OKC, Minnesota, and Clevland are all small markets and all have done better constructing teams. Middleton should be a #3 option on a championship team, not a max guy. Like name a championship team with a worse #2 option?

Your right that attracting free agent is more difficult for small markets but, thats why all the teams I listed above built thier team through the draft. The Buck traded thier pick for underwhelming players and most of the picks they did draft arent even in the league anymore.

They got lucky with Giannas and he’s been carrying that franchise ever since, everything outside of that has been sub par.