Draymond Green blasts NBA Amidst Trade
Image by: Bruno Manrique/Clutch Points
Draymond, a star forward for the Golden State Warriors, spoke heartedly to the media post-game on Jan.15. He shared his dissatisfaction about the mistreatment players in the NBA when it comes to being traded and the double standards between teams and their players. With the trade deadline approaching, there are rumors of multiple players on the trading block for their current teams. While this is common practice, this limits them from being able to play until their trade, rumored or otherwise is finalized. Ultimately, players will not be paid to play until trade negotiations end.
NBA teams must do a better job at informing their players of possible trade talks that are happening increasing transparency to the process. Players finding out they are being traded through outlets beside their team president such as: social media, while playing, or in an interview looks unprofessional and is a sign of disrespect and lack of care towards the players.
“I would like to talk about something that’s really bothering me”, Draymond said after the Golden State Warriors vs Cleveland Cavaliers game on Jan.15 which the Warriors won, and the score was 129 – 98. Draymond stressed his concern by saying, “It’s the treatment of players in this league. To watch Andre Drummond, before the game, sit on the sidelines, then go to the back, and to come out in street clothes because a team is going to trade him, it is bull---,” (Friedell, N., “ESPN”). Draymond believes it is unfair to Andre Drummond to limit his minutes as the Cleveland Cavaliers organization is making room for the new center Jarrett Allen. Draymond went on to continue to say “
When James Harden asked for a trade, and essentially dogged it, no one’s going to fight back that James was dogging it his last days in Houston, but he was castrated for wanting to go to a different team. Everybody destroyed that man. And yet a team can come out and say, ’Oh, we want to trade a guy,’ and then that guy must go sit, and if he does not stay professional, then he is a cancer. And he is not good in someone’s locker room, and he is the issue. (Friedell, N., “ESPN”)
Draymond brings up an example by saying, “And we’re seeing situations of Harrison Barnes getting pulled off the bench,” Or Demarcus Cousins finding out he is traded in an interview after the All-Star Game, and we continue to let this happen. But I got fined for stating my opinion on what I thought should happen with another player, but teams can come out and continue to say, “Oh, we are trading guys, we’re not playing you. ‘And yet we’re to stay professional.” (Friedell, N., “ESPN”)
Draymond who has always been an outspoken player when it comes topics, he has strong concerns about was fined $50,000 for remarks he made when the NBA restart was in the bubble last season in Orlando, Florida. As a guest analyst for “Inside the NBA” the famous TNT sports show the remarks he made were about Devin Booker, the Phoenix Suns guard stating he should leave the organization. Draymond went into more detail by saying,
At some point, as players, we need to be treated with the same respect," Green said. "And have the same rights that the team can have. Because as a player, you are the worst person in the world when you want a different situation. But a team can say they are 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 must protect the players from embarrassment like that. (Friedell, N., “ESPN”)
Draymond’s expressed further concern came the same day as Troy Weaver, general manager for the Detroit Pistons, released a statement about how he will sit forward Blake Griffin due to trade talks. Draymond brought up a good point by saying,
We talk all of this stuff about: 'You cannot do this; you cannot say this publicly. "If you say that publicly ... Anthony Davis got fined I think $100,000 or something like that for demanding a trade, but you can say Andre Drummond's getting traded publicly and we are looking to trade him publicly, and he's to stay professional and just deal with it? (Friedell, N., “ESPN”)
Maintaining a high level of professionalism in an environment where you may not feel valued or respected not only wears down on you physically but mentally and emotionally. Draymond speaks to this correlation of stress, performance, and mental health by stating,
“And then when Kyrie Irving says, 'Oh, my mental health is off,' everybody go crazy about that too. Do you not think that affects someone mentally? As much as we put into this game to be great, to come out here and be in shape, to produce for fans every single night, and most importantly, to help your team win, do you think that does not affect someone mentally? (Friedell, N., “ESPN”)
The average human spends more than half their life at work. What Draymond speaks to throughout his interviews and statements is that NBA players are not just spending half their life but giving their whole life to an entity that is not showing that same level of dedication and respect to their players. Draymond says it best in his postgame interview,
"As players, we're told to, 'Ah, no, you can't say that you can't say this,'" Green said. "But teams can? It goes along the same lines of when everyone wants to say, 'Ah, man, that young guy can't figure it out.' But no one wants to say the organization cannot figure it out. At some point, the players must be respected in these situations, and it is ridiculous, and I am sick of seeing it. (Friedell, N., “ESPN”)
