Things got a bit awkward for Harrison Barnes. On Wednesday, with the trade deadline looming, the Mavericks traded Barnes to the Kings in the middle of Dallas' game against the Los Angeles Clippers.
Trading a player mid-game is an extremely unorthodox move, one that prompted LeBron James to take to Instagram with a post that questioned the team's ethical standards.
"So let me guess this is cool cause they had to do what was best for the franchise right," James wrote, alongside a clip of the trade being announced during the Mavericks broadcast. "Traded this man while he was literally playing in the game and had ZERO idea. I'm not knocking who traded him because it's a business... I just want the narrative to start to get REAL/CHANGE and not when a player wants to be traded or leaves a franchise that he's a selfish/ungrateful player but when they trade you, release, waive, cut, etc... it's best for them!"
If there is anyone who can admonish the NBA for its on-going hypocrisy it's James, who was widely criticized when he decided to leave Cleveland for Miami in 2010. At the time, Cavs owner Dan Gilbert penned a scathing open letter, in which he lashed out at James for leaving Cleveland.
While James certainly had a point, it was later revealed that Barnes knew he would be traded before the game and suited up out of support for his teammates.
However, the fact remains that franchises who make trades don't receive the same amount of scrutiny as players who request trades or leave for free agency to help solidify their future.
