Thought Experiment: Two Tiered Cap

[GetLucky]

What about keeping pretty much everything the same, but adding a new contract type that has no max value (for simplicity we'll call it a Lebron-rule contract), and adding a new type of rights (similar to Bird rights, again for simplicity we'll call them Lebron rights) that allows you to sign for a Lebron-rule contract after 4 years with a team (this would probably have the same rules as Bird rights as far as trades, etc. go). Limit it to one Lebron-rule contract per team, and drop the max salaries to make it more palettable to the NBA middle class (lower-tier stars wouldn't be happy, but no plan will make everyone happy)

Superstars would have the option of signing back with their team for big money, leaving for a team with massive cap space (that doesn't already have a superstar), or sign with a team that already has a Lebron-rule contract for a massive pay decrease. That would push superstars toward either staying long term or signing with a team that doesn't already have a superstar. It would also attempt to minimize the paycut for the NBA middle class that is expected with most ideas that remove max contracts, by putting some of that burden onto stars that aren't superstars.

This is the supermax

[PhoSita]

What about keeping pretty much everything the same, but adding a new contract type that has no max value (for simplicity we'll call it a Lebron-rule contract), and adding a new type of rights (similar to Bird rights, again for simplicity we'll call them Lebron rights) that allows you to sign for a Lebron-rule contract after 4 years with a team (this would probably have the same rules as Bird rights as far as trades, etc. go). Limit it to one Lebron-rule contract per team, and drop the max salaries to make it more palettable to the NBA middle class (lower-tier stars wouldn't be happy, but no plan will make everyone happy)

Superstars would have the option of signing back with their team for big money, leaving for a team with massive cap space (that doesn't already have a superstar), or sign with a team that already has a Lebron-rule contract for a massive pay decrease. That would push superstars toward either staying long term or signing with a team that doesn't already have a superstar. It would also attempt to minimize the paycut for the NBA middle class that is expected with most ideas that remove max contracts, by putting some of that burden onto stars that aren't superstars.

This is the supermax

Yup, and the supermax has turned out to be more of a hindrance to teams than a help.

[droopdog7]

I don't like the idea of a hard cap because it would unfairly punish teams that draft well.  Plus, it would also NEVER fly with the players. 

[JBcat]

I suspect that under the system I propose, many younger players coming off their rookie deal would opt for a long term deal at the maximum non-star value.  It's harder to say no to a long term deal when you've never earned better than the rookie scale.

To the extent that the true superstar youngsters would forego that in favor of chasing a star contract, I say so be it.

I'd like better talent distribution throughout the league, and if that creates a disincentive for teams to hoard draft assets, especially tanking or trading current players for future picks so as to obtain multiple high lotto picks, that will probably result in a better average product on the floor in the present.

If you give teams a way to hoard talent and gain a major advantage over their competitors (e.g. by drafting multiple stars and then signing another star or two with cap space before the young guys get paid), they're going to go for broke trying to do that. 

Which means that some teams will succeed and be stacked compared to their competition, and other teams will fail miserably and return to being terrible just a few years after tanking shamelessly.  I don't think that's a healthy dynamic.

I understand what you are saying, but I think it should be survivor of the fittest.  One team shouldn’t be penalized for drafting great, while a poorly drafting team still ends up with a star in this system. 

One thing I don’t like is this 1 plus 1 max deals.  I would get rid of that, and if you are signing a max deal it has to be a minimum of 3 years.  Even the mid size deals maybe make it a 2 year minimum no opt outs, so it’s not always easy to plan for cap space which many teams do.  Maybe just allow the small deals under a certain amount for 1 year deals.