How Anthony Davis, Jimmy Butler, and Other NBA Stars Went Too Far in Demanding a Trade from Their Franchise

Player trades are a common occurrence in the NBA as they take place during every offseason. But only a few of them capture the limelight (eg. Anthony Davis to the Lakers), owing to the gravity of the deal, or sometimes if the players willingly ask to be traded. Here are a few instances where the player, be it consciously or not, has contributed to his exit from the franchise.

Fans must be aware of the recent transfer saga that is prevailing in the Houston Rockets franchise. Their cornerstone player James Harden has indicated that he is open to be traded to the Philadelphia 76ers to any other NBA team for that matter.

He simply wants out of the team and he refused to sugarcoat his statements. Harden’s actions have led to a frenzy around the community, as he missed the team’s training schedule and was spotted partying instead.

Harden is clearly empowering himself by asking to be traded out of Houston, though the contributing factors remain a mystery. Nonetheless, the NBA has witnessed similar events in the past where a player’s statements or a cryptic message has led to their exit from a team.

A brief look at how Anthony Davis and a few other stars pushed for a trade

Well, the first and the most sensational trade on this list is Anthony Davis joining the Los Angeles Lakers. AD had spent seven years with the Peclians by 2019 and fans speculated a feeling of unrest developing about his situation.

Things went haywire when Anthony Davis requested a trade away from the team in February. As the Pelicans were set to play their last home game of the 2018/19 season, Davis came into the arena rocking a ‘That’s All Folks’ t-shirt, and it stirred up heated discussions.

However, the 6’10” big man cleared the air on his attire and stated that he didn’t wear it on purpose. But the internet had its fair share of debates over Davis’ demeanor.

Eric Bledsoe’s controversial tweet

Anthony Davis rocking a cryptic message sure tops the list, but Eric Bledsoe’s controversial tweet gathered equal attention as well. The point guard was with the Phoenix Suns when this happened back in 2017.

He had just entered a new season with the Phoenix Suns, but the team started off with a 0-3 record. Right after their loss to the Clippers on October 21, Bledsoe tweeted ‘I Dont wanna be here,’ the next day.

Suns’ GM Ryan McDonough took it as a direct offense and the NBA even fined Bledsoe $10,000 for his actions. His tweet contained no context and McDonough did not buy Bledsoe’s explanation a tiny bit.

“He said he was at a hair salon… I didn’t believe that to be true. He won’t be with us going forward,” McDonough said, per ABC15 Sports.

Consequently, the Suns sent Bledsoe home and then traded him to the Milwaukee Bucks.

Kristaps Porzingis blowing off the Knicks in style

It is no secret that Kristaps Porzingis did not end matters well with the New York Knicks. He was evidently unhappy with the franchise and chose to take the exit door over a difference of opinion.

He publicly called out the franchise for creating ‘confusion’ in March 2017 and later caused more steam by blowing off an exit interview with Phil Jackson, who was the President of the Knicks then.

A couple of days later, Porzingis was spotted on a bicycle which indeed caught everyone’s attention. He even posed for a happy picture with a fan while going on a bright sunny ride with his brother Janis, days after snubbing the Knicks.

Jimmy Butler insulting Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins in training

The relationship between Jimmy Butler and the Minnesota Timberwolves quickly turned sore and it didn’t last more than a season. Jimmy requested a trade from the franchise in September 2018 and just a month later, he hazed KAT and Wiggins during a practice session for being too soft.

Butler reported yelled “they ain’t s–t” and “they soft” at the Timberwolves player while particularly targeting Towns and Wiggins. 

“He can’t do s–t against me!” Butler screamed at Towns after which the center allegedly hit the ball out. He even admitted his intentions later. Butler’s leadership is harsh, but it didn’t seem to work out in his previous teams like how it is flourishing now with the Miami Heat!