With all but four teams remaining in the postseason, the majority of the league is already making plans for what’s next, insofar as they can predict it. As the NBA carefully plots out its course, its teams are reckoning with a new financial reality. The pandemic-shortened season has already cost franchises a tremendous amount in gate revenue, plus there’s a steep price attached to just funding the current bubble. Going forward, it’s anybody’s guess as to when fans will be allowed back into arenas and in what numbers.
While few fans care about the headaches this state of affairs imposes on ownership, they might care about the implications. Certain franchises are going to be less inclined to spend money in free agency in the immediate future. When opportunity knocks, it’s almost guaranteed that some teams are going to avoid it like Poe’s raven all the while pretending like they’re really invested in improvement. Meanwhile, other…
