Every time a mega trade happens in the NBA, fans enter the “no one is safe mode.” Like Damian Lillard’s trade to the Milwaukee Bucks in 2023, or Luka Doncic’s move from the Mavericks to the LA Lakers in February 2025. When organizations trade stars of this caliber to make business easier, it forces questions about the future stars. Is attachment that bad a trait in the NBA? Do upcoming big names like Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper have things to worry about?

Well, considering Doncic’s fate, Flagg and his peers deserve a fair warning. And former NBA player Marcus Morris was there to spread wisdom on the Million Dollarz Worth Game podcast with Gillie and Wallo. Initially, Nasir “Gillie” Fard shared his insights on trade scenes. He delivered his warning like a slap of reality, claiming that the NBA may smile at your family and shake your hand, but loyalty never lasts. He showed players selling jerseys, packing arenas, doing everything right, and still ending up traded over dinner.

His gospel was simple yet sharp: play polite, stay professional, never fall in love with the franchise. “I ain’t really going to develop a relationship that’s too strong with these folks. They meet my family, but yeah, I’m going to take all of that with a grain of salt,” he said. “I met your son. I know your kids. Hey Bobby, Hey Sarah, Hey Connor. All that is cool, but I don’t really get too close with y’all. And I don’t really develop too much of a love relationship with y’all because at the bottom line, y’all don’t give a [expletive] about me.”

Meanwhile, Morris added, “I think in two ways you should go about it because some, and we’re just talking like hindsight. I’m not built to juggle being a business owner and maintaining a poker face, while also being able to work in it and separate the personal aspect of caring about me.” He further noted, “Like, man, it’s hard to already conquer being in the league, and now my feelings got to be a certain way because they might do X, Y, and Z, and I still got to play at this level.”

It’s true, being an NBA player is hard. The competition is grueling, merciless to say the least. Therefore, the 36-year-old suggested, “What I would say is just go into it, making sure that every day you’re coming to work. Don’t worry about if they trade you, be prepared. It’s more so don’t go in there like I can never be traded, I can never, this could never happen.” But still work hard and earn respect, “Because all that plays a point. Certain players, like it’s a couple superstars, but then it’s not superstars that trickle in and trickle out that have long careers like us and just stay under the radar, work, and do what we’re supposed to do.”

Gillie further stripped the sugarcoat off the league and served it raw. He said a coach might smile, an owner might bring out the kids, and it all feels like love until the trade call comes. His rule was crystal. Shake hands, stay respectful, handle business, but never mistake business for family. The heartbreak lives there. Now, these are survival tactics for Cooper Flagg and all the NBA rookies of this year. However, the same mantra will be applicable for every hooper who will make his way into the league.

Now, Flagg is already feeling the heat before his first real dribble, and Dallas is only cranking it higher. Jason Kidd is surely weighing daring choices while the noise grows louder. Expectations cling to Cooper like a second jersey, yet the league reminds every rookie that the spotlight comes with pressure, questions, and unpredictable turns.

Jason Kidd faces new requests before Cooper Flagg’s debut season for the Dallas Mavericks

Rashad McCants threw fire at Cooper Flagg, brushing off the hype and questioning his right to shine in Jason Kidd’s Dallas Mavericks lineup. He claimed Flagg never earned the grind, unlike Kobe Bryant, who waited years before rising. With sharp words, McCants turned the spotlight into a warning, daring the rookie to prove otherwise.

“I’m not really big on the freshmen coming out and the young guys because they’re underdeveloped and so overhyped. They have to now get to the league and find their way,” McCants said to RG Media. “Flagg doesn’t have to work for his position…He’s not proven, though, at all. I mean, Kobe Bryant had to sit two years under Del Harris based on his head coach not believing in playing first or second-year guys. But it helped him a lot.”

Expectations, Rashad McCants warned, can crush faster than they crown. He argued that young players like Cooper Flagg walk into the league with hype instead of hurdles, which breeds pressure heavier than their frames. Disappointments follow if they stumble, and the message rang clear: the NBA offers no shortcuts, only tests waiting to expose the unprepared.

Law Murray, meanwhile, raised the stakes for Dallas. He urged Jason Kidd to hand Flagg the ball until Kyrie Irving heals, calling D’Angelo Russell’s decline impossible to ignore. He pointed to Kidd’s blueprint with Giannis in Milwaukee, a gamble that unlocked greatness. Training camp looms, and Flagg’s spot in the Mavericks’ five may hinge on bold choices.

The NBA never hugs for free, and Cooper Flagg is learning that before tipoff. Sure thing, the Dallas Mavericks legend, Dirk Nowitzki, is eager to meet the new star. But Gillie and Marcus Morris already dropped the rulebook on survival, while Rashad McCants threw sparks at his hype. Add Jason Kidd’s looming choices and Law Murray’s bold pitch, and the rookie stands at a storm’s center. Welcome to the league’s cruel love story.