What really goes on with a player trade in a major sports league?

Question

GMs say they spend hours and go all day long executing trades for players... how could it possibly be that much work? The lawyers are the ones who figure out the contract details and then relay it to the GM. The accountants crunch the numbers. All the GM has to do is say, "well we want that guy, i'll give you this guy" how hard is that?

Answer 1

You're right, it's not that hard. The main thing is who wants who, and if you have a star, if he wants to go or not. With free agency, lots of players have veto power on trades, and they also can pick where they go. I think the money is always the sticker, the salary cap, everybody wants Cap space or future draft picks.