Kevin Durant’s trade request is bad for the NBA.
The NBA is unlike any other league. In previous years, players would have to play out their contract, but these days, players can select where they want to go and could not care less about the impact.
We rarely see loyalty in the league; players like Dirk Nowitzki stuck with the Dallas Mavericks, Kobe Bryant stayed loyal (for the most part) to the Los Angeles Lakers, and players like those are beloved by fans forever.
Some current players like Steph Curry, the face of the Golden State Warriors, Bradley Beal, and Damian Lillard, signed with their organizations long-term. Yes, they are getting paid astronomically. Still, there is something to say when a player could request a trade or leave in free agency but stick it out with their team.
Nowadays, payers like Kevin Durant request trades when things don’t go their way, but what exactly is that doing to the league?
KD is one of the most talented players ever to grace the earth. When you watch him play, he is majestic. But, when you think of a player, one team will usually stand out above the rest you relate them to, but you can’t do that with Kevin Durant.
KD left Oklahoma City on bad terms and then selected Golden State to chase a championship. Then, he teamed up with Kyrie Irving to create a super team in Brooklyn because KD wanted to run a franchise, which has been a complete disaster, and now KD is begging to leave.
The Nets signed KD to an insane contract and a ton of guarantees that few teams would offer someone who has been hurt that often (and that significantly) and jumps ship quickly, but the Nets wanted him on their team. Now when the times get tough, KD wants to run to another contender, and it wouldn’t exactly be unfair for fans to be sick of it.
NBA fans spend hundreds to thousands of dollars per year going to see their team or favorite player play live. Fans purchase their fan gear; they spend hours looking up and following them on social outlets, and even children sometimes work extremely hard to save money for their favorite player, Kevin Durant’s jersey. But they buy it, and even though he just signed with that team, he wants out because things got hard.
Players acting in a manner, getting whatever they want is setting a bad precedent in the NBA. Yes, the NBA is a business, and players want money, but the stakeholders are the fans, and they are now hesitant to get attached to a player because that player may say they love that team but then request a trade the next day.
Adam Silver needs to step up and stop this madness before the league takes a turn for the worse. Millions of people love the NBA, and hopefully, its popularity will only climb. Still, if nothing is done and players can come and go as they please, the NBA will lose fans quickly, and the ratings will take a big plunge.