With the financial dynamic of the NBA and the CBA and the ecosystem that is created there, there has to be a mix of loyalty and making the tough business and personnel decisions that are not viewed as loyal. It is impossible for a team to be 100% loyal because of the nature and fluidity of teams, players, dollars, salary cap, contracts, etc. A team cannot draft 2 players every year, pay each the most possible, develop them all, and keep them all... forever.
The whole situation requires a balance of preparation, development, keeping the best players for your team and a mix of loyalty, realism, and making tough decisions. Sometimes loyalty to a player is not blocking an exit or facilitating helping them go. Sometimes loyalty is doing whatever it takes to keep them. Loyalty to each player could mean a different definition for each and even that could change year over year as circumstances change.
Loyalty, especially in the NBA is a fluid thing and is very hard to pinpoint. It often means, imo, wishing the best for a player, owner, coach, team, fan base, city and then doing what you can for them when the opportunity arises. When a choice is to be made and is possible, choosing them. Sometimes one or both sides sacrifice to make it happen out of loyalty.
The Hayward example is fresh for us. We feel he bailed on us, his team, ownership, coach, and community when the choice was presented. We feel his loyalty to Brad and easy all star nods was stronger than his loyalty to us. Did he feel loyalty was broken from the whole rfa situation years ago so he feels no obligation to stay?
Gobert has verbally shown more loyalty to this team than we have seen recently. Is it fair that it means more to us because he is better than other players? We let Diaw go. Were we not loyal, or loyal? It probably depends on the full situation.
Loyalty is a new definition of key pieces with each relationship, that is defined daily with each party in the NBA. You can only keep a handful of loyalty at a time I think. If you try to keep more, your grip on one of them slips and fails. This is why I think in the NBA loyalty can often mean honesty, and putting people in a position to succeed even if we have to let them go or if you are the one going.