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[Saba Sports News] Golden State Warriors guard Dennis Schroder sparked controversy this week with his comments about the NBA trade deadline, likening the uncertainty of being traded to “modern slavery.”
“It’s modern slavery at the end of the day,” Schroder said, per Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area. “Everybody can decide where you’re going, even if you have a contract. Yeah, of course, we make a lot of money and can feed our families. But at the end of the day, if they say, ‘You’re not coming to work tomorrow, you’re going over there,’ they can decide that. They got to change that a little bit.”
Schroder added that while he appreciates the opportunity to play in the NBA, he finds it “kind of crazy” that teams can preach loyalty while moving players at will.
His remarks come in the wake of the shocking Luka Doncic trade, which has left many NBA players feeling that no one is untouchable—even a five-time First Team All-NBA talent.
Schroder, 31, has experienced the business side of the league firsthand, having been traded multiple times, including his recent move to Golden State in December. Reports suggest he could be on the move again before this week’s trade deadline.
While NBA players do have some leverage through free agency and contract structuring, the reality is that long-term deals come with the trade-off of potentially being moved at any time.
Schroder, who is earning $13 million this season and has amassed over $100 million in career earnings, may find it difficult to garner widespread sympathy. His comments also follow a well-documented misstep in free agency a few years ago, which cost him a much larger contract.
Though his frustration is understandable, comparing NBA trades—where players earn millions regardless of where they play—to slavery has drawn significant criticism.