In the modern NBA, players move more fluidly than ever.
We’re not talking about on-court movement: although, league-wide athleticism is also at an all-time high. We’re referring to players changing teams with unprecedented regularity.
That’s a product of the player empowerment movement. In today’s league, if a star is unhappy, he’ll request a trade – no matter his contractual situation.
Perhaps that’s why teams suddenly prefer to trade a star for a huge bundle of first-round picks.
After all, trading for a star who doesn’t want to join your team can be risky – and if you’re in a position where your star is demanding a trade, how can you be sure another star will like your situation?
As a result, the star-for-star swap is dying. Here’s a deal that aims to resuscitate it.
