Should smaller markets be worried

[kekgeek]

I want to 1st say I don't think this is a gigantic issue yet and obviously NBA media makes money on clicks.

Last week we had the report that Luka was not happy in Dallas mostly because of Haralabob and there was some thought process what will happen if he wants to play on the "Qualifying offer" instead of taking the super max and testing RFA. This was discussed on the Bill Simmons pod last week. (Sounds like Luka will sign the super max though.)

Now today an article by the Athletic today saying Zion is really unhappy in New Orleans and him and RJ Barrett want to team up.

It is just going to take one star to just take the QO to really effect the NBA. College basketball is mostly transfers right now. I'm not going to lie I'm a tad worried for organization like the Wolves to ever be competitive. Like could you imagine in 2 years Ant is great and just leaves.

Just thought this was worth a thread

[Jester1534]

I want to 1st say I don't think this is a gigantic issue yet and obviously NBA media makes money on clicks.

Last week we had the report that Luka was not happy in Dallas mostly because of Haralabob and there was some thought process what will happen if he wants to play on the "Qualifying offer" instead of taking the super max and testing RFA. This was discussed on the Bill Simmons pod last week. (Sounds like Luka will sign the super max though.)

Now today an article by the Athletic today saying Zion is really unhappy in New Orleans and him and RJ Barrett want to team up.

It is just going to take one star to just take the QO to really effect the NBA. College basketball is mostly transfers right now. I'm not going to lie I'm a tad worried for organization like the Wolves to ever be competitive. Like could you imagine in 2 years Ant is great and just leaves.

Just thought this was worth a thread

What would you do to contradict this? I hear read this all the time for the NBA but no one seems to have answer to fix it.

[AbeVigodaLive]

Definitely.

But... with how much clout the best players have... signing the QO is largely irrelevant. Zion could demand a trade a day after signing it -- and still get his way.

Fortunately, there's a slight chance Minnesota is not the least desirable franchise.

[Phenom]

A bit off topic but I think it's relevant. Currently teams can sign their own guys to a max with 5 years and for a little bit more due to an escalating structure.

I say let the original team keep the 5th year ability but let them add 10% or some other number on top of what other teams can offer but keep that extra percentage off of their salary cap.

So essentially when the Wolves sign their guys Towns and Ant to max extensions it will be for more than another team can offer but count the same against the cap. This keeps the incentive for home grown stars to stay put but helps teams keep adding talent around them.

Also if the time comes where Towns is traded away the receiving team has to account for the full salary.

I think this is a good competitive balance idea that big market teams might hate but would be very advantageous if they draft well.

[WildWolf2813]

Minnesota doesn't have to worry about this because players through their agents tell the Wolves they don't wanna be there before the draft.

[bleedspeed]

A bit off topic but I think it's relevant. Currently teams can sign their own guys to a max with 5 years and for a little bit more due to an escalating structure.

I say let the original team keep the 5th year ability but let them add 10% or some other number on top of what other teams can offer but keep that extra percentage off of their salary cap.

So essentially when the Wolves sign their guys Towns and Ant to max extensions it will be for more than another team can offer but count the same against the cap. This keeps the incentive for home grown stars to stay put but helps teams keep adding talent around them.

Also if the time comes where Towns is traded away the receiving team has to account for the full salary.

I think this is a good competitive balance idea that big market teams might hate but would be very advantageous if they draft well.

I like that idea. I would say you could do that with up to 3 drafted players.

[thedoper]

Just make it so you can sign players you draft to as much as you want. The ire of the fans can then go back where it belongs if a player doesnt sign, the owners. How the owners got the players to give up more money with the salary cap and the revenue stream and how the greed issues of the NBA seem to be collectively levied at the players seem like incredible shrewdness to me. Not only are the owners making more money than ever, they can still act like victims when their prize ponies want to move.

[Lipoli390]

Just make it so you can sign players you draft to as much as you want. The ire of the fans can then go back where it belongs if a player doesnt sign, the owners. How the owners got the players to give up more money with the salary cap and the revenue stream and how the greed issues of the NBA seem to be collectively levied at the players seem like incredible shrewdness to me. Not only are the owners making more money than ever, they can still act like victims when their prize ponies want to move.

It's not how much the owners make. The issue is how much more some owners can make because of the markets they're in. The ability to make a lot more in some (larger and/or warm-weather) markets would further skew competitive balance over time and would probably lead to a consolidation in the number of teams and less geographic coverage. Ultimately, that contraction would reduce the overall popularity and viewership, which would reduce overall revenue. The billionaires who own NBA teams wouldn't suffer at all. But the fans would and so would the players since there would be fewer teams and, overall, less revenue to distribute among the players. Furthermore, the salary cap and rookie salary structure spreads then wealth among more players by limiting the amount that would otherwise get tied up with a smaller group of elite stars and highly touted rookies.

The NBA Players Association has agreed to the current structure because they understand that it's in the overall best interest of the majority of players to have some chance of competitive balance with a larger number of teams spread out geographically and to spread the wealth among a larger group of players, including those who weren't highly touted coming out of college but who have proven themselves - players like Middleton.

The intent of the salary cap and other mechanisms to promote competitive balance has been challenged lately by stars flexing their muscle and banding together with each other and the wealthiest franchises to form super teams. As we know, if you create a rule, people will find a way around it. I don't think there's a practical way to fix it. The stars have too much clout in the Players Association and the big-market owners have a lot of power among the NBA ownership group. But all is not lost so long as the League has successful teams like the Bucks, Raptors, Spurs and Hawks.

This really isn't a battle between the players and owners. It's more of a battle between the star players and big-market owners on one side and the non-star players and smaller-market owners on the other side.

[Porckchop]

I'd be more worried about losing good coaching across the league. Coaches walk into a locker room now with no authority and one foot always out the door. Gone are the days of implementing the triangle and convincing your best player it's for the betterment of the team.
Now you simply concede to your best players and if they fail they point a finger at you and your gone.( see Paul George last year)

[Lipoli390]

I'd be more worried about losing good coaching across the league. Coaches walk into a locker room now with no authority and one foot always out the door. Gone are the days of implementing the triangle and convincing your best player it's for the betterment of the team.
Now you simply concede to your best players and if they fail they point a finger at you and your gone.( see Paul George last year)

Good point, Pork.