NBA Thread 2011-12

[Red Devil-Taker316]

I could not be happier. I'm still not thrilled that I'm stuck with Carmelo Anthony on my Knicks, but damnit, the NBA is back! WOOOO!

[Maxx]

Yeah, I hate having one of the top 10 players in the NBA on my team, too.

[gunnar hendershow]

Does anyone have specifics of what the tentative deal entails? I read no hard cap which is a shock, but stricter spending minimum and luxury tax rules.

[ROZAY]

Does anyone have specifics of what the tentative deal entails? I read no hard cap which is a shock, but stricter spending minimum and luxury tax rules.

I can't find the proposal before the latest one, but here are the new changes.

Here are some of the key details of those moves, according to a league source who was privy to the details of the tentative agreement and shared those details with SheridanHoops.com.

_ On the financial split, the players will receive between 49 and 51 percent of revenues, depending on annual growth. The players had complained prior to Saturday that the owners’ previous offer effectively limited them to 50.2 percent of revenues, but the source said 51 percent was now reasonably achievable with robust growth.

_Owners dropped their insistence on what would have been known as the Carmelo Anthony rule, preventing teams from executing extend-and-trade deals similar to the one that sent Anthony from the Denver Nuggets to the New York Knicks last season. This means that if Dwight Howard, Deron Williams and Chris Paul want to leverage their way out of Orlando, New Jersey and New Orleans, they will still be eligible to sign four-year extensions with their current teams before being immediately traded elsewhere.

_ Teams above the salary cap will be able to offer four-year mid-level exception contracts to free agents each season. Previously, owners were asking that teams be limited to offering a four-year deal one year, a three-year deal the next, then four, then three, etc.

_ The rookie salary scale and veteran minimum salaries will stay the same as they were last season. Owners had been seeking 12 percent cuts.

_ Qualifying offers to restricted free agents will become “significantly” improved. The sides had already agreed to reduce the time for a team to match an offer to a restricted free agent from 7 days to 3.

_ A new $2.5 million exception will be available to teams that go blow the salary cap, then use all of their cap room to sign free agents. Once they are back above the cap, they will be able to use the new exception instead of being limited to filling out their rosters with players on minimum contracts.

_ The prohibition on luxury tax-paying teams from executing sign-and-trade deals was loosened, although the freedom to execute those types of deals will still be limited.

Both sides will have the option to opt out of the 10-year deal after six years. Stern said he does not expect unanimous support from the owners, who will vote on the tentative agreement after the owners’ full negotiating committee receives a rundown of what is in the new deal.

Players also must ratify the agreement, a process that could take as long as a week while the union, which dissolved itself last week by issuing a disclaimer of interest, is reconstituted.

But if both constituencies sign off on the agreement, training camps and free agency will open simultaneously on Dec. 9, and the season will start with a tripleheader — Boston-New York, Chicago-L.A. Lakers and Miami-Dallas (a rematch of the NBA Finals) — on Dec. 25.

[gunnar hendershow]

So looks like we can rest assured that Paul is going to NY and Howard to LA now.

[DYSI]

I still hold out hope that Howard will go to Jersey/Brooklyn.

[DT]

Looks like this deal is still favoring big market (just my preliminary look, havent looked in depth)

[Red Devil-Taker316]

Yeah, I hate having one of the top 10 players in the NBA on my team, too.

Hey, maybe if he can stay healthy Stoudemire will show he's top 10. Not yet though.

[Red Devil-Taker316]

The NBA and the Players Association have begun circulating memos to teams, players and agents outlining some of the specifics of the new proposed labor agreement that still must be ratified by the league’s owners and players.

Among the specifics in the collective bargaining agreement:

• Revenue split: The players will receive anywhere from 49 percent to 51 percent of basketball-related income based on revenue projections. The split is set on a base case of 50%, with the players receiving 60.5 percent of every incremental dollar beyond the targeted amount.

More From Adrian Wojnarowski

Committee could study NBA draft rule Nov 27, 2011

Owners, players reach handshake deal to end lockout Nov 26, 2011

• Maximum contract lengths: five years for Larry Bird rights players; four years for non-Bird players.

• Maximum salary: A player finishing his rookie scale contract will be eligible to receive a maximum salary equal to 30 percent of the salary cap if he signs with his prior team and meets certain performance benchmarks: first, second or third team All-NBA two times; an All-Star starter two times; or a one-time MVP.

• Annual salary increases: 7.5 percent for Bird players; and 4.5 percent for non-Bird players.

• Midlevel exception: up to $5 million starting salary with four-year maximum contract length for teams that don’t exceed the luxury tax threshold by more than $4 million; teams that exceed the tax threshold by $4 million will be limited to using a $3 million midlevel exception with a three-year maximum contract.

• New $2.5 million exception for teams below the salary cap to go over the cap. Those teams can’t use the midlevel or bi-annual exceptions.

• No reduction in rookie scale or minimum salaries.

• Player options are allowed for all players, similar to the previous collective bargaining agreement.

• Extend-and-trade contracts similar to the one Carmelo Anthony(notes) received prior to his trade from the Denver Nuggets to the New York Knicks last season will continue to be permitted.

• Escrow pool: Ten percent of player salaries will be held each year.

• Teams now have three days to match offer sheets given to their own restricted free agents.

• Minimum team salary increases to 85 percent of the salary cap in the first two years of the deal and 90 percent of the cap in the years thereafter.

• Each team has one amnesty clause to use on a player currently under contract. The players’ salary will be removed from the team’s cap.

From Yahoo.com.

[gunnar hendershow]

Amnesty clause really helps the big market teams. I guess it means Rashard Lewis, Rip Hamilton, and Baron Davis will all be suiting up for contenders this upcoming year.

My big thing with this CBA is that I don't think they changed enough for the longterm, there's still major problems in the league's competitive balance that are going to persist. With owners and players being able to opt out of this after 6 I wouldn't be shocked to see exactly that happen. Until the NBA finds a way for true competitive balance it's going to have these same problems continually creep up.

[DYSI]

Amnesty clause really helps the big market teams. I guess it means Rashard Lewis, Rip Hamilton, and Baron Davis will all be suiting up for contenders this upcoming year.

If Travis Outlaw isn't amnestied I'll literally die.

In other Nets related news:

Exactly what can be done won’t be known until the new collective bargaining agreement is ratified, but the Nets should have upward of $20 million to spend, even with 10 players, including rookies MarShon Brooks and Jordan Williams (and minus Travis Outlaw who should be amnestied away), on guaranteed deals. And they will spend.

Keeping Williams is the one universal truth about the Nets, other than their poor record in recent years.

The players the Nets likely will pursue have been out there: Nene, Tayshaun Prince, Jamal Crawford. Then there is always the sign-and-trade route, which seems more feasible again as the new deal apparently will allow for immediate sign-and-trades like in the past.

And nothing would keep Williams happier than having Dwight Howard as a teammate. But even if that flops, it’s not like the Nets have Jerome James plugging the middle.

Brook Lopez is 23 years old, please remember. And Williams has been most complimentary about him in the past.

Details of the new deal have not fully emerged, but there will be harsher penalties through the luxury tax. Still, the Nets have space.

So teams being able to spend, although likely not as lavishly, is a Nets plus. That’s why it seemed virtually incomprehensible when owner Mikhail Prokhorov was portrayed in at least one report as a hardliner in negotiations. Prokhorov’s greatest asset is deep pockets.

The Nets need to surround Williams with upgraded talent, which is what the player has claimed that in the past. The best way to do that is to spend.

Soon, they’ll be able to.

credit: nypost.com

[VerbalPuke]

Amnesty clause really helps the big market teams. I guess it means Rashard Lewis, Rip Hamilton, and Baron Davis will all be suiting up for contenders this upcoming year.

My big thing with this CBA is that I don't think they changed enough for the longterm, there's still major problems in the league's competitive balance that are going to persist. With owners and players being able to opt out of this after 6 I wouldn't be shocked to see exactly that happen. Until the NBA finds a way for true competitive balance it's going to have these same problems continually creep up.

Chances are Rip will not be the guy the Pistons use the amnesty clause on. His contract only has about two years left, and so it could hold value as an expiring deal in a year. It's more likely that Ben Gordon will be the guy the Pistons use it on, which still supports your statement. Of course I would prefer to see Charlie Villenueva gone, even with the logjam the Pistons have at the guard position.

[livid]

Amnesty clause really helps the big market teams. I guess it means Rashard Lewis, Rip Hamilton, and Baron Davis will all be suiting up for contenders this upcoming year.

I'm not a Magic fan by any means but I've always felt a bit sorry for them with that signing so it's kind of good to see a way where they can finally get rid of him.

[naiwf]

Amnesty clause really helps the big market teams. I guess it means Rashard Lewis, Rip Hamilton, and Baron Davis will all be suiting up for contenders this upcoming year.

I'm not a Magic fan by any means but I've always felt a bit sorry for them with that signing so it's kind of good to see a way where they can finally get rid of him.

They traded him to the Wizards for Gilbert Arenas last year. Both of those guys should be amnestied and then cut.

[gunnar hendershow]

The Gilbert-Rashard trade was the Super Bowl of Horrible Contracts.

[livid]

Amnesty clause really helps the big market teams. I guess it means Rashard Lewis, Rip Hamilton, and Baron Davis will all be suiting up for contenders this upcoming year.

I'm not a Magic fan by any means but I've always felt a bit sorry for them with that signing so it's kind of good to see a way where they can finally get rid of him.

They traded him to the Wizards for Gilbert Arenas last year. Both of those guys should be amnestied and then cut.

Wow, I had totally forgot about that.

You are right though, the point stands regardless as Arenas was pretty terrible for Orlando himself.

[Lint]

I was actually hoping the season would be cancelled. I was really wanting to see one of the pro sports shoot themselves in the foot..

[ROZAY]

Free agency begins today, and players can start using team facilities tomorrow. Nothing can officially happen until December 9th, although I'm sure we'll hear about deals being agreed to in principle before then.

There's also an interesting clause within the amnesty clause. If a player is cut, he does not automatically become a free agent - there will be a bidding contest with teams that are operating under the salary cap to acquire that player. If no one bids on said player, then he can go into free agency.

Also, there will be five games on opening day instead of three - one on TNT, two on ABC and two on ESPN.

[naiwf]

So Boston wants to swap Rondo for CP3, the Nets want Dwight Howard, the Knicks want CP3, and the Lakers want both CP3 AND Howard. Isn't it great how the new CBA is going to help the small market teams compete?

[Meacon Keaton]

All I want to know is whether or not the Knicks can land CP3 next year

No lie, but I was really looking forward to a year of the Knicks not breaking our hearts. :/

I could not be happier. I'm still not thrilled that I'm stuck with Carmelo Anthony on my Knicks, but damnit, the NBA is back! WOOOO!

Seriously? I am.