So let me make sure I have a good grasp on this.
is it safe to say that Superstars like Lebron, Kobe, Durant, Wade, etc. should fall somewhere in the $50 to $70 range
All stars like: Amare, Bosh, Granger, Pierce should fall in the $40 to mid $50 range
Near All Stars like: Iguodala, Rudy Gay, Ellis, etc. in the $30 to $40 range
Solid starting level players like: Ariza, Mike Miller, Nene, Turkoglu, etc. in the $20 range
That's about the range in the 13 team league, yes. But availability of super stars or other priorities can alter that. Another factor driving up salaries can be if two teams have a bunch of money left towards the end of the draft and they haven't landed a superstar, this could drive up the price on lower quality players.
Since this is a keeper league considering things like Kobe, Dirk, and Tim Duncan's age and the potential that young guys like Gallinari, Oden, etc. have over the next few years has got to play into how much we are willing to bid on certain players. So if I bid Superstar money for Tim Duncan, but if he starts breaking down over the next 2 years I would have overpaid for him. When do the players we win bid on contracts expire?
Players taken in the auction come with a 2 year contract, and a 3rd year option (in the 3rd year you can choose to either re-sign the player for $5 for another year or let him "play out his option" at the same salary - letting the player become a free agent at season's end). However, you are not bound to a player's contract. There are no penalties for cutting a guy, for instance. The contract just gives you the right to keep him at a controlled salary. This is why getting a bargain is a huge deal in the auction (or in future years with the Rookie Draft).
How is free agency worked out? Even if it is a couple years away it would be good to know what kind of cap flexibility we would have for our teams in the next couple of off seasons as older players decline and younger players rise.
see above
You also said that Blake Griffin would be Rookie eligible, how are the rookies different as opposed to the other players?
A lot of this stuff is spelled out elsewhere in this thread and in teh Constitution available on the CBS site...In future years we will hold a rookie draft (the picks that are on your roster on the CBS page are for next year). There is a lottery for the first 3 picks, but basically, like the NBA, these picks are designed to give the worse teams first crack at new players with a decent salary.
This year we will be bidding on rookies in the Auction since we don't have an established draft order.
Rookie status is different while the players are on the Farm portion of your roster. You are allowed to "keep" a maximum of 8 active players, or 12 total players from year to year. The "non-active" players are your Farm players. Before each season you have to decide on one of 4 things with your farm players
1) cut them'
2) trade them
3) 3 keep them on the farm reserve for another season by adding $5 to their salary and keeping them in the 1st year of their contract
4) moving them to your active roster at their current salary (and having their contract move to year 2).
Once a player is moved off Farn Reserve you relinquish he becomes a normal player, and you relinquish the right to make decision number 3 the following season.
One other thing about your Farm Reserve to consider: during the season you can keep any amount of eligible players on the farm reserve portion of your roster.
If utilized well, the farm reserve and the draft picks can't turn a bad team around quickly in this league.
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