Basketball superstars wield power with more authority than ever before
The morning after the Oklahoma City Thunder reached a deal to trade Paul George to the Los Angeles Clippers, OKC mayor David Holt tweeted, “First things first... I suppose we all have to get used to the NBA reality that stars are free agents even when they’re not. It is what it is.”
The mayor is not only a basketball
fan, he’s an astute one, even if days earlier he tweeted, “If you ask me, a quiet free agency is a blessing when you’ve still got an MVP & an MVP finalist on your roster.”
Yes mayor, life does come at you fast. Neither player is with the Thunder anymore after OKC traded Russell Westbrook to the Houston Rockets for Chris Paul and two first-round picks.
In a league where players have often had power, stars wield it with greater authority in today’s NBA. Players go where they want, when they want and how they want whether they are free agents or not.
Anthony Davis forced his way to the Los Angeles Lakers. Kawhi Leonard chose the Clippers but needed them to trade for George to do so. Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving teamed up with the Brooklyn Nets.
With all the free-agent signings and trades, it’s been a wild, league-altering summer. The balance of power shifted significantly. The way players move, the power can change quickly in a summer or two.
“We knew when we shortened contracts several years ago that the math would be the case that with shorter contracts you’re going to have more free agency, more player movement in the summer,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said this week. “It’s always a two-edged sword. On one hand, it creates a sense of renewal in a lot of markets. It gives teams an opportunity to rebuild. But the downside, of course, is for other teams, they potentially lose players.
“I also think that with shorter contracts, it creates more often a sense of urgency with players. It creates greater incentives for performance. I think on balance it’s working well. We didn’t do it to create more interest in the offseason, but obviously it’s created extraordinary media interest and fan interest. For the most part, that’s been something that’s positive.”
LeBron James started this modern era of player movement when he decided to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers to play for the Miami Heat in 2010, joining Dwyane Wade and enticing Chris Bosh to create a power three that won two NBA titles. He forged another path when he returned to Cleveland, and by signing a series of short-term deals there, he gave himself options after each season until he decided to join the Lakers a year ago.
Player power extends before James’ time, but his influence on today’s game is undeniable. Durant signed short contracts with the Golden State Warriors, which allowed him to play with All-Stars and win two titles. When he wanted to play elsewhere, he wasn’t bound by a contract.
Irving forced his way out of Cleveland, ended up in Boston and despite saying before the 2018-19 season he planned on re-signing, left the Celtics in free agency. That’s certainly his right, but it illustrates there are no guarantees on or off the court.
Jimmy Butler didn’t like his situation a year ago in Minnesota, asked for a trade and was dealt to Philadelphia. But the 76ers weren’t able to keep him this summer. Butler preferred Miami, which now is scheming to become a factor in the Eastern Conference again.
Keep in mind players have left significant money on the table – $50 million plus in some situations – to join other teams.
Look at how Leonard, coming off an NBA championship and Finals MVP performance with Toronto, leveraged his situation. He got to the team he wanted to play for and signed a three-year deal with a player option, meaning he can become a free agent again in the summer of 2021. That’s beneficial for Leonard in two ways: He will have 10 years of NBA service, meaning he can sign with a team for 35% of the salary cap while he still has prime years left in his career; and he can re-visit signing with another team.
It puts pressure on the Clippers to win big and win soon. It alters the way teams build rosters. Teams need to re-evaluate their long-term planning and adjust for rapid roster turnover.
The summer of 2021 is shaping up to be another blockbuster: George, Giannis Antetokounmpo, James, Blake Griffin, Gordon Hayward, Bradley Beal, Victor Oladipo, C.J. McCollum, Mike Conley and more are expected to be free agents.
At some point, owners may try to fight back against trade requests through stricter rules in the collective bargaining agreement. But, that’s not going to stop players from retaining power or finding new ways to make power plays.
The mayor is right. Enjoy who you have when you have them because you don’t know how long that will last.
(USA Today/TNS)