An NBA executive says teams only have “two years” to contend for a championship in today’s NBA before they have to consider making trades or gutting the entire roster and starting over, according to David Aldridge of The Athletic.
In the past, teams used to have a five-year window to win a title. That’s not the case anymore, as front offices are more impatient these days and want to win as soon as possible.
Therefore, the windows in which teams can legitimately contend for championships is smaller than ever. There are no more five-year plans.
“Two years,” a veteran NBA executive said in July, during the Summer League in Las Vegas. Twenty-four months to win, after which, no matter how long it took you to plan and execute your vision and construct your dream team, you’ll almost certainly have to start over.
Take the Houston Rockets for example. They had the best record in the NBA during the 2017-18 season and were one game away from reaching the NBA Finals. Chris Paul signed a long-term extension with Houston in the summer of 2018 and everyone around the league thought Paul and James Harden would be a dynamic duo for years to come.
Fast forward to today, and Paul is on the Oklahoma City Thunder, while the Rockets have Russell Westbrook. NBA general managers are done with being patient and seeing if a core can develop over time. It’s a results driven league and execs are no longer interested in remaining indulgent.
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