Lockout is OVER!!! NBA is back according to sources

[Jazz4ever]

He shouldn't have been able to sign elsewhere? He took less money to move to another team as a free agent. How would you curtail that?

Good point. More lucrative bird rights wouldn't have even helped in Lebron's case. They could have done something where they only allow resigned players to receive fully guaranteed contracts, but it would have been a blood issue for the union.

 

[NUMBERICA]

So your solution is to force players to stay on the same team? For how long? Their whole career?

And Denver didn't have to extend-and-trade Melo. They could have waited until the end of the season and lost him for nothing.

Oh the options Denver had.

It's all rather academic when it comes to the Carmelo situation for me. I think and have thought forever that he was a junk player that made his team worse and the Nuggets are better for his forcing his way out. That doesn't change that the Nuggets shouldn't have to face that situation with the player they had done everything to placate and frankly had done a good job.

Getting back to the Cavs, Lebron's decision set that franchise back 20 years. I can think of worse things than being paid the 2nd highest salary in the league with an already pretty damn good team. The pieces they assembled to make him as happy as they could don't work without him as the centerpiece.

I also think there's a lot to be said about the overall product of the NBA. Fans might tune in once the NWO is formed (wrestling reference), but once the NWO becomes the way of the league (even more so than it is now), people will start jumping ship. That's conjecture, though.

 

[GoJazz]

My question is what happened to the hardliner small market teams? I thought they were going to band together and force the big market teams to compete on an equal playing field? So did the players cave or the small market teams?

 

[AlaskanAssassin]

So your solution is to force players to stay on the same team? For how long? Their whole career?

And Denver didn't have to extend-and-trade Melo. They could have waited until the end of the season and lost him for nothing.

The problem isn't that Melo was traded, or what the return was for Denver. The problem is that Melo had too much control over the matter. He basically told Denver where he wanted to play, and requested an extend-and-trade so that he wouldn't lose out on any $. In essence, Melo had all the control! All of the financial incentives of staying with the same team are eliminated when a player can hold his team hostage like this. We traded Deron early just to avoid this type of situation.

You can assume that Melo would have left for nothing if Denver didn't do this, but you can't prove it! Maybe he would have stayed when forced to give up millions of dollars to move to a different city and play for a different team.

If Denver didn't want to take that risk, they could have traded him for the remainder of the year to a contender for a slightly smaller ransom.

 

[AlaskanAssassin]

My question is what happened to the hardliner small market teams? I thought they were going to band together and force the big market teams to compete on an equal playing field? So did the players cave or the small market teams?

Why do we always have to put negotiations in the context of "who caved?" No one caved. No one got the exact deal they wanted, but they found one that was acceptable.

 

[LogGrad98]

David Aldridge is saying that the sing-and-trade has been reinstated. That was one thing I really wanted to be abolished in this CBA. Gives players too much leverage to force a trade and still get paid (i.e. Melo).

I am intrigued to see how American Idol plays into this new sing-and-trade deal. Interesting stuff.

 

[LogGrad98]

No shame in that my good man, no shame in that. I damn near lost bowel control

Wow, what did you do after you heard the lockout was over?

 

[LogGrad98]

LeBron should thrive only having to play 3/4 of a season.

Rep'ed. So true.

 

[NUMBERICA]

Why do we always have to put negotiations in the context of "who caved?" No one caved. No one got the exact deal they wanted, but they found one that was acceptable.

Best thing you've had to say on this large matter.

 

[Brown Notes]

LeBron should thrive only having to play 3/4 of a season.

Too bad for LJB it was the 1st quarter cut. Now he's only got 2 in which he is good.

 

[LogGrad98]

Too bad for LJB it was the 1st quarter cut. Now he's only got 2 in which he is good.

They could fix his 4th quarter fizzle if they just keep him in the locker room until the 2nd quarter, then do player introductions and fireworks as if it were the 1st quarter when he comes out on the floor for the start of the 2nd. Then move halftime to after the 3rd quarter. He would kick *** then.

 

[GVC]

The problem isn't that Melo was traded, or what the return was for Denver. The problem is that Melo had too much control over the matter. He basically told Denver where he wanted to play, and requested an extend-and-trade so that he wouldn't lose out on any $. In essence, Melo had all the control! All of the financial incentives of staying with the same team are eliminated when a player can hold his team hostage like this. We traded Deron early just to avoid this type of situation.

How did Melo hold his team hostage? He told them he'd be leavign in free agency, and gave them the option of extending-and-trading him, trying a sign-and-trade in the offseason, or losing him for nothing.

Denver was able to get a lot of good pieces instead of getting nothing because of the extend-and-trade provision (not in spite of it).

Utah made the deal they made because it was the best they were going to do.

Again, what is your solution? Force players to play with the same team for the length of their respective careers?