Recap of 5/24 Kevin Pritchard Chat

Getting right to the meat and potatoes:

• Pritchard actually found out that they had gotten the number 1 pick prior to the announcement.  There’s a room in the back with a  bunch of NBA executives who witness the pulling of the numbers, so he saw it happen.
• “Don’t read into any inflection...don’t read anything into anything.  We’re going to keep an open mind about these two individuals; no decision has been made yet.”
• What attracted Pritchard to Brandon Roy last year?  That he spoke about always wanting to put his teammates first.  This was immensely important to Pritchard.
• He was asked about the “Portland acquiring another pick to select Mike Conley, Jr” rumor, and all Pritchard would cop to is that he’ll always be aggressive.  (Personally, I don’t see this happening — but whatever.)  “I don’t plan on picking up the phone to make the #1 pick and then going to sleep for the rest of the draft.”
• On Zach Randolph: “Will either of these players that we will pick, you can simulate in your mind how they fit in with Zach, and Brandon...” etc.  “If anyone isn’t on board with what we’re trying to build, I have no problem moving players, or finding players, or finding new places for players.”
• What about Portland’s issue of all of their young talent wanting huge contracts in a few years?  “As long as Paul Allen is our owner, money will not be an issue and we won’t be losing anyone.”