So, the so-called systems issues aimed at competitive parity are now in the CBA. The smaller market hardliner owner's insistence on them prolonged the lockout after revenue split was largely settled and led to disclaimer and the lawsuits. Any sign this is gonna help? I don't think so. After Melo drama we now have Dwight and CP drama. Stars still working to team up at attractive big markets. What a waste of time and effort.
I wont pretend to understand the nuances of the new cba vs the old, but my perception is that the new cba moved a bit in a "parity" direction. Far from a mandate. So i expect the playing field to be a little more equal, but still uneven. Its simply marginally/moderately harder for the big market teams to continue to beat up on everyone. I expect they still will. But as this new cba gets a few years on it, a few rules slide in the favor of the smaller market teams. So while we may see no difference in the next couple years, towards the end of this new cba, we may see a few perennial contenders fall some.
if CP3 is willing to take a $30 million pay cut, I don't know that there is any CBA that can stop that, short of outlawing free agency all together, or a much lower hard cap There are only a dozen or so marketable superstars in the NBA, and having them dispersed across the league probably isn't as good for national TV ratings as watching the big market superteams go head-to-head. It might suck for small market teams, but it might be better for the league overall from a revenue generating standpoint.
It was a greed-fueled argument between billionaires and millionaires after all. The GMs will continue to hand out ridiculous contracts to not-worthy players and wreck their teams' futures.
SnT for lux tax teams. Not straight up trades like Dwight and CP are exploring. Also, some suitorss like NY and NJ not in tax territory anyway so change irrelevant. If team like Lakers get Dwight, they can afford tax with their $200 mil a year local tv deal. Changes irrelevant.
Isn't this the last hurrah of S&T's? After they're gone in a few years, it's going ot be a lot harder to assemble superfriendses.
There IS more parity by doing away with extend-and-trades and sign-and-trades. The big market teams have to risk the summer in which they are completely unresricted FA's and could potentially jump ship if things aren't going their way. Imagine if LA or NYK successfully complete trades, if one of the key pieces such as Amare or Kobe suffer an injury in the year that the trade is completed, there is no incentive to stick around except for the extra year from bird rights.