Why the NBA Allows Trades During the Finals—And Why the NFL Never Would
Rinse and repeat, year after year, the NBA business model is 365 days of basketball coverage.
Can you imagine the NFL allowing trades to go down during Super Bowl week? Of course, not. During Super Bowl week, the NFL is 100% focused on building buzz about the big game, but the NBA has a different take and some legitimate reasons for allowing trades to occur before the latest NBA championship is crowned.
So, as the NBA Finals ratings falter, even though 3 out of 4 games have been great, the off-court news this weekend had nothing to do with the NBA Finals; it was about a major trade that went down on Sunday which saw the Orlando Magic acquire Desmond Bane for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony, and four first-round picks.
Beyond the Bane trade, there were also countless articles, podcasts, vlogs, and social media posts about where 37-year-old Kevin Durant may be traded.
Unlike other leagues, the NBA’s drama off the court often tends to grab more attention than the games themselves. Globally, soccer and basketball universally receive the most amount of social media coverage. Regardless of where you are in the world, a trade in either of these sports often becomes a top trending topic.With 28 NBA teams already in offseason mode, those not in the Finals are free to make trades and begin the process of rebuilding a team or adding key pieces to a team that feels it's just a few pieces away from a championship run of their own.
Why does the NBA operate so differently from the NFL, and what does it say about the league’s culture and business?
The primary reason the NBA allows trades during the NBA finals is actually a result of the league's 365-day business model. Unlike the months that go by between the Super Bowl and the NFL Draft, the NBA will go from a potential game 7 on Sunday to its NBA Draft occurring 3 days later. From a scheduling perspective, the teams go from the draft, to summer league to training camps in the blink of an eye.
Rinse and repeat, year after year, the NBA business model is 365 days of basketball coverage.
NBA’s Culture: Off-Court Drama Is Part of the Show
The NBA is as much about off-court intrigue as on-court action. Trades, free agency, and player movement generate massive fan interest and media buzz, sometimes rivaling the games themselves. The league has embraced this, seeing year-round engagement as a feature, not a bug.
The NBA’s business model thrives on constant news cycles and social media chatter, even if it occasionally overshadows the Finals.
The Bottom Line
The NBA allows trades during its Finals because it prioritizes year-round engagement, off-court drama, and the extra publicity for its draft, which takes place just days after the season ends. The NFL, on the other hand, locks down its rosters to keep the focus on the field and offers significantly more time between the end of its season and its draft.
Love it or hate it, the NBA’s approach is a reflection of a league that thrives on creating daily headlines for a business that never rests. The truth is the NBA season is not just the regular season and the playoffs, it’s a carefully crafted, scheduled business designed to keep the league and its teams headlines showing up in your social media feeds 365 days a year.