Red Flag, Anyone?
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by I am a cpcp
I opened up the sports section of the Akron Beacon Journal this morning and found out the the Cleveland Cavaliers are talking to someone they think can come in to support LeBron James and Co. This supposed Cleveland savior would be none other than the 36-year-old, retired Allan Houston. Yes, the same Allan Houston that made $40 million the last two years sitting at home.
These talks come on the heels of the Miami Heat gave a non-guaranteed deal to the 5-year-injured Penny Hardaway. Houston is not expected to accept anything non-guaranteed due to the fact that he was so willing to milk the New York Knicks of all their money.
To complete this trifecta of old guys coming out of retirement for one more shot at a title, the Boston Celtics are in talks to bring Reggie Miller out of retirement as well, something the aforementioned Cavs tried to do last year.
I think the fact that the NBA, a league that covets all the young and international talent it can find, has a handful of teams looking at guys receiving pension to fill their rosters should be a major red flag to young players. The league has had more players jump straight from high school (before the rule change) or go one-and-done in college (after) to the league than ever and those players aren't being successful.
If it was easy to make the jump, these forgotten guys would stay forgotten and wouldn't be given the option of coming back. And this isn't a new concept, Look at the team the Lakers tried to field with Karl Malone and Gary Payton. Desperate old guys don't make a good basketball team.
Most teams didn't think it was a good idea to have Allan Houston when he was in the prime of his career, let along when he was pushing 40 after a two year hiatus. Houston's view of himself hasn't changed, either.
"I'm looking to play a supporting role to some of these great young stars," Houston told ESPN.com. "More of a leadership role, someone who can add experience and stability late in games. I don't expect my scoring and my minutes to be what they used to, but at the same time, I'm not looking to just be a decoy out there. I'd like to have some kind of role."
What experience has Houston has that's valuable? How to become overpaid and then milk an NBA contract? That's hardly stability, either.
When teams are reaching out to players like this, the league is obviously in trouble and that's not even touching the referee issues. If I was a college players, I'd take my four years of eligibility and let the NBA straighten itself out before I jump into that mess. Too many young players are going to the league before they're ready and losing their jobs to guys like Hardaway and Houston.
I know that Hardaway won't necessarily get a job and Houston might just be talk. But the fact that they're even options is scary.
