Originally Posted by
conscript
The only solution for that is massive revenue sharing in the league to the point where every franchise is making the exact same money or a true hard salary cap. The league didn't do either one in their new CBA. They collapsed on their hard cap demand and went essentially with the same model as before with a "cap" that isn't really a cap because you can exceed it and pay luxury tax on the additional salary. They didn't expand revenue sharing enough to support the small market teams. The league dug their own grave on this. The big, big market teams like the Lakers, Celtics, Heat, Knicks, Mavs, Bulls, etc. will be able to spend as money as they want and easily pay the luxury tax because they are making massively more money than the other teams. They can keep their stars and pay yours to come to them. Small market teams can't financially support more than one max salary player so they are forced to rely on internal building for success (the Spurs) or lucking out and having one star for a couple years until he leaves (the Cavs). The league had two options to truly prevent stars from playing where they want, while still making maxish salaries, and they went with neither solution. Any problem the league has is caused by the owner's being less willing to spend than other owners due to greed, market constraints, etc. Players are always going to want to play with the best guys they can so they are going to flock to teams that will pay to have talent.
There is a third option that the league could and should consider. Contraction. Do we need teams in New Orleans, Charlotte, Memphis, Sacramento, etc.? The smaller market clubs in the NBA that are financially unable to hold onto their own talent because of their terrible markets. The NBA may make a few more dollars because they exist, arguably as teams "losing" money inspired the lockout, but is the NBA a better product for having so many teams? My answer is no. A whole hell of a lot of the NBAs financial troubles would disappear if they got rid of some of the smaller market and failing teams. I honestly think they should contract to 24 teams. Contract Minnesota, Charlotte, New Orleans, Memphis, Sacramento, and Indiana. I'm no expert on NBA finances, but the on floor product would be much better and the small market concern would be alleviated slightly.