NO should hold the line.
If NO loses him, where do they go? How can they sell fans on anything? They can't hold onto AD, can't hold onto Zion, what's the point in having a franchise there?
The league's going to have to address this in the years to come. Fans are going to eventually stop supporting franchises that have no chance to compete.
Not just Anthony Davis. Chris Paul too. Both cases of long term mismanagement (aka avoidable).
It would heartbreaking to see a 3rd franchise player level talent in Zion force his way out.
I don't think they are there yet but they are on a bad track and if they do not get off this track soon, this is exactly where they will end up. And it will come down to two factors (1) mismanagement by GM (2) ownership failure to hold GM accountable (fire & replace him).
I still don’t see what Griffin has done that’s so negative.
Ingram is a very nice piece. Lonzo is solid and should be retained. They’ve got four extra first rounders and multiple pick swaps. Hayes, Alexander-Walker and Lewis all have potential.
I don’t love Adams or Bledsoe, but they’re neutral-value veterans who will be $30 million worth of expiring contracts next off-season.
That is okay. We just see it differently.
I view it as
(1) pairing Zion with a center in Steven Adams who is a paint only player as incompetent. Like Giannis, Zion needs a stretch big. As an add on, I also viewed it as incompetent when Griffin drafted Jaxson Hayes to pair with Zion a year earlier. Same reasoning.
(2) pairing Zion with a PG with a very weak jumper who just failed next to a similar player in Giannis as incompetent.
(3) Building a team with multiple parts that do not fit and never had any hope of fitting as incompetent. You cannot put that many bad shooters together and expect to manage any type of coherent offense.
And
(4) I would find it utterly disgusting as a player (or a fan) to see my GM derail his own team like this. Not even stagnation. Backwards mobility. A wasted year of my career (if I am a player especially the star player like Zion) or a wasted season of viewing pleasure i(f I am the fan here) of my favourite young stars Zion & Ingram.