Don’t Panic Yet: Free Agency Isn’t Even Open — And the Real Game Starts Later

The Offseason Isn’t a Sprint — It’s a Marathon

I’ve said it before: team building in the NBA is less about fireworks and more about patience. The Bucks threw money at problems like they were buying lottery tickets — flashy, loud, but ultimately hollow. They traded away their future flexibility for short-term splashiness, then turned around and called it “win-now”? Please.

Let me be clear: you can’t build a contender on emotion alone. Not when your star player grew up as a refugee with zero safety net. If you don’t respect that foundation, he’ll walk — no warning, no second chances.

Why the Spurs Are Playing Smart (and Maybe Winning Long-Term)

Meanwhile, look at San Antonio. They’re not chasing headlines — they’re chasing sustainability. Remember Jeff Green? No? Exactly. He was one of those ‘good enough’ pieces that didn’t move the needle but cost them cap space for years.

The Spurs learned from that mistake — just like they did with Gary Neal or even Brad Miller-era contracts. They know when to cut ties before sentiment kills strategy.

Now compare that to Denver: their entire blueprint was built around two players who locked in massive chunks of cap space early — small contracts with big deadweight potential (looking at you, Michael Porter Jr.). That’s not smart management; that’s self-sabotage disguised as depth.

The Cap Trap Every Team Falls Into

Here’s what most fans miss: salary flexibility isn’t just about having room to sign someone new. It’s about preserving options when things go wrong.

When you lock in $30M on one guy without an exit clause or trade kicker? You’ve already lost 70% of your negotiating power for next season. So yes — small ball doesn’t mean little impact. It means thinking ahead while everyone else is yelling “WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!”

What We Should All Be Watching Now

Free agency hasn’t even officially started yet! The calendar says summer… but this league runs on timing, not seasons. The real test begins when teams realize they can’t afford both star B AND role player C because their payroll got hijacked by contract inflation from past decisions. That’s where true decision-making happens — not during hype week on ESPN, but in quiet boardrooms where spreadsheets bleed red instead of green.

And honestly? I’d rather see that than another TikTok dance-off between two all-star guards who think chemistry is built through Instagram stories.

So grab your coffee, open your analytics dashboard (or just use my weekly radar charts), and let’s wait until late July before we start judging anyone’s legacy again.