I really think the best solution is to lower the max salary to like $20-25 million but then give each team 1-2 slots that have no limit on annual salary and don't count against the salary cap.
Call it the "franchise player exception."
The NBA is a star driven league. Stars drive the teams. Stars drive the television ratings. Stars drive the merchandise sales. Stars drive and create the BRI.
Stars probably deserve more money not less. Players that are not stars do not create income and further income opportunities. No one is running to the NBA arenas to watch the Marcus Morris', JJ Reddicks, Danny Greens and George Hills of the NBA. They are spending their money to see the Kyrie Irvings, Giannis Antetokounmpos, Joel Embiids, Ben Simmons' and Kawhi Leonards of the NBA.
The majority of NBA players know they are being paid the big money they are getting because of the stars. I don't see them turning on the star players and try to get richer while the people driving the high salaries get less money.
Just don't see cutting star's salaries are going to do anything positive or having a chance of happening.
I disagree
why didn't OKC win it all multiple times then?
Coaching matters, teammates matter, culture matters
With 2 min left ...does KD hit that crucial shot? yeah...but it won't lead up to that point unless the other things above also are clicking at a high level
The issue with your arguments is that the player is owned since drafted etc. So they should be granted their freedom when the time comes. Well these players are babies when the team has their rights and have no real clue as to how to win
Its when they are at their peak and now free....they want to join together to buy their way onto a championship
They don't care about max money (league attempt to keep competition even). It is like a hack the players keep using. KD, Leonard, AD.... Do they look like they care about Supermax?
Its fine you understand the reality and have this, why fight it attitude? Well...the fight is to limit "wild" "collusion" like thinking...and If you still want to leave, the new team you will join will not be as good as you like it to be .... example KD joining GSW
I don't understand...why do you want a team like the GSW to exist? it is the same crap every year. NBA is like the only sport where a 5-8 team has like 1 percent chance to make it past the 1st-2nd round. Its sooo predictable