LeBron Calls Out Hypocrisy Over Barnes' Mid-Game Trade, Nowitzki Reacts

LeBron James has called for the hypocrisy to end when it comes to teams trading players and vice versa when it is the players who request to leave a team after Harrison Barnes was traded mid-game by the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday.

The Mavericks beat the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday at the American Airlines Center with Barnes starting for the home team. He played 26 minutes contributing 10 points and it was his last action for the Dallas franchise he joined two seasons ago.

The franchise decided it was time to move him on and have traded him to the Sacramento Kings for Justin Jackson and Zach Randolph. And it has now been revealed that the player was informed of the trade midway through the game.

Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki revealed after the game that he got to know with eight minutes remaining on the clock that Barnes will not return to the court and he admitted that he was “disappointed for the guy” with whom he had a close relationship.

“We’re going to miss him. ... He was a hard worker and he set a great example for this franchise for a couple of years that he was here. I told him that I wish him nothing but the best,” Nowitzki said after the win standing next to Barnes’ locker, according to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon.

James has not taken too kindly to the Mavericks’ actions and believes the hypocrisy needs to end as when a team makes a trade it is considered business and what’s best for the franchise, but when a player requests a trade he is usually branded “selfish and ungrateful”. He wants to see a change in the approach and believes, either way, it is the same.

“So let me guess this is cool cause they had to do what was best for the franchise right??? 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 and you have to do what you feel what’s best but I just want this 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 etc it’s best for them! I’m ok with both honestly, truly am. Just call a ♠ a ♠ !!” James wrote on Instagram alongside a video of the news breaking about Barnes’ trade.