Kevin Love’s extension could make Cavs the loyal franchise
By Doug Patrick
DeMar DeRozan and Toronto
Look no further than DeMar DeRozan’s tale from only the week before. On July 18th, Toronto traded him to the Spurs.
DeRozan intended on being a Raptor for his entire career. He had proclaimed he was Toronto only two years before, and former Raptors head coach Dwayne Casey designed a new offensive system this season to maximize his effectiveness.
In an interview with ESPN, he stated that he asked the organization if he would be traded this offseason but was always reassured he would be moving forward with the team.
Toronto’s commitment to their star became only talk when he became the price of admission for Kawhi Leonard.
Isaiah Thomas and Boston
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While DeRozan’s treatment has driven several recent headlines, the conversation over loyalty began in Boston following the Celtics’ handling of Isaiah Thomas last offseason.
Throughout the 2017 season, Thomas became a fan favorite with Celtics fans and many believed the MVP-candidate would stay in Boston long-term. He helped carry the Celtics to the Eastern Conference Finals while playing through a hip injury and the emotional toll of his sister’s death.
None of that seemed to matter in the summer.
Boston traded Thomas to Cleveland first or Kyrie Irving. In a Players Tribune article, Thomas mentioned that, although he understands the NBA is a business, the trade still hurt.
He said he was “traded—just like that, without any warning—by the franchise that I scratched and clawed for, and bled for, and put my everything on the line for… Maybe [people will] look around the league, look at a case like mine, and remember that loyalty—it’s just a word.”
Thomas playing through his hip injury led him to miss a good chunk of 2018’s season and may be a reason for Thomas’s quick fall from a max-level type player to signing for the veteran minimum in Denver.
He told Rachel Nichols that if he could go back to the 2017 postseason, he would’ve sat out.
Those two and even Blake Griffin‘s trade to Detroit following the Clippers hanging up his jersey prior to his contract extension have decreased team’s loyalty to their players.