LogGrad98
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There have always been other factors involved, including money, winning situation, playing time, etc. When all things are equal, then LA is a more attractive place for young guys to live than somewhere like Minnesota or Milwaukee or even Utah, at least for most players. You also have guys who grow up dreaming of playing for a specific team, and unfortunately, the damn Lakers win that too. I don't believe that most guys are just as happy to play for Charlotte or Toronto, just because of modern marketing. Doesn't mean those teams can't draw FAs for some of the other reasons I've mentioned, but advantages/disadvantages still exist as they always have.
Exactly. A big part of this is higher exposure = higher endorsement dollars. That is just economics there. Why settle for 5 years for 120 million when you can augment that with a few commercial spots for another 50 mill over 5. You can never have enough mills.