while technically/semantically correct, this doesn't really reflect the reality. if you are a team and the guy you draft is good enough for you to want to keep him, you get to, period. it basically was so before the new cba, but now there's pretty much no wriggle room any more. after playing out his first contract, players now become restricted free agents, unless their team doesn't want them to. so in a sense, you draft your guy for two contracts, one of which pretty much guarantees that they'll be underpaid, thanks to the rookie scale. another reason, btw, why draft picks are more valuable than ever.
indeed. the initial purpose of the lottery was to discourage willful losses by teams attempting to win the first pick in the draft. however, provisions in more recent CBA's, particularly those in the current CBA, are making draft picks increasingly valuable. a high draft pick doesn't just signify the opportunity to draft a potential impact player anymore. now a high draft pick signifies the opportunity to draft a potential impact player and retain that impact player for the long haul, regardless of market size, franchise management, or eventual win/loss record...
the cleveland cavaliers are a perfect example. they drafted lebron james and, because of restrictions/incentives, they were able to retain his services
for seven years despite absolute ineptitude in their front office. they were a bad team that contended for titles because of a single player. they didn't win it all, but,
for seven years, a poorly-managed small market franchise was the talk of the league. they sold out games. they made the playoffs.
any small market franchise with a losing culture would kill for the same...
and here's the rub: the new CBA is even
more restrictive than when lebron james was drafted. it offers
more incentive for a draftee to sign his second contract with the team that drafted him. so, "why tank?" well, because it puts a bad team in the best possible position to draft the kind of player that can single-handedly change a franchise's immediate fortunes. it's not about whether or not bad teams manage to win a championship after acquiring such a player, it's simply about a team putting itself in the best possible position to win in the near future. the importance of restricted free agency and scaled contracts for young players cannot be overstated, given the de facto "hardening" of the salary cap over the years. a small market franchise like sacramento can actually build a winner very quickly
if the team is managed well...
look at it this way, with CBA considerations in mind: demarcus cousins, a tremendous talent with obvious superstar potential, was just signed to a maximum contract extension, but, given that he has 6 or fewer years of experience, that max extension is only worth 25% of the total salary cap, as opposed to the 30% share that max players receive when they have 7-9 years of experience. ben mclemore remains on his rookie contract, and he was the 7th pick in the draft, which means he earns less than the 6 picks before him, as it goes with all lottery selections. if the kings end up in the top-5 of this upcoming draft, they'll be able to snag a talented player like, say, jabari parker on a rookie-scaled contract, while mclemore still remains on his...
that leaves the kings with only one hefty contract (cousins) between their three cornerstone pieces. the kings have got a few contracts expiring this offseason. they've got a couple expiring next offseason. they should either allow those contracts to run their course, or they should attempt to trade their dead weight for second rounders/more immediate enders, in order to eventually sign veteran roleplayers that more effectively fill in the gaps around the young, top-tier talent they've acquired through the draft. if those contracts are smartly-constructed, the team has the necessary capspace to re-sign their young talent (mclemore/theoretical draft pick like jabari parker/cousins on his third contract) when it comes time to pay them...
in my opinion, the following rules constitute "the big four" of rebuilding: 1) lose enough games to put yourself in a strategic position to draft well, 2) draft well with that position, 3) commit to young talent via contract extension, 4) DO NOT overpay roleplayers. it's why so many of us were peeved by the carl landry signing. you give a guy like that a two-year deal when you're a rebuilding franchise. or, preferably, you don't sign him at all. but you definitely don't saddle yourself with unnecessary financial baggage for four years simply because you're desperate to make a move...
).
