Jespher
Starter
How would the NBA landscape change if the entire 2011-2012 NBA season is lost to lockout and negotiations between owners and players continue to fall through? Here is a list of several implications for the 2012-2013 season (primarily looking at talent distribution for the league and how it may affect our Kings).
Contracts: Just because there were no games in 2011-2012 it would not void or extend the contracts that expire in 2012. Players that would have been in the last year of their deal would have been unable to negotiate a contract extension before their contract expired due to the lockout prohibiting players from contact with any team personnel. Given the language of second contracts, I assume they would then become unrestricted free agents and free to sign with anyone they choose (depending on restrictions imposed by the new CBA of course).
That's quite a list of talent, and really could screw some of the smaller revenue teams such as the Magic (Dwight Howard), the Nets (Deron Williams), and the Hornets (Chris Paul) among others. Furthermore, would players who are restricted free agents this summer continue to be restricted free agents as long as they had offer sheets tendered as in previous seasons (as was Josh Childress in Atlanta several years ago) or would the offer sheet expire over the “off-year” making these players unrestricted as well (Marcus Thornton immediately comes to mind)? I’d assume that rookie contracts expiring in 2012 would still result in restricted free agency as per the previous CBA but that may change as well. This could affect the Kings as J.J. Hickson, Donte Greene, and Jason Thompson are on rookie contracts that will expire next summer.
It appears that the "smaller market" (AKA smaller revenue) teams are pushing hard to prevent their superstars from bolting to super-teams by forcing their leverage and prolonging the lockout. It's ironic (don't ya think?) that they could loose these 3+ superstars to UFA without an option to negotiate a contract extension (or trade while under contract) at all leading to even more super-teams and the have/have not feeling that is irking so many executives around the league. How restricted free agency changes in the new CBA is anyone's guess, but it looks to be here to stay to allow teams priority to resign their draftees long term.
Draft: What will happen with the 2012 NBA draft if there is no 2011-2012 season? How will picking order be determined? Record during the previous year? An all in lottery weighted by prior record? Weighted by team salary? There looks to be a great crop of talent for next year's draft, but how will it be distributed if the entire prior season is lost. Here's hoping the Kings get the same or better lotto chances as last draft.
Salary Cap and the Midlevel Exception: This has been a sticking point in recent negotiations. Whether it is a soft cap with a luxury tax ceiling, a tiered system with increasing punitive penalties for the big spenders, or a hard cap with no wiggle room around the ceiling, it appears that maximum team salary will be more limited by the next CBA than under the previous agreement. Furthermore, if there is a soft cap, and teams want to sign players that are over the cap, how will the midlevel exception look going forward? Currently, the Kings have the lowest payroll in the league, but if the midlevel exception is renewed, it could maintain a loophole for veteran players to accept less money to play for a contender instead of accepting the most competitive contract financially (i.e. Samuel Dalembert).
Amnesty: Sources have discussed the NBA flirting with an amnesty clause to rid teams of underachieving players on expensive long term deals by offering to pay their salary without cap restriction. This would obviously benefit the larger revenue teams, as they could better afford to eat their mistakes while the lower revenue teams would be reticent to pay any player for not playing. It this were to happen, there would potentially be an even greater influx of talent into free agency with names like Gilbert Arenas, Rashard Lewis, and Baron Davis shoe-ins to get “amnestied”.
This could be good and bad for the Kings. Being a low revenue team, the team would be hesitant to use such a clause on it’s own players as there really are no terrible contracts besides perhaps John Salmons on the roster, and he was just traded for. Furthermore, the amnestied players would continue to receive their inflated contract salaries, and now that money wasn’t a necessity, would be free to pick and choose their team not by financial obligations, but by contention status, market size, etc. In effect, the rich getting richer and eating their mistakes by outspending the competition…basically the reason there is a lockout in the first place.
Revenue Sharing: There is talk that the owners are settled to provide greater revenue sharing between franchises to improve competitive balance and decrease natural regional advantages between the Milwaukees/Minnesotas/Sacramentos of the world and the L.A.s/New Yorks/Miamis. Sources estimate upwards of $15 million +/year could go to the smaller revenue teams but the deligation mechanism is still very raw and undefined due to ongoing CBA talks. If revenue sharing increases with the new CBA this could also sway the financial stability of the smaller markets like Sacramento, enabling them to spend a bit more to acquire talent.
Would this be enough to truly offer parity within market sizes? Would collecting revenue be contingent on player salaries, or could the money be used in other avenues such as marketing, renovations, executive salaries, etc.? What would the conditions be for receiving or paying revenue to/from other franchises? If economic survival is the question for smaller revenue teams, then revenue sharing could offer some assistance in this regard, but would it ever be enough to truly shift the competitive balance towards parity, or will the larger markets/revenue teams always have their competitive regional advantages?
The Kings were well positioned for success going into this season, building on an exciting spring, an optimistic arena situation, and the budding of their young stars. Hopefully, the lockout doesn’t derail it! With a smaller revenue potential than teams like the Lakers, Knicks, and Bulls, their competitive survival hinges on savvy executive decisions, forward/creative thinking, cap management, patience, player development, and dumb luck. Here’s to equally ample portions of each for the Sacramento Kings going forward!
Contracts: Just because there were no games in 2011-2012 it would not void or extend the contracts that expire in 2012. Players that would have been in the last year of their deal would have been unable to negotiate a contract extension before their contract expired due to the lockout prohibiting players from contact with any team personnel. Given the language of second contracts, I assume they would then become unrestricted free agents and free to sign with anyone they choose (depending on restrictions imposed by the new CBA of course).
That's quite a list of talent, and really could screw some of the smaller revenue teams such as the Magic (Dwight Howard), the Nets (Deron Williams), and the Hornets (Chris Paul) among others. Furthermore, would players who are restricted free agents this summer continue to be restricted free agents as long as they had offer sheets tendered as in previous seasons (as was Josh Childress in Atlanta several years ago) or would the offer sheet expire over the “off-year” making these players unrestricted as well (Marcus Thornton immediately comes to mind)? I’d assume that rookie contracts expiring in 2012 would still result in restricted free agency as per the previous CBA but that may change as well. This could affect the Kings as J.J. Hickson, Donte Greene, and Jason Thompson are on rookie contracts that will expire next summer.
It appears that the "smaller market" (AKA smaller revenue) teams are pushing hard to prevent their superstars from bolting to super-teams by forcing their leverage and prolonging the lockout. It's ironic (don't ya think?) that they could loose these 3+ superstars to UFA without an option to negotiate a contract extension (or trade while under contract) at all leading to even more super-teams and the have/have not feeling that is irking so many executives around the league. How restricted free agency changes in the new CBA is anyone's guess, but it looks to be here to stay to allow teams priority to resign their draftees long term.
Draft: What will happen with the 2012 NBA draft if there is no 2011-2012 season? How will picking order be determined? Record during the previous year? An all in lottery weighted by prior record? Weighted by team salary? There looks to be a great crop of talent for next year's draft, but how will it be distributed if the entire prior season is lost. Here's hoping the Kings get the same or better lotto chances as last draft.
Salary Cap and the Midlevel Exception: This has been a sticking point in recent negotiations. Whether it is a soft cap with a luxury tax ceiling, a tiered system with increasing punitive penalties for the big spenders, or a hard cap with no wiggle room around the ceiling, it appears that maximum team salary will be more limited by the next CBA than under the previous agreement. Furthermore, if there is a soft cap, and teams want to sign players that are over the cap, how will the midlevel exception look going forward? Currently, the Kings have the lowest payroll in the league, but if the midlevel exception is renewed, it could maintain a loophole for veteran players to accept less money to play for a contender instead of accepting the most competitive contract financially (i.e. Samuel Dalembert).
Amnesty: Sources have discussed the NBA flirting with an amnesty clause to rid teams of underachieving players on expensive long term deals by offering to pay their salary without cap restriction. This would obviously benefit the larger revenue teams, as they could better afford to eat their mistakes while the lower revenue teams would be reticent to pay any player for not playing. It this were to happen, there would potentially be an even greater influx of talent into free agency with names like Gilbert Arenas, Rashard Lewis, and Baron Davis shoe-ins to get “amnestied”.
This could be good and bad for the Kings. Being a low revenue team, the team would be hesitant to use such a clause on it’s own players as there really are no terrible contracts besides perhaps John Salmons on the roster, and he was just traded for. Furthermore, the amnestied players would continue to receive their inflated contract salaries, and now that money wasn’t a necessity, would be free to pick and choose their team not by financial obligations, but by contention status, market size, etc. In effect, the rich getting richer and eating their mistakes by outspending the competition…basically the reason there is a lockout in the first place.
Revenue Sharing: There is talk that the owners are settled to provide greater revenue sharing between franchises to improve competitive balance and decrease natural regional advantages between the Milwaukees/Minnesotas/Sacramentos of the world and the L.A.s/New Yorks/Miamis. Sources estimate upwards of $15 million +/year could go to the smaller revenue teams but the deligation mechanism is still very raw and undefined due to ongoing CBA talks. If revenue sharing increases with the new CBA this could also sway the financial stability of the smaller markets like Sacramento, enabling them to spend a bit more to acquire talent.
Would this be enough to truly offer parity within market sizes? Would collecting revenue be contingent on player salaries, or could the money be used in other avenues such as marketing, renovations, executive salaries, etc.? What would the conditions be for receiving or paying revenue to/from other franchises? If economic survival is the question for smaller revenue teams, then revenue sharing could offer some assistance in this regard, but would it ever be enough to truly shift the competitive balance towards parity, or will the larger markets/revenue teams always have their competitive regional advantages?
The Kings were well positioned for success going into this season, building on an exciting spring, an optimistic arena situation, and the budding of their young stars. Hopefully, the lockout doesn’t derail it! With a smaller revenue potential than teams like the Lakers, Knicks, and Bulls, their competitive survival hinges on savvy executive decisions, forward/creative thinking, cap management, patience, player development, and dumb luck. Here’s to equally ample portions of each for the Sacramento Kings going forward!
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