2024-2025 Around the NBA Thread

[Yuma]

Barring a strike, which i can't see happening any time soon, I think the next CBA will be similar to this with some carve out for teams retaining players. I saw a proposition back when the last CBA was signed by some analyst who suggested a cool theory where teams get incentivized to retain players and draft well. The basics were a team gets a discount on the tax configuration for a long term players salary. Every year after 5-6 years with a club then only a percentage of their salary counts towards luxury tax payments. Say Booker has been here 10 years, each year after year 5 gives the Suns a 5% discount on his salary toward the tax so they only figure 75% of his salary towards the tax lines. That reduces player movement as teams will want to retain guys to pay them vs new signings. I wish I could recall who came up with it because they detailed it well and it made sense from numerous perspectives.

That kinda makes sense because as some of these salaries, like Shai is now looking at for $300 million, you can't put players around them. So you pay guys you like, but reduce odds of winning. Plus as of now, you have to let guys go because you cannot go over the aprons and really be viable as we found out.

 

[Yuma]

Can the Suns buy picks?

We prefer to give them away excessively!

 

[Phrazbit]

Especially one who’s only 26 and favored to win his first title, with a young squad surrounding him and a boatload of draft picks.

They're in a good spot too financially. Chet will probably get max money eventually and maybe Jalen Williams but that's it when it comes to above midlevel guys.

They are going to bleed talent... but they also have the draft capitol (for now) to replace it. It is a good position to be in, but I think if their owner were not a complete and utter pile of trash, they'd be in a position to rule the league for a decade. Even ignoring the absolute screw job he pulled on the city of Seattle, they traded harden for pennies on the dollar because of a 2 million dollar gap in pay. The dude will absolutely not allow for those 2nd apron penalties, I question if he will even go over the luxury tax, especially if they win without it.

This is all Presti... who ironically botched a ton of moves during the 2010s (although admittedly constrained by his awful owner), but only kept his job for their insane tank scheme... because Bennett is such a cheap skate.