Page 67 of ClickBack

He moves on without celebrating the concession. I appreciate that more than anything they could have said about my career.

The general manager waits until we finish discussing minutes before bringing up the contract.

“One guaranteed season, then your option,” he says. “We understand it. We also need to know whether you can imagine being here beyond that.”

“I can imagine it. I’m not promising an extension today.”

“We’re being asked to give up a lot.”

“So am I.”

Cam looks up from his notes. Nobody in the room pretends I said something unreasonable.

I turn back to the coach. “This is how you see me in February, too?”

“You start. You organize the defense. We play through you when the matchup calls for it.” He sits back. “If you want twenty-five touches every night whether the game asks for them or not, this is the wrong room.”

“I don’t.”

“We know.”

I look at the screen again. There are things in this plan I would want to argue through. There are things I want to try. I had hoped for an easy reason to say no, and they have spent the morning taking it away from me.

“Keep working with Cam,” I tell the general manager. “I’m interested. That’s what I can give you today.”

At lunch, Cam puts his folder beside his plate.

“That was the strongest pitch you’ve had.”

“It was good.”

“You sound disappointed.”

“I’d have an easier decision if it was bad.”

He smiles at that, then opens the folder. I recognize the page because I looked at it in the car without being ready to care about the details. Now I turn it toward me.

“What happens if I don’t promise the option year?”

“They price their offer for one season. Philadelphia decides whether that return is enough.”

“And San Antonio?”

“Needs to improve its package.”

“How much?”

He tells me what he knows and separates it from what he thinks. We have done this for years. When he guesses, he says so. When he has an answer I will dislike, he gives it to me before I can build a preference around a false one.

“Basketball fit there is good,” he says. “You’re right about that. This one is good, too. You saw it.”

“I saw it.”

“Then tell me which conversations you want kept open.”

“Both.”

He makes a note.