By Chris Sheridan
NEW YORK — NBA labor talks will resume this afternoon in New York, and they are expected to last through the weekend — if not longer. Prior to today’s bargaining session, there will be a player meeting including some of the league’s biggest superstars. If you believe Virtus Bologna owner Claudio Sabatini, Kobe Bryant will be among them.
There is some news out there this morning on a few of the details of what the owners are seeking, some of which has been reported before, some of which hasn’t.
From Marc Stein of ESPN.com:
“Shortening guaranteed contracts to a maximum of three or four seasons. Limiting Larry Bird rights — which enable teams to exceed the salary cap to re-sign their own free agents — to one player per team per season. Reducing the annual mid-level exception, which was valued at $5.8 million last season, to roughly $3 million annually and limiting mid-level contracts to a maximum of two or three seasons in length as opposed to the current maximum of five seasons. A new “Carmelo Rule” that would prevent teams — as the New York Knicks did in February with Anthony — from using a Bird exception to sign or extend a player acquired by trade unless they are acquired before July 1 of the final season of the player’s contract. The abolition of sign-and-trades and the bi-annual exception worth $2 million. Significant reductions in maximum salaries and annual raises and a 5 percent rollbacks on current contracts. There are also still some teams, sources say, who are pushing for some sort of franchise-tag system similar to what the NFL employs as well as a restriction that allows big spending teams to exceed the annual luxury-tax threshold only twice every five seasons.”
Really? Modern day slavery? umm….Really? All these players cold have chosen different fields of worK (except for the obvious) most of these players went to college and could have earned a degree in any field they wanted. You mention the owners livelihood doesn’t depend on this sport. True. But the inferred counter is that players, who make millions, “livelihood” does depend on this sport. Correct me if I am wrong, but i do think a person can have a family and live a well life on 250k a year, let alone millions? This is a business to the owners. And what do owners of businesses do? The try to maximize their profit – or lack there of. Indian, Minnesota…they are countered by LA Lakers and Knicks etc, who spend over the average. It all evens out over all the franchises. And Golden State? I would say they invest in their team..just not wisely. Answer this, are bad moves, which can happen to any team, that cripples a franchise for decades, good for the sport? Also, don’t you think Minnesota could have kept garnett if they were allowed some wriggle room on their bad decisions?
I agree with most points except Minnesota is the one to give Kevin Garnett a ridiculous contract that created the current contract structures. Pretty big for a small market team. Then you have the Knicks who always overspend but until this yr didn’t make the playoffs. all that spending didn’t win them anything. money was no advantage.
I think the tactic being imployed by the owners is a great one for a side with leverage. They are making a series of demands that are all in their favor. They will trade some of these demands to move the BRI split into their favor. This will create the illusion to the players (who are at a disadvantage anyway)… to thinking that they bargained the owners into giving them back the bird exception, or turned the 3 million dollar midlevel exception into a 3.6 million dollar. The reality is that the players are losing all over the place right now… and its just a matter of damage control at some point.
I have to say, this deal is outrageous. The owners livelihood doesn’t depend on this sport. So what would be their purpose for all these weird demands?? Recession?? Sounds like modern day slavery. If the union is strong, they should middle finger the season. As much as I love this sport, integrity counts more……..teams like Indiana, Minnesota esp, golden state have been mismanaged for yrs by owners who are multi-billionaires but refuse to invest in their team. It’s sad cuz everything that made the nba come alive last season will go do down the drain.
It’s all speculation at this point…
Chris, How can the Orlando Magic acquire CP3 under this new potential “Carmelo Rule”? I originally came up with a deal that would allow the Magic to take CP3 along with Okafor’s huge contract (amnesty via Magic) then trade TPE for Trevor Ariza! We take back all their bad contracts in the process, will NOH bite?
Magic trade: JN14,Redick, Bass, Anderson,D.Orton,QRichardson and 2013 first round pick
Hornets trade: Chris Paul, Emeka Okafor
*New Orleans is in a tough position, trying to find quality help through free agency in little time/CP3 may not last in NO the whole season via trade request.
Kinda, agree with Frank this seems a little demanding in some aspects, can’t see players would accept this as it stands or even softened a bit in its totality.. some things would have to change totally in the structure of the owners desires.
Chris, I have been thinking like you that there is a deal to be had here. But this seems like a lot of demands that I think the players will have a hard time with. Maybe some of these would go away if the parties can agree on the split of income but I have a hard time seeing the players cave in most of these demands unless forced to after they sit out for a while.