By now, everyone is well aware that the NBA 2K series is known for how well it replicates the game of basketball. Its on-court product can’t be matched right now. But what about behind the scenes in the front office? Part of what makes basketball (and other sports, for that matter) so appealing is the way teams are constructed to play off each other’s strengths and weaknesses. Five players who are considered "good" separately might not complement each other as well as one would expect. To that end, the 2K team has put forth a tremendous effort to make the off-court action as realistic as it is on the court with MyGM and MyLeague.

Tough Choices

The premise of MyGM is the same as last year. You take control of a franchise, receive specific goals from your team’s owner, and then receive XP by completing those goals -- along with various other tasks that arise throughout your career. Most of the time, the goals make sense. As the new GM of the Pistons (sorry, Stan the Man), my owner wanted me to acquire a first-round pick in the offseason.

But some of the goals take you out of the realistic realm. My owner asking me to acquire an impact player is not out of the question, but having him specifically request a player with an 85 rating was a jarring reminder that this is a video game. Requesting someone with a specific skill set would make more sense, but that’s a relatively minor gripe.

Managing player relationships is a lot more fun than I would ever expect it to be. Andre Drummond approached me about being included in trade rumors. He point blank asked me if it was true, and I promised him that it was not. So of course, what happens next? I got offered a first-round pick from Minnesota for Drummond. Given that I did not yet sign him to a contract extension, it was a tempting offer. After all, I could go into full rebuild mode and get what’s sure to be a high lottery pick from the T-Wolves, while at the same time also fulfilling my owner’s goal of acquiring a first-round pick. But that would involve breaking my promise to Drummond and taking a hit to my credibility as a GM. I opted to keep AD as I felt he was too valuable to the franchise. But I was forced into a tough choice, which has not always been the case in this mode.

The press conferences you give on a regular basis also provide another layer of detail beyond trading players and signing free agents. You have to think about your responses. If you lose credibility with the media, expect more frequent and difficult questions. But as you gain credibility with the media, you might notice that your owner and players are not as happy with your candor. You have to find the right balance. So far, I have taken to just answering honestly and letting the chips fall where they may.

Relocation

The biggest addition to this year’s franchise modes is team relocation. In each mode, the process starts the same. You select the team you want to relocate, choose the new city, design a court and some uniforms, and then submit your application. With MyLeague, there is no approval process. But with MyGM, you have to actually put thought into your relocation.

My first attempt was to try and move the Detroit Pistons to St. Louis, MI (2K’s typo, not mine). The interface is organized really well and details, in steps, what you need to do. Even picking a city is not automatic. Each potential relocation city has a profile that details the area’s population, income, and current market team (if available), along with the strengths and weaknesses of that market.

After you submit your application, you see a breakdown of where each owner stands so you can assess how many owners you need to sway to your side before moving. You can even meet with them in order to see what specific concerns they have. I had almost an even mix of owners who were on the fence versus owners who were already a "no" on the topic. In the end, my bid for relocation was denied, with most owners concluding that St. Louis does not have sufficient interest for a team, and that my arena was not luxurious enough. When I re-apply next year, I’ll know to put more money into the arena in hopes of turning some owners to my side.

Given that this is the first year 2K has attempted relocation, the feature is quite robust. It’s not without its flaws and it’s far from perfect, but it’s a great building block. For 2K17, here’s hoping there is not a limit on how many teams can be relocated. And if I can be greedy, allowing expansion and contraction would be a huge boost to the franchise modes as well.

Wheeling And Dealing

The draft lottery and draft itself also got some love this year. The draft lottery reveals the prediction before each selection, while a ticker at the bottom displays information about the pick and how often that franchise picks in the lottery. It adds a bit more drama when you see a surprise at number seven, with the ticker below stating that this means "Team X" has moved into the top three. And for the draft itself, instead of watching digital Adam Silver read the picks from a podium, there is a cool new graphic that shows the draft order and then some information on the player selected.

The under-the-hood improvements are apparent as well. Trade offers are much more realistic and each team has a defined goal. Instead of searching simply for value, each team now has a status page that shows whether it’s rebuilding, contending for a playoff spot, etc. It even lists what players they are interested in trading for as well as whom they have on the block. As GM of the Pistons, I probably could not entice the rebuilding Sixers with Jodie Meeks. But if I wanted to dump some picks or young players to acquire some players for a playoff run, they might be willing to listen.

Miscellaneous

The addition of Summer League games is also a nice touch in that it adds another layer of realism to this mode, but I myself don’t spend much time with it as I like to focus on the pros. The updated home page is also a nice touch. It centers on the calendar schedule, of course, with some vital information in the side bar, such as the trading block and how satisfied your players are with the organization.

As for MyLeague, it’s basically MyGM without the owner goals, press conferences and player relationships. Trades, signings, drafts, etc. all work exactly the same. If you just want to control the virtual NBA world and not worry about leveling up, this is the mode for you. But if you want the front office to have sort of a mini-game feel, then MyGM is what you’re looking for.

Wrapping Up

NBA 2K16 has plenty of game modes to keep you busy, but MyGM and MyLeague are the bread and butter if your goal is to re-create the NBA experience. Whether you want to control the entire league or just a single franchise, you’ll find something here to like.