The NBA is sort of issuing in a new era this summer with the salary cap rising the way it has. Many players are now in position to get more money than ever before and it's going to affect every team in the league.
Reactions across the sports world have been interesting. We've seen jealousy from NFL players, and NBA players like J.J. Redick have gone the route of educating everyone on economics, while general fans sit around with their jaws hitting the floor at the contracts being signed.
Miami Heat president Pat Riley is now chiming in with another idea, which definitely stems from the recent fallout with Dwyane Wade.
Riley says he believes the NBA should have a franchise tag — someone who can be paid as much as you want. "Everybody gets 1 player."
— Manny Navarro (@Manny_Navarro) July 16, 2016
It's an intriguing thought to say the least.
While most people believe professional athletes are overpaid and sometimes that is true, it's also true that the best players in a league like the NBA — LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant — are in a sense underpaid. Playing in a league with a salary cap and a max player cap, they can only make so much. If they were in a situation on par with soccer leagues in Europe, the NBA's best would be fetching far greater contracts.
Riley isn't suggesting no salary cap, but this idea does help superstars make as much as a team is willing to pay them. In doing so, it could destroy super teams.
Sure, Durant is willing to head to Golden State while sacrificing a few million a year more he could be making if he stayed in OKC. But what if Miami was prepared to pay Durant $100 million a year while the Warriors were already locked into doing so for Curry? That would probably make a guy like Durant think twice.
Parity in terms of where the 30 best players in the league want to go would certainly be different if Riley's plans were implemented. Teams in bigger markets like Los Angeles and New York would surely have the financial edge to offer the most to players. But if they could only do it for one, maybe the little guys could still compete and save up for their own franchise player.
The NBA tries to foster an environment in which Milwaukee and Oklahoma City can be as desirable as Chicago or Miami, but we're still seeing these super teams form, and always in big markets. If nothing else, Riley is simply adding to a conversation that will always continue in a league that operates with a salary cap. He may have something here, but it's not happening any time soon.
[button width=”full” button size=”bigger” color=”custom” align=”center” textcolor=”#ffffff” texthcolor=”#ffffff” bgcolor=”#8b0000″ link=”https://clutchpoints.com/kevin-durant-told-pat-riley-chose-not-sign-heat/”]NEXT: Kevin Durant told Pat Riley why he chose not to sign with Heat[/button]
Follow Us
Subscribe