Supermax clearly does not work. Franchise tag is a better tool

[nickagneta]

The only thing holding back NBA financials is a couple of teams are located in pretty tiny TV markets, mostly from when the league only cared about how much arena money they got or the owner moved the team to his hometown (OKC).

On the aggregate the owners are swimming in money and that's BEFORE you consider their equity appreciation if they ever want to sell.

Exactly. I think equity appreciation all by itself Wyc and his group could sell the Celtics and make upwards of $2.5 billion in just 17 years of owning the Celtics. And.....the Celtics were swimming in case revenue profit for a whole bunch of those years as well.

[Moranis]

I don't understand why supermax doesn't work.  Seems to be working just fine to me.

[PhoSita]

Never get approved by the players. In even suggesting something like this, the owners would cause a very long strike to take place. The players love the freedom they have and something like this that inhibits player movement, especially at the top of the food chain, won't be allowed in the CBA by the players at the top of the food chain, LeBron and CP3, who just so happen to negotiate on behalf of the players.

I think NBA stars love the freedom they have.  Lower level players probably value financial security much more than freedom to move around.

Based on that my supposition is that the key to enacting reforms to limit star player movement would be creating a system that would tend to provide greater financial security to the average NBA player.

You'll never the players union to agree to something that limits the ability of star players to dictate where they want to play if it's not accompanied by changes that will greatly benefit the vast majority of the player union membership.

[PhoSita]

I don't understand why supermax doesn't work.  Seems to be working just fine to me.

I mean, if the goal was to create some of the worst contracts in the league, it's been successful so far.

It certainly hasn't given small market teams an advantage in holding onto their franchise players.

The stars don't seem to care that they'll be giving up money, because they know they're going to make a ton on endorsements anyway.

The only guys who will be swayed by the supermax will be guys who really shouldn't get one, but who might get one from a desperate and/or stupid franchise.

[PhoSita]

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."

[CelticsElite]

Kept wall in washington

[nickagneta]

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.

[Big333223]

A franchise tag wouldn't have stopped the Anthony Davis situation. Or Blake Griffin. Or Paul George. Or Kawhi. Or Kyrie.

Unless you think the threat of the franchise tag would keep players from demanding trades, knowing that they wouldn't be able to leave in free agency even if they want to, which I both don't think would work and would make me feel kind of icky.

[PhoSita]

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.

If you read what I suggested carefully, I'm actually suggesting that 30-60 of the best players in the NBA should get paid more, because there should be a way for teams to pay them way beyond the max salary.

The trade-off would be that you make it so that a team can only have one or two guys earning that unlimited annual money, which would ensure that the best talent gets distributed more evenly throughout the league.


My feeling is that guys like LeBron, Durant, Curry, Giannis, Harden, Davis etc should get paid more.

But I also feel that it should be much harder for multiple guys like that to ever be on the same team.


Guys who are borderline All-Star caliber but not in that superstar tier don't need to be making a quarter to a third of the cap, frankly. 

[JBcat]

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.

If you read what I suggested carefully, I'm actually suggesting that 30-60 of the best players in the NBA should get paid more, because there should be a way for teams to pay them way beyond the max salary.

The trade-off would be that you make it so that a team can only have one or two guys earning that unlimited annual money, which would ensure that the best talent gets distributed more evenly throughout the league.


My feeling is that guys like LeBron, Durant, Curry, Giannis, Harden, Davis etc should get paid more.

But I also feel that it should be much harder for multiple guys like that to ever be on the same team.


Guys who are borderline All-Star caliber but not in that superstar tier don't need to be making a quarter to a third of the cap, frankly.

I don’t like this because it gives poorly run organizations a free pass to get one of these guys and really good organizations a disadvantage (we wouldn’t have been able to have Ray, KG, and Paul).

Here is my idea but who knows if it will ever fly:

1) Max salaries have to be signed for a minimum of 3 years (no opt outs none of this 1 plus 1 stuff).  It gives organizations some stability with the big names.  The player still has a lot of power still.  If after a year or 2 they don’t like where they are they can still threaten to leave in free agency when their contract is over and force a trade.  Mid level salaries have to be signed for a minimum of 2 years (none of this 2nd year is non guaranteed stuff).  It will get rid of the 1 year bloated salaries, and constant movement to try and create cap space, or at least makes it harder to do so.  The minimum and low salary players can be signed for 1 year.

2) Use some form of baseball’s compensation system if a FA is not re-signed.  You could have different tiers of compensation for the amount a player is signed for up to a certain salary.  For example 2 lottery protected picks for the team losing the max player from the team signing him.  Say something in the 20 million range it’s 1 lottery protected pick and so on. 

I think both adds a layer of protection for good organizations, and it really doesn’t inihibit player freedom of movement that much.  Maybe as compensation for the player side you take a year off their rookie deal so they can reach FA a year earlier.

[nickagneta]

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.

If you read what I suggested carefully, I'm actually suggesting that 30-60 of the best players in the NBA should get paid more, because there should be a way for teams to pay them way beyond the max salary.

The trade-off would be that you make it so that a team can only have one or two guys earning that unlimited annual money, which would ensure that the best talent gets distributed more evenly throughout the league.


My feeling is that guys like LeBron, Durant, Curry, Giannis, Harden, Davis etc should get paid more.

But I also feel that it should be much harder for multiple guys like that to ever be on the same team.


Guys who are borderline All-Star caliber but not in that superstar tier don't need to be making a quarter to a third of the cap, frankly.

Again, stars drive the league. Stars like playing together. Why are they going to limit the amount of stars that can play on a team for $25 million or less? Limiting the amount of players who can earn a true max salary to 2 a team, limits opportunities where players can play with each other, which stars do not want.



The idea also completely messes up the reason for the current CBA, limiting teams from overspending and attempting to limit the advantage of large market teams. Suddenly LAC, LAL, Boston, NYK, Chicago, Miami and Houston have 2 slots where they can spend whatever they want. Those slots will be for more money than places like Sacramento, OKC, New Orleans, Memphis and Charlotte would ever be able to afford in a year.

Also, because each team has the ability to give out those contracts, teams unable to sign the very best of the best will indeed give out unlimited salary contracts to those who are undeserving. It's going to create a ton of awful contracts that will cripple teams.

Then you have to figure out how it all works with the current rules. What happens if you want to trade someone in a max  unlimited salary contract? How does salary matching work? How is the luxury tax affected?

[Tr1boy]

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

[Donoghus]

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

The star driven thing is in regards to how both the league advertises its league, how the league network partners promote it,  & how it makes money.   Not necessary in regards to winning championships although, shockingly, you have seen superstars on the championship teams nearly every season since the league's inception.

[Ogaju]

I think nit took a lot of planning and creativity by people that probably never played basketball to put together a lucrative league. I do not think the players have any idea why or how they are making 20 million a year to play a game they played for free all their lives.

They continue with this BS they will destroy the league.

The league was built for entertainment not winning. The players want to win and glorify their egos they will destory the ingredients that has made them insanely rich.

[nickagneta]

I think nit took a lot of planning and creativity by people that probably never played basketball to put together a lucrative league. I do not think the players have any idea why or how they are making 20 million a year to play a game they played for free all their lives.

They continue with this BS they will destroy the league.

The league was built for entertainment not winning. The players want to win and glorify their egos they will destory the ingredients that has made them insanely rich.

I think you are seriously underestimating the intelligence and knowledge of the players and the people they hire to represent them. The current deal exists and is favorable to the players because of the work of the NBAPA and the players and their lawyers. The players know EXACTLY where the money comes from that allows them $20 million salaries.