How certain are you that you would honor the draft if you were an elite prospect?

[Kblaze8855]

I’m talking on a level teams have been preparing for you and talking about you as a savior. A Lebron/Victor/Shaq/Zion/Duncan level of “Everyone wants this guy” prospect.

The level of guy who the NBA would not simply blackball and the team would rather get a haul of picks than to get into the public fight with you after you badmouth the city openly and won’t back down.

Are you on the “They’re paying me so I’ll go where they tell me” side or more “Every team would pay me and it’s my life. I’ll play and live where I decide.” side?


I feel like most look at it from the “It’s a privilege….and I’d be rich” standpoint and if it were me or my son I’m not sure. It’s not really a privilege to me. It’s a trade like all jobs. I have something they want and there’s a market price for it. It isn’t charity.

If Minnesota, Cleveland, or Detroit has the pick I simply don’t want to go. What’s the downside? Not being liked by fans who aren’t supposed to like me when I play there on the road anyway? Think Elway, Eli Manning, Steve Francis, Kobe and others who refused certain places that wanted them were forever haunted?

I don’t.

Why should I live in Minnesota for the same money I can make anywhere? They played a game in Minnesota once when it was near 60 degrees below zero outside. It was February. These days I spend most of February in Miami where it’s low 80s and I take day trips to key west to eat conch fritters and toss leftovers to the roaming chickens.

I don’t want to be in Minnesota. If I have to be in a cold weather city(not necessarily a deal breaker) it won’t be Minnesota. I don’t think I’d go to Utah either(though it’s beautiful). I’m not going to Indiana. I’d hesitate to go to Orlando thought I’d likely relent.

What’s the moral argument to let where a ball drops determine where I live for 8 years?

Im not signing a contract with the city I won’t go to in the first place so I’m not breaking it. You do agree to some conditions when you sign up for the draft but it obviously doesn’t really force your hand. If you go on Twitter and post the Magic Johnson “I’m not gon be there….” in response to fans cheering winning the lottery and you let them know you’re serious…that’s that.


We can talk about how owners should play hardball with people who refuse to report all you like but in the end if they don’t break you’re just costing your team tremendous assets just to spite someone who has already ruined their relationship with your local fans. It sounds good in theory but in the real world you trade the guy or his rights because it’s a business.


If whatever your least desired landing spot is has the top pick and your most desired has #2….can you honestly tell me you wouldn’t even consider letting it slip you wanna go to the second team?

[iamgine]

It's up to the NBA to make a rule about it if they feel the salary difference between a #1 and #2,3,4 is not enough deterrence. Maybe expand the tampering rule. Maybe cut the salary of the player who refuse to report by half, even after he's traded. If they don't, then it's fair game to want to play somewhere. There's no moral argument or whatever.

Ideally, the NBA wants to be like MMA where the league is bigger than its players. You can't choose who or where you fight.

[Norcaliblunt]

I’m more interested in what would happen if one of those generational talents refused to do press. No interviews, no press conferences, no media access, etc. What if there was a Michael Jordan / Lebron like talent who has taken a vow of silence and doesn’t talk?

[Kblaze8855]

I’m more interested in what would happen if one of those generational talents refused to do press. No interviews, no press conferences, no media access, etc. What if there was a Michael Jordan / Lebron like talent who has taken a vow of silence and doesn’t talk?


Smart thing to do would be to take the next step Coleman thought of and pay your whole seasons fine in advance but spin it into an ad campaign. Actions speak louder kinda thing. You could find a sponsor tie in to cover the fine pretty easily. Fans would probably love it. You’ve never heard most players say anything worth hearing twice in a press conference anyway.

[Kblaze8855]

Be a dick about it too. Id be on Podcasts laughing and telling stories and just being all kinds of engaging and interesting then walk into the arena and look like Kawhi Leonard.

[dirkdiggler41]

Smart thing to do would be to take the next step Coleman thought of and pay your whole seasons fine in advance but spin it into an ad campaign. Actions speak louder kinda thing. You could find a sponsor tie in to cover the fine pretty easily. Fans would probably love it. You’ve never heard most players say anything worth hearing twice in a press conference anyway.

What did he do? Storytime plz

[dirkdiggler41]

The season is about 6 months, right? And you do a lot of travel during this time. So living in a sh!t is not that important, especially when you are super rich. It also makes you focused. I would have no problem with it, but I live in a cold place already.

[Nanners]

If I was an elite prospect, there are most definitely teams that I would tell to avoid me, like the twolves and the knicks.

[Xiao Yao You]

The season is about 6 months, right? And you do a lot of travel during this time. So living in a sh!t is not that important, especially when you are super rich. It also makes you focused. I would have no problem with it, but I live in a cold place already.

can live anywhere comfortably if you're rich as ****

[nayte]

People will go I will take the money and be happy but they aren't nba prospects who know they are gonna get drafted either way.
So if you know that why not flex your power

[GimmeThat]

why wouldn't anyone honor the draft system as long as there's a clause written on that says "I get to kill you on sight when you behave like a rat"

[Kblaze8855]

can live anywhere comfortably if you're rich as ****


It snowed 6 feet in a day and a half in New York recently. Money doesn’t take 6 feet of snow off the ground or make the freezing rain after it not turn to a sheet of ice. I simply would not be comfortable there regardless of how nicely decked out the home I imprisoned myself in was.

And for people who hate being hot? My mom for one? She would much rather be rich in the Midwest than rich in Phoenix. If it’s 114 for a week…she’s not walking outside for a week. If I take the family somewhere tropical we have to go the coolest time of the year or she isn’t going anywhere that requires a walk.

Then there’s cultural issues. I absolutely understand someone wanting to live in a place with people and beliefs they’re more comfortable with. When Kareem demanded a trade it was largely to find a larger Muslim population after he converted as well as a better music scene and more diverse people. I can see why a Korean baseball player who’s homesick might wanna play in Atlanta and you would too if you ever went to Gwinnett. A bigtime Christian country boy might be more inclined to live in the south than San Francisco. I can’t call that like…a moral failing.

If you’re rich you’re rich everywhere. Why not be rich and comfortable?

[Real Men Wear Green]

I would. Really most people would which is why picks forcing trade is so rare. For me to even think about it team management would have to do something to piss me off. Some years ago the Dolphins asked a potential pick of his mother was a prostitute. If the team asked me something like that I would walk out on the interview and tell them not to pick me. But I wouldn't refuse to play in any cutty in America with an NBA team based on what I know.

[GimmeThat]

I would. Really most people would which is why picks forcing trade is so rare. For me to even think about it team management would have to do something to piss me off. Some years ago the Dolphins asked a potential pick of his mother was a prostitute. If the team asked me something like that I would walk out on the interview and tell them not to pick me. But I wouldn't refuse to play in any cutty in America with an NBA team based on what I know.

the respond should have been, "so, who is it that swallows in your family."

[Kblaze8855]

Yea that was Dez Bryant. The nfl is a bit different though. The teams really are bigger than the players. And with careers being so short?

Pretty much nobody but the most elite QB prospects have the pull to even have their feelings considered.

Elway and Eli both refused to go to who had the top pick. Elway told the Colts he’d go be a garbage man before he played in Baltimore. They traded the pick then moved to Indy the very next year after Elway beat them twice that season.

It’s rare for NFL players to have that power though. Nba?

Nba players are more individually coveted and fawned over. Nfl players just want the money as quickly as possible before injury takes them out. Plus in football the public saves the stupidity of judging you mostly by winning for quarterbacks.

They know a great corner can’t make a team great so there’s less pressure to win. And almost no guaranteed contracts. The teams have the power.

If I’m top nba prospect secure?

Eat a dick Minny. Maybe Toronto too though I’d go there before some of the other cold weather cities I’d generally not wanna deal with the international aspect. I’ve been to Indiana. I’m not living there. I’d play in all the Texas cities. Miami. Atlanta. I’d go to Charlotte.

I wouldn’t outright refuse many places…but there are a couple. I’m not sure I’d wanna live in Memphis. Grimy ass city. I’d thank the gods the nba didn’t play in upstate New York.

[Xiao Yao You]

It snowed 6 feet in a day and a half in New York recently. Money doesn’t take 6 feet of snow off the ground or make the freezing rain after it not turn to a sheet of ice. I simply would not be comfortable there regardless of how nicely decked out the home I imprisoned myself in was.

And for people who hate being hot? My mom for one? She would much rather be rich in the Midwest than rich in Phoenix. If it’s 114 for a week…she’s not walking outside for a week. If I take the family somewhere tropical we have to go the coolest time of the year or she isn’t going anywhere that requires a walk.

Then there’s cultural issues. I absolutely understand someone wanting to live in a place with people and beliefs they’re more comfortable with. When Kareem demanded a trade it was largely to find a larger Muslim population after he converted as well as a better music scene and more diverse people. I can see why a Korean baseball player who’s homesick might wanna play in Atlanta and you would too if you ever went to Gwinnett. A bigtime Christian country boy might be more inclined to live in the south than San Francisco. I can’t call that like…a moral failing.

If you’re rich you’re rich everywhere. Why not be rich and comfortable?

Why would you be imprisoned in your home? You go snowmobiling, snow shoeing, hunting etc. Beats LA as far as I'm concerned. The best basketball players are working on their games or resting most of the time anyway when they are home. Yeah Phoenix would suck in the off season but you wouldn't have to be there. In the cold months it would be great. Marbury complained about Minnesota and ended up in Bei Jing :lol

[Xiao Yao You]

Yea that was Dez Bryant. The nfl is a bit different though. The teams really are bigger than the players. And with careers being so short?

Pretty much nobody but the most elite QB prospects have the pull to even have their feelings considered.

Elway and Eli both refused to go to who had the top pick. Elway told the Colts he’d go be a garbage man before he played in Baltimore. They traded the pick then moved to Indy the very next year after Elway beat them twice that season.

It’s rare for NFL players to have that power though. Nba?

Nba players are more individually coveted and fawned over. Nfl players just want the money as quickly as possible before injury takes them out. Plus in football the public saves the stupidity of judging you mostly by winning for quarterbacks.

They know a great corner can’t make a team great so there’s less pressure to win. And almost no guaranteed contracts. The teams have the power.

If I’m top nba prospect secure?

Eat a dick Minny. Maybe Toronto too though I’d go there before some of the other cold weather cities I’d generally not wanna deal with the international aspect. I’ve been to Indiana. I’m not living there. I’d play in all the Texas cities. Miami. Atlanta. I’d go to Charlotte.

I wouldn’t outright refuse many places…but there are a couple. I’m not sure I’d wanna live in Memphis. Grimy ass city. I’d thank the gods the nba didn’t play in upstate New York.

Toronto and Canada are great. I was there in summer though! Memphis has great music which would be something I'd consider. Portland, GS, Utah, Denver or Phoenix would be my choices. **** the south, Texas and the midwest!

[Kblaze8855]

Why would you be imprisoned in your home? You go snowmobiling, snow shoeing, hunting etc. Beats LA as far as I'm concerned. The best basketball players are working on their games or resting most of the time anyway when they are home. Yeah Phoenix would suck in the off season but you wouldn't have to be there. In the cold months it would be great. Marbury complained about Minnesota and ended up in Bei Jing :lol


Yea 10 years and 150 million dollars later after playing most of his career places he was more comfortable including getting to take his hometown team to the playoffs.

And how would I be imprisoned? By lighting snow hurricanes that drop Chris Paul heights of snow on my door?

https://thumbs.gfycat.com/SmartGiantGypsymoth-size_restricted.gif





Fuuuuuuuuuck that.


Ive been in Miami during a hurricane. I was there for the small one a couple weeks ago. And one a couple years ago.

Literally 2 hours after it stops raining it’s back to business and beautiful outside. I like to stay in real neighborhoods most of the time I visit places. I was walking around little lower middle class parks with kids collecting coconuts and running them to their dad to drill a hole so they can get the water. Sitting on the sea wall with crabs 15 feet from the picnic tables. 85 degrees. Breeze. Just beautiful.

It’s 28 degrees right now in Minny. It’s gonna snow Tuesday. Know what it will be in Miami Tuesday? 82 and mostly sunny.

If you wanna go shovel snow and….walk(snow shoeing)? Or hunt artic foxes or whatever it is you hunt when it’s 9 degrees with 2 inches of frozen rain topped by 3 feet of snow?

You’re welcome to do it.

Im hopping in an Uber to go down to Papi Steak for another serving of the Wagyu Pastrami.

https://www.hostpic.org/images/2211251956120360.jpeg





I don’t want a lutefisk casserole or whatever the specialty is in Fargo.

I’m sure summer is fine anywhere when you have money just as I’m sure people who hate it hot could probably make due anywhere(but Miami and parts of southern Cali) in winter.

If you want to build an igloo and bury fresh killed game in the 12 foot snowbank that covers your garage door I honestly hope you have a good time with that but you have to understand that it’s absolute hell to a lot of people.

Like I said my mom would never wanna live in Florida or Phoenix. It’s personal and I respect all such choices. I’m just giving you mine.

[Xiao Yao You]

Yea 10 years and 150 million dollars later after playing most of his career places he was more comfortable including getting to take his hometown team to the playoffs.

And how would I be imprisoned? By lighting snow hurricanes that drop Chris Paul heights of snow on my door?

https://thumbs.gfycat.com/SmartGiantGypsymoth-size_restricted.gif





Fuuuuuuuuuck that.


Ive been in Miami during a hurricane. I was there for the small one a couple weeks ago. And one a couple years ago.

Literally 2 hours after it stops raining it’s back to business and beautiful outside. I like to stay in real neighborhoods most of the time I visit places. I was walking around little lower middle class parks with kids collecting coconuts and running them to their dad to drill a hole so they can get the water. Sitting on the sea wall with crabs 15 feet from the picnic tables. 85 degrees. Breeze. Just beautiful.

It’s 28 degrees right now in Minny. It’s gonna snow Tuesday. Know what it will be in Miami Tuesday? 82 and mostly sunny.

If you wanna go shovel snow and….walk(snow shoeing)? Or hunt artic foxes or whatever it is you hunt when it’s 9 degrees with 2 inches of frozen rain topped by 3 feet of snow?

You’re welcome to do it.

Im hopping in an Uber to go down to Papi Steak for another serving of the Wagyu Pastrami.

https://www.hostpic.org/images/2211251956120360.jpeg





I don’t want a lutefisk casserole or whatever the specialty is in Fargo.

I’m sure summer is fine anywhere when you have money just as I’m sure people who hate it hot could probably make due anywhere(but Miami and parts of southern Cali) in winter.

If you want to build an igloo and bury fresh killed game in the 12 foot snowbank that covers your garage door I honestly hope you have a good time with that but you have to understand that it’s absolute hell to a lot of people.

Like I said my mom would never wanna live in Florida or Phoenix. It’s personal and I respect all such choices. I’m just giving you mine.

why would a muliti millionaire be shoveling snow?

[Kblaze8855]

Toronto and Canada are great. I was there in summer though! Memphis has great music which would be something I'd consider. Portland, GS, Utah, Denver or Phoenix would be my choices. **** the south, Texas and the midwest!


Memphis does have music and so does New Orleans and that’s a factor. Great food too for someone like me who loves BBQ.

but both cities have the same issue. Once you leave the kind of places that come up when you Google what to do there? It’s kind of shitty. Everything you picture in your head when you think of New Orleans happens within a 15 minute walk of one area, and outside of that it’s just a giant hood and odd mixes of homeless people under bridges directly across the street from fairly expensive residential areas.

It’s a fun mix to me but I can see how it rubs some the wrong way. I walked out the front door, under the highway where the neighborhood parking was, stepped around the mattresses that sprang out of nowhere when the sun went down and walked down to the corner store. A guy who may well have been homeless picked up my credit card I dropped and gave it back to me when I didn’t even notice. I was gonna buy him a beer but he already had one.

Im home in places like that but my girlfriend was…not.

And Memphis is just New Orleans with less culture, a worse and much smaller fun area, and even more poverty and rundown areas. Downtown Memphis like a two minute walk from Beale Street is absolute shit. It’s amazing the contrast. It’s like Beale street takes the whole cities budget. Pot holes the size of a briefcase one street over.

Memphis and New Orleans aren’t for everyone.

[Kblaze8855]

why would a muliti millionaire be shoveling snow?


You think everyone who can afford someone to do all manual labor chooses not to do it? I can afford whatever it costs to have anybody do anything around my house or outside it but I still do most of it myself.

That said it wasn’t a one man job up there recently. Bills fans were literally digging players homes out of the snow so they could get transports to the airport to be flown out to play their home game on the road last week.

There was video of a garage door opening with the snow over the entire opening. Not a speck of light could penetrate it.

The fans…had to come rescue players…to meet transports sent by the team some driven by the front office…to get them OUT of their city. Because the snow was 77 inches deep on their field.

Yes, rain can also be a problem a lot of places, but barring the tragic engineering failures when it stops raining, the water goes somewhere and you go back outside. One of the worst weeks of my life was the only true ice storm I ever dealt with in the south when we all gathered at my grandmas house and played cards by candlelight for a week of power outages.

When I lived in Chicago the city was prepared for such things but when I moved south…that shit shuts down everything.

Im used to decent weather now. And a certain style of life. If I have to be cold let me be cold in a place with things to do.

Im not being cold in a place I wouldn’t even wanna visit.

[Xiao Yao You]

You think everyone who can afford someone to do all manual labor chooses not to do it? I can afford whatever it costs to have anybody do anything around my house or outside it but I still do most of it myself.

That said it wasn’t a one man job up there recently. Bills fans were literally digging players homes out of the snow so they could get transports to the airport to be flown out to play their home game on the road last week.

There was video of a garage door opening with the snow over the entire opening. Not a speck of light could penetrate it.

The fans…had to come rescue players…to meet transports sent by the team some driven by the front office…to get them OUT of their city. Because the snow was 77 inches deep on their field.

Yes, rain can also be a problem a lot of places, but barring the tragic engineering failures when it stops raining, the water goes somewhere and you go back outside. One of the worst weeks of my life was the only true ice storm I ever dealt with in the south when we all gathered at my grandmas house and played cards by candlelight for a week of power outages.

When I lived in Chicago the city was prepared for such things but when I moved south…that shit shuts down everything.

Im used to decent weather now. And a certain style of life. If I have to be cold let me be cold in a place with things to do.

Im not being cold in a place I wouldn’t even wanna visit.

no but if you don't want to shovel snow why would you and we do have these things called snow blowers these days anyway. With global warming Buffalo and Minnesota could be the places to be. Our winters in Salt Lake have certainly become more mild and this last summer was getting closer to Phoenix weather. Miami will be under water. I'd be open to playing anywhere. I'd give the place a chance. Ask for trade later if you must.

[Kblaze8855]

If you could just blow away 77 inches of snow and casually go about your day I don’t think a 5 billion dollar operation would send crews to relocate its employees several states away to work.

And Miami won’t be under water but the people stupid enough to buy houses right next to it will realize it was a mistake. That’s less of an issue for people with nba money. I wouldn’t be on the beach itself. I’d be inland a good bit.

I don’t see making career decisions based on how warm it might be in Buffalo in 2189. It is pretty in Utah much of the year but it’s gonna be 23 with freezing rain on Monday and 17 and snowing Tuesday….

I just…can’t see me choosing to deal with that when I have other options for the same money in places I’d probably feel more culturally comfortable.

If you like being cooler I don’t blame you. If you like the food scene and the lifestyle of Indy or wherever…go there. That’s my point. Go live where you can be happiest.

Life is too short to not live the best version of it for yourself.

[Xiao Yao You]

If you could just blow away 77 inches of snow and casually go about your day I don’t think a 5 billion dollar operation would send crews to relocate its employees several states away to work.

And Miami won’t be under water but the people stupid enough to buy houses right next to it will realize it was a mistake. That’s less of an issue for people with nba money. I wouldn’t be on the beach itself. I’d be inland a good bit.

I don’t see making career decisions based on how warm it might be in Buffalo in 2189. It is pretty in Utah much of the year but it’s gonna be 23 with freezing rain on Monday and 17 and snowing Tuesday….

I just…can’t see me choosing to deal with that when I have other options for the same money in places I’d probably feel more culturally comfortable.

If you like being cooler I don’t blame you. If you like the food scene and the lifestyle of Indy or wherever…go there. That’s my point. Go live where you can be happiest.

Life is too short to not live the best version of it for yourself.

it won't 2189. It's here and coming on fast

[Kblaze8855]

I was told on here by very serious people it was coming on fast 20 years ago. Whatever your idea of “fast” is it isn’t an nba career. Fast in climate terms means decades or generations instead of the usual thousands of years. It’s fast relative to how these things might occur naturally, but is not fast as in….I agree to play in Minnesota when I’m 19 and it’s 86 in winter when it’s time for me to sign my extension at 22.

Minnesota and Buffalo will be cold till the day you die and likely long long after that.

[GimmeThat]

it doesn't take a whole lot to OD on drugs, especially when you're nutrient poor already

[Xiao Yao You]

I was told on here by very serious people it was coming on fast 20 years ago. Whatever your idea of “fast” is it isn’t an nba career. Fast in climate terms means decades or generations instead of the usual thousands of years. It’s fast relative to how these things might occur naturally, but is not fast as in….I agree to play in Minnesota when I’m 19 and it’s 86 in winter when it’s time for me to sign my extension at 22.

Minnesota and Buffalo will be cold till the day you die and likely long long after that.

it's fast. It's been noticeable here year to year.

[Kblaze8855]

It’s slower than anything else that has ever been called fast. We are at the end of an ice age that has been ending since 5 thousand years before the pyramids…which were thousands of years old even 2 thousand years ago. Humans appear to have sped the process up but not anywhere close to the speed alarmists have been saying.

It’s not a concern to factor into 4 year contracts at all. Our grandkids grandkids will still have Miami as a vacation option even if the coastal homes have crabs in the back yard at high tide.

[Hey Yo]

Do you guys believe that Magic would have stayed in school if Chicago had won the coin flip? Knowingly he would be taken first overall.

I know he said he would have, before the 91 Finals, but is there any record of him saying that before the coin flip?

That would be an example of an elite prospect avoiding to play for a shit team/cold...... at 20yrs old

[GimmeThat]

Do you guys believe that Magic would have stayed in school if Chicago had won the coin flip? Knowingly he would be taken first overall.

I know he said he would have, before the 91 Finals, but is there any record of him saying that before the coin flip?

That would be an example of an elite prospect avoiding to play for a shit team.... at 20yrs old

the question becomes what's the actual price of a championship, which will come down to an algorithm of ranked players + coaching staff

[baudkarma]

Kiki VanDeWeghe was picked 11th in the 1980 draft by the Dallas Mavericks. He refused to sign with them because he didn't want to play for an expansion team, and held out for a month before the Mavs gave in and traded him to the Nuggets. He probably had some extra leverage since the Mavs probably didn't want the distraction of a holdout during their inaugural season.

I personally would be more concerned about the organization than where the team plays. I wouldn't have a problem living in NYC, but playing for the Knicks? No thanks.