NBA Statement: NBAPA will not agree to smoothing the salary cap

[mrob]

EDIT TO ADD: I'd be very surprised if small-market teams didn't turn out the net losers in this whole affair. Very.

I don't believe it will help or hurt. The salary cap is just a number. Salaries will go up across the board, but ultimately all the teams still have the same restraints both on the minimum and maximum salary cap.

The sudden change will create a windfall for players that happen to have their contracts up at the right time. There will be a lot of movement initially as players try to maximize their salary at that time. But ultimately the league will settle into the new numbers and everything will be the same but with bigger numbers.

 

[NAOS]

I don't believe it will help or hurt. The salary cap is just a number. Salaries will go up across the board, but ultimately all the teams still have the same restraints both on the minimum and maximum salary cap.

The sudden change will create a windfall for players that happen to have their contracts up at the right time. There will be a lot of movement initially as players try to maximize their salary at that time. But ultimately the league will settle into the new numbers and everything will be the same but with bigger numbers.

it will lubricate movement toward larger markets (more desirable places for the majority of NBA players) across the board. That one facet/phenomenon of this overall change is already enough to declare smaller markets losers. Sorry bud. I feel the pain, too.

 

[Coach Ellis]

Maybe, but the luxury tax is still going to be prohibitive to just maxing out everyone. Jazz fans need to get used to the idea of Favors, Gobert, Hayward and Exum as the core, because there's a good chance those 4 get massive contracts to stay in Utah. And then fill in around them. Bird rights for the next few seasons are going to be HUGE as large markets become flush with cap space to try to lure players away. The Jazz are fortunate that they can pay Hayward and Favors more (and with an extra season as well) and that they'll have the right to match anything Rudy or Dante are offered. The cap spike is going to hit right when the Jazz core will be coming together and contending. Hopefully the Jazz manage their money in a way that allows them to be contenders. That's one of the major reasons that we should celebrate the Kanter trade. Utah sheds his salary and attitude to make room for "team" guys who fit the system. I like a developing Core much more than trying to buy a ring.

 

[mrob]

it will lubricate movement toward larger markets (more desirable places for the majority of NBA players) across the board. That one facet/phenomenon of this overall change is already enough to declare smaller markets losers. Sorry bud. I feel the pain, too.

I just fail to see the situation as anything more than a one-time ripple. Salaries will be going up. Some larger market teams will be able to make some very big offers to a few select players, but the teams that the players are on will be able to offer them much more for the same reason. This also evaporates after that first year. Teams are still required to spend 90% of the salary cap so that money will be swallowed up by these big contracts. I don't see it being a big deal. At least, I don't see it being much different than how things already are.

 

[NAOS]

I just fail to see the situation as anything more than a one-time ripple. Salaries will be going up. Some larger market teams will be able to make some very big offers to a few select players, but the teams that the players are on will be able to offer them much more for the same reason. This also evaporates after that first year. Teams are still required to spend 90% of the salary cap so that money will be swallowed up by these big contracts. I don't see it being a big deal. At least, I don't see it being much different than how things already are.

If every free agent were restricted, then your post would make a lot more sense. The whole "unrestricted" thing bungles your point in a major way.

Also, any systems theorist will tell you that one time ripples can alter the system entirely, depending on the ripple. There's no doubt that this will re-distribute the talent in the league. That's what the money is doing: BUYING talented services. My claims are that the re-distribution will favor larger markets, and that, regardless of the number of "ripples", this re-distribution will be significant.

Your posts aren't changing my mind.

 

[Darkwing Duck]

If every free agent were restricted, then your post would make a lot more sense. The whole "unrestricted" thing bungles your point in a major way.

Well, an UFA's previous team can offer a better contract under the CBA than a different team. That part is accurate.

 

[Hotdog]

paging Hacl!!!

We'll see. It might not be set in stone yet.

My point is and has always been that it's not good for all the players. It's great for Lebron James and a few others. The other players need to pull their heads out their asses and get off LeBron's jock. They are fools if they go a long with this. If they do, I bet they all start complaining in hindsight when they realize they made a mistake. It's sad that they fail to see it yet.

 

[Hotdog]

Larry Coon (CBA expert) shared some thoughts on the matter, some of which are embedded in this article:

https://www.sbnation.com/2015/3/11/8192081/nba-salary-cap-smoothing-2016-players-union

In going along with WhiskyPriest's post, this is why it's a bad idea for LeBron James to be the first vice president with a fellow star like CP3 as president. I find it hard to believe that the players are even close to being truly unanimous in their opposition to any sort of smoothing.

I wonder what the hell is going on there and why players aren't speaking up. What do they have to lose?

This could get interesting. We could see the union start to have problems from within.

 

[mrob]

Your posts aren't changing my mind.

I guess I feel the same then. Your argument isn't just that bigger markets have more influence in the free agent market. I mean, everyone knows that. You're saying that this change in the salary cap gives them an even bigger advantage. I just don't see it. The numbers will change, but the advantage remains the same.

 

[green]

This is a different NBA than you old people are used to. LeBron went to Cleveland. Howard spurned LA for Houston. Bosh stayed in Miami over Houston. Duncan never left SA. Big markets definitely have a big pull...but it wasn't the end all be all it once was. Oh, and all the big market teams suck.

If you are Durant, do you leave a team that can win it all to go to LA for less money than you'd get staying in OKC? I don't know, but it isn't the slam dunk leave small markets for big markets anymore.

Free Agents in 2016:

A: Kevin Durant, LeBron
B: Al Horford, Joakim Noah, Dirk Nowitzki, Dwight Howard, Kobe Bryant, Damian Lillard

There are two players that are franchise changers: Durant and LeBron. Those two make you a contender no matter how bad you are. LeBron probably isn't leaving Cleveland. Durant might leave OKC, but he'd be leaving a lot of money on the table to leave OKC.

So, if you are LA, your hope is to get Durrant and pair him with Kobe and Noah.

That's about it as far as big market hopes go. Maybe go watch Anthony shoot it 30 times a night in NYC?

What happens if Durant stays in OKC, because he doesn't want to leave Westbrook to go play with Kobe?

Then large market teams are SCREWED. BUT, they will have to do SOMETHING to appease their fans. So, then they start handing out max deals to players like Noah, Horford, and older players. That isn't going to help an LA out. That will screw an LA over, because now they will be good enough for the playoffs, but not good enough to attract a big free agent in 2017 and not bad enough for the draft.

Anyhow, I don't think this will be that big of a deal for two reasons:

There aren't that many "superstar" level players on the market

and

players can earn a lot more money staying with their team than leaving. And the endorsement deals aren't that different city to city anymore. You can still get a 200 million dollar shoe deal staying in OKC.

What would you do? Make 350 million competing for titles in OKC, or make 375 million losing in LA?

What will give large market teams a big advantage is the luxury tax. They can pay to make a mistake with an Horford or Noah. Small market teams can't.

 

[vegas]

We'll see. It might not be set in stone yet.

My point is and has always been that it's not good for all the players. It's great for Lebron James and a few others. The other players need to pull their heads out their asses and get off LeBron's jock. They are fools if they go a long with this. If they do, I bet they all start complaining in hindsight when they realize they made a mistake. It's sad that they fail to see it yet.

yep my personal thought it Bron has been seeing himself up for this for a while now. He and cp3 gain $ at the expense of the scrubs and anybody under contract. I can't imagine those players getting shafted don't speak out against this at some point.

 

[carolinajazz]

This is going to be pretty chaotic. Gonna make all sorts of crazy things happen.

....hopefully, it will result in a long, long, long, long lockout of the players!