Possible $45 million hard salary cap

[ChuckD]

P_C, it's like you asking to be banned from the forum because you can't stop on your own. The owners want to be banned from free spending.

[Cane]

Big changes need to be made and imo the NBA would be better off with a relatively low hard cap.

Imo roleplayers and fringe stars make too much guaranteed money. More flexibility and readily-accepted accountability could help especially when a star player nosedives like Gilbert Arenas and Baron Davis. Those kind of nightmares need to be met with realistic options.

Uncertainty can also be a part of the ratings draw of the future and it'd help ignite fanbases across the country. Having a hard cap and other changes could go a long way for parity.

Owners and fans alike may be at the point where they would welcome up and coming teams rather than just bandwagoning the fortunate sons aka the Lakers and the Celtics. Many owners and fans are also probably sick of supporting a struggling franchise and losing their stars for scraps in the process.

[rmt]

The memo also explains that players would be put into one of four categories under a hard cap system, namely, Category A: a minimum salary player; Category B: a rookie wage scale player; Category C: a maximum salary player; and Category D: a player “fighting for whatever room remains under the new hard salary cap after the three above categories are accounted for.”

It's the category D players that the league is targeting. A & B are cheap. C - the superstars are who the fans turn out to watch. Category D are players like RJ who have no business earning $10m a year. If there's a lockout, players like Duncan and KG may retire - just not worth coming back for with the salaries they'll be getting.

I agree with some kind of hard cap though. The system the way it is now is not fair to the small market teams who will keep losing their players to bigger markets. With the hard cap, teams like LA and MAVs can't buy their way to a championship by spending so much. SA would have won so many championships if Holt spent like Cuban.

[ploto]

Tim + Manu + Tony > $45 million

The NBA definitely has to do something about long-term, fully guaranteed contracts with guaranteed raises that result in ridiculous salaries like these from this season:

Rashard Lewis $20.5 M
Michael Redd $18.3 M
AK 47 $17.8 M
Gilbert Arenas $17.7 M
Vince Carter $17.3 M

I do not know how the CBA works well enough to understand if and how they can possibly restructure current contracts between players and teams. Otherwise, there is no way teams can be below that hard cap in the next couple of years. There is simply too much money already guaranteed to too many players even if they allow another one-time buy out.

[Isitjustme?]

http://spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=179842

[Mel_13]

Tim + Manu + Tony > $45 million

The NBA definitely has to do something about long-term, fully guaranteed contracts with guaranteed raises that result in ridiculous salaries like these from this season:

Rashard Lewis $20.5 M
Michael Redd $18.3 M
AK 47 $17.8 M
Gilbert Arenas $17.7 M
Vince Carter $17.3 M

I do not know how the CBA works well enough to understand if and how they can possibly restructure current contracts between players and teams. Otherwise, there is no way teams can be below that hard cap in the next couple of years. There is simply too much money already guaranteed to too many players even if they allow another one-time buy out.

Once the current CBA expires on June 30th, everything is negotiable for inclusion in the new CBA.

If a hard salary cap is agreed upon, there are several ways to deal with the transition. From more likely to less likely, at least IMO:

1. Graduated implementation over a period of years.

2. Amnesty similar to Allan Houston rule in 2005. Teams would be allowed to cut one player. They would still have to pay his salary, but that salary wouldn't count against the cap.

3. Salary rollbacks. The owners will push for reductions to existing contracts and the players will resist. NHL players finally agreed to rollbacks after an entire season was lost.

[dbestpro]

The league would most likely honor those current contracts but teams will be limited with new expenses

This is why they would phase in the system over several years and would also limit the hit incurred by guaranteed contracts. The big three in Miami would see 2 of the players being released, which Miami would have to pay the partial guarantee and then try to resign them at a lesser pay.

Players have gotten use to the big contracts and owners do not have the money to throw away any more in this economy. I for one think we can scratch next season. The only good thing about that is there will be one less year on RJs and Bonner's contracts.

[MannyIsGod]

I see no way in the NBPA agrees to this.

[ploto]

Once the current CBA expires on June 30th, everything is negotiable for inclusion in the new CBA...

The owners will push for reductions to existing contracts and the players will resist.

I understand a new CBA but how can they change contracts already signed and negotiated under the old CBA?

[MannyIsGod]

Also - given the Spurs success over the last decade without going over the luxury tax the owners are going to be hard pressed to say you can't win in a small market.

[Mel_13]

I understand a new CBA but how can they change contracts already signed and negotiated under the old CBA?

That's collective bargaining. The union can agree to accept a reduced value on existing contracts. They won't want to, but it's possible and legal.

[dbreiden83080]

Is the NBA really losing money?

The ratings are way up across the board for the playoffs and isn't attendance still great??

[ploto]

I am curious to see how this will impact the overall number of players in the league. With tighter cap rules, I would think more teams would carry only the minimum required number of players or that number could even go down. Are teams going to use scarce cap room for guys who sit in suits or go to the NBDL? I know right now the league guarantees an average of 14 per team although each team only has to have 13. I wonder how that will change.

[dbestpro]

Is the NBA really losing money?

The ratings are way up across the board for the playoffs and isn't attendance still great??

The profit benefit of the NBA has only affected 20% of the teams, while 80% are losing money. The biggest reason has been the lack of parody as only 7 teams have won a ring over the past 30 years, and has come to a head in a down economy.

Owners wrote it off as long as their other business interests were doing well. That is not the case anymore. The rich man's toy must now at last break even.

[ducks]

Tim + Manu + Tony > $45 million

The NBA definitely has to do something about long-term, fully guaranteed contracts with guaranteed raises that result in ridiculous salaries like these from this season:

Rashard Lewis $20.5 M
Michael Redd $18.3 M
AK 47 $17.8 M
Gilbert Arenas $17.7 M
Vince Carter $17.3 M

I do not know how the CBA works well enough to understand if and how they can possibly restructure current contracts between players and teams. Otherwise, there is no way teams can be below that hard cap in the next couple of years. There is simply too much money already guaranteed to too many players even if they allow another one-time buy out.

owners offer them anyone with a brain would sign them

[Mel_13]

The profit benefit of the NBA has only affected 20% of the teams, while 80% are losing money. The biggest reason has been the lack of parody as only 7 teams have won a ring over the past 30 years, and has come to a head in a down economy.

Owners wrote it off as long as their other business interests were doing well. That is not the case anymore. The rich man's toy must now at last break even.

The NBA does not lack for parody.

[ducks]

I am curious to see how this will impact the overall number of players in the league. With tighter cap rules, I would think more teams would carry only the minimum required number of players or that number could even go down. Are teams going to use scarce cap room for guys who sit in suits or go to the NBDL? I know right now the league guarantees an average of 14 per team although each team only has to have 13. I wonder how that will change.

if money was so tight why offer those contracts last year out

laughing at owners

[jacobdrj]

A) Rookie Salary Scale has to be a fixed scale based on draft position.
B) Rookie Salaries should never count towards the overall cap.

[yavozerb]

A) Rookie Salary Scale has to be a fixed scale based on draft position.
B) Rookie Salaries should never count towards the overall cap.

A. Isnt that already done?

[Dex]

This offseason is going to be terrible. I'm already ready for the season to end so we can see what the Spurs are going to do with this team over the summer, but all of that is going to get stalled out until they sort out the CBA.

[Mel_13]

A) Rookie Salary Scale has to be a fixed scale based on draft position.

A. Isnt that already done?

It is.

[lmbebo]

I'm ok with Bird Rule, but there would have to be an ammendment that would state that it would only be the with the team the player earned the Bird exception with. Something along those lines so players can't look for a sign-n-trade anymore just to get more money. If they want to go to another team, let them take the financial hit.

[Mel_13]

I'm ok with Bird Rule, but there would have to be an ammendment that would state that it would only be the with the team the player earned the Bird exception with. Something along those lines so players can't look for a sign-n-trade anymore just to get more money. If they want to go to another team, let them take the financial hit.

S&Ts benefit the team that trades the player as well as the player himself. Teams don't do S&Ts just so that the player gets more money.

[Mel_13]

LOL at NBA. Panathinaikos and Olympiacos have budgets that high.

1. Apples and oranges.

2. No, they don't:

http://www.in-the-game.org/?page_id=799

http://www.in-the-game.org/?page_id=802

3. Here comes the convoluted rant about net salaries, maids, mansions, chauffeurs, gardeners, and pool boys.

[temujin]

The salary budget of Olympiacos this season is 32 million euros and 30 million euros for Panathinaikos.

$45 million = 32 million euros.

Lol at you. You are a pathetic loser Mel. Making fun of those Greek clubs that have budgets as high as NBA's new cap.

And BTW, you are also an epic moron to post a link to PAO showing a budget of 33 million euros (they actually lowered it to 30 this year).........hey IDIOT euros are worth more than dollars.

Damn, you are a joke.

Pretty soon it's going to be 230.000.000.000 millions dracmas.


Finally.