Why superstar trades are objectively great for the NBA

In the NBA, superstars have all the power. And when they use it to their advantage, it’s objectively a good thing for the league as a whole. 

The NBA is now defined by superstar players demanding trades. The past five years alone have seen nine-star players force trades. This includes Paul George and James Harden, who have done so twice, as well as Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, who freed themselves from Brooklyn to conclude the 2023 NBA Trade Deadline.

It’s very easy to find basketball commentators who decry superstar empowerment and worship players like Tim Duncan or Dirk Nowitzki who remained loyal to one franchise for their entire careers. However, these takes fail to realize how critical superstar trades are to the product and competitive balance of the NBA.

Superstar trades have become a lifeline for the NBA

Firstly, superstar trades substantially augment fan interest in the game. Everyone from sixth graders at the lunch table to office workers at the pub had lively debates and hot takes about Kevin Durant’s trade to Phoenix earlier this month. NBA commentators across the globe had a field day when Kyrie Irving moved to Dallas. Post-mortem trade evaluations, as well as grades and breakdowns, generate great NBA content.

When do you think the letters “NBA” were the most searched on Google since the last Finals? The answer is February 9th – the NBA trade deadline.

Regular-season basketball is often underwhelming and unimportant, especially with various teams tanking. Events like the All-Star game have likewise begun to resemble a farce. Player movement engenders palpable excitement among fans and makes the NBA a strikingly more compelling, unpredictable, and dynamic product.

Furthermore, superstar trades have made the league’s franchises much more even. In the past, stars would just leave when their contracts ended to the detriment of the team that drafted them. The Cavaliers have not made the playoffs since they lost LeBron James in free agency to the Lakers.

The first time they lost LeBron they imploded and had four straight losing seasons. The Oklahoma City Thunder have never matched their single-season win total since they lost Kevin Durant. Free agents leave nothing behind for small market teams and distort the competitive balance of the league.

In today’s game, stars don’t leave in free agency but rather demand a trade. The team will receive a haul of young talent and draft picks that will propel them into contention for the future, and often the present. The Boston Celtics, the current Eastern Conference Champions, built their current team from the Kevin Garnett/Paul Pierce trade. The New Orleans Pelicans have constructed a contending roster via their trade of Anthony Davis.

Who knows just how good the Jazz or Rockets will be in the coming years due to their trades, or how bad the Lakers or Clippers might be?

Superstars are going to change teams, regardless of how fans judge them. A star demanding a trade and their teams receiving draft picks and young players in return is a foundational trait of the modern NBA that creates significant excitement and parity for the game.