Taking stock of the most ruthless transactions in the NBA: In the face of interests, the team spirit can easily give up

In the world of NBA, loyalty and business are sometimes like a game. There are both heartwarming stories and some "heartless" transactions that chill players and make fans sigh. They were either motivated by business considerations or due to conflicts within the team, but in the end they profoundly changed the fate of the players and the team.

No.1: Isaiah Thomas

In this matter, the Green Army will "kill the donkey" and "cook the rabbit to death". These two words are vividly displayed. Thomas is a No. 60 pick with a height of only 1.75 meters. Due to his body shape Due to his physical disadvantages, his basketball career was full of doubts. Even though he averaged 20+ per game with the Kings, he was still put on the shelf until he met Stevens, the young coach of the Green Army. The latter not only did not dislike his talent, but instead made him the core of the offense.

Thomas was very grateful for this and gave his all to the team. In the 16-17 season, he averaged 28.9 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game to help the team return to the top of the Eastern Conference. In the playoffs, he continued to perform superbly, leading the team to reverse the Wizards with 52 points in a single game. He endured the death of his sister and hip injuries, and used his thin body to carry the Celtics all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Just when Thomas naively thought that the Green Army would keep him with a large salary, Anji packaged him and sent him to the Cavaliers. His life was reversed at this moment, and he became a homeless man bit by bit.

No.2: DeMar DeRozan

The explosion of this deal is no less than that of Thomas. Since being selected by the Raptors in 2009, DeRozan has been diligent and conscientious, devoting all his best years to this team. You must know that Toronto is located in the north and is an insulator for the stars, but DeRozan has never thought of escaping. He has publicly stated more than once that he wants to live here forever.

On the eve of the 2018 trade, DeRozan also had a long conversation with the team's general manager Masai Ujiri, who made it clear that he was not for sale to the team. However, a few days later, DeRozan received a news push that he had been sent to the Spurs. He called his agent in disbelief and finally got a positive answer. What's even more ironic is that the Raptors only got Leonard's one-year rights to use Leonard. This was simply humiliating for DeRozan.

No.3: Derrick Rose

Born in Chicago, Rose has been a Bulls fan since he was a child. He witnessed Jordan leading the team to win the second three consecutive championships on TV. Rose still vividly remembers the sight of the basketball god holding the trophy high. Ten years later, in the draft, the Bulls held the No. 1 pick and personally picked the son of the Windy City. With the mission of restoring the glory of the Bulls, Rose started his NBA career.

As the youngest MVP in NBA history, the Bulls led by Rose were once close to that goal. However, in the 2012 playoffs, he suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament during a high-load battle, and suffered a meniscus in his left knee after his return. His condition took a turn for the worse, and the Bulls showed no mercy and suddenly traded him to the Knicks without any warning. It is worth mentioning that Rose was participating in a TV show at the time. He received a call from his agent, and then silently walked to the corner, bowing his head and crying.

No.4: Blake Griffin

Griffin is the absolute core of the alley-oop city. With his shocking dunks, he turned the Clippers from a "bad ship" into a regular in the playoffs, bringing huge attention and market value. However, due to the inability to touch the Western Conference Finals for consecutive years, conflicts arose among the core members of the team. It was DeAndre Jordan and Paul. The former was on the verge of leaving the team in 2016. It was Griffin's constant communication that kept this top center. However, soon, a fierce conflict broke out between Paul and Griffin. The final result was that in 2017, Paul joined the Rockets in frustration, while Griffin was retained by the Clippers for $170 million in five years.

Ballmer has publicly stated more than once that Griffin is his favorite player. The latter also believes that he can stay with the Clippers. However, Griffin was traded to the Pistons in just a few months. He is eager to prove himself again here, risking the end of his career early and playing with injuries. To this day, Griffin has not stayed away from the Clippers.

No.5: Paul Pierce

Pierce's departure was similar to DeRozan's. The only difference was that Pierce was past his peak at the time. Based on his understanding of Ainge, a trade seemed inevitable, even though he wanted to stay in Boston forever. In the summer of 2013, As soon as the free agent market opened, Pierce told his wife to pack her bags. Then, he received a call from the team. What's even more funny is that they not only want to trade Pierce, but also Garnett, but the latter has the power to veto the transaction. Therefore, the Green Army hopes that Pierce will come forward to persuade Garnett.

As the soul of the team, Pierce devoted his best 15 years to this team. Especially when he knew that the Nets had paid quite a lot of chips, Pierce was willing to be squeezed out of the last value by his old club and went to the Nets with Garnett and Terry.

No. 6: Dwyane Wade

Although Wade was not traded, his qualities are almost the same. He is also the soul of the Heat and has brought 3 NBA championships to the team. However, behind every championship, Wade always sacrificed. He took the initiative to cut his salary many times to maintain the team's competitiveness and never received the highest salary in the team.

In the summer of 2016, the 34-year-old Wade became a free agent. Since he had passed his peak, he did not expect to receive a high salary. He only wanted a decent contract that was in line with his worth (around 40 million for two years). However, Heat president Pat Riley was only willing to provide an offer with an annual salary of 10 million. The Heat's inhumanity and lack of nostalgia made Wade extremely disappointed, and he turned around and reached an agreement with the Bulls..

The "heartless" thing about these transactions is that they destroy the emotional connection between players, teams, and fans that transcends business. There is nothing wrong with the team's pursuit of victory through transactions, but when dealing with those who have made outstanding contributions to the team's soul, methods and methods are crucial. These stories also remind players again and again that the NBA is first and foremost a business, and so-called loyalty is, most of the time, just the romantic imagination of fans.