When the Phoenix Suns traded for Kevin Durant earlier this season, it immediately raised their ceiling to championship heights. Unfortunately, it came at the cost of depth, and now, with the Suns on the verge of a 3-0 playoff deficit, they are finding out how difficult life can be with a top-heavy roster.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, this is by design, as the NBA’s new CBA has apparently reshaped the process of roster constriction.
“What the league is finding out now is that it is going to be very difficult for teams like Phoenix, like Golden State, like the Clippers, to have the highest payrolls in the league and have any flexibility on your roster… the league has wanted to spread the talent around the NBA. They want that 3rd star for a team in another market. It’s gonna be hard to have 3 stars, 3 max players.”
This move comes in the wake of the NBA’s superteam era, which saw the league get dominated by teams like the Kevin Durant Warriors and the ‘Big Three’ Miami Heat. Now, it seems the NBA wants to move toward parity and evening out the odds for teams across the association.
NBA Will Make Big Changes In The Future
Of course, this shift in team construction isn’t the only thing that’s being changed. The NBA is also set to implement a mid-season tournament that could completely redefine the NBA season.
“For starters, the edition would look “visually different” according to The Athletic. “The players will be wearing different uniforms,” Silver said. “Maybe the court will look different. You’ll know that it’s not just a regular-season game. He also added that the final four teams would play at a neutral site, and even regular season games that run through November would count as Cup games.”
Only time will tell how the fans take to these new rules, but there is no doubt the impact it will leave on all organizations. Instead of spending money to join superstars together, we might see more teams add depth around one or two max players.
At the very least, it will give small market teams a chance to shine and it might make more upsets like this season more common.
