Draymond Green took the NBA to task in his postgame comments following the Warriors’ win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Green’s airing his grievances were spurred on by the recent news of the Cavaliers announcing they would be sitting center Andre Drummond as they sought a suitable trade for the two-time All-Star.
Draymond had this to say:
“I would like to talk about something that’s really bothering me. It’s the treatment of players in this league.
To watch Andre Drummond … come out in street clothes because a team is going to trade him, it’s (expletive).
Because when James Harden asked for a trade and essentially dogged it — I don’t think no one’s gonna fight that James was dogging it his last days in Houston — but he was castrated for wanting to go to a different team, and everybody destroyed that man.
Yet a team can come out and say, ’Oh, we want to trade a guy,′ and then that guy is to go sit and if he doesn’t stay professional, then he’s a cancer and he’s not good in someone’s locker room and he’s the issue.”
As a player, you’re the worst person in the world when you want a different situation,” Green said. “But a team can say they’re trading you, and that man is to stay in shape, he is to stay professional, and if not his career is on the line. At some point, this league has to protect the players from embarrassment like that
Quite frankly Green has a point. He referenced the Anthony Davis trade saga/debacle last year, which included the $100k fine Davis incurred for his comments on wanting to be traded. It was a fine that I agreed , as I did not have an issue with AD wanting the trade, however the way it was carried out essentially torpedoed the seasons to two ball clubs. There is nothing wrong with a player wanting to be moved or a team deciding to deal a player, however ,while I understand not wanting to risk injuring a player that is to be moved, making it publicly obvious makes it an unnecessary and unwelcome distraction for not only the player, but the rest of the team as well.
If the player is expected to handle the situation of changing locales “the right way”, then the team should not be absolved from being held to a standard of professionalism and decorum.
