Good News. Labor deal is 95.632% complete

[Chris]

In what manner is this worse?  It seems quite a bit better from where I stand.

While not better is accurate quite a bit better is probably relative from where you stand.

My guess is that the players are looking at it as its quite a bit better in that instead of losing a basketball game by 50 they are counting that last second layup and they are only going to lose by 48.

I mean really, quite a bit better? The owners are getting 50/50. They are getting their punitive soft cap that will act as a hard cap. They are getting amnesty. They are still limiting the MLE significantly to teams over the tax. They gave in to sign and trades to teams over the tax which is something that barely ever happens.

How is this significantly better? Better yes but its better in that its better to have $1,000,010 rather than $1 million.

It's all relative.  And I personally didn't expect the owners to give up even that much.

[Roy H.]

In what manner is this worse?  It seems quite a bit better from where I stand.

While not better is accurate quite a bit better is probably relative from where you stand.

My guess is that the players are looking at it as its quite a bit better in that instead of losing a basketball game by 50 they are counting that last second layup and they are only going to lose by 48.

I mean really, quite a bit better? The owners are getting 50/50. They are getting their punitive soft cap that will act as a hard cap. They are getting amnesty. They are still limiting the MLE significantly to teams over the tax. They gave in to sign and trades to teams over the tax which is something that barely ever happens.

How is this significantly better? Better yes but its better in that its better to have $1,000,010 rather than $1 million.

Better as opposed to the alternative of no concessions, or even retraction of concessions.  It seems like the NBA met the union about halfway -- maybe a bit more in some areas, a bit less than others -- on the "system issues".

[StartOrien]

Good Read:

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/page/5-on-5-111111/nba-lockout-answering-biggest-questions

Henry Abbot, Marc Stein, Larry Coon, and Chris Brousard answering questions on if they think the lockout is "over."

[Chris]

Do you have link to where these were from?  I am having a hard time finding a good source on this.

1.  

Marc Stein: According to my man @Chris Broussard, owners' new offer does enable tax teams to make sign-and-trades for first two years of new labor deal

Read more: http://hoopshype.com/twitter/media.html#ixzz1dPyAJAOt

2.  

Ken Berger: Mini mid-level, as I reported earlier, goes from two years starting at $2.5M every other year for tax teams, to three years starting at $3M.

Read more: http://hoopshype.com/twitter/media.html#ixzz1dPyTVEVq

3.  

Chris Mannix: The minimum payroll is going to be 85 percent. That's not a new addition to deal. It's in my report yesterday.

Read more: http://hoopshype.com/twitter/media.html#ixzz1dPycPsoS

4.  

Another tweak, per source close to talks: Teams under cap who then spend up to it would get a little exception, worth $2.5M, to spend.  http://twitter.com/#!/ZachLowe_SI

I just read hoopshype's media twitter feed.  Berger, Woj, Broussard, and Lowe are the go-to sources, with Aldridge, Mannix, and Howard Beck, as well.

Thanks. 

The more I am reading about it though, it is looking like less movement than I originally thought.

According to Berger's column, the MMLE still would only be available every other year for teams over the tax line, rather than every year (although it is clear this is still a game of telephone):

Among the tweaks to the unresolved system issues entering the past two days of talks, the owners agreed to increase the mid-level exception for luxury tax-paying teams to three-year deals starting at $3 million. The exception, which was for two years starting at $2.5 million under the previous proposal, would be available every other year for teams above the tax threshold.

He also says that in the current proposal, they would define teams as being over the luxury tax line (for purposes of the MLE rule), as a team that would be over the line after they use the MLE.  So, it essentially drops the line for that rule to $5 million below the tax line.

However, some new issues came to the forefront that concerned the players' negotiators when it became clear that the league's proposal would restrict teams from using a full mid-level exception -- four-year deals starting at $5 million -- if the signing itself pushed the team over the tax. Union negotiators want the mid-level restriction to kick in only if the team already is above the tax line before it uses the exception. The league's version is the one that is in the current proposal, according to a person who has seen it.

http://ken-berger.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/11838893/33236648

[Roy H.]

Sorry, Chris.  Here's an update from Broussard that contradicts Berger on the use of the MMLE:

Chris Broussard: Changes in owners new proposal: mini midlevel for luxury tax teams from $2.5 million every other year to $3 million EVERY YEAR

Read more: http://hoopshype.com/twitter/media.html#ixzz1dQ37G4L3

[Chris]

Sorry, Chris.  Here's an update from Broussard that contradicts Berger on the use of the MMLE:

Chris Broussard: Changes in owners new proposal: mini midlevel for luxury tax teams from $2.5 million every other year to $3 million EVERY YEAR

Read more: http://hoopshype.com/twitter/media.html#ixzz1dQ37G4L3

Ah, thanks.  That makes me feel a little better about it then.

I still think the definition of when the luxury tax starts for this thing could be a sticking point though...and it also could be something that the players could send back to the league (along with a bunch of other smaller issues), before this is finalized, and they vote on it.

[Roy H.]

David Aldridge: Can't predict what players will do w/weekend to mull league offer. But early indications from players/agents are strongly on the "no" side

Read more: http://hoopshype.com/twitter/media.html#ixzz1dQ3nKzdG

[nickagneta]

So if you are over the cap but not in luxury tax you can't use the MLE if it sends you into the luxury tax area yet you also can't use the $2.5 million exception because you aren't under the cap?

I hope there's some clarification

[nickagneta]

Or does that limit them to just the $3 million exception

[Chris]

So if you are over the cap but not in luxury tax you can't use the MLE if it sends you into the luxury tax area yet you also can't use the $2.5 million exception because you aren't under the cap?

I hope there's some clarification

Here is how I understand it.  For this, it would be based on a cap at $60 million (for simplicity sake), Tax at $70 million, and $5 million MLE.

If you go into free agency with:

between $0 and $55 million in committed salary -  you get to spend up to $60 million freely, plus get a $2.5 million exception for non-vet minimum players over that $60 million.

Between $55 million and $65 million in committed salary - You get the full $5 million MLE to use, which would max out at $5 million per year for 4 years (not sure of raises).


Above $65 million in committed salary - You get the mini mid-level exception (MMLE) to use, which would max out at $3 million per year for 3 years (not sure of raises).

And honestly, when I lay it out like that, it seems completely reasonable.  

[LB3533]

So if you were a team "on the bubble" you limited in ways you can add payroll (acquire a FA)....wouldn't it be better to just be a tax paying team...if your desired goal were to add a FA to help push your club into contender kingdom?

[barefacedmonk]

72 games in a shorter season sounds like a death blow for the Celtics.

[indeedproceed]

72 games in a shorter season sounds like a death blow for the Celtics.

haha, "and in the ultimate back-handed slap, the league promised to have 4 games a week for the remainder of the regular season. If anyone has any questions for the players, Jermaine O'Neal can be found crying in a corner of his multi-million dollar house."

[StartOrien]

72 games in a shorter season sounds like a death blow for the Celtics.

haha, "and in the ultimate back-handed slap, the league promised to have 4 games a week for the remainder of the regular season. If anyone has any questions for the players, Jermaine O'Neal can be found crying in a corner of his multi-million dollar house."

Do you wanna start the 'bring back sheed' thread or should I?

[barefacedmonk]

72 games in a shorter season sounds like a death blow for the Celtics.

haha, "and in the ultimate back-handed slap, the league promised to have 4 games a week for the remainder of the regular season. If anyone has any questions for the players, Jermaine O'Neal can be found crying in a corner of his multi-million dollar house."

Do you wanna start the 'bring back sheed' thread or should I?

Bring back Tonie before Bring back Sheed.