The Butterfly Effect is a concept that describes how seemingly small and insignificant changes in a system can lead to drastic changes later down the line. There is no better example of the results of the Butterfly Effect than the NBA. Certain events, such as injuries, trades, or signings, can lead to totally different and unexpected outcomes. There are countless times in NBA history where small occurrences have a ripple effect that changes the NBA.

A General Manager or "GM" in NBA terms is the person responsible for overseeing player acquisitions, managing a coaching staff, and overall just building the basketball team. There are several nuances involved in being a General Manager. Whether it's evaluating draft talent, understanding the value of players and assets, or knowing how players fit together, General Managers need to be able to do a lot. Some GMs don't even share the same goals, especially in this modern era of teambuilding. While every GM is different in certain ways, they usually fall into 1 of 3 archetypes, which often leads to very different future outlooks for each team.

In the current NBA landscape, there are two classifications of NBA teams that general managers usually seek out: playoff teams/contenders and tanking teams/rebuilding.

The Most Valuable Player award is given to players who give their team the most value on the court. I think the award's name is a bit misleading. While it is often true that those who win MVPs do land among the league's top value players, it isn't the true deciding factor of having the most value. The best way to measure who in the NBA holds the most value for their team is to ask yourself; Are they untouchable? Being untouchable in the NBA can mean two things: You have a no-trade clause in your contract, or your team would never consider trading you, no matter the offer.