Solution to FA clustering - don't cap max contracts

[guava_wrench]

There is a simple solution to all the superstars in the NBA clustering together in a few teams. Get rid of the caps on individual contracts.

If Lebron could get true market value, would he leave 10 or 15 million per year on the table to play with Wade and Bosh?

The question of collusion is silly. Of course players can decide to play together, just as it is acceptable that Eddie House talked James Posey into joining the Celtics. Let's not be hypocrites.

If GMs can plan for their team's future 3 years down the line, so should players.

[blake]

The players union will not have that.  Minimums are just as important as Maximums.  So teams wouldn't be able to fill a roster if they wanted a superstar on their team. 

[Fafnir]

The players union will not have that.  Minimums are just as important as Maximums.  So teams wouldn't be able to fill a roster if they wanted a superstar on their team. 

The union would love to remove the maximum salary restriction. The owner's want the cost certainty that comes with a maximum amount they will have to pay their best player.

[rondohondo]

There is a simple solution to all the superstars in the NBA clustering together in a few teams. Get rid of the caps on individual contracts.

If Lebron could get true market value, would he leave 10 or 15 million per year on the table to play with Wade and Bosh?

The question of collusion is silly. Of course players can decide to play together, just as it is acceptable that Eddie House talked James Posey into joining the Celtics. Let's not be hypocrites.

If GMs can plan for their team's future 3 years down the line, so should players.

Eddie House and James Posey were free agents

Paul and Melo are UNDER CONTRACT

there's a big difference


Bosh,Wade and Lebron all lined up their contracts to expire this year 3 seasons ago. They had this planned for a while. They were talking about it when they were on the olympic team too.

[guava_wrench]

There is a simple solution to all the superstars in the NBA clustering together in a few teams. Get rid of the caps on individual contracts.

If Lebron could get true market value, would he leave 10 or 15 million per year on the table to play with Wade and Bosh?

The question of collusion is silly. Of course players can decide to play together, just as it is acceptable that Eddie House talked James Posey into joining the Celtics. Let's not be hypocrites.

If GMs can plan for their team's future 3 years down the line, so should players.

Eddie House and James Posey were free agents

Paul and Melo are UNDER CONTRACT

there's a big difference


Bosh,Wade and Lebron all lined up their contracts to expire this year 3 seasons ago. They had this planned for a while. They were talking about it when they were on the olympic team too.

I understand what you are saying, but I don't think it is relevant to my point. Everyone's contract has an expiration date.

I see no problem in players talking to each other about their plans when their contracts are done. You can't apply the same rules to players as you do to teams because teams can trade players, but players can't trade themselves.

The only way players can move themselves is through allowing their contract to expire. Teams on the other hand can talk to other teams about trading for the players they want.

[sk7326]

The players union will not have that.  Minimums are just as important as Maximums.  So teams wouldn't be able to fill a roster if they wanted a superstar on their team. 

The union would love to remove the maximum salary restriction. The owner's want the cost certainty that comes with a maximum amount they will have to pay their best player.

Co-sign ... the salary MAXIMUM is what is driving this league to labor armageddon.  The NBA's salary structure is not being screwed up by Kobe or LeBron - it's being screwed up by Joe Johnson getting the max. 

There is no way in this environment to differentiate between the best player.  Once the players get towards "max" level, where is there to go?  There is no way on this planet that Joe Johnson is more valuable than Dwayne Wade - but he is being paid like it.

The minimums are important - and nothing stops that from continuing. 

What the Heat and those guys did - that does not bother me.  Players when they get freedom ought to ponder what they want.  The only thing you can object to is LeBron taking out a 60 minute infomercial to spit on his hometown and to tell the world that he'd rather be like Scottie Pippen than like Michael Jordan.

[CDawg834]

The players union will not have that.  Minimums are just as important as Maximums.  So teams wouldn't be able to fill a roster if they wanted a superstar on their team. 

The union would love to remove the maximum salary restriction. The owner's want the cost certainty that comes with a maximum amount they will have to pay their best player.

Not necessarily...the OP only mentioned removing a cap on individual contracts.  Would there still be a cap on the total team payroll?  If that's the case, I doubt the union would go for this.  They would see one of their own "max contract" players eating up half a team's payroll, leaving nothing for the remaining players on the roster.  The only way they would go for that is to remove the cap completely or raise it a pretty significant amount.

Problem is, in doing so, you get what you currently have in baseball where the small market teams struggle to compete year in and year out.

[guava_wrench]

The players union will not have that.  Minimums are just as important as Maximums.  So teams wouldn't be able to fill a roster if they wanted a superstar on their team. 

The union would love to remove the maximum salary restriction. The owner's want the cost certainty that comes with a maximum amount they will have to pay their best player.

Not necessarily...the OP only mentioned removing a cap on individual contracts.  Would there still be a cap on the total team payroll?  If that's the case, I doubt the union would go for this.  They would see one of their own "max contract" players eating up half a team's payroll, leaving nothing for the remaining players on the roster.  The only way they would go for that is to remove the cap completely or raise it a pretty significant amount.

Problem is, in doing so, you get what you currently have in baseball where the small market teams struggle to compete year in and year out.

It would be even worse in basketball where you don't need as many players.

Then again, has the NBA ever really been that competitive?

[erisred]

It won't happen, but I like this...

Hard cap, top and bottom, with each player's contract being a sliding percentage of the total. No MLE, LLE, no exceeding the cap and no going under the bottom cap either. All teams must have X number of players (say 14) under contract at all times.

For example, James signs for 30% of the cap plus 2% increases for 3 years. This year the cap is $60 million...he receives $18 mill, next year the cap is $55 million...he receives 32%x55=$17.6, the following year the cap is $64 million...he receives $21.76. Whoever he signed with must, each year, fit the 15 man roster within 100% of the cap...failure to do so results in contracts being voided and heavy fines being levied.

[pearljammer10]

How would not capping max contracts help the situation when non of the three; Bosh, Wade, James, took max contracts??

"Would Lebron really leave 10 or 15 million a year on the table to play with Wade and Bosh?"... Um, well ya. Because he pretty much already did that...

[CDawg834]

It won't happen, but I like this...

Hard cap, top and bottom, with each player's contract being a sliding percentage of the total. No MLE, LLE, no exceeding the cap and no going under the bottom cap either. All teams must have X number of players (say 14) under contract at all times.

For example, James signs for 30% of the cap plus 2% increases for 3 years. This year the cap is $60 million...he receives $18 mill, next year the cap is $55 million...he receives 32%x55=$17.6, the following year the cap is $64 million...he receives $21.76. Whoever he signed with must, each year, fit the 15 man roster within 100% of the cap...failure to do so results in contracts being voided and heavy fines being levied.

I wish I still had the paper saved, but in college I took an Economics of Sports course, and my final paper was on the NBA salary cap and changes that need to be made.  IIRC, my solution was a hard cap as well (no luxury tax, no MLE or LLE, one-time Bird Rights), but I do think this sliding scale on percentage of the cap is an interesting idea.

But the salary cap doesnt matter when you have owners that are their own worst enemies this summer, giving ridiculous contracts to players like Amir Johnson and Wesley Mathews, and giving max contracts to non-max players **cough JOE JOHNSON cough**

[TBreezy]

I think what the OP is trying to say is that there isn't much difference between what Lebron signed for and what his max allocation could have been.  The max contract, as stated on other threads here an possibly on SOSH, in creates an artificial supply demand.  If NY was willing to sign lebron to a 22/yr contract would he have signed with miami?  Its the difference between leaving 2 million (or whatever) and 7 million (or whatever) per on the table.

As pointed out - this is basically the removal or a max contract amount.  Which leads to other isseus - filling the rest of the roster, when one individual is 65% of the cap...

How would not capping max contracts help the situation when non of the three; Bosh, Wade, James, took max contracts??

"Would Lebron really leave 10 or 15 million a year on the table to play with Wade and Bosh?"... Um, well ya. Because he pretty much already did that...

[Thruthelookingglass]

The players union will not have that.  Minimums are just as important as Maximums.  So teams wouldn't be able to fill a roster if they wanted a superstar on their team. 

The union would love to remove the maximum salary restriction. The owner's want the cost certainty that comes with a maximum amount they will have to pay their best player.

The union works for the agents.  You'll get a few superstars making huge money with a bunch of journeyman surrounding them -- the maximums are window dressing.  The NBA likes (and reinforces) the superstar system too because they find it easier to sell personalities than good basketball.

[guava_wrench]

How would not capping max contracts help the situation when non of the three; Bosh, Wade, James, took max contracts??

"Would Lebron really leave 10 or 15 million a year on the table to play with Wade and Bosh?"... Um, well ya. Because he pretty much already did that...

You didn't understand my post and you need to research the actual numbers.

Lebron will get paid over 14 million this year. If he resigned with Clev for a max contract, the most he could have received was over 17 million this year. He left 3 million a year on the table, not 10 or 15. So, um, well nah.

If you understood the post, you would see the point that another team could have enticed Lebron with a 30 million A-Rod like contract. Sure, Lebron is willing to leave 3 million on the table. But would he be willing to pass on an extra 15 million per year?

Perhaps it wouldn't have played out that way. Perhaps those guys would each leave behind 10 million PER YEAR (I'm not sure you are getting that part). But you should understand the argument before you respond to it.

[soap07]

Why does FA clustering need a solution? The Miami Heat, whether they win a championship or not, are going to put a great brand of basketball on the floor. Their games with Orlando, Boston, LA, etc. will be competitive. Their games will also be must see TV. Why is what Miami did a problem?