There were at least two key takeaways from last season’s seemingly never-ending Kawhisis. One: that any player can come to the unyielding conclusion that they want out of town, despite whatever we think we know about him. Two: that it can happen to any organization, even ones that are widely considered scandal-proof.
And while both revelations highlighted unforeseen vulnerabilities in San Antonio, they also bring us to another organizational differentiator: how teams cope once their star player crosses the Rubicon. Recent NBA history gives us a few interesting case studies to unpack.
In Minnesota, fans don’t know what to expect from Jimmy Butler from one day to the next.