Players, not teams, will define NBA of the 2020s
By Alec Liebsch
Team of the 2020s: None
If you’re an optimist for Giannis Antentokoumnpo staying put in Milwaukee, then the Bucks are the easy choice to run the league. But the end of the 2010s may be a harbinger of how the NBA will be run in the ’20s.
Paul George requested a trade from Indiana, got one to Oklahoma City, signed a new contract with them after a good season and then requested a trade the following summer once his buddy Kawhi Leonard wanted to team up.
Kyrie Irving is on his third team in four seasons and the Nets are already starting to get anxious about his injury issues. Jimmy Butler is on his fourth team in as many seasons.
The NBA may be entering an era where teams don’t sustain success. Players will choose where they want to play, live out a short contract and go somewhere else to maximize winning, earnings and popularity.
Leonard and George are only signed with the Clippers through 2021, which is also when the Greek Freak’s contract is up. Irving, Kevin Durant and Butler are only signed for three more seasons, the latter two having player options for their fourth years. The murmurs about Ben Simmons‘ and Joel Embiid‘s coexistence won’t stop unless they win a championship.
The Lakers only have LeBron James through the next two seasons; they’ll always be on the hunt for stars. The Knicks, a franchise constantly involved in these rumors, may actually be … building something? Golden State’s gap year will have them reloaded for another star pursuit, one which may be satisfied sooner rather than later.
Some franchises with young stars may be worth a nomination here, such as Dallas, New Orleans or Philly, but to declare they will have sustained success is a tough order at this point. Did anyone expect the Warriors to define the 2010s in Stephen Curry‘s rookie season?