Free agency is one of the most exciting times in the NBA offseason. Historically, it has been the time that most superstars have moved, names like Shaquille O’Neal, LeBron James, and Steve Nash hopped teams as free agents.
But in the modern era, signing new contracts doesn’t mean what it used to. Player empowerment has meant that players with four or more years on their contracts have simply requested trades and moved away. Michael Jordan‘s longtime agent, David Falk, spoke about current free agency.
“You don’t need free agency,” Falk said, as per GQ Sports. “Because these teams, the minute the guy says `I don’t want to be on the team,’ they accommodate him. I think it’s terrible.”
He then went on to explain why players like Michael Jordan and Patrick Ewing didn’t make the same type of moves, saying, “You don’t think Michael Jordan and Patrick had power?” Falk said. “Of course, they had power. But they were smart enough to know that they would never do those kinds of things publicly because it was inimical to the game that they love.”
In recent times, James Harden has requested a trade from three separate organizations since 2021. Kevin Durant moved away from the Brooklyn Nets despite being under contract for many more years. And the biggest saga of this offseason has come from Damian Lillard, who has asked away from the Portland Trail Blazers. It doesn’t feel like stars signing in free agency means what it used to.
Damian Lillard Has Come In For Serious Criticism After His Trade Request
While many players have contributed to this phenomenon, Damian Lillard has come in for more serious criticism than a lot of other players before him. A lot of this is because of his reported insistence on only being traded to the Miami Heat. While he has given a lot of his career to the Portland Trail Blazers, the fact that he is essentially dictating his trade is rubbing people the wrong way.
How it impacts future free agency remains to be seen, but it has become clear that the biggest contracts also are no guarantee of a star player staying with a team any longer. A lot of people from the older generations tend to complain about players having too much power, but this particular criticism might not be entirely unwarranted.
We sincerely appreciate and respect you as a reader of our site. It would help us a lot if you follow us on Google News because of the latest update.
Thanks for following us. We really appreciate your support.
