Even if you are franchise only kind of guy which I usually am, there definitely is at least $10 worth of content to be played through the Street mode which I find to be really good. You don't have to play online either. Every once in a while I will play some live events or 3 on 3 but most people are ball hogs that I have encountered.
Definitely DO NOT buy live for the franchise. I tried playing franchise mode with 12 min Quarters "Play the Moment" like in Madden but it's not as refined as it should be. Once they drop you into the game for a particular moment you are stuck in that moment until the end of game UNLESS you initiate the sim engine again.
With NBA Live 18 I already have more time played than NBA 2K17 and NBA 2K18 combined. I am definitely more of a casual gamer as I just don't have tons of time to put into these games like I used to.