Last Wednesday, the NBA world was shaken up by a blockbuster trade that saw guard and former league MVP James Harden get moved from the Houston Rockets to the Brooklyn Nets. The trade, which also involved the Indiana Pacers and Cleveland Cavaliers, was a move that was expected from those who follow the league, but the circumstances that led up to this is what the narrative should be. Whether or not Harden forming a “superteam” with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving will bring title a title or two to Brooklyn has and will be analyzed until results come in (I have this being an epic train wreck for the record). The issue is how seemingly easily players can force a trade by being unprofessional and, for the lack of a better word, a spoiled brat. Such is the case for Harden, but sadly, his case is just the latest in what has become a problem in this age of player empowerment.
It’s not uncommon for someone to be unhappy at a workplace, but these issues can be handled professionally, and Harden was anything but. First, he shows up to training camp out of shape (apparently after spending a good amount of time in strip clubs), then he’s reportedly getting into it with teammates during practice. Top all of that off with having a press conference after a game the Rockets lost to the Los Angeles Lakers saying this situation can’t be fixed, due to the team not being good enough (in Harden’s eyes), and the situation becomes officially toxic. Rockets players, such as John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins, came to the team’s defense and reported confronted Harden about his attitude. All of this led to the trade to the Nets, which is what the disgruntled star wanted all along.
Another situation that involves pouting and being a malcontent involved Lakers forward/center Anthony Davis. When Davis was with the New Orleans Pelicans, he signed a long-term deal to stay there. Then came the day when Rich Paul, who is the agent for fellow Lakers forward LeBron James, became Davis’ agent. When that happened, it’s probably not a coincidence a trade request came right after. Of course, things between Davis and the Pelicans became super awkward, as the team was going back and forth between sitting him out and minutes restrictions. After the 2018-19 was over, Davis would eventually get what he wanted and end up in L.A. Part of the reason that happened also was James, in essence, passive-aggressively called out some of the teammates he was playing with before the trade. In other words, both of Paul’s clients were willing to burn things down to get what they wanted, which at it’s core seems pretty selfish.
Finally, lets visit the case of Los Angeles Clippers forward Paul George. Going into the 2018-19 season, George signed a deal to stay with the Oklahoma City Thunder. After the season was completed, Kawhi Leonard, fresh off of leading the Toronto Raptors to their first NBA title, entered free agency and said he would come to the Clippers if, among other things, the team was able to get George to come there in a trade. All of a sudden, here come the trade demand to get out of OKC. The difference between how the Thunder handled this and how the Rockets and Pelicans handled their respective situations was OKC management didn’t give this a chance to manifest and become a trash situation. They granted George’s request, got some players and draft picks in return, and moved on. No matter what, most people just want clear pictures of what’s currently happening. It appears the Thunder were aware of this, and for the goodness of their environment, they didn’t want to have any toxicity leak in from a potentially unhappy player.
All of the scenarios mentioned above had two things in common. The first is Harden, Davis and George all were in substantial deals, and the second is they ultimately got what they wanted by being whiners. The latter is what sets a bad precedent and points to the bigger problem in the NBA and sports in general. I’m all about players having the ability to look out for themselves and their futures, but to demand trades with multiple years left in contracts (in the cases of Harden and George) seems disingenuous. If all a player has to do is act like a spoiled brat to get their way when things aren’t going well, then we’re in more trouble than I originally thought. I just hope at some point, these players can start being adults about their business, but something tells me not to hold my breath.
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