Why do NBA players switch teams so often?

A lot of those NFL quarterbacks were forcing those trades by making it publicly known that they wanted to be traded.

And when they get shopped around to a team they don’t want to be traded to, they make it known they don’t want to be there.
That potential team doesn’t want that headache, so they back out of the trade.

NBA stars and NFL stars are both using similar tactics and are switching teams at a higher rate than the past.

Owners are more exposed to public opinion now than in the past with social media a bigger media in general.

I see your point- but the question is: Why so often?

I got a job at a Catholic School and made (I kid you not- 16K). I went to a public school after one year and made 42K. Two years later I came to my alma mater and took a 1K cut in pay) and was able to spend my career teaching and coaching where I grew up.

I was just going to say that I thought Manning would be a Colt forever and Brady would be a Patriot forever. Heck, it was weird seeing Farve in a non Packers uniform, if you wanna go back even further. Or Montana in a non-Niners uniform.

Joe Namath finished his career with the Rams, not the Jets.
Johnny Unitas finished his career with the Chargers, not the Colts.
Kurt Warner bounced around to the Giants and Cardinals after winning with the Rams.

For baseball:
Pete Rose - Reds, Phillies, Expos, Reds

Nolan Ryan - Mets, Angels, Astros, Rangers

Keith Hernandez - Cardinals, Mets, Indians

Reggie Jackson - A’s, Orioles, Yankees, Angels

Hockey:

Wayne Gretzky - Oilers, Kings, Blues, Rangers

Jaromir Jagr - Penguins, Capitals, Rangers, Flyers, Stars, Bruins

Mark Messier - Oilers, Rangers, Canucks

But sure, changing teams is an NBA thing.

How much money do NBA team owners, who nobody wants to watch play basketball, need?

I watch my fair share of sports-talk, and if you haven't won anything big in the last 3 months you are absolutely dogsh*t. It's incredible how much abuse these guys take when they're not winning. Heck, Lebron has won 4 titles and there's no shortage of commentary about how much he sucks by virtue of the Lakers' poor season and failing to make the playoffs. The pressure on these guys to win is immense, and it's not surprising that they will take opportunities to move to a situation where it's more likely they will win. Not always possible in the past, but fairly easy for superstars nowadays to dictate a trade.

They want to win basketball games. If they are on a team that doesn't win a lot of basketball games, they try to switch to a team that does win a lot of basketball games. Sometimes by getting fat on purpose.

Money both for them and what it cost the organization. Winning an NBA championship is so difficult, almost lucky. DId we think Milwaukee would win last yr. at the beginning of the season? Also they come across as prima donnas.