"Do you not think that affects someone mentally?" Draymond Green blasts the NBA for differential treatment of teams and players in trade situations
Draymond Green sent out a strong message to the NBA after the Golden State Warriors' blowout win against the Cleveland Cavaliers earlier today. Reporters were hoping to ask Draymond about his great outing which included 16 assists. But the three-time NBA champion had something else on his mind.
Draymond Green took the stage for his regular post-game media availability but took only one question. Post that, he spoke about the differential treatment of teams and players regarding trade situations in a heated manner. Draymond stated:
"I would like to talk about something that's really bothering me. It's the treatment of players in this league. To watch Andre Drummond before the game sit on the sideline and go to the back and come out in street clothes because a team is going to trade him is b--- s---. Because when James Harden asks for a trade...everybody destroyed that man. Yet a team can come out and say, 'Oh, we want to trade a guy' and that guy is to go sit and if he doesn't stay professional, then he's a cancer..."
The crux of Draymond Green's argument is Andre Drummond's situation with the Cleveland Cavaliers. It was reported earlier that Drummond would be taken out of the team's rotation with the Cavs looking to trade the center.
Draymond Green irked my NBA's double standards
Draymond Green went on to elaborate by stating that players get fined for demanding a trade but teams run scot-free despite treating their players poorly. He gave a few examples as well:
"Anthony Davis got fined $100,000 I think for demanding a trade publicly. But you can say Andre Drummond is getting traded publicly and we're looking to trade him publicly and he's to stay professional? But when Kyrie Irving says, 'Oh, my mental health is off,' everybody goes crazy. Do you not think that affects someone mentally? ... At some point the players must be respected in these situations. It's ridiculous and I'm sick of seeing it."
You can check out Draymond Green's entire argument in the video below.
Draymond Green isn't someone who shies away from speaking his mind and this was another case of that. Players getting the short end of the stick when it comes to trades is nothing new. We've had guys getting traded while being in the middle of a game. If teams are allowed to get away with that, then it's probably time that players too don't get crucified for wanting to be traded.
Also read: Cleveland Cavaliers 98-129 Golden State Warriors: Twitter erupts as Stephen Curry and Draymond Green showcase their supremacy