NBA Rumors: Is Chauncey Billups Trying to Pout His Way to South Beach?

Yesterday Chauncey Billups informed Yahoo!'s Adrian Wojnarowski that he might consider retirement if a team he didn't want to play for placed a bid on him after he was amnestied by the New York Knicks. 

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I’m tired of being viewed as the good guy. After a while, you just kind of get taken advantage of in these situations. I’ve been known as a leader, and I am a leader, but a leader can be as disruptive as he can be productive, especially when you carry a strong voice and people rally around you. This is about me now. This is about me, and teams should know that right now.

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In fact, Billups' comments come across almost as a threat of destroying a team as it is. Frankly, it is deplorable. 

He complains about the way he's been treated. I mean those mean old NBA teams that have been paying him a total of over $86 million over the course of his career have just been mean. 

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I just don’t deserve the treatment that I’ve continually gotten. Historically, these things never happen to the supposed great players and good guys. They continually happen to me, and it gets old. Listen, I feel I’ve been blessed in the game, and I’ve been given back, but these things start to wear on you. But there’s not another guy in history who keeps dealing with this, getting thrown into these things to make the money right. I really believe it’s because people take my kindness and professionalism for weakness. They think I’ll be OK with this. I won’t be OK with this. I’ve saved my money. I may just retire if I don’t get my freedom here.

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Historically these thing never happen to the "supposed great players and good guys." 

Really? Steve Nash never got traded. Jason Kidd never got traded? 

He wants to complain about being a 34-year-old trade chip but let's face it, that's what he is. He's a player making $13 million but he isn't a player that is giving $13 million in return.  

Billups rants, 

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I want my freedom. My goal is to control my own destiny. And as you’ve seen in my career, I’ve never been in a position to do that. I know some teams out there are saying, ‘Oh, Chauncey will be great in mentoring’ and I’m tired of that. I’ve got a few good years left to play, and I’m not trying to come in and sit on the bench, or be a mentor. I’m not going to be that guy. I want to go somewhere and win. I want to choose.

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He's never been able to do that? Was that someone else controlling his hand when he signed those previous contracts? 

What is this really about? He wants to sign with a contender and he's threatening the system if he lands with a team that isn't one. 

Let's not pretend that Billups has had a long history of playing for one loser after another. Every team he's been on since the 2001 season has won at least 47 games. He's been to the playoffs every year since then as well. He's been to the conference finals or better six times. He has a ring. 

It's not like he's been leading the pack for perennial losers, giving it all and getting nothing in return. He's had a more fortunate career than a lot of players that are much greater than he is. 

There was an agreement in the CBA that prevented contenders from being able to stockpile amnestied players and Billups is trying to threaten his way out of that. The players accepted this provision and he is a player. 

The "A" in CBA stands for "agreement." Billups, as a player, has already agreed to this provision. He shouldn't be trying to pout and whine his way out of it. 

Frankly, if I'm the owner of a certain small market team with an ax to grind I put a bid on him for the veteran's minimum just to make sure he doesn't get to go help the Miami Heat. He would be worth the money for that alone.