NBA news: The summer of 2019 will be remembered as one of the wildest offseasons in league history as it saw the likes of Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, Russell Westbrook, Anthony Davis, and Paul George move from one team to another. Over the past couple of years, there has been some concerns about the recent player movements as it has paved the way for superstars to team up with one another which obviously gives the franchises they choose to play for the advantage.
However, for Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen, the increased player movement around the NBA for the past several years is actually a good thing. In a recent episode of ESPN’s The Jump, he said that the players’ freedom to choose where they want to be creates balance.
“There are going to be good teams that still exist and be able to make a run, but the player movement, the freedom to change teams — I like it. I think sometimes it does hurt that franchise, but players have gotten traded and been hurt as well having to pack up and move their families to different cities, so the pain has been felt on both sides.
I think these players are not going to be frustrated, they’ve shown that they’re going to have more power in the game and be able to play in a comfortable situation.”
Pippen does have a valid point. Guys such as LeBron James and Durant have been heavily criticized for leaving the teams that drafted them in favor of franchises with already established All-Stars, but team owners get away easy whenever they decide to waive or trade players. At least now, NBA stars have more freedom to make their own decisions, and whether or not fans agree with whatever path they choose, there’s really nothing wrong with what they’re doing.
And winning isn’t the only reason why players decide to switch teams. For example, Kyrie Irving decided to leave the Boston Celtics because of the dustups he had with some of his former teammates. Kemba Walker chose not to re-sign with the Charlotte Hornets because he felt that he was underappreciated by the franchise. Bottomline is, players are now living in an era where finding the best situation for them and their careers has become equally important as success.
So expect the unexpected two years from now, as we could see yet another crazy summer with James, Durant, Leonard, and Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo headlining the free agent class of 2021.
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