Hard Cap Coming?

[Real Deal]

Are you really suggesting it is easier to retain/keep your players with a hard cap than it is with a soft/lux tax? The big markets don't give a [expletive] about the lux tax, the lux tax is just another thing hindering the smaller markets and making it easier for the bigger markets to add the assets the small markets can't. Like I said before, you don't (typically) win in the NBA unless you are spending the lux tax, or damn close to it, and many franchises, quite simply, cannot afford to.

It will be just as easy, because player salaries will be lower. Again, the big three in Miami makes $14-15 million each. A five-year, $60 million contract (what was projected to be the max first proposed for the new CBA) will pay guys $12 million a year, on average. Max deal. Of course, there's a salary increase per year, which means that starting salary will actually be lower, or players will agree on $12 million a year for five years, no increase. That's only $36 million off the hard cap to keep three max deals.

 

And big markets DO care about the luxury tax. Jerry Buss had a deal on the table to bring in Kirk Hinrich, but he refused because the Bulls would not take Vujacic's $5 million off our hands, and Hinrich's $9 million contract would cost us double.

 

And what free agents are willing to take the MLE to begin with? Mike Miller is one, but he's been injured for a couple of seasons. Guys like Odom and Ariza...they will all make over the MLE until they are too old or injured to be considered stars. The overpaid players actually help prevent teams from snagging stars for the MLE. Rudy Gay is a great example.

 

You introduce the hard cap, and it's going to be packaged with salary cuts. Salary cuts make it easier for teams to retain players. Hard cap in place or not, the "elite" teams will always dominate professional basketball, while teams like Milwaukee and Minnesota will always struggle to contend, and it's mostly because of the market and tradition. New Jersey just brought in a Russian billionaire. Even with a hard cap, what NBA player would NOT consider living a life with him by their side? What NBA player would choose the city of Memphis over Los Angeles, one filled with celebrities, spotlight, sponsorships and rich history?