Yeah, there's some potentially good business reasons to do it. It can build a buzz up for a team and some intrigue. Regular leaks - some true and some not - hel

Yeah, there's some potentially good business reasons to do it. It can build a buzz up for a team and some intrigue. Regular leaks - some true and some not - help executives cover their tracks and get deniablity if a player hears their general manager is trying to trade them (some players get upset, it can mess up morale). It can pressure a team to sign on a non-finalized deal because their fans want it to happen. It can create leverage for one side or the other. An executive might want to get some goodwill with a reporter, so he gives the "scoop" to them, and the reporter can pay him back with some false rumors to cover tracks or some positive PR later. Unless a player has a no-trade cause, they can usually be traded without them or their agent being told - and teams regularly "shop" players without telling the player. It causes bad will if a player finds out his team is trying to trade him, so it's kept behind the scenes until it's final or unless there's a reason for a leak. Quite common - players have seen in the newspapers or on TV that they've been traded before they or their agent are told for a long time. Twitter is just another fast public communication medium, so no surprise there.