• Loading stock data...
Wednesday, October 15, 2025

The NBA Has Created an Era of Unprecedented Parity

The NBA will have a new champion for the seventh consecutive season.

Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

Luka Dončić’s trade to the Lakers may now top most people’s lists for “Where were you when this happened?” NBA moments. But before February’s trade, one of the leading candidates was when the Warriors signed Kevin Durant in the summer of 2016.

Durant was a former MVP set to join a 73-win team that had already proved it could win a title with its current core. From 2015 to 2019, Golden State made five straight Finals and won three championships—two with Durant as Finals MVP. 

The signing was the catalyst for a change in the league’s CBA. The Warriors were able to sign Durant because the salary cap jumped more than 30% in 2016—which coincided with a new media-rights deal. 

In 2023, the CBA added cap-smoothing, which limited the year-over-year salary-cap jumps to 10%. The rule changes resulted in a drop in high-profile players changing teams in free agency. While trade requests continue to be prevalent, the most impactful player to leave his franchise in free agency in the last two years is Fred VanVleet, a one-time All-Star.

The CBA also included aprons—two salary thresholds above the league’s soft salary cap and luxury tax. Violating each apron comes with basketball-related penalties that can limit a team’s flexibility to make roster moves, on top of monetary penalties that come with exceeding the luxury tax. In the past, teams with deep-pocketed owners, like the Warriors and Clippers, consistently violated the luxury tax and paid the penalties. 

Proof of Concept

The two-apron salary structure has been highly criticized, including by NBA GMs. But if parity was the goal of the rules, they have served their purpose.

The 2025 NBA conference finals start Tuesday, but regardless of which of the four remaining teams hoists the Larry O’Brien Trophy next month, there will be a new champion for the seventh consecutive season, the first time in league history:

  • 2019: Raptors
  • 2020: Lakers
  • 2021: Bucks
  • 2022: Warriors 
  • 2023: Nuggets
  • 2024: Celtics
  • 2025: Knicks/Pacers/Thunder/T-Wolves

The four teams also represent a diversity of market sizes, but all have struggled to win the NBA championship. Among the conference finalists, the most recent NBA championship was won in 1979—and that was when the Thunder were still the Seattle SuperSonics. The T-Wolves and Pacers have never won a title.

The next few years will reveal more about the long-term effects of the NBA’s much-maligned salary structure, especially as the Celtics are expecting a record payroll and teams like the Thunder and Timberwolves face questions about the financial sustainability of their rosters.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

exclusive

WNBA’s Fire Prematurely Announce Head Coach Hire on LinkedIn

Portland is expected to hire Alex Sarama from the Cavaliers, FOS confirmed.
Oct 10, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson (22) celebrates with teammates after game four of the 2025 WNBA Finals at Mortgage Matchup Center.

WNBA Finals Draws 1.5M Viewers, Second-Highest Series on ESPN

The four-game series averaged 1.5 million viewers.
Apr 4, 2025; Tampa, FL, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Dawn Staley reacts during the first quarter in a semifinal of the women's 2025 NCAA tournament against the Texas Longhorns at Amalie Arena.

Dawn Staley Says NBA Far From Ready to Hire a Female Head..

South Carolina’s women’s basketball coach interviewed with the Knicks.

Featured Today

Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson (22) celebrates with her teammates after her last second shot to take the lead 90-88 against the Phoenix Mercury in Game 3 of the WNBA Finals at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix on Oct. 8, 2025.
exclusive

Standoff Over WNBA’s Future Has Dominated Finals

CBA negotiations have stolen the spotlight from the Aces’ dominant performance.
Paul Cartier
October 5, 2025

Sports Organists Are Still Thriving in the Era of Raucous Arena Music

“When they walk out and they see a real organ guy, it’s like, ‘Wow.’”
Sep 27, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers center fielder Jackson Chourio (11) rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the sixth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at American Family Field.
October 4, 2025

Milwaukee Moneyball: Brewers Are Beating MLB’s Deeper Pockets

Milwaukee is holding its own against big-budget competitors.
Kōloa Rum Company Rum Rusher
September 27, 2025

Panthers Bubbly, Jets Wine, Manning Whiskey: The Sports Booze Boom

A sommelier dives into the sports booze trend—and tries Jets wine.

Cavaliers Go All In, Lead NBA With Record $392M Payroll

The Cavs are the only second-apron violator in the NBA.
Sep 29, 2025; Inglewood, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) poses during media day at Intuit Dome
opinion
October 12, 2025

Clippers’ Aspiration Fiasco Recalls Another Doomed NBA Sponsorship

The Kawhi controversy has shades of the still-recent FTX scandal.
Dec 23, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; A view of the NBA logo and Portland Trail Blazers logo before the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Trail Blazers at the American Airlines Center.
October 13, 2025

NBA Reopens Doors in China—and Eyes the WNBA Next

The Mavericks and Rockets are set to play games in Macao next year.
Sponsored

How Jenny Just Is Shaping the Future of Sports Ownership

Jenny Just on bringing her investment experience to sports ownership.
Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson (22) celebrates a made shot as Phoenix Mercury guard Kahleah Copper (2) looks on during Game 3 of the WNBA Finals at Mortgage Matchup Center on Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025.
October 10, 2025

Aces Win WNBA Title, Starting Offseason of Uncertainty

The Aces won their third trophy in four years.
Athlos
October 10, 2025

Track Start-Up Athlos Makes ‘Millions’ but No Profit Yet

Alexis Ohanian called being profitable by the 2028 Olympics a “great goal.”
Cheryl Reeve
October 10, 2025

WNBA Officiating Task Force Still Taking Shape After Outcry

How refs are trained and instructed was a major issue this year.
Aug 3, 2024; Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France; NBA commissioner Adam Silver talks to International Basketball Federation board member Mark Tatum in the fourth quarter between the United States and Puerto Rico during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Stade Pierre-Mauroy.
October 9, 2025

NBA Aims for Drama-Free Return to China After 6-Year Hiatus

The league looks to rebuild its presence in the populous country.