,” yet another client concurs. “Warren will campaign for Kim and Neil . . . unless he can get another client in there.”
That can be rewarding if you’re the client-of-the-day that LeGarie is selling. Or it can be detrimental to your career if he recklessly pushes his luck and bullies the wrong billionaire purely to show how slick he is and/or to test his juice quotient.
Fact is — I hate to be the one to break this to Vandeweghe — LeGarie actually is in the business of financially helping himself, though that probably finishes a distant second in magnitude to massaging his megalomania.
That brings us to LeGarie’s latest failed exploitation attempt. Earlier this week, Blazers assistant GM Tom Penn was abruptly dismissed. Sources say GM Kevin Pritchard’s months also are numbered despite his playoff-bound team’s 42-28 record.
Both are represented by you know who. So what’s the story? Same old, same old.
Last summer, LeGarie tried pulling the same stunt on Blazers owner Paul Allen that he tried on Kroenke. The Timberwolves needed a GM and Penn, at Prichard’s urging, was given the OK to interview for the position. Evidently, it was his for the taking, only not for nearly the money (can you say “gross exaggeration?”).
LeGarie relayed this message to team president Larry Miller, and the Blazers fell for it. After they extended Penn’s contract, LeGarie pushed the envelope further by attempting to get the relatively underpaid ($800G) Pritchard a new contract. For some strange reason, Allen’s group felt manipulated . . . and didn’t hide its displeasure.
For the last couple of months, LeGarie has been maneuvering under the cover of darkness to pinpoint a destination for Pritchard next season.
I’m not saying Miller hoped to hit upon an excuse to sack Penn over what went down, but apparently a recent argument between the two got especially unpleasant. Someone had to go.
From what I can gather, Pritchard’s in trouble on a number of fronts, one being the aforementioned perceived conspiracy orchestrated by LeGarie. Sources say Allen was upset he was unaware that Rudy Fernandez (through his agent) demanded a trade before the Feb. 22 deadline. Spanish newspapers ran his dissatis faction about playing time, but, when confronted by the Portland media, Fer nandez had the luxury of claiming something had been lost in translation.
Additionally, I’m in formed Allen’s people feel Pritchard did not represent the Blazers aggressively enough in contract negotiations with Brandon Roy. When talks dragged on, Pritchard allegedly sold out superiors to the local media, contending they were responsible, which was true. Miller was not in favor of giving Roy, who has knee issues, a fourth guaranteed year.
Though it’s impossible not to imagine Nuggets VP Mark Warkentien trying to slip back into the picture in Portland, where he worked under Bob Whitsitt, nobody should be mildly surprised this summer when Miller assumes general manager duties.
As for Pritchard, no doubt LeGarie has him lined up for the Clippers’ general manager post should Olshey be let down gently. I don’t see that happening. Team president Andy Roeser is calling the shots and Olshey is totally beholden to him, though it was Dunleavy who brought him to Los Angeles. They have no need to bring in someone strong-willed like Pritchard who wants to get paid big and might see things a different way.
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In the Rockets’ past five games, Luis Scola (15.7 points and 8.9 rebounds overall) averaged 25 and 10. How many guys can get you those numbers as the third option? That’s what his representative will be asking teams this summer when his client becomes a restricted free agent.
Who says Derrick Rose is the most valuable Bull? Before a 96-84 win over the Sixers last night, they lost 10 games in a row after Joakim Noah (10.7 points, 11.4 rebounds and 1.6 blocks) went on injured reserve with plantar fasciitis. The Bucks, meanwhile, have won 14 of 16 since acquiring John Salmons (17.3 points and 3.2 assists) from Chicago, and the Bobcats won nine of 15 after obtaining Tyrus Thomas (11 and 7 in 25 minutes).
I knew the seasons had officially changed when the Nets adjusted their motto to “Now is the Spring of Our Discontent.”