The Lockout & the Raptors: Players approve CBA, Owners too! (1944)

[funkie]

I agree with the age restriction, but there's really no right or wrong when it comes to the discussion. i believe that players do benefit from the year of college both mentally and physically when preparing for the NBA. It also gives the scouts and general managers a better view on the overall talent and skill level. agents were exposing this before with potential, athleticism and size.

And how many kids used to opt out of playing college for the NBA? Very few, typically the most talented. And what of those without the marks to go to a good program but have the skills to get drafted?

Very few? Not when comparing the years. There was an influx of high schoolers and international players declaring for the draft throughout the 2000's before the rule was implemented. As i mentioned above, they weren't necessarily the most talented, just the most intriguing prospects.

[Apollo]

Four Scenarios That Could Play Out With A Hard Cap

1. Contracts are phased out. You can't pursue players in free agency until your salary drops below the hard cap. You can't extend contracts or re-sign players if you are over the hard cap. Once below the hard cap you can never exceed the hard cap again.
   
2. Contracts are reduced across the board to a certain proportion so that all teams are below the hard cap. (This really hurts for guys like Bosh who took less money to go to Miami to begin with).
   
3. Contracts are reduced and contracts are phased out. Contract are reduced but not enough to get luxury tax teams below the hard cap. The rest is accomplished via letting those bigger contracts expire.
   
4. The salary cap is increased $10-20M and the rest is taken care of by reducing contracts and/or phasing them out.

Any way you dice it. A hard cap hurts the big spenders competitive edge the most. It may or may not hurt the Superstar's salaries.

I think #4 is the scenario you would be most likely to see the PA agree to.

[mcHAPPY]

1. Contracts are phased out. You can't pursue players in free agency until your salary drops below the hard cap. You can't extend contracts or re-sign players if you are over the hard cap. Once below the hard cap you can never exceed the hard cap again.
   
2. Contracts are reduced across the board to a certain proportion so that all teams are below the hard cap. (This really hurts for guys like Bosh who took less money to go to Miami to begin with).
   
3. Contracts are reduced and contracts are phased out. Contract are reduced but not enough to get luxury tax teams below the hard cap. The rest is accomplished via letting those bigger contracts expire.
   
4. The salary cap is increased $10-20M and the rest is taken care of by reducing contracts and/or phasing them out.

Any way you dice it. A hard cap hurts the big spenders competitive edge the most. It may or may not hurt the Superstar's salaries.

I think #4 is the scenario you would be most likely to see the PA agree to.

#4 would be my vote as well. Most teams pay up to the luxury tax - make the luxury tax the new hard cap. (A little simplistic but that is the jist of it).

[funkie]

agreed with number 4. i could also see them implementing the allan houston rule to get those luxury taxed teams underneath the next proposed cap. i'd personally like to see the luxury tax threshold set as the new cap.

[Employee]

Is #1 even possible? A few teams would have like 4 players on their roster 3 or 4 years from now.

[Apollo]

Sure it is. They could allow minimum contract signings which is currently less than $1M. That would get them over the initial hurdle.

Personally I also feel they should abolish the rookie scale if they bring in a hard cap and non-guaranteed contracts to make it more fair to new players coming into the league. You wouldn't see Europeans like Rubio be so hesitant about coming over here then. The NFL doesn't use a rookie scale and it works fine.

[Employee]

Sure it is. They could allow minimum contract signings which is currently less than $1M. That would get them over the initial hurdle.

Personally I also feel they should abolish the rookie scale if they bring in a hard cap and non-guaranteed contracts to make it more fair to new players coming into the league. You wouldn't see Europeans like Rubio be so hesitant about coming over here then. The NFL doesn't use a rookie scale and it works fine.

Hmmmm, interesting. I guess if there's a hard cap and they reduce the number of years of guaranteed contracts I could agree. I'm always so hesitant to give young players a huge amount of cash. There's been some careers ruined from too much too soon.

[Apollo]

Ah, that's why I've been mentioning non-guaranteed contracts. The NFL system doesn't guarantee anything but bonuses and they can be avoided most times by cutting the guy before a certain deadline.

On the flip side NFL teams typically renegotiate contracts with players when the team is threatening to cut the player because they can't afford him OR when the player suddenly is underpaid for his level of contributions compared with others in the league. The NFL system rewards production. No team is stuck with cap crushing dead weight "Eddy Curry contracts."

[mcHAPPY]

Optimism???

Some Optimism On The Labor Front: One of the more common topics around the NBA Playoffs recently has been the state of the NBA with regards to its ongoing labor talks with its players.

In a surprising turn of events, there is a growing consensus that if there is a work stoppage in the NBA, it would not be a long one and that unless Billy Hunter tries to make this process personal, there appears to be some degree of willingness on the NBA Owner's part to make a reasonable deal.

Several high profile agents have said they were doubtful that a lockout was inevitable and said they were hearing positive things from the process.

During the last NBA Board of Governors meeting the NBA's Labor Committee was authorized to make a new proposal to the players and it's believed several of the points the NBA Players had material objections to are being removed from the discussion or modified in such a way as to make them more palatable to the players.

While the exact details of the Owners' new offer is not clear yet, as some say it's still being crafted, the general idea is that the long rumored "hard cap stance" and roll back of existing contracts is being tabled.

The NBA does want to reduce the amount of dollars paid to players, but is now open to a phased reduction in the percentage being given to the players and its believed a number of the salary cap exceptions that are commonplace are to be phased out completely over the course of the next agreement.

The owners are said to be willing to commit to a larger overall salary cap number in exchange for changes in percentages given to players and how the salary cap figures are calculated.

In short, the NBA salary cap is currently set at $58.044 million this season. It is believed the Owners' new proposal would have that number increasing every year of the deal, in exchange for the phased reduction of cap exceptions, a reduction in the number of years allowed on contracts and an overall adjustment of the mechanics of the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

So what do the players get out of this? No one loses a dime on their existing deals. There will be no work stoppage or lost wages.

The compromise… the Players won't get 57% of revenues, and eventually there will be a harder cap system down the road, but one that could be substantially greater than the $45 million hard cap initially proposed by the owners.

The Current average team salary in the NBA is $67.5 million, with the Lakers and Mavericks clocking in at over $90 million in team salaries and the Orlando Magic just shy of that figure at $89.1 million.

If the Owners can put a proposal on the table that keeps average team salaries in the $65 million range, while they move towards a hard cap in the high $60 million range, the NBA can get what it wants while not costing the players any real money.

If the NBA owners stand firm to their $45 million number, there is no chance for a deal.

However more and more people are talking optimistically about a deal in July, so we'll see if reasonable people can make a reasonable deal.

Read more NBA news and insight: http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?...#ixzz1KAJU1Vo4

Not quite 'good news' but better than most other stories out there. The hard cap in the high 60's seems to be the most simple and fair solution out there - in my opinion, of course.

How getting teams like the LAL or ORL comply or work in the new system is open for debate but for the majority of teams, this would be a very workable.

[Raptors_]

the lockout is pure speculation at this point. Time will tell if we have a lockout or not. Personally i think stern won't let it happen.

[funkie]

unless Billy Hunter tries to make this process personal

my biggest fear is that hunter takes a stance like demaurice smith is taking with the nfl owners. hopefully the players kibosh any idea of decertification and focus on getting a new deal instead of killing their fanbase.

[mcHAPPY]

the lockout is pure speculation at this point. Time will tell if we have a lockout or not. Personally i think stern won't let it happen.

That is what the players said in 1998.

[Raptors_]

That is what the players said in 1998.

was there a lockout?

[mcHAPPY]

was there a lockout?

Yes. The lockout was from July 1st until January 20th and caused the season to be shorted to 50 games.

Come on now, Raptors_, I know you can do a quick google search - lol.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1998%E2...99_NBA_lockout

[Raptors_]

Yes. The lockout was from July 1st until January 20th and caused the season to be shorted to 50 games.

Come on now, Raptors_, I know you can do a quick google search - lol.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1998%E2...99_NBA_lockout

ya i did, right after i typed that. But i wouldn't mind if the season was shortened just hope its not completely gone.