Whether or not it was true that Chris Paul and James Harden had a contentious relationship with the Houston Rockets, Paul has reportedly drawn the ire of some NBA veterans around the league.
One veteran spoke with Ethan Strauss of The Athletic about Paul's role as the president of the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA), claiming that Paul's battle for increased pay has since only served to benefit max players in the NBA.
“They advocate for the interests of max players and super-max players,” one veteran player said of Paul and company. “Basically, the CBA has helped the whole banana boat crew from back in the day. It’s taken from the midlevel. I think middle-tier players aren’t getting that mid level money anymore.
“I think just that huge super max has had cost. Teams are putting all their eggs in one basket to keep that super-max guy. It’s dried up the salary cap. I don’t see it as sustainable long term.”
This unnamed player certainly has a point. The pursuit of star players is at a premium in the modern NBA, and roster turnover rates are as high as they have ever been before.
Paul himself has obviously benefited from being a max-level player, signing a four-year deal worth close to $160 million last summer which will pay him over $44 million when he is 36 years old.
Conversely, players such as Austin Rivers will earn just over $2 million next season despite the fact that many of them are proven NBA players.
Isaiah Thomas was an MVP candidate just a few seasons ago, but he is now going to be making the veteran's minimum. While some of this has to do with performance or durability, there is no question that teams are devoting nearly all their resources towards retaining or acquiring max-level players.
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