CBA Proposal: How to Encourage Players to Stay on Home Teams

[yinoma2001]

On the one hand, it’s a damn shame to see HOF-players like Duncan/Dirk take major paycuts in order to stay on their home team and allow the team to build a contender around them. This essentially allows the owner to benefit from the labor-side taking discounts to benefit the owner.

On the other hand, you have Kobe who is set to make $48m the next 2 years. He’s worth that $ from a business/loyalty standpoint, but it’s rough on the salary cap and makes it difficult to build a contender around a player who takes up nearly 40% of the cap.

Bottom line: why should the players, who already surrendered BRI income in the last CBA be forced to take financial paycuts to stay on a team?

Proposal: players AND teams should be given incentives to retain players like Duncan/Dirk/Kobe, pay them the appropriate salary, while not destroying a team’s salary cap in the process. A system should be in place where a salary cap % discount is offered to players that hit a certain tenure on team. Tenure would have to be continous so in order to get a year 10 discount, have to be on the same team 10 straight years. Any interruption of that starts the clock over.

For example, using Kobe.

Year 5 (2000-01): $10m
Year 10 (2005-06): $16m
Year 15 (2010-11): $25m
Year 19 (2015-16): $25m

I think beginning in year 10, the NBA should offer a sliding % discount, culminating at say year 15 when the salary cap impact of the player should be discounted by 50%. Reaching 15 years in the league is a rare feat, and by that time, most players are already hitting mid-30s and are out of their primes. Now, players/GMs can try to manipulate this system by still taking a smaller cut, but that’s on them if they really want to take a financial discount despite offering a salary cap discount.

So in our scenario, at age 32 (2010-11), Kobe would be paid $25m but the salary cap hit would be 12.5m. In year 19, Kobe again is paid $25m but the salary cap hit would be 12.5m.

This system codifies (without the financial detriment to the player) a system that has been effective in Dallas and the Spurs. Why not pay long-time HOF-stars like Dirk/Duncan $15m, with only a $7.5m cap hit? This is an equitable solution for both sides.

Imagine if Kobe’s cap hit was only 12.5m (20% of cap) instead of 25m (39% of cap)? I think almost everyone would be happy in this scenario.
Of course, the owners may not be satisfied but if their “stated” goal is to improve the team, then it gives them a means to improve the team while taking care of their long-time stars.

This would also cut against the Miami-Big 3 model, and would hurt someone like Lebron unless he took a major paycut.

Pros for both owners/players:

1. players: get paid fair market value which doesn't hamper building a team around them from a salary cap standpoint.

2. owners: continuity of long-term player, can still build a team around their long-time star while offering fair value. Hampers team-shopping by guys like Lebron and promotes building a culture/core in one location.
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From 2-10 to the Western Conference Finals

[yinoma2001]

Vis-a-vis the Lakers, I understand this system is contrary to their "we will sign our next free agent via free agency" mantra. But in my proposed system, you can still buy free agents; you just won't get the salary cap discount until they hit the 10 year mark, which they likely won't.
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From 2-10 to the Western Conference Finals

[ringfinger]

Love an idea like this. If Kobe's cap hit was 50% of what it is now, why do I care what he is making.

I feel like there are potential holes here though, but I gotta think them through first.

[Chronicle]

In this system, he would have gotten the max he'd be allowed to get which would have been about 34m meaning 17m against the cap and you would still have complained.
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Kobe

[yinoma2001]

[yinoma2001]

[yinoma2001]

Ringfinger, I think one flaw would be how many players would be given the salary cap discount. So if a team drafts 3-4 studs in the lottery b/c they suck, will they then get to keep them all 10 years and get % discounts on the cap too? Maybe you have to limit it to 1 maybe 2 players max per team. Like a reverse amnesty designation.
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From 2-10 to the Western Conference Finals

[dmorans1]

I like it.

Let me tell you, Duncan's paycut to help the team "win" is straight up BS. His paycut, as well as Tony's and Manu's, is all for the benefit of the owner. All three of them could have made the maximum and they would still have the same team. Let's break it down.

Duncan - draft pick
Manu - draft pick
Tony - draft pick
Kawhi - trade for George Hill who was a draft pick
Tiago - draft pick
Danny Green - minimum guy and signed for less than the MLE in 2012
Boris Diaw - was picked up for the minimum after clearing waivers
Patty Mills - has been a minimum guy for three years now
Belinelli - signed for less than the tax MLE
Joseph - draft pick
Bonner - was traded for Nesterovic in 2006

[Gimme_the_rock]

[yinoma2001]

[yinoma2001]

[ringfinger]

[mporter]

I really like your idea. My only disagreement is your assertion that players get "fair market value." As it stands now, the max player salary is some arbitrary number them owners came up with.

I'd like to see the NBA adopt something like your "discount" idea to take care of franchise cornerstone players without them having to make a huge financial sacrifice or the team risking its future financial flexibility. I'd also do something to lift the cap on individual salaries. Keep the team cap, but allow players to get paid whatever the clubs think is really his fair market value. This satisfies the players wish to get paid, while giving smaller market teams the opportunity to offer superstars whatever portion of the cap they deem is appropriate for that player. If Sacramento thinks Lebron is worth 80% of the cap, and Lebron wants to get PAID, why not?

[yinoma2001]

[Chronicle]

[yinoma2001]

[yinoma2001]

[ringfinger]

[Chronicle]

The NBA already knows a "desginated player" tag. Derrick Rose was the first to get one, Oklahoma has two of them becuase of technicalities which is really stupid but NBA is full of stupid basketball decisions.
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Kobe

[yinoma2001]

[Gimme_the_rock]

[Gimme_the_rock]

[activeverb]

[yinoma2001]

[activeverb]