Do Teams Really Avoid Trading in their Conference?

[shrink]

Does anyone have any empiricism evidence that teams will take lesser trade packages to avoid trading a player to another team in their conference?

I used to believe this, but I’m beginning to think it’s an internet myth. I’ve heard stories of individual GMs/organizations not wanting to make trades, like Danny Ainge and the Celtics, but he brokered that deal that got them DLo when he moved to Utah in the West. Team direction and whether the player is a star may matter, but has anyone really looked into this deeply? For example, is a team like ATL really refusing to take calls from the other 14 teams in the East over Trae Young?

[Godaddycurse]

Its probably more of a thing between contenders? I dont think lower seedsd/tanking teams care

[Scoot McGroot]

In the past, Indy was always mentioned of wanting to ship guys “out west”, which they did for Artest and PG, but not for JO or Granger or others. I’m sure there are bad GM’s that hold firm to the idea, but I sure there are many others who lean toward it, only when all things are otherwise equal?

If a GM ever talks heavily about it, and they seem to really be leaning on it, they should probably be fired.

[BK_2020]

Does anyone have any empiricism evidence that teams will take lesser trade packages to avoid trading a player to another team in their conference?

I used to believe this, but I’m beginning to think it’s an internet myth. I’ve heard stories of individual GMs/organizations not wanting to make trades, like Danny Ainge and the Celtics, but he brokered that deal that got them DLo when he moved to Utah in the West. Team direction and whether the player is a star may matter, but has anyone really looked into this deeply? For example, is a team like ATL really refusing to take calls from the other 14 teams in the East over Trae Young?

Not really. Harden to Sixers. Gobert to Minny. Jimmy to Miami. AD to Lakers. PG13 trade. There's been a lot of in-conference trades for stars, not to mention a ton of roleplayers and picks switching hands within the conference.

[NYG]

Its probably more of a thing between contenders? I dont think lower seedsd/tanking teams care

Yeah I don't see the Bucks or Celtics helping the other team but that's just cause they're direct competitors right now.

[Karmaloop]

No, but it makes sense that if the offers are similar than they're more likely to deal to the other conference.

[Wolveswin]

Yes.

If contending team - not improving another in conference contender whom that will have to battle.

No.

If rebuilding or even retooling team. Highest bidder or parts GM likes most no matter conference.

[ChettheJet]

I think in a world before free agency they used to avoid trading in their division years ago as an old school mentality. Now players and their agents make most of the calls about player movement and with teams ranked 1-8 and the play in everybody worries about the money first, the players next and hardly ever where.

[BBallFreak]

Their are examples of it - the Lakers didn't want to trade Shaq in conference, for example.

[HartfordWhalers]

Does anyone have any empiricism evidence that teams will take lesser trade packages to avoid trading a player to another team in their conference?

I used to believe this, but I’m beginning to think it’s an internet myth. I’ve heard stories of individual GMs/organizations not wanting to make trades, like Danny Ainge and the Celtics, but he brokered that deal that got them DLo when he moved to Utah in the West. Team direction and whether the player is a star may matter, but has anyone really looked into this deeply? For example, is a team like ATL really refusing to take calls from the other 14 teams in the East over Trae Young?

Not fully responsive, because the idea of seeing a better deal that was bypassed isn't really possible fully. And we often see reports of 'we offered better' or 'we were offered more but let the player pick where he would go' that might stretch some believability.

Personally, I really don't see it as a real thing, but if we are using a data set of say a dozen superstar trades, I think you can find 1 or 2 that might? I mean that is just 2 people who rubbed each other wrong enough to act stupid, and the older I get, the more I get convinced people can act stupid. I mean I think I read somewhere that Sac passed on Luka because Divac didn't like his father, although I think it was a thread headline and I skipped it so maybe that was all rubbish. The Kawhi trade from SAS comes to mind, as well as the we won't trade AD to LAL rhetoric. Rhetoric because he was.

So in short I don't have it as a real thing but sometimes outliers happen. Course, even if you only trade Jrue out of conference, he doesn't always stay there. So, my guess is it really isn't a thing. And that is why we see things like Harden to Philly from the Nets.

But for those curious on general patterns and not just star trades, I always found this interesting:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/friv/trades.fcgi

The highest single pairing across the league (assuming this has been updated) is ... Atlanta-Detroit. So break out the Cade for Trae trades? Second highest is Atlanta - Sac, so sending Murray to Sac is the alternative?

[shrink]

Thanks guys!

I’m going to think of it as a good GM will trade for the best return regardless of conference, and it’s only a consideration if it’s potentially a star player, AND both teams are contending (although contending teams rarely trade stars).

[shrink]

But for those curious on general patterns and not just star trades, I always found this interesting:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/friv/trades.fcgi

Thank you! I guess I know how I’ll spending the rest of the morning!

[brackdan70]

I think between contenders it is a thought.
But otherwise teams look for deals that make sense.
Wizards traded Porzingas to the Celtics. NY and Toronto had a big trade. Toronto and Indiana as well. Charlotte and Miami. I am sure there are more. Those are all crappy teams and decent teams.

[TheBrooklynKidd]

Anecdotally and psychologically? I’d say it’s definitely avoided.

In reality though I think it comes down to best offer.

[Texas Chuck]

Its probably more of a thing between contenders? I dont think lower seedsd/tanking teams care

Yeah I don't see the Bucks or Celtics helping the other team but that's just cause they're direct competitors right now.

I mean the Bucks traded Jrue to Boston...

I think like Scoot says, if you refuse to deal with certain teams because they are in your conference you are a bad, scared GM and you should be relieved of your duties.

[jbk1234]

Its probably more of a thing between contenders? I dont think lower seedsd/tanking teams care

Yeah I don't see the Bucks or Celtics helping the other team but that's just cause they're direct competitors right now.

I mean the Bucks traded Jrue to Boston...

I think like Scoot says, if you refuse to deal with certain teams because they are in your conference you are a bad, scared GM and you should be relieved of your duties.

The Bucks traded Jrue to the Blazers, who then traded him to Boston.

[Kizz Fastfists]

Thanks guys!

I’m going to think of it as a good GM will trade for the best return regardless of conference, and it’s only a consideration if it’s potentially a star player, AND both teams are contending (although contending teams rarely trade stars).

OKC is losing a playoff series because they facilitated Gafford to Dallas. Then again, I'm in the minority that believes Presti is a great GM at the start of a rebuild and the worst in the NBA when he doesn't have a bottom 10 team.

[Texas Chuck]

Yeah I don't see the Bucks or Celtics helping the other team but that's just cause they're direct competitors right now.

I mean the Bucks traded Jrue to Boston...

I think like Scoot says, if you refuse to deal with certain teams because they are in your conference you are a bad, scared GM and you should be relieved of your duties.

The Bucks traded Jrue to the Blazers, who then traded him to Boston.

Oh I guess I forgot how that went down. Thanks for the correction.

[giberish]

Fans (or at least RealGM posters) talk about it a lot, but I think it's really pretty rare. Plenty of trades are made within conferences. even among marquee guys. (I'm sure no one cares about bench guy for 2nd round pick trades). Perhaps slightly more go to the other conference (though there are 15 teams in the other conference and only 14 trade options within your conference so you'd expect a few more), but it's really not that much.

[Texas Chuck]

Thanks guys!

I’m going to think of it as a good GM will trade for the best return regardless of conference, and it’s only a consideration if it’s potentially a star player, AND both teams are contending (although contending teams rarely trade stars).

OKC is losing a playoff series because they facilitated Gafford to Dallas. Then again, I'm in the minority that believes Presti is a great GM at the start of a rebuild and the worst in the NBA when he has a contending team.

They are not losing the series because of Daniel Gafford.... And I'm confident Dallas finds a way to get that deal done without OKC. Washington and Dallas always get deals done together.

And this off-season is the start of the test on your idea of Presti. He absolutely blew last time he had a team of young studs. Forgetting even the Harden mistake, he sat on Perkins too long, he kept making extra picks rather than trading for veterans and didn't do enough to improve his core.

I don't see him making that mistake again. Especially since he will still have plenty of picks left to make draft picks, which clearly he believes in his ability to identify prospects. I expect OKC to add a player who is one of their 2 or 3 best players this summer.