"Twenty-four hours after the pick goes from No. 8 to No. 1, I go over to [Hornets GM] Dell Demps," Olshey said. "I said, 'I don't want to offend you, but if the time comes when you find yourself in the same position Denver did with Carmelo [Anthony], I think we have more assets to transition an organization than anybody else. Please let me be your first phone call.'""I was just blown away by how invested [Paul] was about our assets, our style of play, the pieces he would want once he arrived, what he would want to see us retain in terms of draft picks and cap flexibility," Olshey said. "You would've thought I was interviewing an assistant GM."What Olshey didn't say, but agents and other executives around the league have, is that he has a knack for internal salesmanship, for making a man like Sterling feel like an idea was his all along.
"If you don't have the trust of ownership, it's over," said one agent. "Neil, for the time being, has that trust.""The thing that's most important to me and all of us is that we want players who want to be here," Olshey said. "Not 'They ended up here,' or 'They came here to get paid,' or 'I can get numbers there and then I'll move on.' What's important is that this is their destination. They want to be here. And I think we've finally turned the corner."
Kevin Arnovitz, ESPN Los Angeles
It's a long read, but worth it. It's a narrative of Olshey's humble beginnings to earning respect as an executive in the league.
