The post-NBA trade deadline moves were almost as intriguing as some of the actual trades that were made throughout the league. The Brooklyn Nets started the season with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving headlining their lineup. They then traded for James Harden and scooped up both LaMarcus Aldridge and Blake Griffin on the buyout market. The Los Angeles Lakers were really quiet at the trade deadline but added a major piece in Andre Drummond, also via the buyout market. The shakeups have small-market executives asking for some changes to how the buyout market works in the league.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the NBA has heard from numerous small-market executives who have recently pointed out the signings by the Nets and Lakers and feel that their own teams are at a disadvantage going against big-market teams for these players once they hit the buyout market. Wojnarowski went more into the details in his article:
From Andre Drummond to the Los Angeles Lakers, Blake Griffin and LaMarcus Aldridge to the Brooklyn Nets, there are front office executives determined to push the commissioner's office to reexamine the process of post-trade deadline buyouts. If the clear-eyed reality is that these players are simply faded All-Stars released from the backend of expensive contracts, the visual of them flocking to super team rosters in two marquee markets does cast a chilling impact on the league's collective psyche.
He went on to say that the NBA does want to make buyout pool players view other options outside of contending teams but that it will be difficult to navigate through that without a blowup of the current system. There will be discussions on this matter when the NBA and NBPA get together for 2023-24 CBA renewal talks.
It's hard to blame the Nets and Lakers. Both teams know they have NBA title aspirations now that are valid, and they are adding players any way then can that will fill a void.
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