Westbrook rumored to sign his extension soon

[Shock Defeat]

Honestly, just wait until the off season, what happens if George leaves? He's going to be on a supermax with a crummy team?

Him signining makes OKC more attractive to FA and to PG. If PG leaves they are no crappier than they were last year and still attractive to others cause Westbrook is there.

No one wants to play with Westbrook. Hes too selfish and a loner.

[Nate505]

Why do they have the free agent rule then?

Probably because players don't want to be stuck in one place for their career, or at least want the option to not be stuck in one place for their career. In most cases it's irrelevant, as most players in basketball don't affect the competitive balance of the league on their own. 5-10 players do though, and Durant is one of them. Especially when he joins a team that won 70+ games the season before and didn't get rid of any significant pieces.

[markjay]

Don't want to start a thread for this but did people see PG's tweet tonite after the Lakers won the Summer League Championship?

Spoiler:

"God is good"

[righterwriter]

The ultimate irony is that if KD signed with your team, you would love it.

And that, my friends, proves that this is all purely an emotional argument rather than a logical one.

[BigtimeNBAfan]

Lmao at another loyalty thread. Loyalty is a one way street and it isn't even close. Not only is there no loyalty to scrubs and average players, but guys like Jimmy Butler and Derrick Rose get traded despite big time accolades for the team that drafted them.

Westbrook is a great player and if he wants to be there good for him, but he doesn't get brownie points for staying with a franchise longer than others. If he underachieves over the next few years the same fans celebrating his loyalty will be the ones screaming about how bad the contract is.

[Rednation91]

The difference in opinions are quite interesting in regards to extentions

[Rednation91]

Honestly, just wait until the off season, what happens if George leaves? He's going to be on a supermax with a crummy team?

Him signining makes OKC more attractive to FA and to PG. If PG leaves they are no crappier than they were last year and still attractive to others cause Westbrook is there.

No one wants to play with Westbrook. Hes too selfish and a loner.

I think this will hold true. I remember jared dudley in a podcast w/ broussard said that hes interested in seeing who will want to play w/ russ, implying that he is one of the least popular players in regards to players that other players WANT to play with.

[michaelm]

Why do they have the free agent rule then?

Probably because players don't want to be stuck in one place for their career, or at least want the option to not be stuck in one place for their career. In most cases it's irrelevant, as most players in basketball don't affect the competitive balance of the league on their own. 5-10 players do though, and Durant is one of them. Especially when he joins a team that won 70+ games the season before and didn't get rid of any significant pieces.

This is the crux of the argument for me.

I understand the distress of long term fans of Durant at OKC, and to some extent fans of other teams who have concerns about the competitiveness of the NBA, although in regard to the latter I have a strong belief in sport in general that if the rules are the same for everyone there shouldn't be too much complaint, and I certainly believe that the rules shouldn't be changed to handicap competitors who are operating/have operated within them once the contest is underway.

Essentially the argument seems to be that Durant shouldn't have a free choice when in exactly the situation for which the free agent rule was devised having given the franchise which drafted him 9 years because he is too good, and I don't see much fairness for the individual in that, particularly when some who are of this opinion claim LeBron's situation was/is different to Durant's because he is better than Durant, and others are Spurs adherents, for whom the Spurs signing LMA as a free agent was presumably OK because he is not as good.