what is the purpose of the salary cap?

[Ogaju]

I have always wondered about the real purpose of the salary cap. Is it to enhance parity in the league or is it merely to protect the owners from themselves. If the purpose of the salary cap is to foster competition by promoting parity then the league should do something about a situation like Josh Smith were his real earnings in the NBA is what the Pistons are paying him and not what the Clippers are paying him. His CAP HIT for any team he plays for should be his NBA contract earning for that year even if the money is from another team.

By allowing Smith to earn an amount that is not applied to Clippers cap is giving the Clippers an undue advantage.

I made a similar argument when Malone went ring hunting with the Lakers and took way less money than he was worth just to get on that team. I believed then and still do that the Lakers should have been hit with the true value of Karl Malone that year, and that value should be measured by an objective criteria such as the highest he commanded on the free agent market.

[LooseCannon]

It exists as a way for employers to screw their employees and not pay them as much as they are worth.

[Big333223]

The only reason a player takes less money to join a team is because that team is a well run organization. The reason San Antonio can get Duncan at a discount is because they're a well run organiztion. It isn't unfair. If other teams were as good at their business as the Spurs are, they'd be able to attract free agents like David West, too.

The Clippers have done a good job stocking their roster and building an organization Smith wants to play for. Smith is their reward. I like the idea that good teams get rewarded for being good at what they do.

[Ogaju]

I have no problem with players staying with their teams for less money. It is the players that go ring hunting that violate the spirit of competition expressed in the salary cap.

I should not have mixed the issues, but the point is Smith getting paid 12 million and only counting as a league minimum to the Clippers is a JOKE!!! Has nothing to do with how well run the Clippers are it is just plain wrong.

[hwangjini_1]

It exists as a way for employers to screw their employees and not pay them as much as they are worth.

good call. though i think another point to it is to prevent an especially idiotic but rich owner from simply paying $1,000,000,000 (thats what the number one billion dollars looks like) and scooping up lebron, durant, cousins, curry, et al into a super team and making the nba a joke of a product. great for the owner, but the end of the nba.

another subsidiary "benefit" is it keeps owners from possibly spending themselves into oblivion by overpaying for talent. the opposite of your point, but a valid one nonetheless.

[GetLucky]

Gilbert Arenas (one of my favorite [modern] players ever, by the way) is still being paid over $25 million per year to stay at home. I think that is crazy.

[EvilEmpire]

Gilbert Arenas (one of my favorite [modern] players ever, by the way) is still being paid over $25 million per year to stay at home. I think that is crazy.

Well then Gilbert can use some of the 25 mil to do some auto repair.

http://www.tmz.com/2015/06/17/gilbert-arenas-smashes-car-with-cinder-block-to-get-revenge-on-baby-mama/

http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2015/6/17/8800811/gilbert-arenas-car-smash-netflix-password

[Csfan1984]

I believe the cap's purpose is to help all owners earn a profit and  still be on a level field with one another in terms of player spending. It serves it's purpose. 

When teams go way into the tax and have no issue doing so and are still making way more profit then low market teams, that is the low blow to the low market teams that hurts competition. It's a buiness first.

[Moranis]

I have no real issue with a salary cap the one that bugs me is the individual player cap.  If I want to spend 75% of the cap on one player I should be allowed to. 

[BitterJim]

I have no real issue with a salary cap the one that bugs me is the individual player cap.  If I want to spend 75% of the cap on one player I should be allowed to.

Agreed 100%, try putting together 3 superstars when other teams are offering them $50 million per year

[PhoSita]

I have no real issue with a salary cap the one that bugs me is the individual player cap.  If I want to spend 75% of the cap on one player I should be allowed to.

While this makes sense from a market value standpoint, if things worked that way, 90% of the players in the league would make very little despite risking their present and long term health just as much as the very best players.

I can understand why the player's union is not OK with LeBron making $55 million a year while the average player makes $100-250K.  It's a star's league, but it is still a team sport.



Also keep in mind that technically the NBA is one employer.  In that sense, it's not uncommon for an employer to "cap" how much it will spend overall on its general workforce as an expected expenditure

[Csfan1984]

I have no real issue with a salary cap the one that bugs me is the individual player cap.  If I want to spend 75% of the cap on one player I should be allowed to.

I was going to make the same point in my post but didn't want to take topic off point. I agree with it 100%

[libermaniac]

Ogaju, couldn't agree with you more.  TP.

What's also lame is all the exceptions that allow teams to go over the cap (Sorry Larry Bird .. and the exception named after you).  They need to have a flat salary cap with no exceptions - like the NFL. 

[BballTim]

I have always wondered about the real purpose of the salary cap. Is it to enhance parity in the league or is it merely to protect the owners from themselves. If the purpose of the salary cap is to foster competition by promoting parity then the league should do something about a situation like Josh Smith were his real earnings in the NBA is what the Pistons are paying him and not what the Clippers are paying him. His CAP HIT for any team he plays for should be his NBA contract earning for that year even if the money is from another team.

By allowing Smith to earn an amount that is not applied to Clippers cap is giving the Clippers an undue advantage.

I made a similar argument when Malone went ring hunting with the Lakers and took way less money than he was worth just to get on that team. I believed then and still do that the Lakers should have been hit with the true value of Karl Malone that year, and that value should be measured by an objective criteria such as the highest he commanded on the free agent market.

  Then Smith would be virtually unsignable because  few if any teams would be interested in picking up that cap hit.

[LooseCannon]

Ogaju, couldn't agree with you more.  TP.

What's also lame is all the exceptions that allow teams to go over the cap (Sorry Larry Bird .. and the exception named after you).  They need to have a flat salary cap with no exceptions - like the NFL.

I'd hate having a hard salary cap with no exceptions.