While I cannot be considered an NBA expert, I would like to make it known that all eight of my reserve picks for the western all-star team were correct. Therefore, I have proof that I do know a few things about the league. And while I do not have any inside connections in the NBA, I do know the reason why Jason Collins has remained a free agent since he announced he was gay last summer.
What is keeping Collins out of the NBA actually comes down to two different reasons. The first reason, as the new commissioner recently pointed out, age. After all he is 35 and in only 38 games last season averaged 1.1 points a game. It was not just because of minutes either seeing as he shot just 31 percent from the field. His career averages are 3.6 points and 3.8 rebounds a game are not much to brag about. There are just simply many younger bigs that teams could sign that would most likely help their team out more over the course of the season.
While age and skill are the reasons Collins did not sign and have a roster spot, I think it is clear that his announcement did play in affect to him still being a free agent. While teams only carry 14 or 15 players throughout the season, rosters are never the same from opening night until the playoffs. First of all teams are allowed to have up to 20 players on their roster in training camp up until the final preseason game. With extra players on the roster, why didn't a team give him a chance and see if he was good enough to make their opening night roster? Also, over the last month we have seen players sign 10 day contracts giving them short tenures to prove they deserve a roster spot. Players who have been out of the NBA for multiple years have signed these contracts and gotten chances, but not Collins who has remained a free agent.
Collins might not have gotten either of these opportunities for a chance to earn a roster spot because he declined the opportunity unless a team assured him a spot. However, I have not heard any news saying a team has offered him an opportunity so it is likely another reason. I believe no team has signed Collins because he is gay. Not because they feel he will negatively effect the locker room, not because he will cause a distraction and not because they want to discriminate against anybody. If a team signed Collins during training camp and released him before the start of the season, or if a team signed him to a ten day contract and did not resign him for another contract, that team would face major repercussions. Teams are afraid they will be labeled as prejudiced and haters because they released Collins. NBA teams feel that is not worth giving Collins a chance due to the backlash expected if they release him. I do not know if NBA executives will admit this, but it seems so obvious for why Jason Collins has not yet been signed this season, and will not likely play in another NBA game for the rest of his life.
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