Three time NBA Champion Coach and Golden State Warriors head tactician Steve Kerr gave his insights about the blockbuster trade involving Anthony Davis and the Los Angeles Lakers this offseason, particularly how it affects the whole association in general.
Making an appearance and speaking through the Warriors Insider Podcast, Kerr said “If you come to an agreement with the team that, ‘Hey, it’s probably best for us to part ways’, that’s one thing, but the Davis stuff was really kind of groundbreaking — and hopefully not a trend, because it’s bad for the league”.
Kerr was obviously referring to the Anthony Davis requesting a trade away from the New Orleans Pelicans, the team who drafted him in 2012 and became his home throughout the course of his years as a professional basketball player.
“When you sign on that dotted line, you owe your effort and your play to that team, to that city, to the fans. And then it’s completely your right to leave as a free agent. But if you sign the contract, then you should be bound to that contract”, continued Kerr talking about the remainder of Davis’ contract with the Pels.
With the trade request, the Pelicans pulled the trigger and dealt Davis to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for three players (Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart and Brandon Ingram) and another three future draft picks. Kerr also stated that trade demands are “disheartening to teams and the community” because players “care about their reputations as much”.
Kerr ended his opinion by giving a concrete example and said, “What LeBron did, played out his contract. What Kevin (Durant) did, both when he arrived at Golden State and when he left. You sign contracts, you play them out and you move on. That’s how it should be done”.
