I think that this explosion will lead to some outrageous contracts this offseason, because almost every team will have cap space next offseason.

Everyone complaining about Bradley and Green's previous contracts will lose their mind when they see some of the new contracts this offseason.

If you're a decent RFA, does it make sense to sign for less than the max? Or should they just play on the qualifying offer instead?

Meh, Sullinger is a restricted free agent right? So I'm not worried about him and I would love to keep him.

Meh, Sullinger is a restricted free agent right? So I'm not worried about him and I would love to keep him.

Right but the odds someone overpays for him greatly increases. The Celts will have a tough decision to make. I would have considered moving him this year - was he injured before the trade deadline?

Quote from: RAAAAAAAANDY on March 11, 2015, 03:15:08 PM

Quote from: D.o.s. on March 11, 2015, 03:04:43 PM

This is fairly common knowledge -- the NBPA rejected smoothing during/right before the All Star Break, and ever since the new TV deal it's been coming down the pipeline.

To your question: the cash value did. The relative value to a team did not, I don't believe.

I thought compensation of 1st round picks is fixed for at least five or so more years. I could be wrong but I swear I read that somewhere. If it's peg I think picks/players on rookie contracts will be much more valuable to teams.

What I think is going to be nuts is the list of "really???" type guys who get maxed out this year with the idea that in a year or two they'll be underpays. There are going to be some great deals on surprising maxes and some hilariously awful max contracts this summer.

The rookie salary scale is dependent on the CBA, which is going to change in 2017 (in part because of the impending bump in the salary cap, and general NBA revenue). That was a tense mixup on my part though -- the cash value will change, but the relative value will be the same.

Don't be too sure on that fact.  It is very possible that the rookie scale changes very little, leaving more money for veterans.  Future draftees are not part of the Union, and most unions are very good at benefitting current members in exchange for benefits to future members (which may partly explain the decline of unionization in general in this country, but I digress).  I'd be highly surprised if the rookie scale increased proportionately with everything else.  Not to mention what happens with rookies under contract already -- do their deals get modified, or is the 10th pick in 2016 really going to vote for the 20th pick in 2017 to make more than him?

Not saying you're wrong, but I do think you're assuming way too much about how those dollars get spread around, especially to people who don't get a vote on the matter.

Sullinger is a restricted free agent right? So I'm not worried about him and I would love to keep him.

You must like good defense or accurate long range shooting.

Well this is bad news (not unexpected) for bad teams. The good teams will keep their free agents no sweat and even be able to add another max deal onto the books. The bad teams looking to get better will have cap space but nobody to spend it on besides crappy players. It's going to take awhile for the "new normal" to settle.

As for the draft picks, yes the rookie contracts are set in stone. However, those cheap rookie deals lose some of their value in a league where teams don't have cap pressure. Also, we don't know what will happen to those rules after the likely lockout in 2017.

Dear lord how much is Sully going to demand next year? All the Cheetos in the world will be his.

Not sure I agree, especially long term. Teams are still going to push the max. Dollars will fly in 2016, but afterwards teams will still need to backfill their lineup with cheap talent to surround their stars. Rookie contracts will be more affordable than ever now that they'll take up a smaller percentage of the cap.

Then again, we're going to have a lockout and everything will probably change anyways. So who knows.