Obviously there's some difference between a free agency departure and an exodus, but the bottom line is all three of them left a team for a better shot at a title. Miami clearly gave Ray a better shot. Brooklyn clearly gives KG/Paul a better shot.

It's not like KG and Pierce had no say in whether they were getting traded or not.

Pierce said after the trade: "We are championship driven... We made a lot of money in our careers. We have won a number of awards. At this point right now, we are about winning a championship. Brooklyn gives us the best opportunity."

Those near-exact words could've come out of Ray's mouth after the Miami signing. Same principle.

I suspect that both their comments and Bron's comment are steeped more in fan service than in actual reality, and they all know that both roster moves and trash talking rivals are part of the business. This is mostly just the media asking the right questions and then getting quotes to blow up and run with. I don't believe KG and Pierce would've said those things in complete earnestness, seeing the writing on the wall for their roster going forward and knowing they'd be leaving soon enough. If they did... well, then that's hilarious.