In a league filled with huge contracts, superteams, luxury taxes, and pricey role players, it’s refreshing to see small-market teams compete.
Big market teams have been ruling the league for quite some time now. The LA Lakers, Golden State Warriors, Brooklyn Nets, and, more recently, the New York Knicks, are examples. Naturally, the NBA operates as a business, and teams with deeper pockets can offer more to players, coaches, general managers, and staff who can help the team thrive.
If you were an NBA fan in the 2010s, you saw the rise of superteams with the Boston Celtics’ “Big Three,” Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen, followed by the Miami Heat’s “Big Three,” featuring LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh. Then there was the Golden State Warriors’ dynasty, which showcased Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, and Klay Thompson.
They were all big-market teams. Having more fans leads to more viewers, and whether those viewers are online or in person, it opens up opportunities for sponsorships and other forms of support (e.g., purchasing team merchandise).
However, the OKC Thunder and Indiana Pacers show you don’t need a big market to draw in superstars and dependable role players. There’s a natural way to build a championship team, and it’s through the old-fashioned way of drafting and trading stratigically and wisely.
The Thunder have leaned heavily on their first-round picks, which they acquired by trading away key players. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, for example, came from the Clippers as part of the Paul George trade. Indiana has followed the same path. Stars Tyrese Haliburton, Pascal Siakam, Aaron Nesmith, and Obi Toppin came via tades. Myles Turner in 2015, Benedict Mathurin in 2022, and Andrew Nembhard in 2022 arrived through the NBA Draft.
In a league filled with huge contracts, superteams, luxury taxes, and pricey role players, it’s refreshing to see small-market teams compete. It’s a real treat for all NBA fans, and a valuable lesson for other professional leagues, such as the NFL and MLB, especially.
