If they signed the contract, then why not? Maybe these players should sign shorter or more flexible contracts. Why do you think they don't do this? It's because they want to guarantee that money money. With your employment contract, do you do to your employer and tell them you're not willing to take a pay cut, you don't want to work with them anymore, you want them to send you to a specific organization and you don't want to re-negotiate this contract. In the process, you tell them you will not extend your contract if you go to a new company which you don't like. It's really insane. These guys are spoilt. What if teams decided to put clauses in their contract which ban them from joining competitors upon termination? Seriously, I don't blame the players for taking advantage of what they are being allowed to take advantage of. But at the same time, I don't feel sorry for them. They need to honor the contract. I hope the new CBA levels out the playing field, ensuring that there is an economic hit to the player (as there is to the franchise) when they decide they want to switch teams before the contract expires.
I think it's wrong to compare those guys to the LeBron and Melo's of the world. Those guys may never leave OKC and CHI, but they're on their rookie contract after all. LeBron and Carmelo played 7 years for one team too you know...
Maybe. Durant has actually signed an extension already, and it went completely under the radar. Following Durant since his Texas days, he's as humble as they come, and it doesn't look like the NBA has changed him a bit (and I hate seeing him in the state of Oklahoma!) I included Rose because he seemed completely uninterested in the "Super Friends" game last summer. Maybe that just makes him dumb (show a little bit more humility, and you might have DWade or LeBron playing with you instead of Boozer?), but I took it that he's a guy who wants to win by building with guys around him, and not throwing his weight around. Edit: I should also add -- there's nothing wrong with leaving in free agency. But leaking rumors of where you plan to go 1.5 years ahead of time is poor taste. The only superstar I can remember who did it particularly well was Grant Hill -- it wasn't about a show, and he didn't try and force his way onto a particular team.
Have you never watched an NBA draft? No one really gets to choose where they are headed, unless you're a huge-ass crybaby punk. I have a feeling you would be all for the draft being cancelled; that way those players you love so much can choose their own team. Who wants to be drafted by the Wizards anyway?? LET FREEDOM RING!!!
The only way to really stop this is make it unprofitable for them. Star players have their salary capped at such a low level. A team can sign 3 star players, if they agree to slightly below max salary. If the max salary is raised to 50% of capspace and eliminate the exceptions, it would spread out star players. Teams would switch to 1 star and maybe 2 fringe stars like the Spurs. They would be forced to draft intelligently for cheap undervalued talent and shrewd FA signings.
Back in the day the NFL had no free agency, which meant players, unless traded, were forced to play their whole career on the the same team. Obviously the player union won't ever agree to something like that, which probably is good, because some organizations really suck, but it's crazy how spoiled some of those guys are. They're getting treated like kings starting all the way back in high school. Those guys get paid millions to play basketball. I don't blame them for abusing a broken system, but it never cease to amaze me what some of them seem to feel entitled to.
Spoiler [rQUOTEr]UPDATE: According to Ken Berger of CBS Sports via a source, "Williams began informing close associates after last season that if Stoudemire wound up in New York, Williams would follow him there as a free agent in 2012." So it's possible a new Big Three of Williams, Carmelo Anthony (should he get traded to the Knicks this week) and Stoudemire could happen, though the new collective bargaining agreement's salary cap and salary structure could make such inclusion of these three on the Knicks' roster a challenge. There's been speculation that Deron Williams' frustrations in Utah could ultimately lead to him opting for free agency in the summer of 2012. And here's another wrinkle to that story, according to Brian T. Smith of the Salt Lake Tribune on Friday. "Jazz's Williams said it's hard to get free agents to come to Salt Lake City," Smith tweeted. "He has actively recruited players in past. But 'no tampering.'" Of course, this doesn't mean for certain Williams will bolt or that the Jazz will be unable to acquire a player of note in the future. But if he's encountering obstacles in attracting talent to Utah, it's yet another reason why Williams' future with the Jazz is up in the air at the moment[/rquoter] From when Sloan resigned or stepped down, story on what it means for Williams' future: Spoiler [rQUOTEr]The news that Jerry Sloan was resigning as coach of the Utah Jazz after 23 years of service came as a shock to most of the league on Thursday. "It's a blow to Utah. It's a blow to the NBA," one longtime GM told ESPN.com. "In so many ways, Jerry Sloan was the Utah Jazz. Without him, the team will struggle to find a new identity." The Jazz will begin rebuilding that new identity under new head coach Ty Corbin. But the bigger question surrounds the future of star point guard Deron Williams. According to sources, as reported by ESPN.com's Marc Stein, Sloan's resignation stemmed from a disagreement between Sloan and Williams during Wednesday night's game versus the Bulls. ... A source close to the team confirmed to ESPN.com that Williams has been unhappy in Utah for a while. He has butted heads with Sloan and has disagreed with management on trades. And while the Jazz have exceeded the luxury tax threshold for several seasons, Williams believed the team wasn't willing to spend the money to do whatever it would take to win. So the question arises: With Williams having a player option for the 2012-13 season, meaning that under the current league rules he could leave in 2012, are the Jazz in danger of losing him, too? One source close to the Jazz said the team is worried Williams could walk in the summer of 2012. A number of big-market teams, including the New York Knicks, Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets and New Jersey Nets (who are slated to begin playing in Brooklyn in 2012) may have the salary-cap space to acquire Williams. Obviously, Utah would be devastated if Williams were to leave. So, what can the Jazz do to mitigate the potential damage? The team really has three choices: 1. Persuade Williams to stay The Jazz would like to convince Williams that his best chance to win a championship is in Utah. With Sloan resigning -- in part because of a deteriorating relationship with his point guard -- Williams becomes the Jazz. Losing both Sloan and Williams could be a disaster for the team, so the Jazz will likely bend over backward to prevent Williams from jumping ship, too. With Sloan out of the picture, you can expect the Jazz will be proactive at the trade deadline in an attempt to improve the team. Utah does have valuable assets with which to make a deal. Andrei Kirilenko's expiring contract along with several young players, including C.J. Miles and 2010 lottery pick Gordon Hayward, could be enticing to teams. If the Jazz could bring in veterans who help them win now -- they have needs at both the 2 and the 3 -- perhaps Williams could be persuaded to stay. But there's a risk involved with trying to build a contender overnight. Both the Cleveland Cavaliers and Toronto Raptors took a similar approach to convince LeBron James and Chris Bosh to stay, respectively. In both cases, it backfired. The changes were insufficient, both players left, and the Cavs and Raptors were stuck with players they didn't want and without the assets they used to get them. Another factor might come into play as well: As we learn more about the situation in Utah, there may also be concerns about Williams' role in Sloan's departure. Everyone from the owner to GM Kevin O'Connor had a deep respect for Sloan. His resignation will be seen from within the organization as a catastrophe. If Williams was behind it, he may lose the support of the organization. 2. Trade him now If the Jazz are convinced that Williams wants to bolt, regardless of the changes they make, or if they've grown tired of Williams, they could get proactive and try to trade him before the Feb. 24 trade deadline. Usually, O'Connor is one of the league's most conservative GMs. But he's also a realist. He doesn't want to be in the same situation that the Cavs and Raptors endured. If the Jazz wait, and Williams remains unhappy, the team might lose most of its leverage in a trade -- just ask the Denver Nuggets as they deal with Carmelo Anthony. As one of the top three point guards in the league, the 26-year-old Williams would draw plenty of interest. To start with, all the teams mentioned most prominently in the Melo pursuit -- the Knicks, Nets, Mavs, Rockets and Lakers -- would be interested, and most or perhaps all of those teams would have a good shot at signing Williams to a new contract. In particular, the Knicks, according to sources, have Williams as a top priority, ahead of even Anthony and Chris Paul. New York could offer players such as Raymond Felton, Danilo Gallinari and Landry Fields, but the Jazz would likely hear better offers. The Nets could offer Devin Harris, Derrick Favors and multiple first-round picks for Williams, as they did in the Anthony trade discussions. The Lakers could offer Andrew Bynum. The Rockets could offer a combo of Kevin Martin, Aaron Brooks, young players and picks. And though the Mavericks' lack of young assets could hurt their pursuit of Williams, owner Mark Cuban has often found a way to make a deal. One sleeper would be the Golden State Warriors, who might be willing to offer Stephen Curry, lottery pick Ekpe Udoh and multiple first-round picks to pair Williams and Monta Ellis in the backcourt. While perhaps none of the offers would be "equal value" per se for Williams, all of them would be better than the alternative of losing him for nothing. 3. Wait The third option may be the riskiest: Do nothing for now. With a potential lockout and a new collective bargaining agreement coming, the new NBA rules could strengthen Utah's hand. We don't know yet how the rules will change, but it's conceivable that the new CBA will help teams keep their own free agents. As I reported a few weeks ago, some owners are pushing for an NFL-style franchise tag that would allow teams to keep their best free agent each year. ... After seeing several top-tier players, including their own Carlos Boozer, leave smaller-market teams for the opportunity to team up with other stars, the Jazz may not be willing to wait. ...[/rQUOTEr]
Get rid of the draft and salary cap. Sit back and watch the NBA become the Knicks-Boston-Lakers-Nets Basketball Association (KBLNBA) Win.
Why? Melo, Bron, and Bosh all re-signed with their teams after their rookie contracts. We will see what Durant and Rose does in about 6 or 7 years.
I think Rose isn't going anywhere, the Bulls are a marquee team and no reason for him to move anywhere else. Notice, no one wants to form a super team in Milwaukee, Sac Town or Minnesota but Chicago has ALWAYS been in the discussion for big names. Durant will be interesting because OKC isn't a big market or has any kind of history. He has said and done ALL the right things up to this point but there will be a time when the big market teams will come calling. Gut-feeling is he is different and will help build that franchise and as long as he is there, others may want to follow.
Really ? I know more people who have stopped watching NBA ball over the past few years because of the way stars are treated on the court than you could imagine. I know mant who have turned away from the NBA because of the Miami's , Boston's and LA's of the world too .... Just ask yourself this - how many NY Yankee's games have you watched in the last few years ? Or do you do just change the channel every time they are on or mentioned on ESPN .... I change the channel. This isnt good for the NBA. They will likely give teams some sort of franchise tag ....with limitations to allow players to eventually move. Sure , NY , LA and Miami are thrilled .... what about the fans in the other 27 cities around the country ? They are alienated to the point of tuning out.
