As I said before, "somethin' ain't right" in the land of the setting Sun. It started with the hiring of a coach no one heard of and now the entire starting 5 is gone. Morgan and Jen owe the fans an explanation of what the heck they are thinking/planning!
All 5 starters who left were free agents of various classes. Becoming a free agent is obviously a right that players in all sports leagues covet, as they can choose both the teammates they play with and the city they live in. Again obvious, but this makes them like any normal American citizen able to choose job and location.
All 5 players had communicated to management that they preferred to play elsewhere in 2025. Why?
Just want to try free agency.
Don't like current practice facilities.
Prefer to live in a big city vs rural.
Coach White is gone, and others leaving, so we will not be competitive.
Sun management used all available options to retain some control over the process. Using core and restricted free agent rules, they were able to work trades to at least get compensation for some players they are losing, instead of just watching them walk.
2025 will be tough, but team will now be a lot younger, draft is a good opportunity, and they can get ready to make serious moves for 2026 after new CBA is finalized.
Remains to be seen if mgt is able to address any player concerns. Also communication to season ticket holders could be improved!