The NBA has become a league of players having more say-so than ever. From star players joining forces to form “Big 3s” to players telling teams they’ll only play for a certain team if traded.
While the player empowerment is refreshing as its good to see players have more of a voice, the way the players are utilizing this new power at times borders on ridiculous.
For instance, what’s currently going on with Portland Trail Blazers superstar Damian Lillard and his quest to only play for the Miami Heat.
During a recent episode of his “Off Guard with Austin Rivers” podcast, the 11-year veteran and former No. 1 ranked high school player sounded off on this trend.
"If you were a free agent, then you could choose where you were gonna go… This started with James [Harden] and Ben [Simmons] and all these guys doing this sh*t. It's bad for the league."
In his remarks, Rivers blamed James Harden and Ben Simmons for being the trendsetters of this new way of thinking. He must have forgotten about Anthony Davis and Kawhi Leonard, just to name a few more.
“The NBA is a privilege. If you are a free agent, then you can choose where you go. Yhat’s the business. If you get traded somewhere, you have to go play,” Rivers stated. “That started with James and Ben and all these guys doing this sh*t. It’s bad for the league.”
“CBA is top-heavy,” Rivers added. “You either make $50 million or $2. It’s a scary dynamic when stars start acting like this, and I am not a fan of it.”
Rivers, who’s long been outspoken, and not always correct, really has a point this time. Unless you’re a free agent or have a no-trade clause you have absolutely no leverage in where you play next if traded.
The rules are in place for a reason.
But Lillard is insistent upon getting to Miami, and with no deal being reached three weeks after his trade request, some believe the Blazers may sit on it until training camp or longer. They do have that right, because Lillard signed that massive extension last offseason.
Hall Of Famer Gary Payton Believes Blazers Should Do Dame A Solid
On the other end of the spectrum is former NBA legend Gary “The Glove” Payton who piggybacked Matt Barnes’ opinion that the Blazers should move Lillard to his preferred destination because of his loyalty shown to them over the 11 years.
“Dame wants to play for Pat. I think it’s a good move for him,” Payton said. “Why not go ahead and let him be successful? And I think it’ll change the whole dynamic if he comes here to Miami. He’ll have more help with Butler. He’ll have another superstar to go with him, and he’ll have a hard-working basketball team,” Payton said via The Sun Sentinel newspaper.
Payton finished his plea by saying that he believes all players should chase championships. That’s what GP did when he joined the Lakers in 2004, losing in the Finals. But he got that elusive ring in 2006 with the Miami Heat and Pat Riley as coach. Maybe he believes Dame could do the same.
