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Kerr: Trade demands like AD's are 'real problem' for NBA

Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Anthony Davis finally made his long-awaited move to the Los Angeles Lakers after publicly requesting a trade from the New Orleans Pelicans midway through the 2018-19 season.

Davis' approach to the situation was controversial, and Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr hopes it isn't a sign of things to come.

"Where a guy is perfectly healthy and has a couple years left on his deal and says, 'I want to leave,' I think that's a real problem that the league has to address, that the players have to be careful with," Kerr told NBC Sports' Monte Poole on "The Warriors Insider Podcast."

"To me, when you sign on that dotted line, you owe your effort and your play to that team, to that city, to the fans. And then (once the contract runs out) it's completely your right to leave as a free agent. But if you sign the contract, then you should be bound to that contract."

Prior to his coaching career, Kerr played 15 seasons in the NBA and says he understands that players have the right to do what's in their best interest.

But the 2016 Coach of the Year maintains that there's a proper way for players to handle their business and points to the free-agent departures of LeBron James and Kevin Durant as examples.

"There’s a way to move and a way to not move," Kerr said. "What LeBron did, played out his contract. What Kevin did both when he arrived at Golden State and when he left. You sign contracts, you play them out and you move on. That’s how it should be done.

"But it's a little disturbing that there has been some action that's happened before contracts are up, where teams are sort of held hostage and the league is sort of held hostage. I'm not a big fan of that. That's damaging for everybody."

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