Kevin Garnett was the last NBA superstar to play the “trade me” game right. He made sure he didn’t pull the trigger too soon, managed to go to a big market, didn’t allow his team to get too much in return that would leave him short when he got there, and best of all, somehow managed to twist it into not being something he should be criticized for. KG got the best of all worlds. A title, the market, the respect, the whole shebang.
But he only has one ring, and while the window isn’t closed, it’s closing. They say that one ring is worth anything, but KG was also older and needed a sure shot. If you’re one of these younger players shopping for a new locale, are you looking for that kind of recipe? Or should you be aiming for a team best suited to contend for several years?
What brought this to mind was a quote from Jim Boeheim yesterday about Carmelo Anthony. When talking about where Boeheim thinks Melo should go, he shared this thought:
“I’d tell him to try to get the best chance to be good – whether that’s with young players, with draft picks or what kind of players that team can get together.”
It presents a much different concept from the Celtics, or even the Heat. Both of those teams attempted to simply put together three established veterans, then filled in the ranks with primarily old players. But Boeheim, even casually, is suggesting a new pattern. One that, oddly enough, the Nets are well positioned to make good on. They have young players, cap flexibility, and their draft picks in place for the future. They have a franchise center in Brook Lopez and a talented point guard. They’ve got a shooter in Anthony Morrow and other components. Oh, and they’re moving to Brooklyn.
But let’s move past the Nets. The central concept that we’re talking about is the idea that you have a better chance of winning multiple championships with a roster that is built around you, a great player, alongside talented pieces. Which is, you know, Oklahoma City pretty much. Except they managed to acquire their superstar using the draft. But that should be the target situation in this scenario.
The problem is that few players are willing to have that kind of vision. It’s hard to look at a team’s win-loss total being severely below .500 and say “That place has the best opportunity for me.” It takes faith in the management, and that’s the biggest X factor here. Not talked about as much in the formation of the Heat this season is Pat Riley and his ability to sell the vision he’s had. Of course, Riley selling three friends who are also All-Stars on playing with one another is much easier than telling a star to commit to unproven players an his ability to bring in talented assets. The first person that comes to mind is Kevin Pritchard, which is something to keep an eye on.
A superstar can load himself up with veterans and make a run at a title. But if his lofty goal is multiple championships, he needs to set himself up for the future. Those windows can close fast with injuries and age. It’s riskier to shoot for the future, but the payoff is greater. I wouldn’t expect many to be taking that way out regardless. Gold is too valuable.