Small Market Teams: Do’s and Don’ts

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AJ Slusarczyk, Josephine Nguyen (ed.)

Small market teams in the NBA are known to have a severe disadvantage compared to their large market counterparts. Small markets often have a difficult time with roster construction, most notably in free agency. On the rare occasion that you see a star player sign with a small market team, it's typically when they are given a contract so big that no other team is willing to match that offer. An example of this is the Charlotte Hornets. The Hornets refuse to acknowledge that you cannot build a highly competitive roster through free agency and overpaying players. The best way to stay competitive as a small market team is by developing a star player through the draft and keeping him satisfied, which is why the Milwaukee Bucks are a prime example of how to build a championship team in a smaller market.

The Bucks front office could be the best in the NBA. Very rarely do you see a franchise player show loyalty to small-market teams. Small market teams must stay patient with their young players and allow them to develop. The Milwaukee Bucks demonstrated that with their commitment to Khris Middleton and Giannis Antetokounmpo. 

Entering the 2021 season, there were rumors around the league that their franchise player, Giannis Antetokounmpo, would be on his next team if they did not end the season as champions. Knowing this, the Bucks front office acquired essential players to help carry them to the championships.

Three seasons later, in the summer of 2023, the Milwaukee Bucks faced the same fate. The rumors began piling up. Fans were speculating that it could be Giannis’s last season as a Buck if expectations were not reached. In response to the speculation, they pulled the trigger on trading for Damian Lillard, one of the best guards in the league, shutting down any possibility of Giannis Antetokounmpo leaving his Milwaukee days behind.

Small market teams make the mistake of investing too much money and resources into the wrong players. The Charlotte Hornets are most known for doing this. In the past few years, they invested $216 million in unneeded and replaceable role players such as Terry Rozier and Gordon Hayward. Another common mistake small market teams make is not investing enough to keep their franchise talent around. James Harden has experienced this with multiple NBA teams throughout his career. It is challenging for small market teams to succeed in the NBA, which makes it difficult to convince a team’s fans to stay interested without any significant roster change. Considering all the challenges small market teams face, it is hard for these organizations to rebuild their team.