T.J. Ford has been traded twice, under very different circumstances. (NBAE/Getty Images) |
For blogs, talk-radio shows, and your daily sports section, trades are fuel. Nothing attracts users/listeners/readers like trade talk and during the month of February in the NBA world, there's no shortage of kindling.
But what's it like for the players themselves? These are, after all, human beings whose lives and careers can be uprooted in an instant, suddenly separated from family, friends and home.
"You really don't even have time to think," said Troy Murphy, who along with Mike Dunleavy was acquired by the Pacers from Golden State in their last pre-deadline deal on Jan. 17, 2007. "I remember we got traded on a Wednesday and we were playing in a game for the Pacers on Sunday so it was like, pretty much the beat goes on."
Murphy's name has been frequently mentioned in the current rumor mill, with reports if interest from Cleveland, Milwaukee and Sacramento. The NBA trade deadline is 3 p.m. tomorrow so the next 24 hours could be a time of uncertainty and angst for Murphy and the handful of other players whose names are out there.
A generally upbeat personality, Murphy has largely shrugged off all the chatter.
"It pretty much is what it is," he said. "It's part of the business and you just go and do your job until they tell you otherwise. … It's better than people saying, 'I can't wait to ship this (guy) out of here,' I guess."
T.J. Ford has been traded twice, the first time from Milwaukee to Toronto after the 2005-06 season, and then from the Raptors to the Pacers after 2007-08. The circumstances were different. The Bucks had drafted him No. 8 overall in 2003 and Ford thought he was very much in the franchise's future plans when he was shipped out for Charlie Villanueva and cash.
"The first time in Milwaukee it was definitely unexpected," he said. "There weren't any signs showing I was going get traded. It just happened and came out of nowhere.
"In Toronto it was kind of a different scenario, understanding that there was no way they were going to be able to have two point guards (Ford and Jose Calderon) making starter's pay so it was kind of a situation where I knew I was going to be the odd man out.
"It's not easy but the good thing for me is I always got traded during the summertime so it's pretty easy to adjust. I haven't had the (midseason) experience. It's a tough thing. It's not something that's easy to deal with. You've got to be mentally strong."
Every job has its headaches, but at least your boss can't ship you to Sacramento at a moment's notice. It's part of the life NBA players understand and generally accept but that doesn't make it easy.
"At the end of the day it's a business and you're getting traded to a team that wants you," said Ford. "As long as somebody wants you, you can't really be too upset. Being young, it doesn't hit you that easily to understand it but as you get years in the league you understand that as long as somebody wants you, it's not so bad.
"If people stop calling, it's a problem."
Bucks reportedly still interested
Chris Mannix of SI.com reported the Bucks remain interested in Murphy as they look for a power forward to ease offensive pressure on Andrew Bogut.
But Pacers Coach Jim O'Brien said Tuesday after practice he didn't expect a move and reiterated that position in his pregame media briefing Wednesday night before the Pacers faced the Spurs.
"As much as every team in the league wants to do some things, improve your basketball team, it's very difficult to make deals," O'Brien said. "Everybody wants to improve their basketball team but I think when we go to New Orleans this is the group that we'll have."
The Pacers travel to New Orleans Thursday and open a four-game road trip against the Hornets Friday.
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