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Detroit Pistons forward Blake Griffin sympathized with Anthony Davis' decision to seek out a trade after the 22-28 New Orleans Pelicans look far from making a postseason run, even after retooling around him this summer.
Griffin, who was once promised to be the L.A. Clippers' franchise player and consequently signed to a five-year, $173 million deal was shipped out of town only a few months after he became eligible to be traded, leaving that promise in an empty field of nothingness.
“The player has to do what's best for him, and not worry about the backlash,” said Griffin, according to James Edwards III of The Athletic. “It's going to happen, and you can't really control it. Teams are able to do whatever they want, and they don't get backlash unless they don't do it the right way.
“You look at Toronto, and what people say about how they handled that situation. That's pretty much the only time a team can necessarily be in the wrong in that situation. But if a player wants be in a better situation, or a chance to win, or whatever it is, closer to family or whatever it may be, a lot of time it's looked at negatively. And as players, you can't worry about that, and I think guys are starting to realize that, guys are prepared for the backlash.”
Davis, who has remained patient with the organization and tried to make it work alongside his teammates (even taking part in recruiting), has seen the franchise hit its limit, now mired in 13th place and too far out from contention in a crowded Western Conference.
The notion of loyalty is one of the first words uttered when a player of Davis' tenure requests a trade, but Griffin argued the word is misconceived, as it often doesn't go both ways.
“You can talk about back in the day all you want, but back in the day is not today,” said Griffin. “The NBA isn't structured the same way, contracts aren't structured the same way, teams aren't structured the same way, so you can't expect players to keep doing the same thing.
“It's such an outdated view on life. I get the whole loyalty thing, but at the same time, you have to do what's best for your family, best for you, and a lot of the times, sometimes, those things don't align.”
Griffin would know about such things, given how a big-time presentation setup with his name and jersey hanging from Staples Center was once presented to him, only for the Clippers to walk every word back and trade him to Detroit.
In an era of player power, guys like Davis now hold the leverage, and it's up to the team to provide the results necessary to keep him. In today's NBA, winning is rewarded with attention from free agents — and losing, with ultimate despair.
