Poll: The State of The League

[Shaolin Fantastic]

Shaolin you seem really hung up on the plight of blake griffin. Poor poor Blake who got traded to the hell that is Detroit.

• Griffin is in the midst of a five-year, $171 million contract that he signed in 2017. The deal is fully guaranteed and runs through 2021-22.
• Griffin co-owns a production company with the NFL's Matt Kalil. Multiple projects are in the works, including a "White Men Can't Jump" reboot.

What a shitty life. Only 171 million to have to fucking play basketball in Detroit Michigan. Where he has a mansion with a pool and a personal driver and chef and assistant and I'm assuming, smokin hot wife.

will retire around 38, can move back to LA, wealthy, and can do his comedy and movies and sign autographs or do commentary or coach or fuck it just sit on a beach. He can really do whatever he wants.

but poor poor blake griffin. Has to spend approximately 4 months a year in, again, wait for the horrors...A MANSION IN SUBURBAN MICHIGAN

the plight of blake Griffin is frankly devastating and I cant believe the world charities dont do more to help these relocated athletes

I'm not hung up on any specific player's plight I'm just using a recent example.

Nice detailed strawman though, continue making non-arguments, Keon, as usual.

[Shaolin Fantastic]

Don't most players get a trade kicker too? At least the big max guys do right? Something like 5%.. so they actually get a huge bonus for being traded. That's pretty cool no? Or you don't think that's enough?

Don't most teams get assets back in the trade too? At least when they trade the big name players right? Something like, picks and prospects... so they actually get a bonus for trading the player. That's pretty cool no? Or you don't think that's enough?

Again. Hypocrisy. Continue.

[planetmars]

Don't most teams get assets back in the trade too? At least when they trade the big name players right? Something like, picks and prospects... so they actually get a bonus for trading the player. That's pretty cool no? Or you don't think that's enough?

Again. Hypocrisy. Continue.

I think its a great return if done right. I mean if the player wants to go to team X.. and only team X.. and no other team is offering any deals.. and team X has crap assets.. than yeah the return can be ugly. But the player gets his 5%.

You keep mentioning hypocrisy though.. I understand that.. still feel for the teams over the players though. Because it hurts the Raptors (until it doesn't).

[Shredder]

When it happens earlier the team can get even more back in the trade because the receiving team has the player locked in for longer. It gives them more possible suitors as well.

Hypothetically.

Also that is if, like George, they do it privately.

When a player demands a trade they typically have a reduced number of teams they want to go to, which diminishes the return you get. See Derozan for Kawhi.

Therein lies another difference. I don't think anyone would have faulted a guy like Davis, or Cousins, or Beal, or Kemba or any decent player that says, this team can't win, the management staff sucks, we haven't won in forever, I want traded, anywhere but here. Not I want to be traded to only one of these 3 teams.

OKC got a haul because they knew Kawhi was only going if George did. If Kawhi signs with Clips first and then George requests a trade to the Clips the Thunder do not get the same return. Even though his contract length is still the same.

Pelicans got a haul because Lebron is playing with father time, and that the new Pelican's staff is superior to the Lakers.

[Shaolin Fantastic]

Hypothetically.

Also that is if, like George, they do it privately.

When a player demands a trade they typically have a reduced number of teams they want to go to, which diminishes the return you get. See Derozan for Kawhi.

Therein lies another difference. I don't think anyone would have faulted a guy like Davis, or Cousins, or Beal, or Kemba or any decent player that says, this team can't win, the management staff sucks, we haven't won in forever, I want traded, anywhere but here. Not I want to be traded to only one of these 3 teams.

OKC got a haul because they knew Kawhi was only going if George did. If Kawhi signs with Clips first and then George requests a trade to the Clips the Thunder do not get the same return. Even though his contract length is still the same.

Pelicans got a haul because Lebron is playing with father time, and that the new Pelican's staff is superior to the Lakers.

So basically teams that can adequately and smartly use their leverage when a player requests a trade can get a good return?

Don't see an issue there. If you're a fucking stupid team and get ripped off trading your star, that's on you. Masai absolutely fucking fleeced the Knicks when he traded Melo even though he only wanted to be in New York.

[Shaolin Fantastic]

End of the day, you guys don't want players having a say in where they go unless they're free agents (and even then that's just another strawman, because you guys complain when free agents move to teams you don't want them too also).

That's fine. Just admit that it's extremely hypocritical to want that but be ok with teams shipping players around willy nilly and we can call it a day.

[Shredder]

So basically teams that can adequately and smartly use their leverage when a player requests a trade can get a good return?

Don't see an issue there. If you're a fucking stupid team and get ripped off trading your star, that's on you. Masai absolutely fucking fleeced the Knicks when he traded Melo even though he only wanted to be in New York.

??? He won the trade. I think we can all agree that Masai has done this often in his career.

But to assume that he wouldn't have gotten more if he had more trading partners I think is incorrect.

[MixxAOR]

End of the day, you guys don't want players having a say in where they go unless they're free agents (and even then that's just another strawman, because you guys complain when free agents move to teams you don't want them too also).

That's fine. Just admit that it's extremely hypocritical to want that but be ok with teams shipping players around willy nilly and we can call it a day.

You call it the same thing and it's not. Yeah call it a day

[Shaolin Fantastic]

You call it the same thing and it's not. Yeah call it a day

It's exactly the same, it's just that the interest of the teams line up more with our own interests so you don't see it or are choosing not to.

[MixxAOR]

It's exactly the same, it's just that the interest of the teams line up more with our own interests so you don't see it or are choosing not to.

Honor the contract period. Trading a player is not a violation.

[Shaolin Fantastic]

To appease you guys we should just have a system where a team can sign a player to an indefinitely long unguaranteed contract. At any time they can terminate that deal at no cost, and if the player so much as dares to demand a trade, their pay is reduced by 90% and they still have to suit up for the team.

That'll keep em in line and teach them to be stop being disloyal. Good doggie.

[MixxAOR]

To appease you guys we should just have a system where a team can sign a player to an indefinitely long unguaranteed contract. At any time they can terminate that deal at no cost, and if the player so much as dares to demand a trade, their pay is reduced by 90% and they still have to suit up for the team.

That'll keep em in line and teach them to be stop being disloyal. Good doggie.

You're retarded. Nobody said that.

[Shaolin Fantastic]

Honor the contract period. Trading a player is not a violation.

The reality is that a player asking for a trade is not a violation of their contract. Nor is a team trading a player. The fact that you think the former is and the latter isn't is highly hypocritical and wrong.

[KeonClark]

It's exactly the same, it's just that the interest of the teams line up more with our own interests so you don't see it or are choosing not to.

Lets relate this to the 9 to 5 joe shall we?

Anybody anywhere is free to go live wherever they want (mostly). You just may have to quit your job and start over if you choose to do so.

Also, with my job and many others, it comes with the understanding that your company at one point may ask you to move. You can refuse, but not always. Or you can accept a job where the company will never you ask to move.

NBA players, they took a job where the company may at one point ask you to move, and you can not refuse. But they also sign contracts to play for cities for X amount of years as pre negotiated. They sign for 5 years guaranteed money, because they want security, and will get paid regardless if they get hurt or suck. That is on the teams to continue paying them. It however comes with the understanding that if you sign for 5 years, you're committing to these guys, for 5 YEARS. Don't like it? Want flexiibility? Sign for 1 year, year after year. Or, if that still scares you, because of getting traded and having to work in say Milwaukee for a few months, than guess what? You can quit. You can take a job as a coach, or a camp instructor, or TV guy. Less stress, and you can live in LA year round.

YOU, shaolin, however, expect that not only should they be paid hundreds of millions to work like 15 hours a week, 8 months a year, for 15 years, to play a game, then retire, live wherever, and be set for life, but they ALSO should have different rights than every other employee in society, and be able to dictate which company is going to pay them that hundreds of millions and when and where.

[Joey]

You can't really compare Professional Sports Leagues to average companies though, because Pro Sports leagues skirt so many understood and accepted rules (Monopoly, Antitrust, etc.) and get governments exemptions to do so. In what other business are Employees drafted, and chosen to go where they have no say in the matter?

Yes, they make a fuck load of money. Totally. But they earn their owners 100x that and have a capped salary, no matter how much they bring in. In what other industry is that a thing?