Many of these players have received signing bonuses pro-rated and paid out over time. They get it all even if they're cut.
Many of these players have guaranteed salaries (thus the dead money). They get it whether they play or sit at home eating Twinkies.
The Contracts all contain performance requirements. That is, that the player may be cut at the team's discretion (or if it is a star player, other terms unique to his contract may apply). Teams are NOT going against the contract terms when they cut players, regularly absorbing dead money for paying players after they've cut.
Players like AD are indeed going against the contract terms, even the CBA, hence the penalties.
Donald is 100% out of bounds on this. He is the ONLY rookie contract guy holding out, and there's plenty of these guys who "deserve" bigger bucks. But they are reporting and playing as they should......because they're under contract to do so.
I have lost respect for the man from a business ethics viewpoint.
