Timberwolves highlight shocking salary trends that could change the NBA

Throughout the NBA's long history, there have been many specific trends that have consistently led to a team's success. Some that are extremely relevant to the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2024 are the importance of team identity and a strong defensive mentality. Both are areas that the Wolves master with flying colors.

In the past, it was also necessary to have a front office willing and able to open the checkbook to pay star players. Obviously, the best in the world are expected to be paid accordingly, and that is still largely the case today. No team is going to employ many of the league's best players without an extremely high payroll.

But recently there has been a small but noticeable change when it comes to how team building and salary are related in the NBA. The teams with the highest payrolls are no longer consistently going deep into the postseason, and the emphasis on working smarter rather than harder when assembling a roster has moved to the forefront of the NBA landscape.

This is demonstrated by a very telling statistic about the 2024 playoffs and player salaries. Of the 15 players in the league who currently have the highest annual salary, only one will participate in the playoffs: Rudy Gobert.

It may seem a bit far-fetched, but the Timberwolves center is actually the only player in the league to make at least $41 million this year and make it to the conference finals. Truly, a new era is upon us. Gone are the days of ensuring a good playoff run by simply signing one big name after another and letting the rest of the process fall by the wayside.

Now teams like Denver last year and Minnesota this year show us that building a roster that works well together is by far the most rewarding approach. The Phoenix Suns were one of the most recent examples of a team trying to skip moves and simply sign two top-six players. The result, of course, was that they were thoroughly embarrassed in the opening round of the playoffs.

This trend actually has the potential to permanently change the NBA landscape. With the new collective bargaining agreement and new restrictions on teams pushing too far beyond financial limits, it may be that star players choose to make more mature decisions in the way they conduct their business and that organizations become smarter about the players' decision to pay or trade.

15 is not a small number in this scenario. The fact that Rudy is making a huge contribution to a Wolves team hoping to bring home a title while many of his richest NBA peers are sitting at home on the couch should be a major wake-up call. This is simply another domino falling as the league evolves and takes a new direction.