It has never been so difficult to build a dynasty team

NBA is built on dynasties. At least, it has always been like this in the past.

Bill Russell's Boston Celtics dominated the 1960s. Larry Bird's confrontation with magician Johnson dominated the 1980s. The Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs continued the dynasty in the 1990s and early 21st century.

is more recent, in the 1910s, it was the era of LeBron James—whether in the Miami Heat or the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Golden State Warriors led by Stephen Curry.

But since the Warriors achieved consecutive championships in 2017 and 2018, seven different championship teams have emerged in the NBA to hold up the Larry O'Brien Trophy, the longest period of balance in league history. During this period, a total of 11 different teams reached the finals, setting a league record. And the defending champions have failed to reach the division finals over the past six seasons. The last time the NBA experienced a similar equilibrium period was in the late 1970s, when from 1975 to 1980, there were six different championship teams and eight different Finals teams.

Now, the league is closer than ever to a goal - as long as it is properly managed, 30 teams can compete for the championship, which is a goal that NBA president Adam Xiao Hua repeatedly mentioned in the past two labor-management agreement negotiations.

"I think the balance of opportunities is good for the league," Xiao Hua said in an interview last month. "When more teams have real chances to win championships, the competition on the court will be more attractive, and more fans in the market will participate.

"We don't set the goal of producing a new champion every year, and I don't object to dynasties as long as they are built in a fair system. "The question is whether this new system fundamentally changes the way the league and the team operates. Has the new labor agreement ended after decades of dynasties ruled the sport? Or are we on the brink of the next dynasty? The cost of continuing the lineup is rising in June, after the Oklahoma City Thunder won its first NBA championship, Thunder general manager Sam Presti was asked whether the league's salary cap tyrant line would prevent this small-market team from maintaining their championship strength for a long time. "For these new rules, the team's experience is limited," Presti said. "Only a few teams have been in a situation where these tyrant lines really have an impact on them. So, I won't conclude too quickly and say, 'Oh, that's how it works'. ”

However, many people disagree with Presti's point of view. Therefore, there are many in the league that the dynasty may become a past tense despite the Thunder's seemingly wide window for championships.

"Our system allows successful teams to survive," Xiao Hua said, "but these teams have to make more difficult choices. ”

The strict first and second tyrant lines have forced high-spending teams to reconsider their route. The Boston Celtics, once expected to be the first team in NBA history to earn $500 million, cut salary by hundreds of millions of dollars in the offseason by trading Ju Holiday and Christaps Porzingis, and losing inside players Al Horford and Luke Cornett in the free market, reducing salary for the next season by hundreds of millions.

g The Land Cavaliers – the only team that surpassed the second-large line, lost the sixth-man candidate of the year in the free market due to various restrictions, Ty Jerome, who joined the Memphis Grizzlies.

The Denver Nuggets had to trade Michael Porter Jr. and an unprotected 2032 first-round pick – that was the only first-round pick they could trade for Cameron Johnson, and left with a big spending this and next season. Using these funds strengthens the depth of the bench and plans to provide Christian Braun with a new long-term contract extension next summer. These are exactly the scenarios the league envisions when setting current rules. Doing so makes every step of the operation and even every dollar a crucial thing.

Linear errors may end the dynasty road

Want to break the current trend and become a potential dynasty team , not only gathering talents, it is already difficult in itself, but also avoiding heavy or premium contracts.

This system values flexibility more than ever. It hurts teams that don't keep focusing on maintaining flexibility, and punishes teams that sacrifice flexibility to hit the championship.

"All decisions must be done right," said one Western Conference scout. "Now you have to look at things from a three-year perspective, not a year." You must not make mistakes, which forces management to think differently and smarterly, making sure you are in the best position to make the right decision. ”

Last summer, the Los Angeles Clippers did not renew their contract with Paul George, making him the first All-Star player to replace a team as a full free agent since the Clippers signed Kawhi Leonard five years ago. George signed a four-year, $212 million maximum salary contract with the Philadelphia 76ers.

Although the Clippers' decision was questioned at the time, they chose flexibility rather than leaving behind the extremely talented but aging star. It was signed on this contract for just over a year. After that, the Clippers won 50 games in the past season, adding several quality veterans this summer and being able to reshape the roster in the summer of 2027.

Meanwhile, the Sixers have only gotten 41 mediocre games George has had knee surgery this offseason. They also have to face the uncertainty of the future of another maximum-paid player, center Joel Embiid. With the two's contracts totaling more than $100 million per season, this casts their prospects for championships. The Lakers in the Kobe Bryant era and the San Antonio Spurs in the 2000s have similar stories.

"I do think that talent dispersion is a good thing," said one executive. "If a team has all the talents, it's not fun. The main line of the Spurs era is Duncan, Parker and Ginobili, but role players will change. So, the Thunder can indeed keep Chet, Alexander and Jewy together, but players like Aaron Wiggins, Dort and Caruso may have to leave as their value rises."

This is where the league is currently heading for fun—and why people have different views on whether equilibrium is good for business.

"If you ask, 'Is it good for 30 bosses?' Then yes, because they all have a chance, and every team has a real chance to compete for the championship," said an executive. "If so, 'Is it good for league revenue?' I guess it would be more conducive to business development when a great player leads a dynasty team - Bird, Magic, Jordan, Kobe, O'Neal, James, Curry -."

But the balance of NBA champions may become the new normal, or like the late 1970s, just a historical footnote to the Lakers and Celtics' successive domination.

There is no doubt that the ultimate goal of the league, the balance of championship opportunities, may have arrived.

"It's too early to draw any conclusions now," Xiao Hua said, "but it's a good sign that we've had seven different championships in the past seven years, which is a good sign that we're heading in the right direction."