1) Hard cap.
2) No max deals limit. No year limit
3) No guarantee contracts. Only guarantee signing bonuses
4) No more NBA lottery.
5) High minimal age.
Basically, I want to see the NFL model. Teams have more flexibility to improve. Lazy guys do not get to sit on their contracts as much. More time for players to develop and teams to scout.
Then steal something from MLB/NHL. A true minor league system. Add a third round to the draft. At this point, younger guys can be drafted, but they can not play on the big team until they reach the age requirement. At the draft that player would reach the age requirement, another team can choose to draft him, in which case the original team can either let him go for the other teams 3rd round pick or can keep him and pay him the rookie contract of that spot. The team that tried to draft him is give a 2nd round pick the following year to make up for the lost 1st.
Basically, I want the NBA teams to be able to put the best teams on the floor.
+1, I agree with pretty much all of this. It would definitely allow the "best" organizations to prosper, instead of simply the ones that are most willing to spend money.
(I know that the Celtics have benefitted greatly from being able to spend deep into the luxury tax, and I'm not at all sorry for that. However, I want what's best for the future of the league, and I have enough faith in Danny Ainge to help us win more titles even with a hard cap)
edit:
Actually, there is a problem with the lack of guaranteed contracts. Basically, GM's could promise players the moon (contract for life! 30 million per year!!) and then immediately turn around and dump them if they so chose. This would, I might think, lead to teams "renting" players for short periods of time and could ultimately end up being fairly ridiculous.
