Trendlines: The smallest markets are winning the NBA finals
Welcome to Trendlines, your weekly installment of what's trending up and what's trending down in sports.
This week we're talking about the NBA Finals, and the emergence of the small market team.
Think about the iconic NBA franchises: The Los Angeles Lakers, the Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls and, if you indulge me, the New York Knickerbockers.
This NBA Finals features two nicknames to never win an NBA title: the Thunder and Pacers.
These two teams are from not-so-iconic American cities: Oklahoma City and Indianapolis.
So let's start there with a big downswing.
I'm being a bit charitable here with being down 3 million. I've rounded down. Indianapolis has a little over 1 million homes in its media market. Oklahoma City has well under a million. Combined they have a little less than 2 million homes.
What a change from 2024 when the Finals teams (Boston and Dallas) each have over 2 million homes in their media markets.
But it's not just from last year from which we've seen a tremendous shift. Indeed, I plugged in the current media market size for every Finals team since the early 1980s.
Based on the current rankings, this is the Finals with the smallest teams' media markets in at least the last 40 years.
It's not just the media markets where we can see how the Pacers and Thunder are small markets. Take a look at the valuation for each franchise.
Both teams are worth under $4 billion. Now, that is still a billion with a 'b', but last year the two teams were worth about $5 billion on average.
The fact that we have one small market team in the Finals isn't that unusual. Both of these teams have been in the finals before.
What makes this year truly unique is that we have two teams worth so little at the same time. In fact, there hasn't been an NBA Finals' with two teams in the bottom 10 in the league in terms of worth since at least the early 1990s.
Small market doesn't mean unexciting. Tyrese Haliburton ridiculously clutch shooting in Game 1 proves that.
What makes Haliburton's production so amazing is he was still 24 on February 1 of this year. He's one of 18 players who have suited up for these squads who were under 25 on that date.
That's a record since at least the early 1980s
These are young and fresh players beyond just Haliburton. Thunder's star Jalen Williams clocks in at a mere 24 years old. His teammate Chet Holmgren is 23.
We're looking at squads that could be good for years to come.
Dare I say that, by the time it's all done, it may be Bulls, Celtics, Knicks, Lakers… and Pacers or Thunder on the pantheon of iconic NBA teams.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Grizzlies' Zach Edey reinjures left ankle, will have surgery and miss start of 2025-26 season
Memphis Grizzlies center Zach Edey reportedly will miss the beginning of the 2025-26 season because of surgery to repair a left ankle he reinjured during an offseason training session. On Saturday, ESPN's Shams Charania reported the injury and noted the All-Rookie big will undergo surgery to restabilize the ankle. Advertisement The Purdue product has a history of ankle injuries with the first one coming in November 2024. The issues came back in March and then again in April. In his debut season with the Grizzlies, Edey averaged 9.2 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks. The 23-year-old shot 58% from the field and started in 55 of his 66 appearances. Edey played four seasons at Purdue and averaged 25.2 points, 12.2 rebounds, 2 assists and 2.2 blocks during his senior campaign. The Grizzlies selected Edey with the ninth pick in the 2024 NBA Draft after he led Purdue to the NCAA tournament title game, losing to UConn. Memphis finished with the eighth seed in the Western Conference with a 48-34 record. After beating the Dallas Mavericks in the play-in tournament, the Grizzlies were swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the playoffs.
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Spurs Enouraged Not to Trade for Giannis
Spurs Enouraged Not to Trade for Giannis originally appeared on Athlon Sports. If the San Antonio Spurs trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo, they will likely be title favorites. Even with giving up the second overall pick, a core of Antetokounmpo, Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, and De'Aaron Fox seems impossible to beat. Advertisement However, adding the Greek Freak comes at a cost. He is still very much in his prime, but questions will emerge about how much longer he can produce at that level. By giving up the second pick, as well as plenty of quality young players, in a trade for Giannis, the Spurs would severely limit their future flexibility. "One of the concerns people in San Antonio told me about is, you go and deal for a guy like Giannis, all of a sudden you've created a championship window, but it is a window with a closing date," said Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix. "You've got De'Aaron Fox, who's in his late 20s, Giannis in his early 30s, and the last thing they want is to have a roster after those guys kind of age out where when Wembanyama is maybe looking around going, 'All right, where are the young guys I'm going to play with after that?'" Even though Giannis is a better player than Wembanyama right now, the Spurs would still firmly be Wemby's team, and their timeline would be built around the younger star. Even in the most lopsided deal in San Antonio's favor, the Spurs still have to give up the second pick, Harrison Barnes, and Devin Vassell, severely limiting their shooting prowess. Advertisement For Giannis, it would surely be worth it, but the Spurs are focused on the next 15 years, not the next three. "It certainly is a problem for another day, but that's on the mind of the San Antonio Spurs," Mannix continued. "That's why they want to hold on to Stephon Castle, so he can be that second guy opposite Wembanyama for a long time, assuming they trade that No. 2 pick." Cheaper trade candidates like Lauri Markkanen, Kevin Durant, and even Jaylen Brown have all been floated as possible targets, although the Spurs holding the line and building through the draft seems like the most realistic outcome. Check out the Inside the Spurs home page for more news, analysis, and must-read articles. Advertisement Related: Jeremy Sochan Gets Brutally Honest About Role With San Antonio Spurs Related: Adam Silver's All-Star Announcement Should Please Victor Wembanyama This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 5, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
25 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Kevin Durant Predicts Suns Will Trade Him to West Team on Rise
Kevin Durant Predicts Suns Will Trade Him to West Team on Rise originally appeared on Athlon Sports. That the Phoenix Suns are looking to reset their roster and eventually their salary cap situation is no secret around the NBA. That trading Kevin Durant this summer is likely the only way to do so is also common knowledge. Advertisement The real question at this point is where Durant is most likely to end up. Several experts don't expect the 36-year-old superstar's trade value to be exceedingly high given his age, his salary (nearly $55 million in 2025) and the fact that there is only one year left on his contract. That last issue is particularly problematic, because Durant is likely to want a multiyear extension from whatever team deals for him, which will be expensive and tie that franchise to the former MVP through his late 30s. And if a new deal doesn't happen, then everything a team surrenders for Durant could merely facilitate a one-year rental should he opt for unrestricted free agency in summer 2026. As such, the needle to thread on a Durant deal is a complicated and interesting one, though there are some teams that make a considerable amount of sense. As far as Durant is concerned, the most likely of them is a Texas-based Western Conference squad with loads of young talent and a bright future ahead that could be realized as early as next season. "I do know somebody that has been with Kevin Durant recently," John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM in Phoenix reported on Friday, June 6. "And Kevin Durant and this person talked about the Spurs." Advertisement San Antonio has drafted the last two Rookie of the Year award winners in Victor Wembanyama, who is already on a generational trajectory based on his development, and Stephon Castle. Wembanyama turned just 21 years old in January and was on track to make an All-NBA roster and win Defensive Player of the Year in his second professional season before a blood clot developed in his shoulder and cut his campaign short. The Spurs also recently traded for former All-Star guard De'Aaron Fox and own the No. 2 pick in the upcoming NBA draft, which is top-heavy with talent. Durant can provide San Antonio with both general shooting and clutch-time playmaking on offense, while adding another 7-foot presence on defense -- all of which should accelerate the championship timeline for a franchise with among the most respected front office groups and coaching staffs in the league. Advertisement Related: Spurs' Reason for Not Trading For Giannis Antetokounmpo Revealed This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
