The Value of the Superstar

Yahoo Sports

During the offseason, Kevin Durant sent shockwaves around the whole NBA when he requested a trade from the Brooklyn Nets. This request came after the Nets got swept by the Boston Celtics in the first round.

Fans across the NBA had a blast creating fantasy trade packages for their teams to acquire one of the best players in the league. During the first weeks following the trade request, many teams sent their packages to the Nets and were immediately rejected. After the excitement of getting arguably a top-15 talent of all time, NBA general managers started to realize what they had to give up for Durant, and there was a sudden sense of hesitation to trade for him around the league.

The market went cold. Teams opted to keep their decent teams instead of acquiring an aging superstar in Durant. This article plays devil's advocate and states that for the sake of a championship, you always take the superstar.

In the past 22 years, most NBA champions have housed at least one top-15 player, with the likes of Shaquille O Neal, Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, LeBron James, Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Steph Curry all winning within that span. The only exceptions show Kawhi Leonard, Dirk Nowitzki, and Kevin Garnett winning one each. These are widely considered top-30 players of all time, statistically showing that teams will generally never win without a superstar on their team. Even good teams like the Phoenix Suns and the Miami Heat, who reached the Finals, always lose out to teams with a superstar on them.

With all this said, any team that believes that keeping a good team instead of trading for a superstar will win them a ring needs to look back to history.