Miami quietly fills holes and becomes very deep.

[dtrader]

Proud of Chauncey. He should stand up for himself.

He should not be forced to play for some crappy team and waste away the twilight years of his career.

Forced? What's preventing him from filing for retirement?

Why should Chauncey be forced into retirement? That is wrong.  

How is it forced retirement? He voted for the new CBA..he knew the whole amnesty and bid thing. Why cry about it now? Either play or retire.

When he left Denver (which he didnt even want to do since he was from there and had his family settled there), he was "promised hed be playing for a contender" (his agents words).  If that is the case, and part of the reason he was ok with going to NY was that promise, then I think his frustration is even more understandable.  

I do remember when they initially discussed moving him from Denver, that he considered retirement.  Like someone else said, all he has left is to play for another ring.  If he didnt think he'd be doing that, he probably would have retired and just stayed in Denver, not moving his family and forcing his kids to change schools, etc.  To throw this at him now just a year after he uprooted his family due to the promise he was given is ridiculous.

It doesn't matter what he was promised as long as that promise wasn't a part of his contract. I have heard plenty of players say "It's business" when they leave a team for more money...it works both ways...a team can let you go for business reasons.

If your explanation for why this is ok, is that it's ok to break a promise you made to a player (that resulted in him uprooting his family) if it's a good business decision, then you really cant be mad at Chaunceys actions, because he would owe that person absolutely nothing after that, and is himself only doing whats best for his business...himself.

[barefacedmonk]

Proud of Chauncey. He should stand up for himself.

He should not be forced to play for some crappy team and waste away the twilight years of his career.

Forced? What's preventing him from filing for retirement?

Why should Chauncey be forced into retirement? That is wrong.  

How is it forced retirement? He voted for the new CBA..he knew the whole amnesty and bid thing. Why cry about it now? Either play or retire.

When he left Denver (which he didnt even want to do since he was from there and had his family settled there), he was "promised hed be playing for a contender" (his agents words).  If that is the case, and part of the reason he was ok with going to NY was that promise, then I think his frustration is even more understandable.  

I do remember when they initially discussed moving him from Denver, that he considered retirement.  Like someone else said, all he has left is to play for another ring.  If he didnt think he'd be doing that, he probably would have retired and just stayed in Denver, not moving his family and forcing his kids to change schools, etc.  To throw this at him now just a year after he uprooted his family due to the promise he was given is ridiculous.

It doesn't matter what he was promised as long as that promise wasn't a part of his contract. I have heard plenty of players say "It's business" when they leave a team for more money...it works both ways...a team can let you go for business reasons.

If your explanation for why this is ok, is that it's ok to break a promise you made to a player (that resulted in him uprooting his family) if it's a good business decision, then you really cant be mad at Chaunceys actions, because he would owe that person absolutely nothing after that, and is himself only doing whats best for his business...himself.

Uprooting his family? How hard it to for a millionaire to move his family for a newer job opportunity? Common people do this all the time...you go where job opportunities are. Corporations transfer their employees all the time..its not unheard of..and those employees make less than Mr. Big Shot.

His options are very simple: play for the highest bidder and earn some more millions or retire.

[Moreover]

Proud of Chauncey. He should stand up for himself.

He should not be forced to play for some crappy team and waste away the twilight years of his career.

Forced? What's preventing him from filing for retirement?

Why should Chauncey be forced into retirement? That is wrong. 

If he doesn't want to play for the team he's being traded to, he should retire or should have negotiated a buyout with the Knicks.

What if Pau Gasol pulls the same stunt? Would you also agree?

[Jon]

I am a little worried about JO.  When he's healthy, he's still quite good.  I'd love it if Danny could somehow pull this off without including him.  We'd keep our center depth and add West.  

It's nearly impossible, but I'd give up Bass and some young guys and even a pick if it meant holding onto JO.  

[PosImpos]

I am a little worried about JO.  When he's healthy, he's still quite good.  I'd love it if Danny could somehow pull this off without including him.  We'd keep our center depth and add West. 

It's nearly impossible, but I'd give up Bass and some young guys and even a pick if it meant holding onto JO. 

meh.  i prefer young, athletic, and likely-to-be-healthy over whatever JO can give us for one third to one half of the season.

[get_banners]

I am a little worried about JO.  When he's healthy, he's still quite good.  I'd love it if Danny could somehow pull this off without including him.  We'd keep our center depth and add West.  

It's nearly impossible, but I'd give up Bass and some young guys and even a pick if it meant holding onto JO.  

I mean...yeah, that'd be great. But, you can't trade absolutely nothing for something good (unless you're the Lakers and you're getting Pau Gasol). David West is a very good player. Even if this is largely a salary dump deal for New Orleans, they have to get some value back. Hence, JO.

[Jon]

I am a little worried about JO.  When he's healthy, he's still quite good.  I'd love it if Danny could somehow pull this off without including him.  We'd keep our center depth and add West.  

It's nearly impossible, but I'd give up Bass and some young guys and even a pick if it meant holding onto JO.  

I mean...yeah, that'd be great. But, you can't trade absolutely nothing for something good (unless you're the Lakers and you're getting Pau Gasol). David West is a very good player. Even if this is largely a salary dump deal for New Orleans, they have to get some value back. Hence, JO.

I realize that, but given JO's injury history, one could argue that Bass, Bradley, and a pick or two is a more valuable package than JO. 

If the Hornets really valued JO, they wouldn't be cutting him right away. 

[YouGotRondo d]

I am a little worried about JO.  When he's healthy, he's still quite good.  I'd love it if Danny could somehow pull this off without including him.  We'd keep our center depth and add West. 

It's nearly impossible, but I'd give up Bass and some young guys and even a pick if it meant holding onto JO. 

I mean...yeah, that'd be great. But, you can't trade absolutely nothing for something good (unless you're the Lakers and you're getting Pau Gasol). David West is a very good player. Even if this is largely a salary dump deal for New Orleans, they have to get some value back. Hence, JO.

I have to disagree with those who suggest the [EDIT (Memphis)] got "nothing" for Pau Gasol.

They got nothing immediately, which made the deal seem lopsided, but looking back they netted: Kwame Brown, Marc Gasol, Greivis Vazquez and Darrel Arthur, [EDIT and shoot'em up Javarris Crittendon.]

Not a perfect trade, but it is far from the theft people make it out to be.

[Roy H.]

Proud of Chauncey. He should stand up for himself.

He should not be forced to play for some crappy team and waste away the twilight years of his career.

Forced? What's preventing him from filing for retirement?

Why should Chauncey be forced into retirement? That is wrong.  

Why should any player report to the city where they're traded, then?

If Al Jefferson was happy in Boston, why is it okay to "force" him to play in Minnesota?  Why is it cool to "force" Marshon Brooks to play in New Jersey?  Why "force" John Wall to play with the Wizards, or Eric Gordon to play with the Clips?

League rules allow waiver transactions, trades, etc.  If players don't like league rules or the contracts they signed, find a new league to play in or retire.  There's nothing wrong about asking a player to abide by the Collective Bargaining Agreement they're bound by.

[dtrader]

Proud of Chauncey. He should stand up for himself.

He should not be forced to play for some crappy team and waste away the twilight years of his career.

Forced? What's preventing him from filing for retirement?

Why should Chauncey be forced into retirement? That is wrong.  

How is it forced retirement? He voted for the new CBA..he knew the whole amnesty and bid thing. Why cry about it now? Either play or retire.

When he left Denver (which he didnt even want to do since he was from there and had his family settled there), he was "promised hed be playing for a contender" (his agents words).  If that is the case, and part of the reason he was ok with going to NY was that promise, then I think his frustration is even more understandable.  

I do remember when they initially discussed moving him from Denver, that he considered retirement.  Like someone else said, all he has left is to play for another ring.  If he didnt think he'd be doing that, he probably would have retired and just stayed in Denver, not moving his family and forcing his kids to change schools, etc.  To throw this at him now just a year after he uprooted his family due to the promise he was given is ridiculous.

It doesn't matter what he was promised as long as that promise wasn't a part of his contract. I have heard plenty of players say "It's business" when they leave a team for more money...it works both ways...a team can let you go for business reasons.

If your explanation for why this is ok, is that it's ok to break a promise you made to a player (that resulted in him uprooting his family) if it's a good business decision, then you really cant be mad at Chaunceys actions, because he would owe that person absolutely nothing after that, and is himself only doing whats best for his business...himself.

Uprooting his family? How hard it to for a millionaire to move his family for a newer job opportunity? Common people do this all the time...you go where job opportunities are. Corporations transfer their employees all the time..its not unheard of..and those employees make less than Mr. Big Shot.

His options are very simple: play for the highest bidder and earn some more millions or retire.

Chauncey doesnt need anymore money.  If he did, he wouldn't have made an issue of leaving Denver.  And having millions of dollars doesnt mean that uprooting your family isnt painful.  Millions of dollars arent going to make your kids not feel bad about leaving all their friends in school, or your wife move away from her family.  The only "job opportunity" Chauncey had any interest in, was another ring.  Competing for that, was the only reason he agreed to go to NY.  If that wasnt an option, he wouldnt have gone to NY in the 1st place.  It isnt as easy as "play for more millions or retire", because he's already moved his family to NY.  If he were going to retire or not be chasing a ring, he would have stayed in Denver where his family was from.

[YouGotRondo d]

Proud of Chauncey. He should stand up for himself.

He should not be forced to play for some crappy team and waste away the twilight years of his career.

Forced? What's preventing him from filing for retirement?

Why should Chauncey be forced into retirement? That is wrong. 

Why should any player report to the city where they're traded, then?

If Al Jefferson was happy in Boston, why is it okay to "force" him to play in Minnesota?  Why is it cool to "force" Marshon Brooks to play in New Jersey?  Why "force" John Wall to play with the Wizards, or Eric Gordon to play with the Clips?

League rules allow waiver transactions, trades, etc.  If players don't like league rules or the contracts they signed, find a new league to play in or retire.

Spot on, Roy. If it were up to the players and they ran the league we would have about 6 franchises.

The economics of the league demand that talent needs to be dispersed as evenly as possible with all teams having the right to acquire players through trade.

The free agency system gives the players some leeway with respect to this, but look how players like the Miami 3 abuse this privilege.

Billups needs to respect the system.

[kozlodoev]

Being a glorified nomad is the price of making all this money he already has. You gotta give something to get something. You can't have your cake and eat it too.

[barefacedmonk]

Proud of Chauncey. He should stand up for himself.

He should not be forced to play for some crappy team and waste away the twilight years of his career.

Forced? What's preventing him from filing for retirement?

Why should Chauncey be forced into retirement? That is wrong.  

How is it forced retirement? He voted for the new CBA..he knew the whole amnesty and bid thing. Why cry about it now? Either play or retire.

When he left Denver (which he didnt even want to do since he was from there and had his family settled there), he was "promised hed be playing for a contender" (his agents words).  If that is the case, and part of the reason he was ok with going to NY was that promise, then I think his frustration is even more understandable.  

I do remember when they initially discussed moving him from Denver, that he considered retirement.  Like someone else said, all he has left is to play for another ring.  If he didnt think he'd be doing that, he probably would have retired and just stayed in Denver, not moving his family and forcing his kids to change schools, etc.  To throw this at him now just a year after he uprooted his family due to the promise he was given is ridiculous.

It doesn't matter what he was promised as long as that promise wasn't a part of his contract. I have heard plenty of players say "It's business" when they leave a team for more money...it works both ways...a team can let you go for business reasons.

If your explanation for why this is ok, is that it's ok to break a promise you made to a player (that resulted in him uprooting his family) if it's a good business decision, then you really cant be mad at Chaunceys actions, because he would owe that person absolutely nothing after that, and is himself only doing whats best for his business...himself.

Uprooting his family? How hard it to for a millionaire to move his family for a newer job opportunity? Common people do this all the time...you go where job opportunities are. Corporations transfer their employees all the time..its not unheard of..and those employees make less than Mr. Big Shot.

His options are very simple: play for the highest bidder and earn some more millions or retire.

Chauncey doesnt need anymore money.  If he did, he wouldn't have made an issue of leaving Denver.  And having millions of dollars doesnt mean that uprooting your family isnt painful.  Millions of dollars arent going to make your kids not feel bad about leaving all their friends in school, or your wife move away from her family.  The only "job opportunity" Chauncey had any interest in, was another ring.  Competing for that, was the only reason he agreed to go to NY.  If that wasnt an option, he wouldnt have gone to NY in the 1st place.  It isnt as easy as "play for more millions or retire", because he's already moved his family to NY.  If he were going to retire or not be chasing a ring, he would have stayed in Denver where his family was from.

We're derailing this thread a bit..so, this will be my last comment. The bottom line is: he can retire if he doesn't want to play for a crappy team. He wants to play but on this own terms. You can't do that. The new CBA allows teams to bid for players that have been amnestied...as simple as that. He doesn't like it, he can sit on his sofa and watch his ex-colleagues play. This is not the first time he has had to move his family and it won't be the last if he continues to play...comes with the job.

[Roy H.]

If he were going to retire or not be chasing a ring, he would have stayed in Denver where his family was from.

I can't remember, did Chauncey have the right to veto the deal?  Or was it just a situation where he was threatening to retire?

If he could have retired, I don't see what the huge harm is in him getting paid millions of dollars for half a season in New York, and then retiring.  He basically got paid millions to put off his retirement decision by a few months.  It's hard to have much sympathy.

Sorry, but if players are that adamant about controlling their destiny, then negotiate a no trade clause.  Kobe has one.  If Chauncey wanted one, I'm sure he could have got one, if he was able to give back something (guaranteed money) in return.  Instead, he wants to eat his cake and have it too.  I can't get behind that, even if I'd be frustrated as well.

Frustration does not give one the right to act like a punk.  Chauncey and Rip Hamilton have really hurt their legacies in my opinion.  Yes, they're doing nothing more than acting like typical modern athletes, but they've proven themselves to have no class or professionalism, and that's sad.

[Who]

I don't understand why Chauncey should have to play for a crappy team (or retire).

I just don't get it. It makes no sense to me.