NBA Free Agents Cluster in Superstar Cities, Too

The NBA season is just behind us, and free agency is about to swing into high gear. Not only are a number of marquee stars likely to become free agents, but as many as 40 percent of all players may go that route, according to one report. These decisions will alter the competitive landscape of professional basketball—and the hopes of fans in cities across North America.

If the conjectures hold true, free agency is likely to follow the winner-take-all geography of America as a whole, with a disproportionate share of free agents headed to the superstar cities of New York and Los Angeles. The reason has much more to do with the allure and power of big cities than their basketball prowess: It’s been a decade since any of the four franchises from New York and L.A. made it to the NBA finals. The Knicks are widely acknowledged to be the NBA’s most dysfunctional franchise, and last year, Lakers CEO Magic Johnson abruptly announced he was quitting on national TV.