NBA: How to Avoid a Lockout

The NFL lockout seems to be coming to a resolution.  Hopefully.  And for that lockout, I was on the players side.  The owners wanting another billion dollars just seemed too ridiculous to me.  Both sides were greedy, but the owners were more greedy to me.

As for the NBA, I am firmly on the owners side.  It's easy to see that franchises are losing money because the system is broken.  Now, while I don't agree with everything the owners want, I do think that a lot of what they are proposing makes sense.

Get Rid of the Mid-Level Exception

Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

DENVER, CO - MARCH 23: Al Harrington #7 of the Denver Nuggets looks on as he awaits a free throw against the San Antonio Spurs at the Pepsi Center on March 23, 2011 in Denver, Colorado. Harrington had a game high 27 points as the Nuggets defeated the Spu

Saving owners from themselves, that's what this is called.  All it takes is one dumb owner to think an overrated player is worth five times their worth and then you end up with Al Harrington on your team for five years, sucking up your cap space.

Okay, maybe Al isn't that grossly overpaid, but the point is that in order to compete with the wealthier teams (Lakers, Bulls, Celtics, etc.) the poorer teams (Nuggets, Grizzlies, Bobcats, etc.) need to spend money they don't have to try and field a competitive team.

I don't think money should buy championships and without a mid-level exception teams over the cap have to draft well, try and find bargain players on veteran minimums or be creative with trades.

This would also make the D-League more important because it would provide teams that are over the cap with possible minimum salary players.

No Hard Cap

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

CHICAGO - JUNE 11: (L-R) Dave Bolland #36, Jonathan Toews #19, and Patrick Kane #88 celebrate with the crowd during the Chicago Blackhawks Stanley Cup victory parade and rally on June 11, 2010 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

Why am I showing a hockey picture when talking about basketball?  Because I think it's a travesty that teams like the Blackhawks had to break up their team because of a hard cap.  If you draft well, sign the right players, you should be able to keep that team in tact.

Teams shouldn't be penalized for drafting well.  And that's what a hard cap does.  Without a mid-level exception teams can no longer buy championships.  But teams should be able to go over the cap, pay a fine, in order to keep the team intact that they constructed from the ground up.

Make the Amnesty Clause Available to Everyone

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

ATLANTA, GA - APRIL 28: Gilbert Arenas #1 of the Orlando Magic against the Atlanta Hawks during Game Six of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals in the 2011 NBA Playoffs at Philips Arena on April 28, 2011 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressl

In 2005 the amnesty clause allowed teams in the luxury tax to waiver one player and not incur any penalties.  You couldn't resign a player you waived for the length of their original contract.  So the Lakers couldn't use the amnesty clause on Kobe and have him resign for the veteran's minimum.

The player gets all the money guaranteed on the contract, they are just no longer a part of the cap.

I would like to extend this to all teams.  Not just those paying the luxury tax. Without a mid-level exception and with perhaps a reduced cap, teams need to be able to get one do-over in order to make their team work under the new rules and potentially fill out their team with more players.

To find out more about the 2005 amnesty clause click here.

Keep the Sign and Trade

Nick Laham/Getty Images

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 24: Carmelo Anthony #7 of the New York Knicks looks on against the Boston Celtics in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2011 NBA Playoffs on April 24, 2011 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The Celt

The reason they want to get rid of this is because they don't want the richer teams to pilfer from the smaller market teams.  They want stars to stay in the smaller markets.  But that's not the real problem. The problem is that the difference of one more year of guaranteed money isn't enough to keep a big-time free agent.

So if you just make teams that draft a player able to offer two more years and about 30 million dollars more in salary, then it might change things.  The sign and trade allows flexibility.  And it allows players leaving for more money to show some loyalty to their team and net them something in return.

While a late first round draft pick isn't much for LeBron James and Chris Bosh, at least their former teams got something.

Change the Percentages and Roll Back Salaries

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

DALLAS, TX - MAY 08: Guard Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers wipes his face during play against the Dallas Mavericks in Game Four of the Western Conference Semifinals during the 2011 NBA Playoffs on May 8, 2011 at American Airlines Center in Dall

It's said that the NBA is growing by about 3% but that the max players are getting about 10% raises in their salaries.

That doesn't make sense.

Rolling back some of the higher paid players would help alleviate the situation.  Also by rolling back salaries it allows teams more flexibility to work under the new cap rules with there no longer being a mid-level exception.

Also, currently the players are guaranteed 57% of the revenue.  Knock that down to about 52% and it seems a little more fair and balanced.  Easier said than done and a lot more goes into it than that.

Unfortunately I don't have access to all the balance sheets so there is no way for me to say with any great confidence what the percentages should be.  It's just a gut feeling.

The players have yielded on lowering the percentage they are guaranteed, but it has not been disclosed how much they yielded.

Don't Limit Teams to One Max Player

Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

MIAMI, FL - JUNE 12: (L-R) Dwyane Wade #3, LeBron James #6 and Chris Bosh #1 of the Miami Heat react on court against the Dallas Mavericks in Game Six of the 2011 NBA Finals at American Airlines Arena on June 12, 2011 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: Use

The small market teams are using the Miami Heat as an example of what doesn't work, what needs to be avoided.  Why is that? How has the league not benefited from that team getting together?

I have no problem with three superstars saying they want to play for the same team, as long as those players are okay playing with a bunch of aging veterans chasing a ring or taking significantly less money so that the team can sign some good bench players.

By getting rid of the mid-level exception it limits the possibilities of "Super Teams" signing complimentary pieces unless those pieces are willing to take significantly less money.  Which most players in their prime aren't willing to do.