As much as you guys complain about the soft cap you better appreciate it.

[iamgine]

Kevin Garnett has a contract grandfathered in so the post 99 CBA didnt apply to him. After his MVP season he could have signed a deal that would have made him the first 40 million a season player. He was at 28 million a year and the MVP instead of signing for a contract that would pay him 32...then 35....38....41...drops his pay to 16.

Why?

To help the team. To try to win.

A guy like that who could sign for 50 and lose or for 30 and get help wouldnt hesitate. They are already near mogul levels of wealth.

And then you factor in the off the court money? even the non household name guys get more than other athletes.

Lilliard makes more endorsement money than anyone in the NFL. Brady is close but not quite there.

Those shoe deals really tip the scales. Guys who didnt even make the all star team this year make 30-40 million after the shoe deal.

That's like...one person in decades. I'm not sure your theory has enough sample, as much as you'd like to believe it. Even much more evidence to the contrary.

[Kblaze8855]

That's like...one person in decades. I'm not sure your theory has enough sample, as much as you'd like to believe it. Even much more evidence to the contrary.

Im talking about what is happening now and will happen more going forward. Decades ago most players didnt make the money to do these things. Let me give you specifics....

Marvin Bagley...

By the end of his rookie deal between Puma and the NBA he will have made 96 million dollars. The qualifying offer for the last season of his rookie deal is 14.8 million dollars. More than Kobe made in any season before 2006. Bagleys finals rookie deal season...will pay him more than Lebron made his first season with the Heat. The Big 3 were willing to take LESS than Bagleys final rookie deal pay....to win. Thats how much the standards have changed since the TV/internet money came in. The final season of Deandre Aytons rookie deal will pay him 16.4 million dollars. More than Lebron made in 3 of his MVP seasons. THAT is why for the first time ever we have young guys saying you can go **** yourself on a 100 million dollar offer. It literally never happened till now......because guys make epic money out the gate. Enough to get the security guys used to jump at.

Bagley will have earned just under 100 million before he even needs to go into free agency. He will be 23. He signs for a midrange deal at that point? He gets to age 27 already having made 220 million dollars NOT counting his second shoe deal. Its entirely possible he has generated 300 million on/off court before he signs his prime contract. At that point? You can sign a 3 year deal with a 3rd year option for say....110 million. You and two friends who also have 250-300 million can then have earned 400 million dollars by age 30.....AND have rings.

Then what?

Sign anywhere you want for big money. Be 35 having earned 600 million dollars. And you can do that without even being a superstar. That isnt superstar money going forward. Thats borderline all star money. Batum gets 23-27 million a season. Conley 30+. And the cap jump that made that happen only took us from 70 to 91 million. The Cap number for 2020? Its 119 million dollars. The salary FLOOR...the least an NBA team is allowed to spend? Its gonna be about 95 million dollars. Meaning...the LEAST you can pay a team full of total scrubs...is more than the 2010 Lakers were paid to win the title. We have not really wrapped our heads around how much money the league is paying out right now and going forward......

The days of signing for security are ending.

Thats why its so easy to make superteams. Guys can afford to walk away from an extra 87 million like Davis because they already have security. They would rather be the big stars on the new popular super team and go from 200 to 330 million than go from 200-360 million while losing. Especially when they know they will still be young enough to max out later like Durant is about to do. Durant took less...got his rings....and said hes not playing for a discount anymore. Hes showing you how its gonna be done going forward. Of course people didnt do it in 1992. Michael Jordan didnt even make that much on the court. 3 million dollars is a lot....but not a lot for an entire life. And plenty of all stars back then reached their first big contract having made less than that. They had to get paid.

Rookies now know they can have 60-90 million by 23 if they are the worst player ever just off rookie contracts and shoe deals. Theres no risk anymore that forces you to take what you can get. 100 million dollars is walk around money for superteam level players as annoying as it is to hear it.

Between Nike/Adidas/UA/rookie deal Zion will have earned 150 million dollars before he even needs to sign an extension. Why wouldnt he take the qualifying offer that will probably pay him 18 million for a season to be unrestricted?

These players are gonna be doing whatever they want here on out. Its hard to buy a guy who already has a quarter billion dollars and is sick of losing.

[JohnnySic]

I dont think most of the great players care about winning that much, at least not at first. They mainly care about money and playing in warm weather, fun cities. When the time comes to win they can form super teams with their super friends. The NBA has entered some dark territory since The Decision.

[Kblaze8855]

I dont think most of the great players care about winning that much, at least not at first. They mainly care about money and playing in warm weather, fun cities. When the time comes to win they can form super teams with their super friends.

Thats the thing....there is so much money to be made now they can do both.

You can leave money on the table and still make 350-400 million by 30 with a solid shoe deal....and sign a final deal to put you in the 600 million range for your career.

You could legit make half a billion while still teaming up with friends. KAT is gonna hit 220 million in career earnings when hes 27....NOT counting endorsements. Realistically hes sitting on a quarter billion in career earnings when he will have another 5-6 years of prime. By the time hes up for a new deal the cap will be around 130 million dollars. A team could sign 3 guys to 30 million each and have 40 million to play with for role players before they even have to go over the cap......which they would do by signing their own good players back. Plus you always have a young draft pick or two not taking up much money yet.

Every team will have the money for a super team....the players will just decide how to link up and where. You wont even need to have a decent GM. The players will decide who the good teams are in a group chat.

[Ben Simmons 25]

You could be right that their income has gotten so incredibly high that they're going to be more motivated by winning than maxing out their money at certain points in the middle of their primes, but I'll believe it when I see it.

It will be very interesting if you are right.

I'm not saying you're wrong... I don't know... but I do know I've seen a ton of guys motivated exclusively by money over the years... and granted not this much money, but we'll see... I'll believe it when I see it.

I'm an open minded skeptic.

[Kblaze8855]

You are already seeing it we just arent paying attention to how much money these guys leave on the table for freedom. Paul George turned down 219 million from the Pacers and signed for 4 years 137 in OKC....and even they offered 176. He left 82 million dollars on the table. Davis is walking away from 87 million. Durant signed for 2 years 53 million in Golden State when OKC had 230 million dollars for him. This guy risked an injury that could have cost him 170+ million dollars. What does he care? Hes got a 285 million dollar shoe deal.

Guys still want money....but the paydays and endorsements are now so huge the security against injury isnt the motivating factor it used to be. Players used to argue with teams for that extra year or two. The 6-7 year deals. Now? They argue with the team for less years and more player option seasons to get OUT of deals and leave for less money from another team if they want. Teams want the security of a long no outs contract. Many star players players dont want those deals anymore.

The reason everyone until KP decided to take the first 100+ million offer is simple.....you might get hurt and have to live off what you already have. Better to be Arenas paid for nothing than wait it out and see if you get more later.

Now? Guys will leave 90-100 million on the vine because they are already so rich they dont have anything to fear.

The Bagley example I used....

Today..right now...hes gonna have a career earnings of 96 million before his rookie deal ends between NBA and Puma.

Hes already locked up for the kind of money all stars made for a career...not in the 80s and 90s. In the 2000s. Bagley has locked in earnings of the same as Peja made in his entire career. A 3 time all star who signed 2 big deals.

When the Kings offer him 100 million in 2 years...why wouldnt he just take the qualifying offer like KP and play the last year at 16 million which is max contract money as recently as the early 2010s?

You are 23 with almost 100 million in career earning.s You can afford to go to unrestricted free agency and get your way. Make the team bend to your will. Take maybe 3 years 110 million with a player option or two. Or walk to make a superteam with a 3 year deal....

Guys used to need to sign that first big deal to have "Forever" money. Now they will have it out the gate. They can skip to superteam forming at 23 instead of 27-30. Get paid later. They are all gonna make half a billion anyway.

You are gonna be disgusted with these contracts when that 120-130 million cap arrives.

Some guy will get 5 years 270 million dollars and he wont even be that good.

Im not telling you guys dont still care about money. Im telling you guys will have so much money either way they can afford to win at 23-27 and get paid later. The KD model...take less now....demand the real max later...

I think thats the new normal. Zions qualifying offer for the final year of his rookie deal will be for 17-18 million dollars. On the ROOKIE deal hes gonna make more money than Duncan did in any of his first 11 seasons. Added to the 100+ million Nike is gonna offer him in 2 weeks?

This kid will have 160 million before he has to earn anything. IF hes actually good?

Shiiiiiiiiiiit. He wont need Phoenix suns money. He will be able to afford to wait for unrestricted status and take a little less Knicks money to add to his 250 million dollar shoe extension. Or maybe pull a Steph and let Under Armor give him stock options. These guys are thinking long money now. They can get a half a billion in cash from the league plus part ownership in billion dollar corporate entities WHILE superteaming it.

The NBA might try to fight back by shrinking contracts in the next CBA with a lower split to players but thats gonna be a disaster for everyone. The bucket of money is too big for rosters of 12-15 guys to not ALL be ultra rich. And you need the players to feel pressure to take the fast money to keep them loyal. Once they all have 100 million by 23-24....you lose that control.

What you gonna do? Take a smaller TV/Digital rights deal? Nah.

This is all the result of the league making so much money. Gift and a curse.

[eliteballer]

The league isn't doing the small market teams some favor by helping them be competitive.

It's essential to the league.

The really big markets will print money regardless(see the Knicks/Clippers when they've sucked) just because of their sheer size.

It's keeping the fans in smaller markets interested so they go and watch games, purchase merchandise etc.

The vast majority of the population is still outside of the few mega-markets.

It's just more money for the league, and frankly as a fan of a big market team isn't as fun when the deck is stacked in your favor in terms of talent.

Baseball is terrible, I can't fathom how someone can watch it on tv.

However it survives because it's cheap entertainment for middle-aged adults and baby boomers whom baseball is a legacy sport for.

You in Milwaukee or Kansas City, going to a cheap baseball game and drinking for 3 hours is an excuse to go out for entertainment.