This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

This particular free-agency period has taught/reinforced a number of lessons everybody already either knew or suspected. The first of which is, it's tough to be what the Jazz are — a small-market team in the NBA.

But it's more than just that. The game of basketball itself is competitively flawed.

The analysis of what Kevin Durant did on Monday — leaving Oklahoma City for Golden State — leads in many directions, including this one: A collective bargaining agreement that was put in place not just to give the owners a favorable deal, but to help franchises in smaller markets hold onto the talent they gain, did not accomplish that in Durant's case.

Ironically enough, in an unprecedented signing period where players, even mediocre ones, are getting mountains of cash, that money wasn't enough for Durant. He chose titles over the extra remuneration built into the CBA that he would have gotten had he at least temporarily stayed in OKC. He left millions and millions of dollars on the table by signing now with the Warriors.

We can only guess at the ranking of priorities in his decision. It could have been the influence of a shoe company that already pays Durant $300 million. It could have been a discussion with Jerry West, who is on Golden State's board, who won a title with the Lakers, but also knew the pain of losing out on so many occasions, just like Durant may have had he stayed with the Thunder. It might have been that Durant already has so much money that the gravitational pull of more didn't matter to him.

The fact that Golden State had enough allowable financial room to sign Durant, with moderate adjustments, was enabled by the quick infusion of TV money — $270 billion worth — that was not smoothed in over a longer period because the players association did not want that infusion delayed. The salary cap jumped to $94 million for this coming season and is likely to leap to $114 million the following year. The luxury tax is darn near out of sight.

So, think about it, then. Which team — as presently constituted, in which market, if you were the kind of offensive force Durant is — would you rather play for? The Warriors or the Thunder? Which team would improve the quality of your playing experience?

There's a right answer to that question.

People who are calling Durant a coward for seeking his titles the "easy" way are applying a standard they would never apply to themselves in their own line of work. They might not have any clue how difficult it is to win a championship in the NBA. Even great teams, as Durant has experienced, as longtime fans in Salt Lake City know, don't get them.

Naturally, his desire to win has caused collateral damage.

The Thunder didn't really do anything wrong. They built a strong team through smart management decisions. Remember, they led the Warriors, 3-1, in the Western Conference finals before falling. Had that series ended the other way, Durant would be celebrated today as a loyal son of Oklahoma City.

His case is exaggerated, because he is a preeminent player. But his decision is freaking out a lot of Jazz fans before their team even has a gem so rare.

The Jazz have built their team with young, growing players who show promise, the limits of which are yet unknown. The difference between this team now and the team that Tyrone Corbin coached a few years back is that Corbin's team had veterans on it that were taking time away from the youngsters. Many of those younger players are more developed now, and Dennis Lindsey is buttressing that young core with veterans like George Hill and Joe Johnson, who will only help the core, not hinder it.

But already, before the Jazz have even made the playoffs, the concern has reared up as to whether they can keep their players. Gordon Hayward can leave after this next season, and make … what, $30 million? Should the Jazz trade him to prevent losing him for nothing? We've all wondered it. What does that mean for the future of players like Rudy Gobert or Rodney Hood?

If those guys turn into huge stars other teams want, is that a good thing or suddenly a bad thing? People can go ahead and embrace paranoia, only because forces really are plotting against them.

Those who say that players are all about winning titles, that that's their sole motivation, are wrong. Most players are about getting their money first, and once they have it, they're about chasing rings.

Certainly, there's plenty of money to get.

When Mike Conley receives $153 milion from the Grizz, Evan Turner $70 milion from the Blazers, Timofey Mozgov $65 milion from the Lakers, even a diamond-encrusted, gold-chained world has gone a bit insane.

But the Jazz have money to pay, like the others.

What they need are stars, homegrown or traded for. They need stars who want to stay. It's the nature of NBA basketball, the nature of the game, more than any other major pro team sport, that a relative few control the competitive fortunes of all.

Truly contending for a title, then, is a dreamer's pursuit. There hasn't been a Finals without LeBron or Kobe in it for more than a decade. Building a solid team that under certain circumstances might be favored by good fortune to beat the odds may be the only responsible course. In other words, hope like hell, and work even harder.

That's what a team like the Jazz must do.

Grow and hold onto what's theirs, trade for something better, as best they can, until the best team in basketball comes to take it away.

GORDON MONSON hosts "The Big Show" with Spence Checketts weekdays from 3-7 p.m. on 97.5 FM and 1280 AM The Zone. Twitter: @GordonMonson.