Impending Lockout

[HailBlazers]

abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory?id=12218550

99% chance of a lockout? bad for the league, good for the Blazers?

NEW YORK - NBA players' association executive director Billy Hunter said Monday he is "99 percent sure" there will be a lockout next summer.

 

[barfo]

The best thing for the blazers would be the opposite of what's going to happen. Best thing for the blazers would be for there to be no salary cap - make it so Paul and Cuban are the only ones who can afford superstars.

barfo

 

[julius]

The best thing the league could do is make contracts non guaranteed, and give us 3 #1 picks to compensate for Greg's injuries (and have the Spurs draft for us).

 

[HailBlazers]

I aree there shouldn't be a hard cap, the reason why I say its good for the Blazers is because the outlook has become much longer with both stars going down, at this point its obvious this team likes it slow and steady, rise with us slowly and steadily......

 

[44Thrilla]

99%? No way. All labor negotiations look like that until about a week before the deadline. Neither side will make early concessions because they know it opens them up for more concessions.

 

[THE HCP]

So there is a 1% chance I can keep me and my family off the streets this time next year!

 

[BLAZER PROPHET]

I aree there shouldn't be a hard cap, the reason why I say its good for the Blazers is because the outlook has become much longer with both stars going down, at this point its obvious this team likes it slow and steady, rise with us slowly and steadily......

There has to be either a hard cap or no guaranteed contracts if the NBA is to survive financially. The players know it as well.

 

[BLAZER PROPHET]

So there is a 1% chance I can keep me and my family off the streets this time next year!

You become a mod here and share in their wealth.

 

[BGrantFan]

The best thing for the blazers would be the opposite of what's going to happen. Best thing for the blazers would be for there to be no salary cap - make it so Paul and Cuban are the only ones who can afford superstars.

barfo

What a novel idea. Another great idea would be for the Blazers to get the top 3 picks in every draft, since Paul Allen could pay for the players! That won't happen either, but it's the best thing for the Blazers!

 

[ebott]

So there is a 1% chance I can keep me and my family off the streets this time next year!

And now it's all rooo eeened. We were gonna blither back and forth about how this effects the team, which might as well be full of fictional characters as far as we're concerned. But then you come along with your being a real person that we care about that's actually going to be seriously affected by this. roooooooooooo eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeened!!!!!

 

[HailBlazers]

So true, it was just a game before HCP chimed in!

Not only can the owners not afford guarenteed contracts, we as fans can't handle it either, you never know when your max contract player is gonna hit the deck! and your team you've invested in is back in the lotto!

 

[Nikolokolus]

I aree there shouldn't be a hard cap, the reason why I say its good for the Blazers is because the outlook has become much longer with both stars going down, at this point its obvious this team likes it slow and steady, rise with us slowly and steadily......

I've seen how that movie ends ...

[video=youtube;5LJEPkc4ztE]

 

[THE HCP]

Sorry to rain on the parade FAMS! I make half my yearly income from the NBA......... My wife and I are really starting to get nervous about this....... especially after I told her about what Mr. Hunter said today.

 

[barfo]

Sorry to rain on the parade FAMS! I make half my yearly income from the NBA......... My wife and I are really starting to get nervous about this....... especially after I told her about what Mr. Hunter said today.

I understand that there are many here who will comfort your wife in this time of troubles.

barfo

 

[THE HCP]

$10 a pop!

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

When this is over our roster could look vastly different. Even before Oden went down the management were already trying to shake things up. I offer this example:

But you do bring up an interesting point about Aldridge. I keep hearing he’s out there. The Blazers offered Aldridge to the Nets for Derrick Favors and Devin Harris during the draft. Looks like he’s in play.

- Chad Ford

LINK​

 

[Rhal]

When this is over our roster could look vastly different. Even before Oden went down the management were already trying to shake things up. I offer this example:

- Chad Ford

LINK​

I wonder if he is still out there with how he is playing now. Before the draft we wanted a nice high pick and a young point guard, not sure if we will do that now.

 

[oldmangrouch]

The league doesn't need non-guaranteed contracts...they just need to make it easier to buy a player out. Under the currrent system, a bought out player remains a cap burden for 2-3 years. Make the cap relief immediate. If a team is so desperate to be rid of a player, they can just pay him to go away, and get on with their business.

This would benefit an owner like PA, who is willing to invest in his team, instead of trying to milk every penny out of it. Sadly, it would upset clowns like Sterling, and they are the only people Stern seems to care about.

 

[jlprk]

A lockout would sure hurt traffic on the NBA portion of this board. The few left would be bored and start posting like me. We'd all go crazy. Denny would lose all his money.

 

[hasoos]

Sorry to rain on the parade FAMS! I make half my yearly income from the NBA......... My wife and I are really starting to get nervous about this....... especially after I told her about what Mr. Hunter said today.

I would start saving man. My bet is on at least 3 months of lockout. They will get replacement players in and that will put the screws on the league to get a deal done at that point.

 

[Charcoal Filtered]

So there is a 1% chance I can keep me and my family off the streets this time next year!

Road Living with Big John? I would definitely watch that!

 

[jlprk]

HCP, what will local sports TV fill their time with? Find out and start making contacts. Lots of interesting sports out there just waiting for a man of your talents.

Meanwhile, you better start training Michelle and the Mrs.

Get them walking a few miles a day. Buy them soft shoes.

Also, you could pitch Denny to pay for your posts.

 

[BLAZER PROPHET]

The league doesn't need non-guaranteed contracts...they just need to make it easier to buy a player out. Under the currrent system, a bought out player remains a cap burden for 2-3 years. Make the cap relief immediate. If a team is so desperate to be rid of a player, they can just pay him to go away, and get on with their business.

This would benefit an owner like PA, who is willing to invest in his team, instead of trying to milk every penny out of it. Sadly, it would upset clowns like Sterling, and they are the only people Stern seems to care about.

I disagree.

Teams are losing money. Teams as investments are losing money. Stadiums have lost value. The owners are losing large amounts of money- but the players are doing just fine with their guaranteed contracts and soft salary cap that forces teams to pay more. And that would be fine if teams were making money.

Why do you think the NFL is the #1 most successful league? A league where both the players and owners do well and the players bust their bums every game? They have non guaranteed contracts and a hard salary cap. To be sure, a certain percentage of the salary is guaranteed, which is good, but if a player gets injured or decides to "retire on the job", they're gone. Fair enough. Hard caps keep most salaries equal and within sanity.

If the NBA is going to continue and survive, the players are going to have to face facts that the financial model is broke and cannot be repaired.

 

[Blazinaway]

I disagree.

Teams are losing money. Teams as investments are losing money. Stadiums have lost value. The owners are losing large amounts of money- but the players are doing just fine with their guaranteed contracts and soft salary cap that forces teams to pay more. And that would be fine if teams were making money.

Why do you think the NFL is the #1 most successful league? A league where both the players and owners do well and the players bust their bums every game? They have non guaranteed contracts and a hard salary cap. To be sure, a certain percentage of the salary is guaranteed, which is good, but if a player gets injured or decides to "retire on the job", they're gone. Fair enough. Hard caps keep most salaries equal and within sanity.

If the NBA is going to continue and survive, the players are going to have to face facts that the financial model is broke and cannot be repaired.

+1, agree

 

[BlayZa]

im totally in support of non guaranteed contracts in the NBA. christ, just think about the amount of people who have signed big and basically delivered nowhere near that contract year performance ever again.... tons of them! at the very least people will a hell of a lot more aware that their continued employment @ $x level is actually based on current performance, not on one great season they had 4yrs ago.

 

[Mediocre Man]

The league doesn't need non-guaranteed contracts...they just need to make it easier to buy a player out. Under the currrent system, a bought out player remains a cap burden for 2-3 years. Make the cap relief immediate. If a team is so desperate to be rid of a player, they can just pay him to go away, and get on with their business.

This would benefit an owner like PA, who is willing to invest in his team, instead of trying to milk every penny out of it. Sadly, it would upset clowns like Sterling, and they are the only people Stern seems to care about.

I think it's important that teams be penalized for making stupid decisions. I also feel it's not the fault of the organization if a player gets hurt after he signs the contract. Somehow it would be great for there to be provisions in each contract that can be made for non pre existing injuries. For example, it wouldn't be Portland's fault if LA went down with a knee injury and wasn't the same player who earned the contract he did. It would be Portland's fault, though, that they extended Roy with his bad knees.

A few things I would like to see implemented in the new CBA.

1. Roster expansion. There is no reason teams shouldn't be able to "own" more players and play them in the D league.
2. 1/2 guaranteed contracts. If a player is waived or bought out, only 1/2 of that players salary counts against the cap.
3. Hard cap. I'd like to see this in the form of two numbers. A hard cap for active rosters, and another for minor league players.(No grandfather clause)
4. Raise the age of entry candidates to 20, or 2 years removed from your high school graduating class.

 

[jlprk]

1. Roster expansion. There is no reason teams shouldn't be able to "own" more players and play them in the D league.

There's plenty of reason. When each team hogs players to prevent them from being picked up by other teams, it dilutes the talent in the NBA.

 

[BLAZER PROPHET]

There's plenty of reason. When each team hogs players to prevent them from being picked up by other teams, it dilutes the talent in the NBA.

I'm not so sure about that. If teams had, say 18 players, they're hogging players from the bottom of the barrel. And who needs them? All they do is either play D-league or be used as practice dummies.

 

[HailBlazers]

1. Roster expansion. There is no reason teams shouldn't be able to "own" more players and play them in the D league.
2. 1/2 guaranteed contracts. If a player is waived or bought out, only 1/2 of that players salary counts against the cap.
3. Hard cap. I'd like to see this in the form of two numbers. A hard cap for active rosters, and another for minor league players.(No grandfather clause)
4. Raise the age of entry candidates to 20, or 2 years removed from your high school graduating class.

I can get on board with 1,2,4. Not on 3, NBA players are the most spectacular athletes to watch on any given night, I don't believe the amount they are compensated should be hindered. I do fully agree with your non-guaranteed contracts sentiments though. The players really need to take some responsibility and get paid for what they do, not what they could of done, or have done in the past.

 

[Draco]

I don't see a problem with half guaranteed contracts, players are reluctant to give in to anything right now but when push comes to shove I could see them agreeing to those. It would also free up money for owners to spend on guys playing well so some quality players would benefit from it.