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After KD demanded a trade from Brooklyn after signing a 4 year contract extension, the “player empowerment” era reached a new low. Catering to the superstar players continues to bite ownership groups. Jumping from team to team and refusing to play while under contract is damaging the perception of the league and its top players.

When the CBA expires after the 2023-24 season, should the owners force a lockout to implement some new measures to stop this destructive behavior from the players?

It seems like a huge problem, but it literally seems to be Durant, Harden and Irving basically holding the entire NBA hostage. Everyone else just seems to go about their business (with the occasional trade request) while these three cause constant headlines.

Oh, and i'll never feel sorry for billionaire owners. I'll take extreme player empowerment over owners treating their "product" like slaves. No one batted an eye when Blake Griffin signed a max with the Clippers and was immediately shipped to Detroit purgatory.

No. If anything this proves how much you cannot let agents run your franchise. Salary cap is there for a reason.

I don't usually feel sorry for billionaire owners but..nothing has changed that.

Don't forget about Simmons doing the exact same thing

I hope they do. I'm definitely on Team Owner if they do.

I'm guessing they won't though. As long as everyone is making money, nobody seems to care, even if the product suffers.

these stars are weak as ****.. nothing new.

The nets traded for harden because durant asked for it, one year later he quits the team.

I'll tell you why it hasn't happened already

https://www.propublica.org/article/the-billionaire-playbook-how-sports-owners-use-their-teams-to-avoid-millions-in-taxes

It would never happen under David Stern.The only time it happen in the 30 years with Stern was Vince Carter with Toronto.Yes it happen with Carmelo Anthony but he had less that one year left in his contract,so it was a good thing for Denver

Harden,Simmons,Durant,etc...Way too much and Silver is too soft with the players

BigGargamel wrote:It seems like a huge problem, but it literally seems to be Durant, Harden and Irving basically holding the entire NBA hostage. Everyone else just seems to go about their business (with the occasional trade request) while these three cause constant headlines.

Oh, and i'll never feel sorry for billionaire owners. I'll take extreme player empowerment over owners treating their "product" like slaves. No one batted an eye when Blake Griffin signed a max with the Clippers and was immediately shipped to Detroit purgatory.

Owners at least put up the face of representing their local markets. It’s not like they only stand for themselves and their profits. We’re getting to the point where star players have no alignment or interest in representing a city/fanbase. They’re 100% focused on their own branding and money. Why should the general public care or support that mindset?

Also it’s not just the superstars who are demanding trades. This type of mentality has trickled down to borderline NBA ayers like Kenyon Martin Jr and Thon Maker.


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No. As far as I am concerned the draft and salary cap should be illegal to conform to the rest of American law. If the owners bankrupt their teams with bad contracts that is their problem.

Imagine if law firms having a draft and salary cap for Law students. You pay your law team to beat the other guys law team and the judges are referees so there is a little commonality between lawyers and and team sport athletes.

So you don't care about bilionaire owners, ok. Do you also don't care about the quality of the league? Because “player empowerment” hurt it very much. Do you also don't care about common basketball fans that are frustrated that their favourite team is hostage of diva superstar?

Hell yes! They need to stop the madness of stars walking out on their teams.

Tempe wrote:After KD demanded a trade from Brooklyn after signing a 4 year contract extension, the “player empowerment” era reached a new low. Catering to the superstar players continues to bite ownership groups. Jumping from team to team and refusing to play while under contract is damaging the perception of the league and its top players.

When the CBA expires after the 2023-24 season, should the owners force a lockout to implement some new measures to stop this destructive behavior from the players?

I'm not sure what changes even COULD be made to the CBA that would stop this in a way that works for the owners.

Allow teams to cut players who refuse to report? No GM in their right mind would cut Durant/Simmons/Etc in this situation. You can potentially force them to play (or have clearer fines for not playing) but you i) can't force them to give 100% effort, which is the big issue and ii) if a player is willing to eat the fines, you're pretty much out of options.

I don't think that the solution to this lies in the collective agreement itself.

SinceGatlingWasARookie wrote:No. As far as I am concerned the draft and salary cap should illegal to conform to the rest of American law. If the owners bankrupt their teams with bad contracts that is their problem.

Imagine if law firms having a draft and salary cap for Law students. You pay your law team to beat the other guys law team and the judges are referees so there is a little commonality between lawyers and and team sport athletes.

They freely enter it no one is forcing them to. NBA owners created the league and pay the salaries and if they will only pay up to a certain amount that's their prerogative.

Damkac wrote:So you don't care about bilionaire owners, ok. Do you also don't care about the quality of the league? Because “player empowerment” hurt it very much. Do you also don't care about common basketball fans that are frustrated that their favourite team is hostage of diva superstar?

The draft and salary cap help the billionaire owners not the fans or players. The players are the product.
Quality of the league would not be hurt without the draft and salary cap except that the big market teams would be more dominant.
Early 1980s when Lakers Celtics 76ers and Bucks were the only teams perceived to have a chance at a championship was just fine in my opinion. I don’t like watered down parity.

It's all entertainment to me. The more Schadenfreude, the better.

Make one-year contracts with one-year options the maximum length. Everybody will be playing for the next contract.

Should? You kidding me its a given.

Lou Fan wrote:

SinceGatlingWasARookie wrote:No. As far as I am concerned the draft and salary cap should illegal to conform to the rest of American law. If the owners bankrupt their teams with bad contracts that is their problem.

Imagine if law firms having a draft and salary cap for Law students. You pay your law team to beat the other guys law team and the judges are referees so there is a little commonality between lawyers and and team sport athletes.

They freely enter it no one is forcing them to. NBA owners created the league and pay the salaries and if they will only pay up to a certain amount that's their prerogative.

With a few exceptions, collusion is illegal. Although collusion is illegal it is still done.
Market rigging is illegal but the NBA’s position is that anybody is free to form a competing league.
If the players get locked out the best 100 players should form a league of their own and destroy the NBA.

no, im on the players side.