Could an NBA team survive by only signing players from that region?

Athletic Bilbao is one of the top soccer teams in Spain and despite their competition spending millions and millions on top players from all over the globe, they have stuck by their founding principles of only signing players who were born or grew up in the Basque region.

For reference, the region is bigger than the Houston area, but smaller than Jacksonville.

Could any NBA team survive or win a title with this self-imposed rule? Only signing players who were born or grew up in that region? They wouldn’t be able to draft, or trade for, or sign any free agent that doesn’t fit this criteria.

traebucketsfor3 | Hawks

1 | 8 minutes ago

I mean yeah… hella hoopers come out of Atlanta (and that’s Atlanta, not even the suburbs or the state of GA. I think they could)

traebucketsfor3 | Hawks

1 | 6 minutes ago

For example: walker kessler, ANT, Caleb Wilson, Milak Beasley, Wendal Carter, Jabari smith and others

TWOPlNTSPRICK | Bulls

1 | 5 minutes ago

Walker Kessler being from Atlanta is hilarious. He’s the most Nebraska player I’ve ever seen in my life.

Pelicans-de-la-NO

1 | 9 minutes ago

California certainly could

Neat_Sandwich_5466 | Greece

1 | 8 minutes ago

Lakers/Clippers/Knicks, maybe Hawks as well?

EternalATKE

1 | 6 minutes ago

Nets

yuckmouthteeth | Trail Blazers

1 | 6 minutes ago

Toronto actually

SwizzGod | Lakers

1 | 4 minutes ago

SoCal for sure

Im_the_Rhymenocerous | Kings

1 | 4 minutes ago

Of the ones I haven’t seen named, Bulls maybe.

orangebikini | NBA

1 | 3 minutes ago

The reason it can work for a European football club is they put in resources to develop talent in their community. Athletic Bilbao, like more or less all clubs, has a youth academy.

NBA teams don’t have that, they’re dependent on talent developed by third parties. They might get lucky and be in a region that happens to develop a lot of talent, or they might not. Having their own youth academy would definitely better those chances.

Superb-Cheek2639 | Timberwolves

1 | 9 minutes ago