Copy the best-run franchises

The Thunder and Pacers know things

CoachThorpe

and

Henry Abbott

Jun 04, 2025

∙ Paid

The whole NBA has been trying to get superstars like LeBron for the last couple of decades. The Suns collected three big stars, lead the league in payroll, and missed the playoffs entirely. The Thunder and Pacers, meanwhile, are 18th and 25th in payroll this season and in the Finals. This is the way. JUSTIN CASTERLINE/GETTY IMAGES

Over the weekend we asked TrueHoop subscribers to send in Finals questions, which opened a portal into all kinds of Finals talk. Today: why the whole league should be copying the Pacers and Thunder.

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