Last night defensive show stopper vet Luc Mbah a Moute inked a contract with James Harden’s Chris Paul refuelled Houston Rockets for the upcoming year. In the same weekend were Kentucky great guard Rajon Rondo reunited with the Big Blue of former King DeMarcus Cousins and another ‘cat Anthony Davis for the new flying Pelicans nation in New Orleans. Signing on in N.O. for 12 months after spending the last season in Chicago as a Bull.
This isn’t an article about how the Kobe Bryant dubbed “a##hole” has gone from a rafter bound Boston Celtic great to an All Star journeyman of sorts (the “sorts” being the question of his A.S. status) but that issue deserves some ink in itself. This is more about the new NBA trend in the market of free agency for one calender deals for big players that seem to be the star equivalent of 10 day contracts for retiring veterans or D-League pushers.
Even the Lakers-who nearly got Rondo this Summer after wanting him since him and Kobe went for breakfast in Boston-have been offering out 1 year contracts like Oprah does free stuff on her show. “You get a year in L.A.”! “You get a year in L.A.”! Eventually adding former Detroit Piston Kentavious Cadwell-Pope to their young cores assembly line for a year spell. Or should we say revolving door? As in this league of player power that really plays out towards each Summer teams are going from cleaning house to setting up rentals to keep that LeBron and Westbrook cap space free.
But maybe guys like Paul George end up sticking around longer than just a season. Have you ever thought about that?
Out in L.A. Or should we say “out of L.A.” like Chris Paul? J.J. Redick didn’t follow Blake Griffin’s half decade (how rare now) in Hollywood plan as he joined former Raptor Amir Johnson at the Sixers for a one year process in Philly. Even the champs are getting in on the act as after re-upping big-man David West, the Dubs stole the swag of Sixth Man spark-plug Nick Young from the Lakers as the Warriors showed Young the side of the state of California that carries more gold right now.
But that’s not all. T-Dot exclamating, dunking Raptor legend Vince Carter (Sacrmento Kings), young prospect Aron Baynes (Boston Celtics) and international talent Ersan Ilyasolva (Atlanta Hawks) all packed light bags for what in reality are long (ish) road trips next year.
One and done deals offer both the player as a person and who they play for as a personel plenty of flexibility in this year-by-year game that changes as much as the new jerseys. Especially in an association were the offseason of drafts and free agency plays as just important as the one were the ball is on the floor. But there’s actually something very wrong with that notion. Screaming of a lack of something sorely missing and in dire need of in the L.
And that something is as simple as loyalty.
Remember that?
