Sports teams, the entertainment industry and society as a whole are all built on the star system. The star system is why income inequality continues to increase. The top heavy star system is unstable. Unbalanced is unbalanced regardless of what is written on your sneakers. The instability makes it hard to root for teams because of the cycles of inequality between the teams. Teams go through boom and bust cycles. Fans wind up rooting for stars more than teams and follow their stars wherever they go. Only 3 or 4 teams out of 30 have any real chance of winning the championship at the start of any season. The rest are playing just to see if they can move up a notch or two in the pecking order. If an NBA team were to abandon the star system they could be perpetually competitive and deny the league of a lot of quality second tier players. The second tier players could become stars and move on, but the team would remain a stable contender because the star's replacement would be another quality second tier player. Fluctuations in quality team play would never be dramatic. The team concept would provide a more harmonious clubhouse, which in and of itself would be an incentive for players to remain loyal, and turn down offers of more money elsewhere. Dancing With The Stars promotes systems that steal your attention from a team concept that produces stable heathy competition. Imbalance is the definition of ill health. Vanz Kant Danz, but he'll steal your money, Watch him or he'll rob you blind.
Obviously we'd have to pay the luxury tax to keep the team together but when we sell Tad Brown and Morey will vet them to make sure they will pay the tax. The owner will know what they are getting into. As far as LeBron we can do the same thing we did to get CP3 for him, an opt and trade. Tucker and Gordon's salarys plus filler makes it work. In that scenario we could still keep Capela and Ariza with bird rights, and give melo and CP3 what they deserve. We'd have a 150mil$ payroll but if you want a shot to beat the warriors that's what it comes down to.
Birds rights versus outright signing provide greater flexibility for these guys to take one-year haircuts and make it work. Paul can get the max from anybody, anytime. Exevuying a trade for him to have his Birds rights makes it easier to manipulate salary. Paul understand this. He wants Melo and Lebron. He wants to win championships and go down as part of the greatest team ever and possibly the greatest point guard ever. LeBron wants to go down as the best player ever. Meli wants rings and to solidify hall of fame status....... Once Melo is here the constant rumor drumbeat will be about LeBron here. LA? Look, after Melo gets here, this is South LA. Comprehende? LeBron ain't going to LA to play with Ball and try to beat his brother (CP3) over there by recruiting Millsap and George. Talk about haircuts? They'll all have to get shaves to make that work. And then what? ..... not as good as either the Warriors or the Rockets. Plus the Warriors going to try to flip either Iggy or Klay for George..... Lakers? Lebron to the Lakers? Man, LeBron may try to beat Kyrie to the exit to get to Houston after Melo is a Rocket. In any case it's going to be the constant rumor mill after Melo to Houston.
The new Rockets owner will certainly have some key financial decisions to make right away. That starts with CP3's 5 year max offer and luxury tax bills. And then moves on from there.
