I'm not sure what to make of this ...
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=58775
Strange move by Suns
By Scott Bordow, Tribune Columnist
February 9, 2006
A conversation with Suns owner Robert Sarver Wednesday:
“Robert, I’d like to talk to you about Bryan Colangelo.” “You’ll have to talk to Bryan.”
“But you’re the owner. Why did you grant Bryan permission to talk to the Toronto Raptors about their general manager job?”
“I’m not going to comment.”
“Why? Are there issues between you and Bryan?”
“Look, if I answer one question, it leads to another and another. I don’t want to go there.”
“But you wouldn’t even comment when (Tribune reporter) Jerry Brown asked you about the job Bryan’s done.”
“He’s done a great job. There are no issues between Bryan and I.”
Right. It takes an owner two days and persistent questioning before he compliments his team president, who’s the reigning NBA executive of the year, and everything is hunky-dory?
I don’t think so.
It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what has transpired between Sarver and Colangelo, in part because questions about their relationship are treated like a live hand grenade. Even normally loquacious team officials turn into Sgt.
Schultz — “I know nothing!”
But if there were no issues between the two men, as Sarver asserts, why grant Colangelo permission to talk to the Raptors?
By any measure, Colangelo has grown into a terrific general manager. He drafted Amaré Stoudemire, signed Steve Nash and put together the team that reached the Western Conference finals last year.
He is highly regarded in NBA circles and he wants to stay in Phoenix, so it would have made perfect sense had Sarver told the Raptors to buzz off.
Yet, ESPN reported on Sunday that Sarver gave Colangelo the go-ahead to talk to Toronto, and no one in the Suns organization has disputed the report.
Colangelo declined comment Wednesday and praised Sarver,
saying, “Robert’s been terrific. I’ve been very fortunate to have the opportunity to be here.”
In light of recent events, however, the question is how long he’ll be here.
Colangelo’s contract expires after the 2006-07 season. The Suns should be working on an extension. Instead, Sarver pushes him in Toronto’s direction.
Curious. And alarming.
Could Sarver possibly underestimate Colangelo’s importance to the organization?
Who does he think rebuilt the club after he botched the Joe Johnson negotiations — twice?
Who does he think signed Raja Bell and Eddie House, acquired Boris Diaw and James Jones and stocked the franchise with first-round draft picks?
Here’s a more disturbing thought: Does Sarver think this is easy? Buy the Suns, sign Nash, win 60 games and show a profit. Heck, anybody could do the job.
Let’s not forget that when Sarver bought the Suns in June 2004, he brought in former University of Arizona and NBA guard Steve Kerr as a minority owner and adviser. The two men had become friends, and it was speculated then that Kerr might take over for Colangelo some day.
Now, there’s no evidence that Sarver is holding the door open for Kerr while giving Colangelo a not-sogentle shove. But you don’t need to be a bloodhound to smell something strange in the air. Sarver could have quashed the ESPN story in a second by saying Colangelo was staying put. He didn’t. He could have reaffirmed his commitment to Colangelo after the questions started coming. He didn’t.
And there never would have been a story had Sarver said no to the Raptors. It’s crazy to think Colangelo could be on his way out. But then, it was crazy to let him talk to Toronto, too.
