Is the NBA becoming a joke?

[Ataraxia]

Hey, these teams has never been forced to get these players. Especially for Atlanta, for them it was clearly obvious that Payton would have never joined the team

well they can trade for anyone they want...it never states on any contract that "I Will Only Play For This Team".....its weird how the player can ask a franchise pay like 10-15 mill bucks at times just so he can pack his bags....
I mean not like their poor men....its as stupid as Spree saying he wanted to feed his family so he wanted like a few millions more.

[Matt]

what NOH should have done with Jimmy Jackson was let him waste away on the bench....eventually he'd have to play. That'd be great if someone had a long 3,4 year contract....they'd eventually have to play

[air gordon]

when vets like GP, Zo, etc don't want to report to their teams, they've 'earned' that right

i disagree....the NBA is a business, if you get traded to the Hawks, stiff shit, your job is to play bball and that's what you should do and not be picky...that's what free agency is for.

i guess i'll agree to disagree... here's my point:

if you look at the nba as a workplace, a decorated veteran being traded to a shit franchise is like a french chef being transferred to a mcdonald's as a result of his restaurant downsizing yes, you are 'bound' by your contract to stay with the company. but like any workplace, you also have the choice/opportunity to look elsewhere and leave for another job well suited for your skills.

i'm not specifically pointing you out, matt, but i get this feeling some people don't understand that the nba is a job for these players/people don't understand what it's like to hold a real job

these people get pissed when players demand high contracts, or speak with other teams during his free agency, or say "oh he's playing good this year because he's in a contract year", etc.

in any other workplace setting, you want to make the most money you can & you want to work in a nice environment so you'll interview with several companies to get the best combination of both. maybe even have the companies 'bid' for your services if you're that good. and of course you'll be trying your best when you know your review is coming up

sorry to get off in a rant... i think the nba is fine

[alexboom]

Changing contract status, to unprotected (like in NFL), would be a solution. The owners like the players would be free to stop the contract whenever they want without owning anything (except maybe to players signed to minimum) and without counting against the cap. That would end trades made for salary cap flexibility (100% of the trades made at the deadline were for salary cap purpose) ; and players would have to give ALL THE TIME their best. I'm a little enough of players having a career year in the final year of their contracts (Dampier is a specialist, among other), then spending 6 cool years with awful stats regarding their contracts

[The X]

I remember being a fan of Stevie Francis at Maryland....I lost all respect for him on draft day....the guy just got picked top 3 in the NBA Draft and he's sulking!!! what a little biatch (excuse the french)....

I think he lost a lot of supporters through his stance....

[Andrew]

in any other workplace setting, you want to make the most money you can & you want to work in a nice environment so you'll interview with several companies to get the best combination of both. maybe even have the companies 'bid' for your services if you're that good. and of course you'll be trying your best when you know your review is coming up

Agreed. With professional athletes (and for that matter people in the entertainment industry), it's easy to overlook the fact that they're doing a job and want to be compensated for their time, because many of them are being very handsomely compensated. As you pointed out not many people, no matter what their profession, wouldn't want to try to boost their paycheck given the opportunity.

I think the NBA's in pretty good shape right now, a couple of isolated incidents aside. Whether or not you could class it as a "golden age" is another story and there are a few kinks in the CBA that need to be ironed out so players and owners get along a lot better, but I wouldn't call the NBA a joke.

Until an entire season is cancelled or one of the NBA's top players tries to defend the use of performance enhancing drugs, I think the NBA is, for the most part, doing the right things.

[Mick]

I belive that every player should report to the team they are traded to and that they should turn up to play EVERY NIGHT. Imagine if you just didn't like your job one day and decided, no, I think I'll go work over there. Granted it's much likelier for people who work as 'normal' people do, but when you are getting paid MILLIONS of dollars to do something you love (even though you may have lost that enjoyment), something which you signed your name to (your contract stating your employment conditions), you should do your job. Fair enough you can express concern over the direction the organisation is heading or your position in that organisation, but to not play or not report, you should revieve NO wage, NO payout and sit at home until you come back to your job. I think's its really taking the piss that players just decide to not turn up to a team and then get paid out for a portion of their contract. If they don't want to play, fine, then don't pay them anything at all. And don't release their rights. Keep them until they want to turn up and contribute something positive to the organisation.

my two cents.....

[Ataraxia]

I belive that every player should report to the team they are traded to and that they should turn up to play EVERY NIGHT. Imagine if you just didn't like your job one day and decided, no, I think I'll go work over there. Granted it's much likelier for people who work as 'normal' people do, but when you are getting paid MILLIONS of dollars to do something you love (even though you may have lost that enjoyment), something which you signed your name to (your contract stating your employment conditions), you should do your job. Fair enough you can express concern over the direction the organisation is heading or your position in that organisation, but to not play or not report, you should revieve NO wage, NO payout and sit at home until you come back to your job. I think's its really taking the piss that players just decide to not turn up to a team and then get paid out for a portion of their contract. If they don't want to play, fine, then don't pay them anything at all. And don't release their rights. Keep them until they want to turn up and contribute something positive to the organisation.

my two cents.....

Well Said their Mick ......

[Matt]

if you look at the nba as a workplace, a decorated veteran being traded to a shit franchise is like a french chef being transferred to a mcdonald's as a result of his restaurant downsizing yes, you are 'bound' by your contract to stay with the company. but like any workplace, you also have the choice/opportunity to look elsewhere and leave for another job well suited for your skills.

but it's not like players are getting traded to the CBA. They are still playing in the NBA.....if you sign a 7yr contract there is a risk that towards the latter years you will be shipped off to a situation which you won't like, but that's the risk you take for taking more money. At the end of the day....your job is still the same...to play basketball.... the only thing that changes is your employer.

[air gordon]

i get what you're saying. regardless i still thinks decorated vets like ZO and payton have 'earned' that right and as long as there are teams are willing to buy them out/claim them on waivers, i don't see any changes happening with this